Tag Archives: Katie Teller

Mar 19 2014

Rise Of A New Dynasty

Sorry I haven’t been good about hopping around to visit everyone this week. We’re on spring break, which means I’m in  my writing cave, busy at work on 18 Thoughts (the third installment of the My-So Called Afterlife Trilogy). I did have a really cool start to my break on Friday/Saturday when I participated in a huge reading festival, but I’m saving that story for my next Insecure Writer Support Group post 🙂
But today you’re in for a treat! Katie Teller, the author of the best-selling KIYA trilogy, is here for an exclusive interview!
J: Tell us 3 words to describe your personality
K: I asked my hubby for these so they might be a bit bias – Fun, bright, and lovable.
J: Give us a sneak peek into what your daily writing routine is like.
K: Routine? Wow, I wish! I fit it in whenever I can. I usually try to get up before my sweet child and do a little in the morning, then squeeze in a few hours during “nap time” in the afternoon, then a few more before bed. Basically, if I have a moment, I use it.
J: What’s the inside scoop on Kiya 3.
K: Kiya 3 is my personal favorite of the trilogy. Everything comes to a head, secrets are revealed, and Naomi finds her peace. It’s by far the most emotional book, with things you know are coming, and twists you won’t expect.
J: What’s your favorite craft book? Favorite fiction book?
K: I don’t actually read craft books. I’m your trial and error girl. I learn better that way, by doing. Always have.
My favorite fiction book? Hmm… Ella Enchanted has held out as a beloved favorite since I was a kid.
J: Can you give us a fun tidbit about yourself?
K: I’m really into singing and sports. I originally started studying to be a P.E teacher, until I uprooted and moved across the world to marry my hubby. It’s funny where life leads you.
Kiya 3

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Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.

Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears
for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay’s children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and pushing for power.

But Tut is in trouble. While Ay’s daughter draws Horemheb’s attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone’s distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.

It is funny where life leads you! Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to stop by, Katie!
What have you been up to everyone? Do you forgive me for neglecting you?
Feb 19 2014

Branded Character Interview and Am I A Real Person!?!

Wait? Back-to-back posts from me? Couldn’t be! I know, I know . . . but I’m shaking things up a bit for Katie Teller/Hamstead in honor of her new release this month, Branded.

branded_katie_hamstead TALL

Her characters, Ali and Nick, have stopped by for an exclusive interview!

Q: Tell us a little about yourselves.

Ali: Ah… I’m Ali, and I’m not an alcoholic.

Nick: Smart A. I’m Nicholas Qasim, I’d barely finished my bachelors at the University of Technology, Sydney, when the attack happened.

Ali: Let’s not talk about that.

Nick: Agreed.

Q: You two went to the same high school, but were never friends then. Why do you think that is?

Ali: He was two grades above me, and a super nerd.

Nick: *Laughs* Yup, I’ll take that; gaming, comics, anything nerdy you can think of and that was me. She never would have talked to me if I’d tried.

Ali: You don’t know that.

Nick: Really?

Ali: Okay, yeah, I probably would have blown you off.

Q: You guys are best friends now. Do you think things would have been different if you’d become friends before Ali met Damien?

Nick: *Stares at feet*

Ali: Maybe. Nick’s an awesome guy. I mean, yeah, in high school I would have ignored him, but I think if we’d met up after I graduated we would have been friends. He’s as loyal as they come. Who doesn’t want that?

Nick: Thanks, Ali.

Q: What is the earliest memory you have of each other?

Nick: Her walking into school with her older brother, Andrew, who, by the way, is more of a nerd than me.

Ali: That’s true.

Nick: All of us guys thought she was a hottie and wondered why Drew had her with him.

Ali: They have no taste.

Nick: Anyway, later she had tons of girls surrounding her, but Drew seemed to have vanished. A few days later we found out he hated having her at the same school as him and hid to avoid being associated with her.

Q: And you, Ali?

Ali: My earliest memory of Nick? Hmm… let me think… probably around the middle of ninth grade, so his eleventh grade, I remember him getting this math award. The school made a huge deal about it, and presented it in front of everyone. I think it helped you get your scholarship, right?

