Alien Minds
Christina Bauer
(Dimension Drift #1)
Published by: Monster House Books
Publication date: April 23rd 2019
Genres: Science Fiction, Young Adult
DIVERGENT meets OCEAN’S EIGHT in this urban fantasy heist!
On my seventeenth birthday, I wake up in the hospital to find I just survived a sketchy but terrible accident. My parents stand by my bedside—both are beautiful, wealthy, and super-nice. They tell me that once I leave the hospital, I’ll attend the prestigious ECHO Academy, where I’ll churn out equations for the government along with my mega-smart peers.
So, I’m living the perfect life.
Then why does everything feel all wrong?
My parents, my house and even ECHO Academy…none of it fits. Plus, what’s up with Thorne, my brooding yet yummy classmate who keeps telling me I need to remember my true past, which seems to have included a lot of us kissing? That’s one thing I’d really like to remember, except for the fact that I’m pretty sure Thorne is hiding a ton of nasty secrets of his own, including the fact that he may not be from this world. But considering how my own past seems alien to me, it’s not like I can judge. Plus, Thorne has dimples. That’s a problem.
And worst of all, why does it feel so yucky to work on these calculations for the government? It’s all supposed to be part of ECHO, but my heart tells me that I’m helping something truly terrible come to pass. Thorne seems to think that kissing him again will release my real memories.
Maybe it’s time to pucker up.
“Appealing and engaging. Love the strong female character!” – Arlene’s Book Reviews
This new series is perfect for: fans of urban fantasy, action & adventure, cool science, evil corporations, forbidden romance and hot new classmates who may or may not be aliens.
An Interview with Christina
Bauer
As part of her launch tour for ALIEN MINDS, author Christina Bauer stopped by the Cover Contessa. Here’s the interview!
1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or did you want
to be something else?
I knew this was my goal since I was
six years old. In fact, I used to stand up in class and spontaneously tell
stories. The nuns loved that.
2. How long does it take you to write a book from start to
finish?
I’ve gotten faster over time. My
first book was two years. Book twenty took me about three months.
3. How do you come up with themes for your stories?
For me, my stories all start with
questions. What would happen if? How can I make this character really
uncomfortable? Basically, I’m a bitch to my characters and it grows from there.
4. Do you have a schedule of when you write?
Every day for at least six hours.
The time changes depending on other factors, but I’m pretty consistent.
5. How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with
your writing?.
Not always too tell. It’s hard!!! Sometimes I
tell my husband “I have to go into my writer hidey hole for a few days to hit a
deadline.” He and my son deserve a medal.
6. What elements do you think make a great story line?
At least one character needs to
start off somewhere emotionally and then end up somewhere else. That sounds
easy, but it’s super hard, especially when you’re writing series and the ‘fall
in love’ arc is already done!
7. What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
Having my characters get hurt or
lose someone they love. I have to do it, but I hate it.
8. How many books have you written so far? Do you have a
favorite?
I’ve written 20 so far, and I think
my favorite is now ALIEN MINDS.
9. Do you have a favorite character?
Meimi Archer. I love that she’s
brave and vulnerable, all at the same time.
10. Where do you write?
Starbucks.
11. When deciding on how to publish, what directed you to the
route you took?
I tried traditional publishing and
agents, and that wasn’t a fit. Mostly because they told me no!
12. Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)?
What do they think?
My best friend figured out that she
was Cissy from ANGELBOUND. That was a hoot.
13. What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
I like to read, follow politics,
and hang with my husband and son. I did PR for the first Women’s March back in
2017.
14. What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to
start writing?
Read. Be prepared to suck. Realize
you are awesome for wanting to be a force for creativity and enlightenment.
15. What is your favorite book? favorite author? Do you have an
author that inspired/inspires you to write?
My favorite book/author is The Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien.
When I read LOTR, there were no other fantasy books out there. It opened my
mind to an entirely new way of storytelling.
16. 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?
Sure! If you want to be part of the
folks I consult and survey, please join my personal newsletter here: https://tinyurl.com/bauersbooks
17. Are you working on anything now?
After ALIEN MINDS, I’m writing a
dragon paranormal romance called ZINNIA!
18. Tell us 5 things that make you smile
My son, my husband, wind in the
trees, a good book, a bad joke.
19. Tell us 5 things that make you sad
Opportunism and the culture that celebrates
it (times five.)
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?
Ancient Egypt as the female pharaoh
Maatkare. That would rock.
Thanks for having me stop by! I enjoyed
answering these questions and hope to return on a future tour!
Author Bio:
Christina Bauer thinks that fantasy books are like bacon: they just make life better. All of which is why she writes romance novels that feature demons, dragons, wizards, witches, elves, elementals, and a bunch of random stuff that she brainstorms while riding the Boston T. Oh, and she includes lots of humor and kick-ass chicks, too.
Christina graduated from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School with BA’s in English along with Television, Radio, and Film Production. She lives in Newton, MA with her husband, son, and semi-insane golden retriever, Ruby.
Be the first to know about new releases from Christina by signing up for her newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/CBupdates
Thanks for being on the tour!
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