Sunday, August 4, 2013

Chatting With Author Alison Neuman - Ice Rose Book Tour & Giveaway



Interview Questions for BK Walker Books Etc.

Welcome to BK Walker Books Etc. I'm so happy you could join me today at Alberta, Canada.



BK: Looking out the nearest window, describe the scene you see.

An apple tree with small green apples. A garden filled flowers and vegetables. Planted off the side is a green spruce tree that is skinny and small for its age but that has a special place in our family.

BK: Tell us about your office. Is it a mess like mine, or is everything in its place?

Everything on my desk is a bit messy. I require items to be within reach so it is more cluttered than organized.

BK: What is a must-have, such as coffee or a favorite pen, that you need to write?

My must-have is my desk in my office. While I can also write by hand, due to the arthritis in my fingers, it takes me forever to write. Where as, with my keyboard, I’m so used to typing that my fingers can almost keep up with the ideas before they vanish.

BK: Do you like to write in silence, or do you need music or background noise?

I love to have music playing in the background when I am writing. Usually to set the mood. If I am writing an emotional scene then a ballad works well.

BK: Tell us a bit about your hero/heroine, and their development.

Elissa is a strong girl who suddenly experiences a disability that shatters everything she has ever known. While she shares some of my experiences with experiencing a disability, she is fearless. No adventure scares her away. She is headstrong and will keep with something until it comes to a conclusion she approves of.

Elissa grew from an idea of how a person experiencing a disability will manage in the world of secret agent. Such a world is not accessible, so it was a challenge to find her place where she could not only exist but also to thrive.

BK: As a writer myself, I'm always curious how other writers get through stumble blocks. When you find a story not flowing, or a character trying to fight you, how do you correct it?

The best method I have found is to go out in the real world and sit, maybe in a food court at a mall and observe people. Real people having conversations and interacting, along with a change of space, seems to block any stumble blocks.

BK: Using the letters of your first name as an acronym, describe your book...

Action
Love of a parent
Inspiring
Symphony of orchestrated moves
Obstacles
Negotiations


BK: How did your writing journey begin?

I began writing stories when I was a child. As a teen, I wrote lyrics and poems. As a young adult, I wrote stories and screenplays. It was not until college age I decided to pursue writing as a career.


BK: Using the letters from the word, Summer, how would friends and family describe you?

Smart
Understanding
Mentor
Memorable
Eclectic
Role model

BK: What is the craziest thing you've ever written about, whether it got published or not?

The craziest thing that I have ever written about was about a character who was a healer. He is the central character of a young adult novel. Hindsight has yet to be published as it is still in the early draft stages. It is different to write about an ability with no practicalities or regulations such as in reality,

BK: Tell us one thing you've done in life, that readers would be most surprised to know.

Despite using a wheelchair, I have performed in a professional dance show called Orchesis Dance Motif.

BK: What can we expect from you in the future?

I have a memoir called Searching for Normal that will be released on November 16, 2013. Also would like to get Hindsight completed. The Ice Rose Series will also have another book coming.

This or That...

Coke or Pepsi?
Pepsi

Night Owl or Early Bird?
Early Bird

Fantasy or Mystery?
Mystery

Pen/Paper or Computer?
Computer

Pizza or Burger?
Pizza

Rock or Country?
Rock

Chocolate or Vanilla?
Vanilla

Beach or Mountains?
Mountains


Thank you so much for having us as one of your stops today. It has been great getting to know more about you and your book, and wish you the best of success!



BK Walker


 Picture
Genre: Young Adult/Mystery/Romance
Publisher: Fireside Publications
Release Date: September 15, 2010
AuthorAmazon

About The Book:

Ice Rose
 — A teenager’s world is turned upside down when an explosion steals her dad and her identity. Entering an exclusive academy that immerses her in the world of secret agents, she must overcome her fears and disabilities to discover the truth about her dad’s mission, his software, and the mystery man stalking her before she ends up like her father — lost.









Alison Neuman lives in Alberta, Canada, where she is a freelance writer and lyricist. Nearing the end of her studies for the Bachelor of Applied Communications Degree program at Grant MacEwan College, she was inspired to complete the first draft of  Ice Rose. The pace of secret agent books and movies gave her an unlimited playground for  imagination. Music and performing are passions she was able to bring into her writing and build into her characters.

Alison’s writing has appeared in “MacEwan Today”, “Westword”, and the “Edmonton Journal” along with three tracks on the CD release Outside The Window. Co-writing the screenplay adaptation of the book Whale Songwith author Cheryl Kaye Tardif exposed her to the world of screenwriting, which she hopes to continue to examine further in the future. Alison also has been writing shorter pieces of non-fiction, one entitled Establishing Roots, that earned a top ten ranking in the Edmonton Stories contest. This past spring she was a winner in The Expressions of Hunger Contest in the Emotional Poetry category. Her piece Undeniable Craving was on display in June and July in various artistic locations across the city of Edmonton.  She has completed a final edit of her memoir “Searching For Normal” and is currently writing her next young adult manuscript.

When not writing creatively, Alison  is editing or writing for her business, Sandy Tree Communications.




3 comments:

BrandiKae said...

Thanks so much for stopping in today Alison :)

Teddy Rose said...

Great interview! I love the view from your window! I hope you had a wonderful tour!

Lynda Dickson - Books Direct said...

The first thing that comes to mind when looking at the cover is "cold". It's a beautiful image and it conveys the title perfectly.