Nick: Yeah.

Ali: The school made a big deal out of that, too. But he was pretty shy about it. Unlike me, he didn’t thrive in the limelight.

Nick: Didn’t they have you and the choir sing at that assembly?

Ali: Ahh… Oh, no, that was the vocal ensembles. So yes, I sang.

Nick: I loved that. Ali is the best singer, you should hear her.

Ali: *Scoffs* I am not. You’re totally bias.

Nick: Nope, you’re the best. People would stop what they were doing to listen to you. I remember being late for class several times because you were practicing for something or another.

Ali: Stalker.

Nick: I’ll take that.

Ali: *Shoves his shoulder, grinning.*

Q: So, one last question: What do you want to do if/when the war ends?

Nick: Repair the bridges that have been broken. I hate the thought that people will hate me and my family and other like us because of everything that’s happened. Fear will make things like this happen again, so I hope to bring understanding and peace.

Ali: I just want to live my life, have a family, and enjoy being free without fear. I want to keep the people I haven’t lost with me for the rest of my life.

Sounds like a good plan! I mean, war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing!

Buy Branded here. About the book:

Terrorists have invaded Sydney, and Allison King barely escapes her brother’s wedding reception alive. She and her siblings flee, but their parents are killed by firing squad.

Now Ali’s on the run and terrified. While searching for other survivors, she is captured by the General who leads the invasion. He’s smitten by Ali, and when she refuses to submit to his whims, he brands her for death. In a wild act of defiance, she snatches the branding rod and sears the mark onto his face. Marking not only him but also sealing her fate. Ali manages to escape and flees into the bush once more where she finds a group in hiding. Even with the scars left by the General, Ali learns to love and falls in love with the young man who found her—Damien Rogers.

But the General is hunting her. When he discovers their location, and finds her with another man—Damien—his wrath is kindled and his obsession is inflamed. Ali must put herself on the line or the General could kill her family, those who help her, and most significantly, the man she loves.

Also, visit Katie’s site to enter her Rafflecopter giveaway! And once again, I want to thank everyone for supporting me on my 18 Truths Blog Tour and playing along! I’ve contacted everyone personally to let them know they’re winners, so if you’re here looking for the prize list, it’s up at the top right-hand corner of my site ^ . . . $25 Amazon gift card and my swag pack were the first prizes to go!

What do you think of Ali and Nick? If you have time, I’d appreciate a visit over at Jennifer Eaton’s blog. She asked me an interesting question today: Am I A Real Person? You be the judge 🙂 Also, my publisher is making the Kindle version of 18 Things only 99 cents tomorrow for a BookBub promotion . . . I’d really appreciate some social media shout outs to help move it up in the rankings! THANK YOU!!

Feb 2 2014

Spreading Good News and 3 Parts To A Kickbutt Love Triangle

It’s Sunday! I hope you remembered to count your blessings today 🙂 Here are some of mine from this week:

  • 18 TRUTHS released on Tuesday to instant best-selling status on Amazon: #3 in Coming of Age, #3 in Children’s Paranormal, #9 in Children’s Sci.Fi. It’s still trending in the top 40 in the first two categories. Hoping it never leaves the top 100 as people remain faithful to share its message with others!
  • 18 THINGS has also trended in the top 100 for Coming of Age and Paranormal with its 99 cent Kindle sale, going on through Tuesday, Feb. 4th
  • So far, all the reviews have been 5 stars on Amazon, Goodreads, and B&N.com (only one on there, but still). And yesterday, my publisher forwarded me my first end-of-book survey. The reader rated everything excellent and left me a message at the end: ‘Jamie, this book was a wonderful piece of literature. I enjoyed 18 Things but 18 Truths was way more than I expected. I was glad that the book left me satisfied but still wanting/waiting for more. I loved how you kept God at a true state in most teenagers minds. They have questions, confusion and searching when it comes to finding, relying, and trusting God. Any young person reading this book may feel relief. It’s never too late to find the truth and believe. When my daughters are older this is a definite read for them.’ . . . how awesome is that?!
  • 18 TRUTHS blog tour kicked off to an awesome start, with posts continuing through Feb. 17th! Incase you missed it, on Wednesday I posted an exclusive interview with Nate on Katie Teller’s blog. On Thursday, it was another exclusive interview with Conner on T.F. Walsh’s blog. On Friday, I had the pleasure of interviewing Conner and Olga together over at Tara Tyler’s blog. Then yesterday, I shared my 18 Truths playlist on Teshelle Comb’s blog.
  • My former student and my daughter’s BFF, 9-yo Makenzie Lawrey, also released her book, Mighty Mito Superhero, to instant best-selling status. On release day, she trended in Amazon’s top 500 in the whole store! And in her first 4 days of release, she sold over 500 copies! That’s more than I can say! The best thing? ALL the proceeds from her book go toward the United Mitochondrial Foundation in honor of her little brother, Gavin. Please share about her book and/or buy yourself a copy to help her reach her goal of raising 1 Million Dollars!
  • The 18 Truths Rafflecopter Giveaway has over 130 entries now! You can enter at the top right of my blog ^ until Feb. 17th for the chance at winning one of eighteen wonderful prizes donated by fantastic people! One of those fantastic people happens to be EDC Johnson, and today, she’s visiting my blog! YAY! Take it away, Elizabeth!

