Amethyst Eyes by Debbie Brown {Author Interview & Giveaway!}

Without further ado;

Hello Debbie! Welcome to A Daydreamer’s Thoughts! First off, why don’t you tell us a little bit about yourself, anything you would like your readers to know.
I have done many things in my life, from nursing, to teaching elementary and high school, teaching martial arts and flying a plane, raising children and being part of the military, to name a few. Throughout it all there were highs and lows, adding color to the pages of my life.
All of these things have come together in my writing, in the sights and sounds, people and situations. I deeply believe that knowledge is never lost or a waste of time, and that somehow, somewhere it will be useful.

Wow, sounds like you’ve had your fair share of experiences then! But tell us, how long have you wanted to be a writer?
I have always loved creating stories and started writing them down around the age of twelve.

That’s awesome, so, since you’ve been doing it for so long, when you’re not typing away at the keyboard coming up with new ideas, what do you do?
Although I have three grown children in their early twenties, my baby is only three. She takes up a lot of my time and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I work part time for the Canadian Forces as a CIC officer. I am taking an advanced writing course with the Institute of Children’s Literature and writing another book as part of the course.

Sounds like you have a busy life! Let’s get down to business shall we? Your current book Amethyst Eyes is a Sci-Fi Adventure story but can you tell us what inspired you to write a story involving aliens?
I have always been a Star Trek fan, I love astronomy and science and the endless possibilities of life. I did not set out to write a novel involving aliens, it just kind of happened.
I had written the first chapter (minus the flashback) as part of an assignment a good ten years before I wrote the novel. The story stayed alive and I knew I wanted to write more.

Well it definitely sounds interesting, but is there any pitch you’d give to readers to pull them into the story?
There is so much going on in the story and on so many levels that I find it hard to bring it down to a sentence or two.

Life can change in the blink of an eye. After Tommy loses his mother in an accident, he not only has to leave everything behind to go live with a father he doesn’t remember, he soon realises that nothing could have prepared him for his new reality. His father is not from Earth and none of the rules are the same, yet Tommy is expected to adapt and fit in.

Yeap, it definitely sounds intriguing, doesn’t it readers? But, and here’s a kicker, did you actually enjoy writing the story?
Most definitely. It was a lot of fun to write and I had the first draft completed in about six months. I enjoyed the adventure, the research, and creating things like the food and technology.

That’s brilliant then! You mentioned research which leads me to my next question, did you use a structured plan or did it sort of tell its own story along the way?
I did not have an outline or pre-determined set of events. I let the story play out on its own. I really was an observer. The characters came to life and the scenes played out before me. There were times where I could not write fast enough and others where I felt totally exhausted as though I had been through the scene with the characters.
I even remember thinking ‘I can’t write that’ about Tommy’s friend Mike, but I did and I wouldn’t change it.

As a writer, I can totally understand all about that! And, as you mention Tommy’s friend Mike, I have one final question for you; do you have a favourite character?
I love them all, they are all different and interesting…but if I had to choose, then maybe Two-Feathers.

quick fire round;
ebooks or hard copies?
Both! But being able to carry around hundreds of books in one of my two e-readers…so cool. I do love the smell and feel of my hard copies and have not stopped buying or reading them…but again I must admit that lying in bed trying to read a bulky paperback is not so great.

day or night?
Unfortunately, I’m a night owl…which really doesn’t fit in to a toddler’s schedule. So I often run on 3-5 hrs sleep.

reading or writing?
Wouldn’t be able to choose and couldn’t live without either one. I can be reading up to five books at a time (not counting those used for research) and I am writing two novels right now.

paper or computer?
I miss paper. I still use it to jot down notes, flashes of inspiration…but then you have to type it out and Lord knows I regret not having taken typing back in high school. There are days when I still fumble on my keyboard and it looks like I’m typing with my mittens on.

tea or coffee?
Depends on the mood. Love my Earl Grey, but unfortunately you just can’t get a decent cup of tea in a restaurant. I have tea from all around the world.
I do enjoy a cup of Tim Horton’s coffee (decaf) every day, and lately, more than one.

Favourite book of the moment?
The moment would be right, because I just can’t pick one. There are books that I have read dozens of times in every possible genre (no horror) but I cannot name a ‘favorite’. I did just finish Operation Summer Storm by Karlene Blakemore-Mowle and really enjoyed it. Finally a female protagonist that doesn’t come across as a ditzy-hormone imbalanced-she Rambo with impaired relationship skills. Too harsh?

Wow! Thank you Debbie for answering my questions, it was a pleasure (:

Waking up in the hospital from the car accident that claimed his mother’s life, 15-year-old Tommy is told his father is on his way. Unaware of his father’s true identity or the reason he left so long ago, the teen is unprepared for the reality of the life he must now lead. In the blink of an eye Tommy finds himself on an alien vessel…his father is not from Earth!

The challenges Tommy face go beyond adapting to a new home and school. But first, he has to survive Jayden…the reluctant, unsympathetic tutor, tasked to help him fit in. When he finally thinks things are getting better, things come crashing down as he learns that being born with amethyst eyes has made him the target of some very unfriendly beings.

For as long as she can remember, Debbie has been creating stories in her head. She hated to go anywhere without a pen and paper, just in case. As a graduate of the Institute of Children’s literature, while pursuing yet another writing course, she finds herself doing what she loves . . . learning and writing. The course gives her an excuse to just sit down and write. Over the years she has worked as a nurse, a teacher, a martial arts instructor and a CIC officer in the Canadian Forces. Her hobbies have varied from woodworking, to auto-mechanics, with music, painting, karate, holistic medicine, gardening and camping thrown into the mix. Let’s not forget reading. Debbie’s perfect cure for a long winter’s night is curling up in front of a fire with a good book while snowflakes drift slowly past the window. Never having been much of a city girl, she lives with two of her four children, her husband Jean-Pierre and their pets in the Laurentian Mountains of Quebec. She couldn’t imagine life without the beauty found in the trees, mountains and lakes that surround her.

Debbie can be contacted in a number of ways!
Facebook Book Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amethyst-Eyes/169207996492385
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5370747.Debbie_Brown
Blog: http://amethysteyesauthor.blogspot.com/
Twitter: @amethysteyes01
Email: amethysteyes01@yahoo.ca

Amethyst Eyes can be bought in a variety of ways!
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Amethyst-Eyes-Debbie-Brown/dp/1462050158
Chapters Indigo: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/Amethyst-Eyes-Debbie-Brown/9781462050154-item.html?ikwid=amethyst+eyes&ikwsec=Home
Powell’s: http://www.powells.com/biblio?show=TRADE%20PAPER:NEW:9781462050154:18.95
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amethyst-eyes-debbie-brown/1105283804
SONY Reader Store: http://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/debbie-brown/amethyst-eyes/_/R-400000000000000563319

The book is available through over 100 online bookstores worldwide; you just have to Google it to find it!