It's All About the Book with Melissa J. Crispin and #COLLIDE #authorinterview @evernightteen @MelissaJCrispin @bloggerbees #giveaway

It’s All About the Book…

**Please tell us about your current or upcoming release. 

Hi! Thank you for having me here! My new release, COLLIDE, is a novel with larger than life stakes and a love triangle in the middle of the chaos. 

BLURB

When the balance between Earth, Afterlife, and Heaven are threatened, the fate of the universe falls on a selfish girl who must sacrifice everything to save it.

Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That’s what she thinks, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.

**What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genre’s you haven’t written that you’d like to try?

COLLIDE is YA fantasy. I lean toward YA (both fantasy and contemporary), but I also write science fiction/fantasy and contemporary romance for adult audiences, too. I’ve never tried romantic suspense. Maybe after I wrap up the other projects I’m working on, I might give it a try.

**What inspired you to write this book?

I was sitting at work one day, just going about my usual routine, when a random image popped in my head of this girl. She was late for class, running down the hallway, and slammed into this other kid. The event gave her a strange sense of déjà vu, but she wasn’t sure why. I jotted down a few words about it in my phone and let it sit there. The image crept back into my mind days later, and I had a feeling there was a story in there. I began experimenting with where things could go. Research on déjà vu led me to theories of reincarnation. I’ve always been strangely fascinated with the various notions of what happens after death, which is why it’s incorporated in this story.

** How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?

I picked the title because it has a dual meaning, and I liked that about it. It represents the inciting incident, when Kayla collides with Alec in the hallway and she starts realizing there is some kind of connection between them. The title also describes how, to Kayla, her two worlds are colliding. She has this life with Luke that’s perfectly fine, and then gets turned upside down when she must help Alec keep the balance between Earth and Afterlife intact.

I had named it Worlds Collide before writing the story, but I shortened it while I was writing the first chapter. In this case, it felt like less was more.

** How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?

Both Alec and Luke were completely made up. There were no particular people I had in mind while creating them. I used The 90-Day Novel by Alan Watt to help me formulate their likes, dislikes, motivations, and goals. It took me far longer than ninety days to write the first draft, but I found a lot of the information in the book to be helpful.

For Kayla, I used the same process to develop her persona, but she was inspired by a combination of many people in real life. My daughter attends a dance school, and there’s a big show at the end of every year. When a senior graduates and is getting ready to move on, the owner of the school always does a recap of the person’s history. Some started their journey when they were four years old, kept at it through high school, and a few chose to continue with it even after that. My main character, Kayla, was inspired by a mixture of the stories I’ve heard while sitting in the audience.

** Who is your favorite character of this book and why?

Alec is my favorite character. He forfeits the life of a regular teenager, working tirelessly to protect the girl he loves, without a single regret. He wants her, but he wants to do what’s best for her. Always. 

** What is your favorite part of this book?  Can you share an excerpt from that part?

My favorite part of the book is the climax of the story, which I can’t share since it will give away spoilers. However, this scene makes a close second. Kayla wakes up in a hospital room and her boyfriend is less than excited that Alec is keeping her company.

EXCERPT:

“What the hell is this?”

My eyes shot open.

Luke stood at the foot of my bed, his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. “When I heard my girlfriend was attacked, I rushed out of school like my ass was on fire. I was so worried, especially because your mom was away and I thought you were alone.” He glared at Alec, who was still out like a light, despite Luke’s booming voice. He must’ve been in Afterlife. “What’s he doing here, Kayla?” His angry tone melted into something more like confusion.

My eyes stung. “It’s not what it looks like.”

He huffed. “Bullshit.”

I wiggled my arm where Alec lay, but he wouldn’t budge.

“Hey, Sleeping Beauty.” Luke jostled the bed and pain shot through my left leg. I winced, and his face softened. “Oh, my God, I’m sorry.” He came to the opposite side of me. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. But can we talk? Without—” He tilted his head toward Alec.

“Yeah. I think he’s just drained from everything that happened last night.” At least that wasn’t a total lie. I wriggled out from Alec’s hold and shook his shoulder. Luke’s stare burned like a forest fire. “Alec, wake up. Can you hear me?”

“Jesus Christ, what is wrong with this guy?”

Alec’s eyes fluttered open and focused on me. His mouth opened, but I cut him off before he could say anything.

“Wow, you’re a sound sleeper.” My voice sounded high and shaky. “Um, Luke’s here. Would you mind giving us a little privacy?”

Alec seemed to search my face, probably for signs of protest, and I gave an encouraging nod. “Okay,” he said.

The two of them exchanged scowls before Alec strolled out of the room, clicking the door shut behind him.

I scrubbed a hand over my face. I’d wanted to talk to Luke so badly, but now I had no idea what to say.

He sat on the bed and rubbed the back of his head, staring off toward the wall behind me. After the equivalent of an eternity, he spoke. “Are you okay?” His hands rested on his knees.

“How did you figure out I was here?”

“Matt’s dad mentioned a break-in at your house and said you were here. He wouldn’t tell him anything else.”

Duh. I should’ve made the connection when the officer said his last name was Benson. That was the thing about small towns. Word about everything got around fast.

Luke turned his palms upward and stared at his empty hands. “I want you to tell me what happened, but first, please tell me you’re okay. And”—he glanced at the blanket covering my stomach—“the baby?”

