Sean
Cummings, author of The Valerie Stevens
series is joining us today to answer questions about his upcoming new
novel, Poltergeeks which hits stores
and online retailers everywhere October 2, 2012.
Hi
Sean! Thank you for joining us today, can you give us the Elevator pitch for Poltergeeks?
Thanks
for joining in on the blog tour! Elevator pitch, huh? A teen witch with an
independence streak a mile wide along with her dorky best friend help a little
old lady with a poltergeist infested house only to find themselves thrown into
a do-or-die mystery where lives are at stake and only hours to save a person’s
soul.
Was
it harder for you to write this Young-Adult novel than your Urban Fantasy
Valerie Stevens series?
You
bet it was – I’m writing for a younger audience and so there’s the need to make
all my younger characters sound authentic. That took a bit of work and a
boatload of help from my agent Jenny Savill and my editor Amanda Rutter.
What
actors would you choose to play some of your characters if your book were made
into a movie or TV show?
That’s
a neat question, okay let’s see. For Julie, I’d like to see Elle Fanning who
was in Super 8. For Marcus, I can’t think of anyone off the top of my head –
Jay Baruchel immediately comes to mind but he’s way too old. For Julie’s mom, I
think that Laura Linnie would be awesome. For Betty I’d like to see Andrea
Martin doing her Edith Prickly character because that’s basically who was in my
head as I wrote Betty.
Is
Poltergeeks a standalone or a planned
series?
It’s
the first book in a series. The second book is STUDENT BODIES and it comes out
next fall.
Do
you have a certain writing routine?
Yep.
I’m up early every day as I have a day job so I write at around four in the
morning – I’m a morning person. I just can’t write at the end of a full day
worth of work. I write on the weekends – again first thing in the morning. It’s
the curse of being a morning person.
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| Sean Cummings (via Author's site) |
Tell
us three interesting things about yourself that can’t be found in your
biography section.
1)
I have a terrible sweet tooth
2)
I wanted to be an editorial cartoonist and I
still dabble
3)
I originally wanted to be a children’s author
If
you were shipwrecked on a desert island what 3 books would you want with you?
1)
An infantry field craft manual so that I can
survive.
2)
Different Seasons by Stephen King because it’s a
fantastic book
3)
A book about how to build a raft
What are you currently reading right now or
what are some books in your TBR pile?
I’m currently reading MOCKINGBIRD by Chuck
Wendig. A fantastic follow-up to BLACKBIRDS. Miriam Black is a train wreck of a
character and I just can’t help but watch.
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| Valerie Stevens #1 |
What other projects can we look forward to
reading from you in the future?
As mentioned, the follow up to POLTERGEEKS is
STUDENT BODIES and it comes out next fall. I’m working on revisions for the
first in a post apocalyptic trilogy called THE NORTH – another YA book. My
agent is going to being shopping TIM REAPER – he’s an amoral death spirit in
human form. A bit of a detective, a bit of a bounty hunter. He’s a fantastic
character and I could write TIM REAPER books until the cows come home because
he’s fun as hell to write.
Do you have any advice to aspiring writers?
Yes. Get an agent. Seriously, get an agent. I
know there’s a handful of self-published authors who’ve met with great success
in 2012, but they’re the exception and not the rule. An agent is a sounding
board for ideas and they understand the market far better than an aspiring
author because that’s their job. An agent gives you the swift kick in the pants
that you need to make your story just that much better. They have the
connections in publishing that you don’t. They are everything that you’re not
and you simply need an agent if you plan to meet with any kind of success in
this business.
Finish this statement: You’ll enjoy Poltergeeks if you like…
Action movies on the printed page. Non-stop
action where the stakes are high and time is running out.
**Lighting
Questions**
Facebook or Twitter?: Twitter. I’m on Facebook but Twitter is the more influential social
networking tool in my view.
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| Valerie Stevens #2 |
Coke or Pepsi?: Doctor Pepper. Preferably in Big Gulp form from 7-11
Favorite Paranormal creature?: Werewolf – of the kind that rips you apart and eats you. Thomas Emson’s
MANEATER is a brilliant example of what a good werewolf novel looks like.
Morning or Night?: Morning – it’s when I am most creative.
Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?: Lord of the Rings. It’s epic. I like epic stuff.
Favorite junk food?: Sour Cream and Onion chips.
Baked or Fried?: Baked
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| Valerie Stevens #3 |
E-reader or physical book?: E-reader. I love physical books but I prefer my ereader because my eyes
aren’t as great as they once were and I can adjust the font.
Comedy or Horror?: Horror Comedy – A good example is An American Werewolf in London.
All time favorite movie?: Lillies of the Field starring Sidney Poitier. That movie can’t not make
you smile in your heart. It’s a movie about hope. It’s beautifully filmed in
the desert. It’s got strong characters and an underlying message about love and
the spirit of generosity that exists in all of us. I absolutely adore Lillies
of the Field.
GIVEAWAY
A prize pack which includes one copy of SHADE FRIGHT, FUNERAL PALLOR, UNSEEN, and POLTERGEEKS by Sean Cummings.
To enter this amazing prize pack, click here to Sean's blog for more details!
