Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Interview: Amy Lignor + Until Next Time


Today I'm excited to welcome young adult author Amy Lignor to the blog to answer a few questions about the first book in her new paranormal series, Until Next Time. I've been reading a lot of angel stories lately and always enjoy the different mythologies the author creates for this paranormal entity, so while I haven't read Until Next Time yet, I'm very much looking forward to seeing how Amy writes her angels!

If both Matt and Emily had to summarize their experiences with the events that take place in Until Next Time in only one word, what word would each use?

Emily: Learned
Matt: Emancipation

Would you rather be the warrior or the angel half of a team?


I wish I could say the angel, but I don’t think I have the strength to be that calm for that long without sparking, or demanding to know what the heck is going on around me, so I would have to say the warrior. This is a job of defense, protection, strength and the ability to save the ones you care about. It’s a job written in stone.

What aspect of the angel mythology you’ve created is your favorite or the most interesting to write?

How an innocent has to deal with human emotions. Unless you’re an infant, you’re not innocent. We learn with our eyes, and ears, and the everyday situations we get stuck in as we grow up. So writing Emily and Matt is almost like a new, mysterious path for me to walk down, being able to get inside the minds of completely unhindered and unaffected souls and see how they deal with running face-first into things we take for granted, like battle, love, romance, fear, anger - all of it. With Emily and Matt they were created, taught and trained as each other’s soul mate, so they went down knowing only one thing - that they were by each other’s side and protected. Hence, when they were split apart, keeping that faith in each other in a chaotic world was a very cool experience.

Let’s say your part of the world of Until Next Time and one half of an angel/warrior pairing with a new “life” to which you’ve been assigned. What single human emotion do you think would be most difficult for you to understand in general or most difficult for you to deal with when faced with it directly?

The most difficult to deal with would be love. There are so many facets that you need to know and understand. All of those ‘mental’ and communication skills are in your head, but that overwhelming emotion comes directly from your heart and you end up racing into that ‘dream.’ The great things that come from it are absolute heaven, but the downsides that can come with it are nightmarish.

Which really leads to the one human emotion that I don’t understand, which is hatred. I mean, Contact was a movie that had this incredible line where a ‘being’ was speaking to a human and said that he was absolutely amazed by our species, because we could have the most incredible dreams and the most horrific nightmares all at the same time. That really struck home. Hatred can come from everything - envy, a battle for superiority, a bad mood, a word that shouldn’t have been said, and then that’s it - we just hate automatically - and I think that’s the one thing that could bring us all down for good.

What would Matt say is his favorite part of spending time in the lives he’s assigned? Is there one life/assignment in particular that stands out most in his memory?

Actually, Matt loves everything about his job. Being the warrior he longed for his ability to be free. The passion he had for saving and fighting was strong, and he kept it. I think what he didn’t expect was having to vie for the girl who was already his. I think his absolute favorite ‘assignment’ comes when he’s in a world on the cusp of change and living in New York City. He goes into a life that’s beyond interesting and, with Emily, has a truly amazing experience. In the beginning, Matt was still that young, fresh soul who had the world at his feet. He made all those human mistakes and dealt with all of that pain we have, but in this particular life he was more grown-up. He was already wearing his battle scars outside AND in, which changed him.

When you think about release day, what's the first word that pops into your head?

Hope

Have you ever cheated and read the end of a book first? Do you ever think you might write the end of a book first and work your way back to the beginning?

LOL. Actually, no. I’ve never understood the point of reading a story if you already know the end. I’m one of those ‘wide-eyed kids’ who still likes to go through the story right beside the characters and have a ball. But since we’re being completely honest, there have been some where I got ten or fifteen chapters into the novel and they were just not my cup of tea, or so slow moving that I HAD to flip to the back of the book to see the end because I just couldn’t take it anymore.

When writing, the end of the book is already in my head - even the end of the whole series. But when I sit down to type, I always begin on page one because you never know when and where those twists and turns will happen when you’re creating the story, and I wouldn’t want to miss one.

If you could give your pre-Until Next Time self one piece of advice about the characters, story, writing process, or marketing process, what would you tell her?

There will be lots of sleepless nights, but if you can create a story that’s unique and touches someone else’s heart out there than keep going, drink a lot of coffee, and stop whining (because the dog is the only one listening anyway and he just wants you to be quiet and give him another treat. LOL)

Thanks so much for stopping by Amy! More information on Amy and her books can be found here:

Website
Blog
Facebook
Goodreads

UNTIL NEXT TIME

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

25 comments:

  1. I'm loving the sound of an angel/warrior combo! Sounds like some cool mythology. :) Amy seems very down-to-earth. Thanks for the fun interview, Jenny! :)

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  2. This book sounds awesome and I was eager to read your interview with Amy Lignor.

    I do love Angel stories they are my favorite genere besides Vampires so this one has to get on my list to read!

    Besides, this one sounds like a great mythology with a little twist on the Angel genre and I love the Angel/warrior Team up!

    Yup, definitely going to read it.. and I was touched by Amy's answer what she things about Release Day:
    Hope..

    Aww; Amy I wish you all the best for this very exciting day!!