EDC Johnson

Three Main Aspects That Make a Good Love-Triangle

There are three main aspects that make a good love-triangle:  both of the potential romantic leads need to have contrast, there must be both pros and cons for the protagonist to be involved with either choice and finally the protagonist must be riddled with indecision.

In my novel Moonflower, the two love interests, Lucius Conrí and Donovan Conrí, are brothers with very different personalities.  Not only is Donovan the older brother, he was raised to be the next heir as Marquess.  He serves in the military and takes his future very seriously.  In great contrast Lucius, as the younger brother, knows that he is not destined for greatness like his brother.  He did not have the luxury of countless tutors preparing him for his future.  Konrad, an old alchemist, was his only teacher but also became a mentor and friend.  He is a hard worker but focuses his energy in the here-and-now.  These qualities present two distinct choices, no Ménage à trois in this YA book.

For a love triangle to truly sizzle the characters need flawed realism.  If any character is too good to be true then it gets annoying and pointless.  Donovan has some in-your-face pros and cons.  At first the reader may not be sold on him as a possible love interest.  Although he is smokin’ hot, Donovan’s demeanor is judgmental, exclusive and self-important.  Our heroine, Josephine Woods, has to peel away his layers to discover his inner self.  His confidence, maturity and passion make him a total babe.

Lucius is the younger energetic brother with a bit of growing up to do.  He wears his heart on his sleeve and acts impulsively.  Despite his weaknesses he has lots of love to give and a kind heart.  He wants the best for all the people in his land.  Lucius is crazy about Josie and, hey, what girl doesn’t like that?!

These amazing qualities and intriguing flaws makes it difficult for Josie to decide which brother is the one for her.  Throw in her desire to return home, away from them altogether, and she becomes apprehensive to invest too much into either of the two boys.  The inner struggle Josie has debating between Donovan and Lucius is the crown to this royal affair.  The suspense and the process excites the reader and allows them to develop a favorite brother to root for.  Team Donovan or team Lucius, which will you be?

Moonflower Cover

EDC Johnson grew up in the Midwest, graduating from Michigan State University with her BFA in Art Education and her MA in Art Education from Western Michigan University. She currently lives with her husband and daughter in Palm Harbor, Florida. Her decade of experience as a public school art teacher has inspired her to write fiction novels that will entice young readers. You may see some of her illustrations in
Renee Mallet’s: Fairies, Mermaids, and Other Mystical Creatures.

You can find more information about EDC Johnson and her novel Moonflower at:

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Moonflower-EDC-... (KINDLE SALE NOW FOR ONLY 99 CENTS!!)

Website:  http://www.edcjohnson.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/EDCJohnson

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/EDCJohnson

*What are some blessings your thankful for this Sunday? Rooting for the Broncos or the Seahawks tonight? Read 18 Truths or Moonflower yet? Do you agree with Elizabeth’s thoughts on love triangles? See you on Wednesday, when I help co-host for the IWSG!