Interview and giveaway with Leah Spiegel

Author Bio

An Edinboro University of Pennsylvania Graduate who once spent years drawing imaginary worlds and now writes about them. I am addicted to writing, usually fall in love with all my characters, and lean towards the comical in all my books! 

 Foolish Games

Falling in love was the last thing Joie had on her mind when she was thrown into the marketing scandal intended to boost the Grimm Brothers Band's declining sales. Joie thought she knew the players of the game; she was the writer, J.T. Hawkins was the famous rock star, and Lizzie was her beautiful cover to the world. That was until a psychopathic stalker, who seemed to be three steps ahead of everyone else and calling all the shots, upped the stakes. In a situation where many different kinds of games were being played, Joie had to figure out if or who was bluffing because her life. . . and her heart, might very well depend on it.

 To see my review of Foolish Games click here

Night Crossers

Marcus arrives in a new town hoping for a fresh start for him and his mother after the recent death of his brother. He quickly discovers the town is not what it seems and that he's been sent there because he is marked.

Arriving at the only high school, where one strike means you get disciplined by the “suits.” Marcus needs to learn how to blend in or it could very well get him killed.

By chance he stumbles upon a secret resistance, made of students trained like the military, who try to get unmarked victims across the county line to a safe haven. But all is not what it seems when Marcus discovers who’s really pulling the strings.

With the help of Ryder, an angel with a bad track record, Megan, a psychic who can sense when Marcus is in danger, and Marcus’ nightmares that give him insight to the dark world; they just might be able to defeat the powers that be.

Marcus has to figure out how to get his mom safely out of the town, how to control his developing abilities, and finally how to defeat the priest in his dreams or he might not survive the experience.

To see my review of Night Crossers click here

Interview

Hey Leah, Thanks for stopping by Fiction Fascination. How has your week been? 

It’s been busy! I’m working on a new series, and helping my sister adjust to living down south with the rest of my family.

 Tell us a little bit about Foolish Games?

It’s a great chick lit for your mothers and daughters. (Please see Carly’s review of the book because I don’t think anyone has been able to explain it as well before.) I will say this, readers have compared the humor to Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum Series and even though it’s not about vampires it will grab even a paranormal junkie’s attention.

 Where did your ideas come from to write Foolish Games?

I had just spent years working on a paranormal book which revolved around a group of shape shifters when I entertained the idea of writing the book. Writing about following a band around was something I had always wanted to do because I am a huge Dave Matthews fan, but I knew it was going to be a hard sell with so much YA being paranormal/fantasy right now. After deciding to go forth with the project anyway, I couldn’t have been happier to write about something I actually knew about for once since I’m obviously not a shape shifter. At one point I had even written articles for a DMB fan website which is the inspiration behind Riley’s job. (Some fun facts) Riley’s fascination with the light show is really one of mine. Lizzie is loosely based off of a friend who worked the DMB crowd like no one else’s business. Joie’s rules are really mine because “Lizzie” was just a little too enthusiastic to meet the band than I was. Though she was never as successful in meeting anyone from the band unlike her character. Cyrus got his name from a song by DMB titled “Grave Digger.” Joie names the body guards after most of the defensive line for the Pittsburgh Steelers because that’s my home town team.

 Tell us a little bit about Night Crossers?

It’s a thriller about angels and demons, and a great read for everyone especially a guy. Marcus, the main character, arrives in a new town hoping for a fresh start for him and his mother after the recent death of his brother. He quickly discovers the town is not what it seems and that he's been sent there because he is marked. Marcus needs to learn how to blend in or it could very well get him killed. By chance he stumbles upon a secret resistance, made of students trained like the military, who try to get unmarked victims across the county line to a safe haven. But all is not what it seems when Marcus discovers who’s really pulling the strings. With the help of Ryder, an angel with a bad track record, Megan, a psychic who can sense when Marcus is in danger, and Marcus’ nightmares that give him insight to the dark world; they just might be able to defeat the powers that be. Marcus has to figure out how to get his mom safely out of the town, how to control his developing abilities, and finally how to defeat the priest in his dreams or he might not survive the experience.

