Friday, December 7, 2012

7th Day of Christmas: Angela Brown

Cate: Author Angela Brown is here to spread some holiday cheer! Angela, please tell us a little bit about yourself.
Angela: Hey Cate :) First, let me say that it is an honor to be here with you and your readers today. I am the author of Neverlove, a young adult novel infused with action, romance and elements of paranormal. I’m a single mom who works a full-time day gig while living a double life as a recently self-published author. Reading and writing are big-time passions for me and Wild Cherry Pepsi is my addiction of choice lol!

Cate: The honor is mine, Angela. :) What do you love most about Christmas?
Angela: The fact that more people choose to treat each other as people. We seem to become more aware of how blessed we are and take it for granted for less…until we awaken drunk on New Year’s Day lol!

Cate: Ha, too true! Do you have a favorite memory of a Christmas past?
Angela: Yeah, it’s one my little Chipmunk – my daughter – has no memory of. Her father and I were still happily married at the time. We woke up early because I was so giddy to celebrate my little girl’s first Christmas. We opened presents left and right. She slobbered on new stuffed animals effectively rendering them unreturnable then she crawled on the floor having the best time with just the boxes. Yep, the boxes lol! Couldn’t get mad. She was having a blast. As I watched her, so was I.

Cate: So cute! If Santa could grant one wish, what would you ask for?
Angela: Peace on earth and good will toward men is nice, but perhaps we could start with putting concern for human beings as employees somewhere near equal footing with profits for a start, maybe?

Cate: What was the best gift you’ve ever received? What made it so special?
Angela: I’ve always considered my daughter my best gift. She was born in the summer but she was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever been a part of creating. Her love for me is beaten only by the love I believe God has for me. That’s a whole lot of love J

Cate: Aw, love that. Any favorite Christmas recipes you’d care to share?
Angela: Uhhhhh…I am so inadequate to respond. I really need to get in better touch with domestic Me lol!

Cate: Tell us about your latest release, and where readers can find it online.
Angela: Neverlove is a tale of overcoming, of two teens – upper YA – who grew up with little to no expectation of love and eventually find it in each other. But with secrets and duties that pull them in different directions, would they be able to keep this rare thing they’d found or would they be destined for an existence without true love? It can be found at Amazon. Here are the buy links: Amazon.com, Amazon.fr, Amazon.de, Amazon.co.uk, Amazon paperback

Cate: Care to share a blurb or excerpt?
Angela: Sure. Here is a brief scene with Basil after an assignment:
He tiptoed from the shade trees then made his way through the complex, past the pool and into his corner apartment. Lucky for him, the upstairs neighbors moved out the day he arrived. Although, the more he thought about it, the more he wondered if luck had anything to do with his life. How lucky could he be if he joked up on sealing a deal with the devil for his soul? Stupid lucky, maybe.
He shut the door behind him and strode to the overstuffed couch, one of many pieces of the furnished and decorated apartment. From the Zen posters, glass vases with silk flowers weighted in place with assorted marbles to the serenity fountain nestled in a nook of the hallway, nothing really fit him. Until now. He picked up the journal and pen, finally feeling a piece of home. Pressing the blue button, a thin strand of blood slithered from the end. Putting pen to paper, he wrote:
Important rule: Cleansers are my enemy.
Important rule: “Don’t even think about falling in love. Not happening. Can’t happen. So don’t try,” as quoted by Perfect Pam. So what am I supposed to do with what’s going on inside me every time I think of or see Abby?
Important truth: I’m not what I used to be. What I am now is a crap-load of unknown. Unworthy.
Yeah, afterlife with the devil sucks.

Cate: What inspired you to write about the theme?
Angela: Forbidden love is something that always calls to me. The novel also touches upon a few sensitive subjects that aren’t the center focus of the story, but their presence has purpose in regards to the importance of finding ways to overcome obstacles, even if we’re the ones placing them before us without realizing it.

Cate: Anything else you’d like to share?
Angela: I’d be honored to have folks hop on over to Amazon to get their own copy of the novel, if they haven’t yet, but maybe they’d like to consider it a gift for someone else. Also, a small random act of kindness can go a long way to making someone’s day.

Cate: Thanks so much for being part of the 12 Days of Christmas! Hope you have a jolly holly holiday!
Angela: Thank you for having me.