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  3. As always great interview! I haven't heard of this one. I'll have to look into it and see what you think of it.

    Heather

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  4. Great interview. I'm currently reading this book right now! I'm nearly done with it so it's interesting to hear the authors thoughts. :)

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  5. Intriguing! And I'm right there with you about skipping ahead to the endings--that's the best thing, racing through a book, wondering what's going to happen next and how it's going to end. Good luck with your writing career!

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  6. Lauren - I'm really interested in that aspect too:):)

    Danny - I'm really beginning to love angel stories too, they were really hit or miss for me for a while. Can't wait to read about Emily and Matt:)

    Heather - Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!

    Sam - Oooo looking forward to seeing what you think!

    Mary - I'm a cheater. I almost always skip to the end to see what happens:) I can't help it!

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  7. I loved having Amy on the blog...Im looking forward to reading this one too....:D

    As always great interview!!!

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  8. Hey everybody! Happy Valentine's Day! I want to tell you how great you've made it with your comments! I really love Matt and Emily - apparently there's even a Team Matt button coming out from the fans which does my heart good :) And Matt will be the 'star,' so to speak, of Book II. And, yes, more romance (some people have asked :) Thank you so much for having me on the blog. I love talking to readers and if I can answer anything, just let me know. Have a great one!!

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  9. I'm a selective cheater. LOL! I've skipped to the end of books where nothing seems to happens or with mysteries that I think I've figured out. I'd rather spend time with something that engages me instead of reading something that's too predictable.

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  10. Jenny, thanks a million for hosting Amy today and for the lovely outpouring of support here at Supernatural Snark. We appreciate every single one of you, and I hope you all get to read the love story that is Matt and Emily.

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  11. Matt sound utterly dreamy. The fact that he's so dedicated to his a job he loves and that he's a warrior... *le sigh*

    And I've never been able to cheat on books and read the ending first. I too don't see the point. :)

    Thanks for the interview ladies. I've been seeing this book everywhere and I'm glad to learn more about it.

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  12. This is a great interview! I love how she talks about how an innocent may see the world and experience it. I read a book recently where the character experienced earth and emotion for the first time and I was very interesting!

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  13. Okay, after reading what the author says about writing how an innocent deals with human emotion, I have to check this book out. Great interview as always! You always know just how to whet my appetite, Jenny.

    Wendy ♥ The Midnight Garden

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  14. I read and reviewed the book last week. You certainly picked some great questions for Amy. Got right to the heart of the book. I admit I used to be guilty of reading the last pages all the time but now with the Kindle I am cured. What an interesting idea, to write the book backward! Happy Valentine's Day Jenny!

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  15. That must be hard, I never thought about emotions and how an innocent would deal. It would be hard

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  16. Tina - Yay, we can compare notes when we both get to it:)

    Amy - Happy Valentine's Day to you! Happy to have you on the blog anytime:)

    Rummanah - I like "selective cheater" - I'd say that's what I am. Sometimes I'm content to not skip ahead, but sometimes I have to know how things end or I physically can't get through the book. For instance, if a character dies, I need to know upfront so I can prepare!

    Nicole - You're welcome, I was excited to be a part of the promotional tour:)

    Missie - He does doesn't he? Definite book boyfriend material I think:)

    Candace - Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it:)

    Wendy - I'm really looking forward to the emotional aspect of this one, should be fascinating to see how they deal with it:)

    Heidi - The Kindle has cured me somewhat as well, though sometimes I still go to the end since I can do it with just one button. I'm less likely to do it on a Kindle than with a paper book though:)

    Linda - It would definitely be hard, I agree!

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  17. Again, your questions always hit such a strong point on the story! I am very intrigued!

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  18. Great interview! I really like the idea of Matt and Emily always being raised as each other's soul mates and then what happens when they're split apart. The plot sounds different than other angel books.

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  19. Savy - Thanks! Hope you get a chance to read it soon:)

    Alison - I'm really excited about the warrior/angel pairing, it sounds really different:)

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  20. Love this interview, Jenny and Amy!

    I've read a few angel books lately, which is new for me - and I've really enjoyed them. But this one seems different than the others. Sounds kinda great.

    I don't think I could ever flip to the end of the book without getting there the old-fashioned way! HOWEVER, my sweet grandmother - my reading buddy - NEVER EVER read a book without reading the last chapter first. ALWAYS. If she didn't like the ending, she wouldn't even start the book - she'd give up BEFORE starting it. Hilarious.

    Just had to share that one. ;)

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  21. I love books that have hardcore relationships in them and I love angel stories, so I love the fact that this book has BOTH OF THEM! I will def have to check this one out!

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  22. My fave line? Hope. Says it all with a single word about release day. Oh I can see book boyfriend potential in this book!

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  23. Ooooh! I hadn't heard of this book until now! WICKED excited about it though! *runs to add it immediately*

    I'm loving the sounds of this warrior/angel plot!

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  24. Gosh, I absolutely love this interview! Especially the emotion question and I completely agree about both love and hatred. It's kind of interesting to think about... I can't wait to read this one myself!

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  25. Freaking awesome interview! I'm quite pumped for this book! I first saw it over on Rainy Days review blog, and I like the premise. It has such promise!

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