 Where did the idea come from to write Night Crossers?

The story came from a very vivid dream about a place where if you stood out too much you got killed. The dream was so haunting that I remember the next morning looking over my shoulder as I jotted down a few notes like they were still watching. In my dreams I’m always the one who can think clearly or be brave in a moment of hopelessness so Marcus shares that aspect with me. It was important to me that Marcus be brave in the face of adversity. (Some fun facts) Ryder’s character was inspired by Viggo Mortensen’s performance in Lord of the Rings. In the sense that Ryder’s far wiser and knows so much more about Marcus’s situation than even Marcus does like how Aragorn does with Frodo. Megan was named after my sister and this is my mom’s favorite book so far.

 What do you enjoy reading?

Honestly, if I have time to read, then I usually use that time to write. Not that I don’t have my favorites, which I will list below, but writing is my passion. I enjoy going to exciting and different places in my mind when I write just like how people do when they read books.

What authors inspire you?

I know right now it is probably cliché to say but when I read Stephanie Meyer’s Twilight series, I wanted to write my own Twilight. Her books really inspired me so I combined that inspiration with my own knowledge of band following!

 What are your top five favorite books?

1. Twilight
2. Deathly Hallows
3. Morganville Vampires Series
4. Stephanie Plum Series
5. The Stand

What do you like to do in your spare time?

Besides writing, I am a huge family person! My sisters and I are really close so we spend a lot of time together: shopping, watching movies, playing cards, and trying to beat each other’s score on Wii sports. Besides hanging out with my family I enjoy working out. When I’m writing I use the time on my treadmill to think out any ideas or plot lines for my stories. I also love and use music to get the creative juices flowing when I write. I literally have certain songs which remind me of different stories because I played them over and over again for inspiration.

What do you enjoy most about being an author?

I love going on the journey with my characters and exploring a world that sometimes even I have to remind myself isn’t real! I also like hearing or reading about how someone enjoyed one of my books. I have a fan that is a freshman in high school and I gave her mother my book to edit and the daughter stayed up all night reading the book and since then, she loves to read. To know that you played a part in helping someone find their love of reading is an overwhelming feeling that can’t be put into words.

 Do you have an interesting quirk?

I’m clumsier than Bella Swan. Must have fallen down the steps ten times by now, broken enough dishes that we have restocked our house with plastic dishware instead, and have dropped my lab top so many times that my family can’t believe it’s still functional. It’s gotten so bad that after I embarrass myself, everyone just cringes and waits for me to give a number on a scale from one to ten on how bad it hurt so they can respond accordingly.

Are you working on any writing at the minute?

I just finished the rough draft of my latest book, South Hills Sidekicks: Uninvited. My sister, Megan Summers, is coauthoring the book with me. It is about a group of girlfriends that decide they can do a better job than the local police when one of their friends is kidnapped. It is more similar to Foolish Games with the friendship, love interest, and mysterious twist. Look for it to be out at the beginning of the 2012!

Is there anything else you would like to say to your readers?

Besides thank you, thank you, thank you, I would ask my readers to pass my books on to their friends.

Where can people find you? and your works?

Where to find me, I am on Facebook, Twitter, and my website: www.leahspiegel.com. I also have videos on YouTube, and on January 30th, I will be doing my first book discussion at The Morganton Public Library. As far as my books go, they can be purchased in eBook form at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Sony Reader Store, iBookstore; in paperback, my books can be purchased on Amazon.

Thank-you so much for stopping by Leah, It's been amazing having you here. :)

I feel truly blessed to have met you Carly and the feeling is mutual!

Giveaway

Now for the awesome giveaway folks, up for grabs is one paperback copy of Foolish Games and one paperback copy of Night Crossers. open INTERNATIONALLY. Winners will be contacted via e-mail within 24 hours, you will have 48 hours to make contact or unfortunately I will have to pick another winner. You know the drill, fill out the Rafflecopter. Good Luck :)

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