About
the Book:
Title: REUNITED
Author: Colleen Houck
Pub. Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Pages: 446
Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook
After
surviving her otherworldly adventure, Lily wakes up on her nana’s farm having
forgotten everything. Her sun prince, her travels to Egypt, and her journey to
the Afterlife are all distant memories.
But Lily is not the girl she once was. Her body is now part human, part lion, and part fairy. And if that isn’t bad enough, she must now harness this power of three and become Wasret: a goddess destined to defeat the evil god Seth once and for all.
With the help of her old friend Dr. Hassan, Lily departs on her final voyage through the cosmos and across the plains of Egypt. On the journey, she will transform into the being she is destined to become.
Reunited is the heart-pounding conclusion to the Reawakened series.
It is time for Lily to find her sunset.
We welcome Colleen to the blog today for an interview!
Did you always know you wanted to
be a writer or did you want to be something else?
I originally
wanted to be a teacher for Deaf children. Then I realized I needed a master’s
degree to do that so I became an American Sign Language interpreter instead. I
always loved reading and books though, and ended up writing as a hobby while I
worked full time. Now it’s my full-time career.
How long does it take you to write
a book from start to finish?
A full-length novel takes me about six
months. The longest I ever wrote was Tiger’s Destiny and that one was eighteen
months and the shortest was my most recent, as yet unannounced book, which took
three.
How do you come up with themes for
your stories?
Themes are the
fun part for me. I research and write down several ideas and then figure out a
way to incorporate them. I am particularly good at writing myself out of
corners. All of my stories carry the basic theme of sacrifice so that underlies
everything.
Do you have a schedule of when you
write?
Yes. I write in
the afternoons. Most mornings I’m taking care of business and doing social
media. The prime time for me to write is between 1pm and 5pm though, when I’m
on a rough deadline, I also write from 7 or 8pm until 11pm too.
How are you able to balance other
aspects of your life with your writing?
I think that’s the toughest part for
any writer. It’s very difficult for my mind to let go of a story. As soon as I
settle down for a vacation, I’m already brainstorming for the next book.
Getting outside or shopping is really the best way for me to escape my mental
work. I also love being with my family and always spend holidays with them so
that time is always set aside.
What elements do you think make a
great story line?
I think you have
to hurt your characters, emotionally, physically, psychologically. They need to
suffer to keep the reader engaged. It’s tough because as an author, I love my
characters, but it makes them heroic and better people in the end. Also
dragons. Never met a dragon book I didn’t like.
What was the hardest thing about
writing a book?
Editing is the
hardest part for me. It’s very painful to chop away pieces. Over the years I’ve
grown more immune to it, but it’s still the part where I cringe.
How many books have you written so
far? Do you have a favorite?
I’ve just finished my eleventh book. My
favorite is always the one I’m working on now. I suppose that’s a love the one
you’re with mentality.
Do you have a favorite character?
I think Mr. Kadam
from the tiger series will always be my favorite. He’s just so wise and caring.
I’d love to have tea with him.
Where do you write?
My home office.
Right now I’m in a rental property and sharing an office with my mom so I’ve
already planned out my schedule to only write one book this year. Having my mom
with me is constantly distracting. She always wants to show me cute dog videos
or ask me how to Google.
When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the route
you took?
I honestly
thought writing was just going to be a hobby for me so I started out with self-publishing.
I learned a lot by doing it and I wouldn’t be where I am now without it. It was
a long road though, and I’d advise other aspiring authors to try something
different.
Have you gotten feedback from
family about your book(s)? What do they think?
My family has
inspired many things about my books. All my nieces and nephews are found
somewhere in my books and they’re very proud of the fact. My brothers like to
make fun of the romance. My sisters all help me out at conferences and take
care of my newsletters and fan mail so it’s become quite the family project.
They’re all very proud.
What kinds of things do you like to
do outside of writing?
I love cooking,
baking, and home decorating. Gardening is fun though not vegetables. I like
landscaping more. I still interpret when I get the chance and I love shopping.
What kinds of advice would you give
to someone who wants to start writing?
Don’t give up on
the dream. Writing is a great thing to aspire to. When that book of your heart
is done, find a conference and set an appointment with an agent. Once you get a
good agent, everything begins to fall in place.
What is your favorite book?
favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to
write?
I was inspired by
Stephenie Meyer and J. K. Rowling. Both women were my age when I started
writing and their personal journeys gave me the courage to give writing a try.
I love many, many books. My goal on Goodreads this year is to finish 150 new
books.
Do you have any go to people when
writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta
reading and such?
I don’t really
use beta readers other than my family and close friends. They are more
supportive and interested than helpful which is how I like it. I discover my
story as I write so too many questions along the way can throw me off course.
17.
Are you working on anything
now?
I am sort of on vacation. I say sort of
since we just moved and I’m working on edits and blog tour. I hope to start my
next book this fall.
18.
Tell us 5 things that make you
smile
Chocolate, my dog, my husband, flowers,
and cinnamon rolls.
19.
Tell us 5 things that make you sad
A crying child, hurt animals, the
homeless, forest fires, and the hubby forgetting the anniversary.
20.
If you could travel anywhere in the
world to visit a place so you could use it as a background for a book, where
would it be?
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Colleen. Great having you here!
New York Times Bestselling author Colleen Houck is a lifelong
reader whose literary interests include action, adventure, paranormal, science
fiction, and romance. When she’s not busy writing, she likes to spend time
chatting on the phone with one of her six siblings, watching plays, and
shopping online. Colleen has lived in Arizona, Idaho, Utah, California, and
North Carolina and is now permanently settled in Salem, Oregon with her husband
and a huge assortment of plush tigers.
Giveaway
Details:
3 winners will receive a finished copy of REUNITED, US Only.
Tour
Schedule:
Week One:
7/31/2017- YA Books Central- Interview
8/1/2017- Here's to Happy Endings- Review
8/2/2017- YA and Wine- Guest Post
8/3/2017- a GREAT read- Review
8/4/2017- Two Chicks on Books- Interview
Week Two:
8/7/2017- Tales of the Ravenous Reader-Review
8/8/2017- Ohana Reads- Guest Post
8/9/2017- Seeing Double In Neverland- Review
8/10/2017- The Cover Contessa- Interview
8/11/2017- Riddle's Reviews- Review
Ahhhhhhh Omg Colleen Houck is one of my most favorite authors and no matter how old I get I will always love her writing and her imagination!!
ReplyDeleteLoved the first two books and can't wait to see how it ends!
ReplyDeleteI have only read one of her books. I need to read more of her work.
ReplyDeleteSamantha D