Author Interview/Giveaway: KC Neal - Pyxis

Hey all! I have a very awesome interview to share with you. I got a chance to send some questions to K.C. Neal, author of the new YA paranormal novel PYXIS! She's also graciously allowing me to give away an ecopy of this novel, so check out the bottom for the giveaway. But for now, please see more about the first novel in this new series and read this fantastic interview with a great new author! :o)

K.C. Neal - Pyxis

Pub Date: November 4, 2011
Publisher: StoneGate Ink
Format: Ebook
Age Range: Young Adult

Two worlds... one 16-year-old girl must learn to protect them both.

The nightmares haunting Corinne and her friend Mason hint at a universe that exists beyond the one they know. Her destiny is to protect a weakness between the two worlds, but her mentor is dead. As Corinne and Mason search for answers, she tries to ignore the sparks igniting between them, but can't deny she feels safe only when he's nearby. Will they find help before their nightmares break free?

Mickey: Welcome to the blog! Please introduce yourself to my readers.
K.C. Neal: Thanks for having me, Mickey. I'm K.C. Neal, author of Pyxis: The Discovery, the first book in my YA paranormal fantasy series. This is my debut novel.

Mickey: Your book, Pyxis, sounds very difficult for a 16-year-old to handle! Where did you come up with the idea?
K.C. Neal: The main character, Corinne, finds out she's destined to protect a weakness between two worlds. She must prevent evil from cycling between the worlds. Her grandmother was supposed to mentor her, teach her everything she needs to know to fulfill her role, but her grandmother died before Corinne discovered this was her destiny. She does have a huge responsibility, but she's not in it alone. I'm not totally sure where the idea came from. I wanted to write a book with magic in it, and the first seed of the idea for Pyxis had to do with magic potions. That led to the first scene of the book. As the story develops, you learn that the potions are part of something much, much bigger.

Mickey: How long has your journey with Pyxis been up until now? How many books do you have planned for this new YA series?
K.C. Neal: I wrote the first draft of the book in January of this year, did a major revision that took almost four months, and the manuscript was finalized by the end of September. I expect this will be a trilogy, and I'm going to start writing the next book, Alight: The Peril, in November. There also may be a spin-off novella that will have some surprises in it, including a short prequel to the first book; I'm still playing around with this idea, so we'll see what comes out of it!

Mickey: Do you have any plans for an audio book version? If you could pick anyone to read your novel, who would it be?
K.C. Neal: Yes! In fact, just last week I started corresponding with a voice actor who's going to narrate the audio book. I never imagined my book would be in audio, so I'm really excited about this development. I think the actor I've chosen will be amazing, but I always thought it might be kind of cool to have a young, well-known vocalist narrate. Maybe someone like Taylor Swift.

Mickey: Who would you pick for perfect cast of actors for your characters?
K.C. Neal: Oh, this is a really hard question for me because I'm just not familiar with teenage actors, and I'd definitely want someone age-appropriate. I hate it when someone who's like 25 is supposed to be playing a 17-year-old. For Corinne, I like Bella Thorne, though she's a couple of years too young for the role right now. After more people read the book, I'll have to see who they think should be cast!

Mickey: Some authors have written novels that haven't been published yet. Is this your first novel, or just the only published one?
K.C. Neal: I wrote one other novel before Pyxis. Totally different genre: women's fiction. It was a lot of fun to write, but I affectionately call it my "practice novel."

Mickey: Did you choose to write a YA novel, or is that how it just came to be? Any plans for a novel outside of the YA age range or paranormal genre?
K.C. Neal: I never thought I would write YA, but this was the story that came out. And now, I have a hard time imagining writing anything else!

Mickey: Do you have a favorite place to write? Favorite music/background noise while writing?
K.C. Neal: I'm sure it drives my husband a little crazy, but I've started doing most of my writing at the dining room table. I have a perfectly nice office with a desk where I could write, but for some reason I prefer the dining room. So more often then not, my stuff is spread all over the dining table. I prefer to write in the dark, so I always have the lights off and the shades drawn. I don't usually write to music, except when I'm writing emotional scenes. Then, the right songs can be amazing for getting me into the right emotional space.

Mickey: If you could pick someone to play you in the movie about your life, who would it be?
K.C. Neal: Hmmm... Maybe Jennifer Aniston.

Mickey: What book do you wish you'd written first?
K.C. Neal: I wish I'd written Ender's Game (Orson Scott Card is the author). I read it for the first time a few years ago, and looking back I think that book may in some way have inspired me to start writing novels. I love sci-fi, and Ender’s Game just blew me away on so many different levels.

Mickey: We are all very well connected these days. Which author would you most like to meet in real life?
K.C. Neal: If I could go back in time, F. Scott Fitzgerald. Today, Orson Scott Card.

Mickey: Thanks so much for being here today! Any final thoughts?
K.C. Neal: Thanks so much for interviewing me! I'm really excited about getting Pyxis in the hands of more readers. I'm starting to get feedback from ARC readers, and I love hearing about their reactions to the story and the characters. It's amazing to think that the characters that used to live only in my head are now living in other people's heads, too!

Most of K.C. Neal's days are filled with some combination of writing, reading, gardening, working, and watching stuff on Netflix with her husband and their maltipoo, Oscar. She has an irrational fixation with L.A., and during occasional trips there she likes to pretend her life is more glamorous than it really is ("Entourage" is her guilty pleasure). She likes to surf and hang out on sandy beaches, where drinks are served adorned with tiny umbrellas.

Find K.C. Neal
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Giveaway Alert!

Fill out the Rafflecopter form below for a chance to win an ecopy of K.C. Neal's upcoming novel, Pyxis! Ends 10/23. Questions? Comment here with a way to get back to you. Thanks, and good luck!!