http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/01/virtual-nbtm-book-tour-zoastra-affair.html

Giveaway: Victoria will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

 

Author Interview 

1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author.
I was complaining about my sister, Sabrina, who I love dearly to a friend. I said ‘stay out of her way because she’s determined and gets what she wants.’ My friend laughed at me and told me I’m the same way. She said you met your boyfriend, knew he was the one and now you’re engaged. Then she said, you decided to self publish a book, then you do it. You decide to sell your book to a publisher, and you do. I don’t take rejection as a no, but as a we’ll figure it out later. Sometimes even a challenge to do better in the future, and my rock solid determination sees me through. It might also make me slightly bossy, which is also bad. (I swear that I do listen to everything said!)

2. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you?
No. This goes back to my reading and television habits. If I set out to write a contemporary, and Chaperoning Paris comes out April or May, then I know there is no magic or fantasy. When I write science fiction or fantasy, it’s setting up my own rule book.

3. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter?
Panster. But a hybrid. I cannot write a story without knowing the characters. But I can often writing the inciting incident, chapter one, easy. Once I fly through the beginning take off, I tend to outline how the rest of the book should go. But I’ve often pulled away from the outline as the story progresses.

4. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline?
I would say yes. In the Zoastra Affair, Ariel can never go home again. In Chaperoning Paris, Gigi can not forgive herself for a mistake and punishes herself. Later in the year, in Borrowing the Doctor, Kate is bossy, determined but scared to trust anyone. In Electing to Love, Nicole goes home to face the past now that everyone involved has died. All of these are real fears that at some point in my life, I had.

5. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you?
Before the marriage planning, I stood the course. I wrote everyday and it was thrilling. Wedding plans have taken center stage at the moment. But I don’t do what I cannot deliver. And organization stops the freefall effect. And I don’t really panic about things. I do what I say and it’s a motto of my life. Underpromise and overdeliver! But when the deadline hits, I told the fiancé, ‘I cannot go tonight. I’m not doing anything until the edits are in.’ And he understands.

6. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention?
Ariel steals Grace’s body to escape the planet and she’s not a fighter. When she meets Cross, he laughs at her about this flaw. It takes Grace less than a day to get off the planet because she has a home to get back too. Ariel is lost, and doesn’t have a real home, not until she falls in love with Cross. This would never be my story. The Sheratons would have locked me away and not put me in school because I’d have been too aggressive about stating who I really am.

7. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without.
On my couch in my pajamas with no one home. And I cannot stop the chocolate. I wish I could. I must look good in the wedding dress and I limited the intake. But I still crave chocolate.

8. Writing inspirations?
Hard work matters far more than talent. And my working class roots all scream, work hard. So I bring this intensity into my writing and keep it as a job.

9. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them?
So this will not be like I was when I was sixteen and met the sitting President, Clinton. The nun who worked for the mayor of Boston (IDK where the nun came from) drilled into the children, ‘Do not mention Monica. Do not mention Linda Tripp.’ So I raised my hand and asked, ‘Can I ask him about Ginnifer Flowers then?’ A friend hit me off the back of the head. Clinton had walked into the room and heard my question. But he was so cool. He shook my hand and asked me what college I intended to go to and spoke about the importance of voting. We had a few minutes of conversation and not once did I bring back up that question.

So now that I’ve spilled my most embarrassing moment ever, I’d love to talk to Steven King and ask him ‘has he ever thought about the female journey to be able to trust a man and fall in love?’ He’d be interesting. Or I’d like to Sylvia Day or EL James, just how do you even come up with some of the positions? Wouldn’t they hurt and not in a good way?

10. I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t.

Analyze. I can quickly jump to what can happen next and share that information. Sometimes it’s better to listen. I’m so lucky though that most of my friends are writers these days. Writers are planning my bridal shower, so I’m not sure how that will be. I’m assuming interesting. And the fiancé wishes I was more organized with physical things and tries to get me to put everything in order. (He knows what he’s getting though and the absent minded nature is a means no harm. And I’m fun!)

The Zoastra Affair

by Victoria Pinder

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Blurb:

A hundred years from now, Earth has trading partners with alien beings, mostly humanoid. However, going into space brought forth an unknown enemy who attacks Earth at will.

The Zoastra is part of the Earthseekers, an organization originally designed to go into space. Its new mission is to find Earth’s enemies.

Ariel is stuck on a Victorian planet and steals Grace’s body and life to get off the planet. Grace must get her body back before Ariel bonds with Grace’s husband, Peter. Then there is Cross, the man on a mission to find those who killed his family. Ariel is attracted to Cross, but she’s stolen someone’s life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Excerpt:

I’m going to have to steal someone else’s body to get out of here.

“Ariel, are you listening?”

Ariel Transcender stared dumbfounded at the mother superior of her prison, a/k/a Aulnale School for Orphans. “Yes, mistress.”

She had no idea what happened, though she pasted a fake simpering smile of appreciation on her face. Ms. Rochelle walked away.

A few minutes later, Ariel looked out the window again, tuning out Rochelle’s mind numbing lecture on what was proper behavior when near a man. The boarding home on this planet gave the stupidest lectures of the galaxy. Her lips curled into a sneer. Women were not excited to be bound to men.

Could I do this to someone else? Do I have any other choice?

Lenchena, the teenage girl who’d stolen her adult body and taken off on Ariel’s ship, needed to be found. And Ariel refused to listen to the daily drivel about always listening to a man.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Author Bio and Links:

Victoria Pinder grew up in Irish Catholic Boston before moving to the Miami sun. She’s worked in engineering, after passing many tests proving how easy Math came to her. Then hating her life at the age of twenty four, she decided to go to law school. Four years later, after passing the bar and practicing very little, she realized that she hates the practice of law. She refused to one day turn 50 and realize she had nothing but her career and hours at a desk. After realizing she needed change, she became a high school teacher. Teaching is rewarding, but writing is a passion.

During all this time, she always wrote stories to entertain herself or calm down. Her parents are practical minded people demanding a job, and Victoria spent too many years living other people’s dreams, but when she sat down to see what skill she had that matched what she enjoyed doing, writing became so obvious. The middle school year book when someone wrote in it that one day she’d be a writer made sense when she turned thirty.

When she woke up to what she wanted, the dream of writing became so obvious. She dreams of writing professionally, where her barista can make her coffee and a walk on the beach, can motivate her tales. Contemporary romances are just fun to write. She’s always thinking whose getting hurt and whose story is next on the list to fall in love. Victoria’s love of writing has kept her centered and focused through her many phases, and she’s motivated to write many stories.

Member of Florida Romance Writers, Contemporary Romance, Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA, and in Savvy Authors.

 

Visit Victoria online at:

Authors Website:  http://www.victoriapinder.com

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/pages/Victoria-Pinder-also-writing-as-Greta-Buckle/294685373900979

Twitter:    http://twitter.com/victoriapinder

Tumblr:    victoriapinder.tumblr.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/victoriapinder/

Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=200859737&trk=hb_tab_pro_top

Google+ https://plus.google.com/105161432419802350109/posts/p/pub

Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Zoastra-Affair-Victoria-Pinder-ebook/dp/B00HGYVLTW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1388944401&sr=8-1&keywords=the+zoastra+affair

YouTube:  http://youtu.be/Buah-LGT4tA

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