** What was the hardest part of this book to write? Can you share an excerpt from that part?

The hardest part of the book also turned out to be my favorite, which is the climax of the story. I’m so sorry I can’t share! I don’t want to give everything away. I hope you’ll forgive me.

** Did you have any special rhythm or quirks while writing this?

While writing many of the scenes in Afterlife, I liked listening to a cello rock band called Break of Reality. There’s something about the tone of their music which would transport me to that place. This band is incredible. If you’re not familiar with them, they have a number of videos on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5TEg_QbvCM

** Is this a stand-alone book or is it part of a series?  If so, we want to hear about it and what’s next in the series.  If not a series, what comes next to be released?

The book stands alone, but it is the start of a series. Book two has been started, but it’s in early stages yet. It picks up only a few months after where the first book leaves off. 

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COLLIDE

Melissa J. Crispin

Release Date: March 18th

Approx. 88K, Evernight Teen

Romance/Love Triangle/Fantasy Elements

Kayla has a plan. She’s moving to the city after graduation and Luke’s coming with her. He’ll eventually become a doctor, she’ll be a ballerina—and they’ll live happily ever after. That is, until dark forces, led by a sister she never knew existed, start hunting her down for a power she never knew she had.

When Kayla starts working with a boy named Alec to learn how to defend herself and to stop the evil from eliminating the worlds, she finds herself falling for him. Hard. Torn between two loves and struggling to do what’s right for Earth and Afterlife, Kayla must decide if she’s fighting to keep her life together, or letting it go to save everyone else’s.

Buy Links:    ARe    Evernight Teen     Amazon

14+ due to sexuality, language, teen pregnancy, and adult situations

Excerpt:

Luke nodded. “Let me get this straight. So, this guy, he can heal your leg, protect you from something that isn’t yet clear to me, and bring you to some otherworldly place, where you’re reunited with your father?”

“Yeah.” There was that word again.

He pulled his hand out of mine and ran his fingers through his hair. “Well, that’s pretty damn hard to compete with.”

“Luke, this isn’t a competition. This is my life. He’s already saved me once.”

“And I’ll do it again,” Alec said.

Luke pointed a finger at Alec. “I don’t care what you can do. I don’t like you. You stole my girl, who’s pregnant with my baby.” Luke stepped around me and got in Alec’s face. “She will always have a part of me in her life.”

Alec slowly shook his head. “Not new news, and for the record, you stole her from me. So, you don’t get to play that card.”

The tension thickened in the air until the hairs stood on the back of my neck.

“She never said a word to you before all this weird shit started to go down.” Luke poked Alec in the chest. “You’re a liar.”

“It’s true,” I whispered.

Luke whirled around. “What?”

“Before us. It was him.”

Luke opened his mouth, as if to say something, but snapped it shut. He finally spoke after a long moment. “You said I was your first boyfriend. Your first kiss. Your first everything with a guy. You lied to me?”

“At the time, I thought that was true. He finds me in my dreams and takes me to Afterlife. That’s how we met. I never even knew he was real. I thought he was a boy in some recurring dream. I never even remembered until I barreled him over in the hallway one day by accident. His touch jarred my memory.”

Luke’s eyes were wild. “Do me a favor. Do not talk about touching him, ever, in my presence.”

“I’m sorry, Luke. That’s why this is so difficult. I’m only now remembering things that happened before us. It’s … confusing.”

“You were with him? Actually with him, before me?”

I swallowed. “We were sort of dating.”

“That’s not what I meant.” A muscle ticked in Luke’s jaw, and realization dawned on me.

“Oh, no. We didn’t.” I cleared my throat. “Not that…”

“I don’t know what you’re so pissed about. You’re the one who got to have a real relationship with her,” Alec said.

“Shut up. Just shut the hell up.” Luke gently brushed me to the side, leaving him and Alec staring each other down. “You’re an asshole.”

“Hate me, if you want. Call me whatever you want. But that girl right there?” He pointed to me. “She needs me. I swore to protect her, and I don’t give a shit about what you think. I’m her best shot at survival. Your baby’s, too. So, next time you get in my face, remember their lives are at stake and that your guns can’t fight off the shit that’s coming.”

“Asshole,” Luke muttered.

“Douche,” Alec said under his breath.

“Stop fighting,” I said from behind Luke’s back.

“You’re a loser. A loser, with no friends and no life, who came in and stole my girlfriend. Even if she chooses you, you’ll have to help her with my baby. Every time you look at our kid, you’ll be reminded of who was there first.”

I took a step outward to try to get between them, but Alec swung before I could, and as his fist connected with Luke’s face, Luke charged him, sending them both tumbling toward the ground.

Fists flew and grunts sounded in the scuffle as they rolled, each trying to get the upper hand.

“Stop!” I yelled.

About the author:

Melissa J. Crispin lives in Connecticut with her husband, two kids, and an adorable Siberian Husky. She spends her days in the corporate world, and pursues her passion for writing in the late nights and early mornings.

From micro-fiction to novels, Melissa loves to write stories in varying lengths. But, no matter the story, it's almost always about the romance.

Website: http://melissajcrispin.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MelissaJCrispin  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melissajcrispinauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melissajcrispin/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/MelissaJCrispin

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