Monday, October 14, 2013

@StrangeChem Author Slambook: Ingrid Jonach + Giveaway

Monday, October 14, 2013

Author Bio:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

Ingrid Jonach writes books for kids and teens. Her debut young adult novel When the World was Flat (and we were in love) was released in September 2013 by global imprint Strange Chemistry. She is also the author of the picture book A Lot of Things and the chapter books The Frank Frankie and Frankie goes to France published by Pan Macmillan Australia. Ingrid has worked as a journalist and public relations consultant, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing with Honors in Communications. She lives down under — in Canberra, Australia — with her husband Craig and their pug dog Mooshi.
Favorites
1. What is your favorite color?
Pink. Such a traditional color for a girl, I know. I have just always loved pink though. I like all shades except for florescent.

2. Favorite food?
Chocolate. I have a very sweet tooth. My favorite dessert would have to be warm melting chocolate cake (or lava cake), which is made up of dark chocolate, flour, eggs, sugar and butter. Not healthy at all!

3. Favorite movie of all time?
I could watch Gladiator twenty times over. I am not sure if I would say it was my favorite movie of all time, but I do love the script. Plus, the male lead is a fellow Aussie! A runner up would be Batman Begins (who would have guessed I would pick action movies? Not me!).

4. Favorite song?
At the moment it would be Stardust by Lena. It was one of my wedding songs last year (our bridal waltz was another of her songs – Satellite). I love both the beat and the message behind the song, which is all about reaching your goals together. I find it very inspirational. Lyrics: No one can catch us. Nothing can change this. Covered in stardust. Invincible. Jumping off the edge. Reaching for the moon. Living everyday. Invincible.

5. Favorite book of all time?
Eek! Just one? Probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

All about Writing
1. How did your interest in writing originate?
Through reading. My grandpa used to read me the Three Little Pigs when I was little (although he called them the Three Little Piggies). It started a lifelong love affair with books. I think I spent most of my childhood in libraries and have spent most of my adult years in bookstores.

2. What is your work schedule like when you're writing?
If I have a full day to write I will generally write without a break. This could be up to ten hours. I will often change locations (e.g. moving from the bedroom to the lounge room), but will generally not even break for lunch. I have a full time job, which means I need to make the most of my writing days. I admit that I do get distracted by my social networks!

3. Do you work with outline or just write?
I usually work with a vague outline. I like to know where my story is headed, even though it can change a few times – even during the final draft! I only plot key scenes, like the climax and the ending, and I like to pull together a timeline after the first draft to make sure my characters are not wearing sweaters in the middle of summer or going to school on Saturdays.

4. What was the hardest part in writing your book? The easiest?
The hardest part was making the decision to transform it into a science fiction novel from a contemporary romance novel.

The easiest part was the romance. I am drawn to love-hate relationships like Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice, and Rhett Butler and Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind. I loved creating tension between Tom and Lillie, and enjoyed creating the reason behind it even more (which is actually where the science fiction comes in!).

5. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I wish I could say I skydive or collect spiders, but I am actually really boring. Aside from reading and watching a lot of television and movies, I just like to hang out with friends and family. I always have grand plans that I am going to dive into a hobby like baking or knitting (the latest is crocheting), but I tend to give up on them quite quickly. There are not enough hours in the day to work, write and have a hobby unfortunately. Plus, my scarves always have holes in them from dropped stitches.

Finish the sentence
1. The difference between fiction and reality is... reality has its limits.
2. Research is what I'm doing when I have twenty tabs up in my browser and none of them are on related topics.
3. I can write better when I have a caffeinated drink, which is generally a Coke Zero or Pepsi Max, because I hate the taste of coffee.
4. Sleep is an excellent way to dream up story ideas. Honestly. Take an afternoon nap and see what comes out of it!
5. A room without a book is very hard to read. You can generally tell a lot about a person by their bookshelf or by which book is on their nightstand.

Book
Title: When the World was Flat (and we were in love)
Genre/s: Young Adult, Contemporary Romance, Science Fiction
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Date Published: September 3, 2013
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Synopsis:

Looking back, I wonder if I had an inkling that my life was about to go from ordinary to extraordinary. When sixteen-year-old Lillie Hart meets the gorgeous and mysterious Tom Windsor-Smith for the first time, it’s like fireworks — for her, anyway. Tom looks as if he would be more interested in watching paint dry; as if he is bored by her and by her small Nebraskan town in general. But as Lillie begins to break down the walls of his seemingly impenetrable exterior, she starts to suspect that he holds the answers to her reoccurring nightmares and to the impossible memories which keep bubbling to the surface of her mind — memories of the two of them, together and in love. When she at last learns the truth about their connection, Lillie discovers that Tom has been hiding an earth-shattering secret; a secret that is bigger — and much more terrifying and beautiful — than the both of them. She also discovers that once you finally understand that the world is round, there is no way to make it flat again. An epic and deeply original sci-fi romance, taking inspiration from Albert Einstein’s theories and the world-bending wonder of true love itself.
Giveaway !!!
The Rules:
  • Open Internationally 
  • Must be 13+ to enter
  • Winners will be notified via email
  • A new winner will be chosen if a response is not received within 48 hours
  • Use the Rafflecopter to enter. I'm going to check the entries so please follow the directions correctly.
  • Contest ends November 14, 2013
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