Today,
I have the amazing author Aileen Erin in the spotlight! We did an
interview to learn more about her life, her writings, her quirks and
just a little randomness that is just her.
Be
sure to check out the giveaway at the bottom of the page and enter
for you chance to win a fabulous prize pack.
Author
Bio:
Aileen
Erin is half-irish, half-mexican and 100% nerd from Star Wars
(prequels don't count) to Star Trek (TNG FTW). She reads Quenya and
some Sindarin, and has a severe fascination with the supernatural.
Aileen has a BS in Radio-TV-Film from the University of Texas at
Austin and a MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill
University. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and spends her
days doing her favorite things: reading books, creating worlds and
kicking ass.
Emily:
Thank
you Aileen for joining me on the blog today! I am a
huge fan of your writing. Tell us, exactly how long have you been
writing?
Aileen
Erin:
My
mom sent me a story I wrote in 2nd grade a few months ago,
so I guess I’ve been writing for quite a while. But I really
started writing seriously two years after I graduated from
college—2007. I was working in LA in post-production and hating it.
So, I’d go home at night, have a glass of wine, and write until my
then-boyfriend, now-husband came home. That usually gave me a solid
three hours of writing time. After a year, I had a finished book,
quit my day job, got a part-time gig nannying, and decided to go to
school for my MFA. I knew I needed some help learning the craft, and
I found an amazing low-residency genre fiction program. Seton Hill’s
MFA in Writing Popular Fiction. It was there that I really learned to
write.
Emily:
I
didn't really grow up reading, but now I can't put the books down.
Did you grow up reading?
Aileen
Erin:
Yes!
OMG, yes! My mom had a rule, no books at the dinner table. Otherwise,
I don’t think she would have seen my face most days. My nose was
always in a book. I read anything I could get my hands on. By the
time I was in sixth grade, I’d already graduated to adult fantasy
novels.
Emily:
Do
you have a favorite genre that you prefer to write?
Aileen
Erin:
Urban
fantasy. Although, I started out writing YA fantasy. That’s what I
played around with first. But urban fantasy/paranormal stuff really
flows for me. I like the sense that it’s our world, with a little
something extra on top to make it more interesting.
Emily:
So,
your most recent release is Alpha Unleashed (Alpha Girl Book 5). What
inspired you to write the Alpha Girl series?
Aileen
Erin:
Becoming
Alpha was actually my thesis novel for my MFA at Seton Hill
University. When I showed up on campus for my first writer’s
residency, I was so excited and such a no0b! I didn’t even realize
I needed to come with an idea for my thesis ready to go. So, I had to
hustle for something. I was really into urban fantasy at the time,
but vampires were getting all the love. I always liked werewolves
better. I mean—how cool that they can shift forms?! Plus, they’re
not dead. ;) I also really liked the idea of a secret boarding
school. I always wanted to go to boarding school when I was a kid—I
have no idea why! So, I talked to my mentor at the time—author
Karen Lynn Williams—and told her I wanted to write about a girl who
moved to small town Texas, got bit by a werewolf, and had to go to a
secret boarding school for werewolves.
Emily:
Who
is your favorite character in the Alpha Girl series and why?
Aileen
Erin:
I
really love them all, but I think Meredith might be my favorite.
She’s gone through her own hardships, but she’s always so
positive and kind. I’d really like to explore her character more
and her relationship with Donovan.
Emily:
I
hope you do explore more on her and I look forward to reading more on
her and Donovan.
Emily:
When
you're not writing, what do you do in your spare time?
Aileen
Erin:
Read!
I have a book a day habit, sometimes more depending on how busy I am.
I keep my Kindle with me at all times, and in the off time that I
don’t have it handy—there’s always the app on my phone! It’s
pretty bad. I’m a total addict. Some things you just never grow out
of…
Emily:
What's
your favorite genre to read?
Aileen
Erin:
I
love to read fantasy and urban fantasy—especially when there’s a
strong romantic subplot!
Emily:
Writing
is more than just having a talent for it. What motivates you to
write?
Aileen
Erin:
Writing
is a passion. There never was a question if I should write or not. I
had to. It’s only gotten worse with time. I get a little
cranky when I don’t have enough writing time.
Emily:
I
know the struggle of staying focused while writing. Do you write with
background noise?
Aileen
Erin:
I
listen to Pandora a lot. My Ludovico Einaudi station is a go-to. Or I
listen to Above & Beyond’s Group
Therapy
podcast. When I’m super stressed and on a deadline, I listen to
this
DNA repair track on YouTube. It calms me down, so I can focus and get
my work down.
Emily:
How about some fun non-writing related questions?
How about some fun non-writing related questions?
What's
your favorite movie?
Aileen
Erin:
I
have to pick one?! That’s impossible. The original Star Wars
trilogy is an all time fave. I love the Keira Knightly version of
Pride and Prejudice. And I love a good comedy. If Spaceballs
or The Three Amigos are on, I have to watch them. So
good!!!
Emily:
I
have a hard time choosing just one movie myself. lol
Emily:
I
love music. I listen to a wide variety of music. What kind of music
do you listen to?
