Today we have the honor of being the last stop on the Yesterday's Heroes book tour and we get to find out a bit about the book and it's author, Heather Long !!
Welcome Heather, so great to have you here with
us. Can you tell us a little about
yourself?
Thank you for having me!
I'm a writer and this question is always so hard to answer because I don't tend
to think of myself as interesting—but I really hope my books are. I read
somewhere that if you go to sleep at night and dream of writing, wake up
wanting to write, are distracted all day by the things you could be
writing—then you just might be a writer. That pretty much sums me up—writing
touches every part of my life.Do real life events find their way into your stories?
Absolutely. Some events
you can't shy away from and it took me ten years to be able to write anything
that used 9/11 and then it appeared in two stories I wrote. Some events are—for
lack of a better way to say it—fixed points. Whether it's Vietnam, the Marine
Barracks bombing in 1982, the assassination of a president or the destruction
of a space shuttle—they change us in some fundamental way and change the
landscape of our personal histories. So those types of events absolutely make
it into my books.
Do you ever mimic family members or people you
know when you choose characters?
I have been inspired to
create characters based on friends or family—but they remain inspirations. Most
of the characters that appear in my head may be sparked by something else, but
ultimately they develop as independent entities—not sure that makes a lot of
sense unless you're in my head.
Do you find yourself going back to the same
inspiration for each story or is it always something different?
Everything inspires me.
I had a conversation on the phone a few days ago with a very dear friend and we
were discussing something rather random, but it sparked a thought and I was
like, huh, I wonder—and fifteen minutes later, I had a new story idea. It can
be as simple as an offhand remark or a photograph or a song…or just something I
see on the road while driving.
When do you write? Early morning? During the day sometime or all
day? After the kids go to bed?
Early morning is the best
time. I am fresh and alert. Lately though I tend to write in spurts all day
long, as well. But I think I am my most creative in the morning.
How do you feel about marketing your book?
Honestly? Hardest part
of the job—but while some people dream of fifteen minutes of fame—I dream of
those last few pages as a reader closes the book and lets out a sigh of
satisfaction and says 'damn that was good.'
What social sites do you feel work best for
marketing?
There are so many and
they each offer something unique to the mix. I tend to stick to Facebook and
Twitter. Occasionally I will play on Yahoo Groups and visit readers via chats
they host which are fun, too.
Do you like to pitch stories to your publisher or
do you wait until you have written the story and have a final manuscript to
turn in?
I have done both. I've
sent in proposals while I've been working on a book or the whole book if it's a
new publisher. With my established editors, I pitch story ideas and then run
with the ones they like.Is there any other genre that you would love to try writing? If so, what is it?
A real spy thriller. I
just finished a book called The Lady is a Thief and it had a lot of action, spy
elements and I really enjoy action adventure.
Do you always/ever see yourself as the heroine/hero
when you write a story?
No. These characters are
themselves and I am just their 'facilitator' to get the story out.
Just for fun, I have a few personal
questions,
Favorite 51) Favorite Male Actor - Chris Hemsworth
2) Favorite vehicle - Jeep
3) Favorite way to relax – A massage
4) Favorite ice cream – Mint chocolate chip
5) Favorite outfit – I have these red jeans that I just bought this summer – LOVE them
And for a bonus:
If you could pick any place in the world to live, besides where you are now,
where would it be? (Of course, without
the hindrance of jobs or money needed)
Hmm, I'd like to live
somewhere there are four seasons—conversely, I wouldn't mind Hawaii for a
couple of years.
Where can our readers find you??
Email: heather@heatherlong.net
Twitter: @HVLong
Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/HeatherLongAuthorWebsite/blog: http://www.heatherlong.net
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Heather-Long/e/B002BMBCUC/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2959976.Heather_Long
TRR: http://www.theromancereviews.com/mypage.php?location=HVLong
Manic Readers: http://www.manicreaders.com/HeatherVLong/
Is there an upcoming or current release you would
like to share with us today and where can we find it?
Yesterday's Heroes is
one of the most exciting books I've ever written. It's the kick off to a series
of books about the Boomers and it features passion, romance, time travel, chaos
and hope—and superheroes. I am truly excited to share this and even more that
some readers are already asking me for the next book right now. That's a great
feeling.
Buy Links:
Aurora “Rory”
Graystone
Codename: Halo
Abilities: superior
reflexes, I.Q. and aptitude for calculating probabilitiesMission: find missing teammates
Rory knows she’s being watched, and she’s not about to let
the hunter catch her in his trap. She’ll confront her stalker, a man she
suspects is involved in the disappearances of other superheroes–if she can
ignore the sensual heat that fills her every time he’s near…
Michael Hunter
Abilities: expert tracker and sniper
Mission: kill Rory Graystone
One of five desperate men sent back in time to save the future, Michael believes eliminating Rory is the key to his mission. But even as he takes aim, a split second of doubt causes him to miss his shot.
Drawn together by passion, and on a collision course with
fate, can Rory and Michael work together to change the future? Or have they set
in motion the horrific history the time-travelers are trying to prevent?
What Readers are saying on Goodreads:
Tara Clegg: This promises to be an awesome new series and I cannot wait until the next book to learn more about the heroes and the challenges they are facing.
Reading Reality: Too many possibilities and no way to get answers until the next book. I want the next book!
Jeep Diva: Superheroes, time travel, sexy alpha males, and saving the world. There is so much awesome in that mix.
Calisto: Is there anything better than romance, action andspandex superheroes?
Tara Clegg: This promises to be an awesome new series and I cannot wait until the next book to learn more about the heroes and the challenges they are facing.
Reading Reality: Too many possibilities and no way to get answers until the next book. I want the next book!
Jeep Diva: Superheroes, time travel, sexy alpha males, and saving the world. There is so much awesome in that mix.
Calisto: Is there anything better than romance, action and
Heather's book Yesterday's Heroes was also featured this week on Fresh Fiction "Buy The Book" segment from Good Morning Texas!!
Heather is also doing a giveaway so make sure to visit the rafflecopter below !!!
Readers, make sure you filled out the Rafflecopter and good luck on the contest but don't forget, Yesterday's Heroes is available in these places too :)
Also available on Audio!
Until next time, happy reading !!
Krista
