Take Five and Meet Teen Books Author Donna Maloy

It's exciting to bring you a "Teen" books author.  I know I loved reading adventure books when I was a teen. Nancy Drew and all. That's one reason I write adventure stories today.

So read on and see what Donna has to say about writing, adventure and Teen books.

Welcome to An Indie Adventure, Donna.  Tell us, what inspired you to write CELIA AND THE WOLF?

Hi L.A. thanks for hosting me today.

Hatred of those who are “different” is as old as time. Long before Adolf Hitler began purging unwanted Jews, Catholics, artists and intellectuals from Germany, Napoleon Bonaparte made it illegal to be different in France. His ire was directed against Gypsies, Jews, and other minorities. My story takes place during Napoleon’s reign and features two extremely “different” main characters with entirely opposite attitudes toward their uniqueness. Celia is proud to be a shapeshifter, even though keeping her gift secret means she’s lonely most of the time; Remy is ashamed of being a werewolf and sad that he must keep his Gypsy heritage hidden. 

And then there’s Radilu—whose unique gift makes friendship very difficult.

I also wanted to write an adventure story, like the ones I read as a young teen, that had a powerful but flawed female protagonist. So many adventure books seem to assume that only boys are interested in reading about thrilling escapades, dangerous missions, and heart-stopping confrontations with larger-than-life villains. I believe girls like those books, too. (And they sure are fun to write.)

Have you been a lifelong reader of books for teens?  What are some the first teen books you remember reading?

Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew, of course, along with The Westing Game. Also books by Andre Norton, Madeleine L’Engle and C. S. Lewis. At some point I moved on to books for adults but Harry Potter and Percy Jackson brought me happily back to teen reads (where I’m going to stay!).

What do you do to rev your creative juices?

Read a really good book or go to a great movie with outstanding computer graphics. Sometimes I go to an online art gallery.

What would be your advice to people who are considering a writing career?

Do it! I love working with new writers. My blog, Tangled Words, is full of help for beginning writers, including a popular semi-regular column: Monday Tips from Agents and Editors. I also have a special page on my website of Tips for Teen Writers, with news about contests, markets, workshops, etc.

You’re having a dinner party.  What character from your novel do you hope doesn’t show up?     Why?

My villain, The Guardian of La Cluse, is a truly disturbed and disturbing person. He would be a definite buzzkill at any party. I can’t really tell you why – that would be a spoiler!

Of course, having Radilu show up could present problems, too. She loves to lurk (and probably eavesdrop) in secret—and you’d never even know she was there.

Give us a brief summary of CELIA AND THE WOLF:

The year is 1806. Fourteen-year-old Celia Ashleigh is impatient to become a Deputy of the Crown, like all the other shapeshifting firstborn Ashleighs. When a very handsome French boy asks for her father’s help in rescuing his abducted sister, she doesn’t tell him her father’s away–she takes the mission herself. 

But Remy Broussard hadn’t told her he and his sister are werewolves, nor that they’re being hunted by the dangerous Guardian of La Cluse. The Guardian’s plan is to have frightened villagers kill Remy’s little sister on the night Lilette “changes” for the first time.

 When a gypsy girl (who can turn invisible) joins Celia and Remy, Celia realizes that, for the first time, she has friends who are “gifted” just like her. But despite her enthusiasm and good intentions, and their help, she makes several crucial mistakes that jeopardize both her mission and Remy’s family.

As she comes closer to finding Lilette, Celia realizes The Guardian is actually insane with hatred… and his hatred extends to anyone who is not completely human. Like Celia.

Buy Links:

Amazon (Print and Kindle) 

Barnes & Noble (print only at this time) 

Book A Million (print only at this time)

Indie Bound (print only at this time)

Powells (print only at this time)

Nook, Kobo and iBooks versions coming soon

Bio:

Donna Maloy lives on the Texas Gulf Coast. CELIA AND THE WOLF is her first book for

teens. She’s also written more than twenty-five plays for elementary and middle schools. Every weekday, Donna spends between four and six hours writing with a group of Starbucks Irregulars.

She loves ethnic foods, shopping, watching great movies, making jewelry, exploring new gadgets, playing with new software and computer graphics, and other geeky things (like watching The Big Bang Theory and trying out Google Glass). She drives a cool Mazda 6 she calls the Silver Shark.

Find Donna:

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