Aileen
Erin:
I
like electronic music—specifically trance and house. When I’m not
listening to that, it’s usually Nine Inch Nails or classical.
Emily:
I
don't know about you, but I love food. Mexican is my fave! What's
your favorite food?
Aileen
Erin:
Tex-Mex!
I could eat it every day!
Emily:
I'm
a big time Pepsi girl. What's your favorite drink?
Aileen
Erin:
Diet
Coke. It’s a problem…
Emily:
I
can't choose between purple and yellow. lol What's your favorite
color?
Aileen
Erin:
Blue!
Emily:
Give
us a glimpse into your love life. Are you married?
Aileen
Erin:
Yes!
Very happily to my best friend! I highly recommend it. ;)
Emily:
I
love my fur babies! I have two feisty and funny dogs. Do you have any
pets?
Aileen
Erin:
Nope.
We almost got a dog last spring, but we decided to wait until after
we have kiddos.
Emily:
Everyone
has funny quirks or habbits. lol Do you have any funny quirks or
habits?
Aileen
Erin:
I
sing when I’m doing things. It’s totally absent-minded. Sometimes
purposefully off-key. (I’m classically trained!) But I can’t help
it. For example, I’ll be looking for something to eat in the
fridge, and start singing, “What am I going to eat? What is there
to eat? I need some food! I am super hungry!”
Candace—who
works for Ink Monster out of my house—has been friends with me for
seven or eight years, and didn’t know this about me until she
started working here. She’s threatening to take videos and upload.
That is so never happening! #embarrassing
Emily:
Candace needs to enlighten us all on this singing quirk of yours! Preferably with video... lol
Candace needs to enlighten us all on this singing quirk of yours! Preferably with video... lol
#hilarious #video #youtube #quirks
Emily:
Have
you written any other books besides the Alpha Girl series?
Aileen
Erin:
I
wrote Cipher the first book in the Shadow Ravens series. I’m
bad at doing the one liner thing, so here’s the blurb:
In
the not-too-distant future, the color of your helix tattoo shows
exactly how your DNA was modified—green for super-smart scientists,
black for pumped-up warriors, white for the immortal Seligo—but
Cipher’s red helix is a death sentence. It’s a sign of unstable
DNA, which is probably the reason she can manipulate electricity.
When
she was eight years old, Cipher made the mistake of showing her uncle
the tattoo. In return, he killed her parents and tried to kidnap her.
She’s been on the run ever since, and twelve long years later,
Cipher is tired of hiding. Survival isn’t enough anymore. She wants
her life back.
Hacking
into the Citadel mainframe is a huge risk, but it pays off when she
finds a database on red helixes. Before she can copy it, she loses
control of her power, charring her last processor, and the only
person in the Arizona Voids that can get her back online is her
oldest friend, Knightly. She hasn’t seen him in person since she
started running, and Knightly 2.0 is fully upgraded with a six-pack
and knee-melting smile.
For
a girl like Cipher, trust doesn’t come easily, but Knightly makes
her yearn for a life she knows she can’t have, especially when
every secret she reveals endangers them both.
Emily:
That's
an excellent book! I really enjoyed reading it as well!
Emily:
Do
you have any future projects in mind?
Aileen
Erin:
Yes!
I’m starting a new series—the Holy Ghost High series. Invocation,
the first book, comes out in may. It’s about a girl who goes to a
high school that was built on top of a graveyard in LA. Needless to
say, it’s super haunted…
Emily:
Sounds interesting! I look forward to reading it! <3
Emily:
So,
you co-own Ink Monster. Tell us a little bit about Ink Monster and
how it got started.
Aileen
Erin:
Ink
Monster is the publishing company that Christina Bauer and I started.
Christina had been traditionally published before, but was unhappy
with the experience, and I had just finished my MFA and wanted to try
out indie publishing. So, we joined forces. She’s got some major
expertise in marketing (That’s her day job!), and I have knowledge
about writing and editing. Plus, it’s way more fun to publish when
you have a partner in crime. We spent a long time on our business
plan (over a year), and finally published our first releases in
December of 2013. You can read more about what we do and why here,
in our manifesto.
Do
you want to get to know more about Aileen and her writings? Follow
her at the links below.
Are
you interested in learning more about the Alpha Girl series or the
Shadow Raven series? Click on your preferred platform below to start
reading.
Alpha
Girl Series:
Becoming
Alpha (Alpha Girl Book 1)
Avoiding
Alpha (Alpha Girl Book 2)
Bruja
(Alpha Girl Book 4)
Alpha
Unleashed (Alpha Girl Book 5)
SHADOW
RAVENS SERIES:
Cipher
(Shadow Ravens Book 1)
Before
you go, be sure to enter the giveaway. You have the opportunity to
win a signed paperback of the following books:
Becoming Alpha (Book 1)
Becoming Alpha (Book 1)
Avoiding
Alpha (Book 2)
Alpha
Divided (Book 3)
Bruja
(4)
You
will also win an ebook of Alpha Unleashed, a necklace, bookmark and
keychain from the Alpha Girl series. Be sure to visit the blog
everyday to enter again. Giveaway ends 9/30.
