Rocked: A Chelsie Valdar Saga, 1 by Gina Marie Long Publication: February 16th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller/Urban Fantasy
The Apocalypse is coming...in one week. Chelsie Valdar and her brother are modern-day Viking warrior teenagers. They must find a mystical sword belonging to their ancient ancestor and flee to safety at a secret shelter, if they hope to survive. As the clock ticks, several Bigfoot and an outcast werecat become invaluable friends helping with the search for the sword and offering supernatural protection. Misfortune haunts their every move. Conflicts delay their progress. Especially when a devious and deranged enemy is infatuated with Chelsie and hungers for the sword, desperate to escape to the shelter with Chelsie by his side. Time is running out.
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Gina Marie Long is an author of paranormal thrillers, urban fantasy, and young adult novels. She has written the Unknown Touch-Werewolf Series and Rocked – A Chelsie Valdar Saga.Gina's fiction stories are inspired from her interest in the supernatural, science fiction and fantasy world. She enjoys reading, watching evening TV shows, movies and listening to music. Writing indulges her passion for the entertainment arts, giving her active mind a playground of possibilities to explore. She stays active on social media sites and blogging, making connections with others who share the same interests.
She writes about werewolves, vampires, witches, werecats, Bigfoot, an occasional demon, psychics, Vikings, and riveting human characters. But not ALL in the same book! In addition, a light romance is included to spice things up (come on-every book, movie and TV show has some sort of a love story in it). The books do not fall under the romance category...just enough in the storyline to satisfy the girls. And the boys can breathe easy with the knowledge that they're not reading a romance novel but a paranormal thriller, instead. Depending on which series, the ages of the main characters are 16 through 30. Most are on the younger side.
"It's exciting to create strong characters that the readers fall in love with…or want to strangle! Writing books about other beings, such as werewolves and vampires, allows rules to be broken concerning life and the world as we know it. The idea to have these supernatural species living and breathing among us is so wickedly intriguing. Having close contact with them, developing relationships, and dealing with the good vs. the evil - it sweeps you away into another reality – an escape from real life. You wonder and worry about what the characters will stumble upon next. Or, what horrific tragedy knocks them flat on their faces."~~GinaShe lives in Highland, Illinois, with her husband and Jessie Cat.
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1. What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
Answer: I wanted to write a story that combined many of my favorite concepts that I loved in books I had previously read but also included supernatural beings who were not as common as werewolves and vampires. FYI: I still adore vamps and wolves, though! “Rocked” spotlights shape shifting Bigfoot and a werecat. The main character Chelsie is a modern-day Viking warrior, too. The Chelsie Valdar Saga will be a trilogy and I thought it would be interesting and different to divide the idea of an apocalypse into three parts: the time before, the time during and the time after. Of course, I had to throw in a bit of a multi-layered romance, the search for a mystical sword, a stalker, and a clicking tock.
2. Who is your favorite character in the book?
Answer: It would have to be Chelsie, who is the main character. The story is told in first person, present tense (that was a challenge writing), and since I'm creating it, I am seeing and living everything through her eyes and heart. She has her flaws -- hot-headed and a control freak. But she loves animals and fights for the people she cares about. She also is young (17) and questions her decisions, wondering how choices she makes will affect the future.
3. Which came first, the title or the novel?
Answer: The idea of the story came first. But I quickly started playing around with title names, knowing in advance I planned on a trilogy. I like the titles in a series to connect somehow…to be related or have a theme. So, yes, I have the titles planned already for the second and third book in The Chelsie Valdar Saga.
4. What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
Answer: I won't fully describe it, because it's a total spoiler to the story. But I will say it is when Chelsie finally gains some control of a situation, in fact over a person, and we see her potential, her power, her fight to win.
5. Thinking way back to the beginning, what's the most important thing you've learned as a writer from then to now?
Answer: Keep writing. Don't let months slip by without working on your writing project. For me, when too much time passes, it's like I fall out of practice and it's difficult to get back into a productive momentum. The problem (or the zero writing time) can happen for a bazillion reasons. Life gets in the way with all its distractions. But the hardest time for me to write is directly after my latest book is published and I feel obligated to market the new book. A ridiculous amount of time is spent letting the world know that it exists. It's strange but good, though. I actually love marketing! But at some point if your goal is to be a full-time author, you have to write the next book.
6. What do you like most about the cover of the book?
Answer: “Rocked” portrays Chelsie, by herself, holding a sword and staring off into the sunset (or sunrise) and seeing the world before it is changed forever. Before the Apocalypse hits…and readying herself for a future battle. I love the brightness of the sky showing through the clouds, perhaps a bit of an ominous feeling.
7. What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2013?
Answer: Amanda Hocking has her third book in the Watersong Series - “Tidal” due out in June.
8. What was your favorite book in 2012?
Answer: Too hard to come up with one favorite book. But some authors I read that I liked their books were: Amanda Hocking, Morgan Rice, Maggie Stiefvater, Heather Brewer, J.L. Bryan, J.R. Rain, Elizabeth Hunter and Suzanne Collins.
9. What's up next for you?
Answer: I'm trying to work on the third novel in the Werewolf Series - “Unknown Taste”, but as mentioned earlier, I've been spending a great deal of time showcasing my latest “Rocked: A Chelsie Valdar Saga 1”. After the Werewolf Series book publishes, then I plan to return to The Chelsie Valdar Saga.
10. Is there anything that you would like to add?
Answer: I'm always looking to network with people, especially in making connections with the young adult crowd and ways to get under their skin and in their brains - in a good way! Some personal facts about me: love pizza, drool for chocolate, wear ponytails and sweats, have a tortie cat, hate V-8, worry about tornadoes, love The Walking Dead, and try to survive with ADHD.
Hi! Thanks for hosting me and for the fun interview questions!
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