Interview/Giveaway: Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel

Please give a warm welcome to the lovely Jen McConnel. She’s stopping by today for a Q&A as part of her blog tour for Daughter of Chaos, which releases today (Happy Book Birthday)! Check out the book, her Q&A, and then enter the giveaway via the Rafflecopter below.

Daughter of Chaos

by Jennifer McConnel
March 25, 2014 | Month9Books

Q&A with Jen McConnel

In the length of a tweet (140 characters), tell us about your book.

When Darlena chooses to practice Red magic, she isn’t prepared for the chaos (or the crazy gods) that come with it.

What is the most embarrassing thing you’ve looked up in the name of research – or what do you think the government has flagged you for?

For DOC, I poked around at a lot of natural disasters, but I think the worst was when I was on a writing retreat; we looked up ways to poison people with bleach (one of the authors was working on a thriller). After a bit of crazy killer searching, someone had the idea to type “Don’t worry, I’m a writer” into the search bar.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I love when readers contact me, and I’ve gotten a few particular reader emails that really made my day. One in particular came from a young teen I’d met before being published; she sent a photo of us together, a long letter of congrats, and a request that I sign her book. I’ve still got the photo! It was so neat to realize that what I’m doing is exciting to people other than me.

If you could jump into a book and live in that world, which would it be?

There are so many I’d like to sample, provided I could get back to reality at some point. But if I had to stay put, I think I’d want to live in J.K. Rowling’s wizarding world.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve received?

I don’t remember where I first heard it, because this advice has been repeated so many times in my writing life, but the best advice I’ve ever heard is: just keep writing.

If you weren’t a human, what would you be?

Maybe a fairy (the nice kind, not the classic Fey), or a shifter, or a witch, or a wizard, or a genie, or…

Ahem. Could I be one of everything?

OH! I know; I’d want to be a Sphinx (the riddle kind, not the stone kind).

When it comes to writing, are you a planner or pantser?

Total pantser on the first draft, although I plan and outline when I hit revisions. It’s an odd process, but it works for me.

How do you overcome writer’s block?

I try to force myself to just keep writing. Maybe I journal, or maybe I leave that project behind and play with something else, but I’ve found that simply putting words on a page helps me keep the gears turning, and eventually, I’m back on track. (Sometimes, though, you just need a break, and I’m learning when to take a day or two off and when to keep pushing through. It’s definitely a balancing act!)

About how long did it take for you to write your book?

I “finished” the first draft of DAUGHTER OF CHAOS in about three months, and then the tweaking began. The book went through many incarnations before I signed with my publisher, and then it changed even more. Start to finish, I began DOC in January of 2011, and I made my last changes to it in the fall of 2013. I wasn’t working on it continuously through that time, however (I was rotating through other projects), so it’s tough to say just how long the book took.

Were you a reader as a child?  Did you have a favorite book?

Absolutely! I loved reading, and I took real pleasure in being a total book worm. It’s hard to pick just one favorite from childhood, but I will say I LOVED The Three Musketeers, and I couldn’t get enough of the Nancy Drew books.

Thanks so much for having me today! I had a great time!

About the Jen McConnel

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Many thanks to Jen for visiting and Chapter by Chapter with Month9Books for having me as part of the Daughter of Chaos Blog Tour! Be sure to follow the tour for more fun posts, you can find the tour schedule HERE.

Giveaway (INT)

Four (4) winners will receive an ebook copy of Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel (INT). One (1) winner will receive an ebook copy of Daughter of Chaos by Jen McConnel AND a $10 Amazon Gift Card or B&N Gift Card – Winner’s Choice (INT). Winner will be drawn April 25, 2014.

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