Interview & Giveaway with Karen Amanda Hooper!

Today I had the pleasure of interviewing Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides and Grasping at Eternity!

I’ve loved mermaids since as far back as I can remember. I grew up watching movies like Splash and The Little Mermaid, and you could find me swimming around the pool in our backyard with my legs stuck together, pretending I had a tail and fins.

Fast forward a couple (maybe a few) decades and I’m still playing make-believe with mermaids–except now they’re in my novels instead of a toy box.

I’m a self-proclaimed twisted little pixie. I believe that magic and true love really do exist, even in a world that can be ugly at times. I like to dance down rabbit holes and ride shooting stars while playing a never-ending game of “Imagine If…” Then I write about my impossible and fantastical musings and call myself an author. Honestly, I can’t imagine doing anything else. I love storytelling way too much.

I was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, but I’ve also lived in Colorado. Eventually, I had to move to a place where I’d be surrounded by water, so I now live in Florida.

When I’m not writing I can be found reading, people watching at Disney World, hanging with my amazing friends and family, listening to music, dancing, traveling, pondering the Universe, or enjoying breathtaking sunsets and a good glass of white wine.

I love great food, desserts, more desserts, movies that make me laugh or cry, thunderstorms, butterflies in my stomach, curtains blowing in the breeze, my dogs tails wagging because they are happy to see me, thrilling rides, books that make me think or learn something new, Ravens football, long warm baths, smiling uncontrollably, flavored coffee, an amazing dream that stays with me all day, popping popcorn the old-fashioned way, jumping out of airplanes, board games, lotto scratch-offs, and flying to Neverland.

I’m a constant work in progress.

Check out the teen focused blog that I co-founded with some other awesome YA authors: YA Confidential

I’m also grateful and lucky to be part of a talented group of authors called the Indelibles.

Let’s get to know a bit more about Karen, shall we? :)

1. Favorite movie? Oh, there are so many. Recently, I have a new movie crush on Crazy Stupid Love. 

2. Favorite candy? Twix. Or chewy caramels. Or York Peppermint Patties. (I like candy.)

3. Book you are currently reading? Lacrimosa by Christine Fonseca. Love me some angels.

4. Current literary boy crush? Gavin from Inhale by Kendall Grey. An Australian rockstar bad boy who saves the world. Yum. But be warned, that book is adult and rated R.

5. Favorite animal? My two sweet and spoiled dogs.

6. Favorite guilty pleasure? Drinking a cocktail on the beach of the Polynesian Resort at Disney World. I'm there quite frequently.

Now, onto some harder questions!

1. What is one of your favorite things about writing your books and sharing them with the world?

Most definitely the comments and emails from readers who love my stories and characters. They make me all warm and fuzzy, and they inspire me to be a better writer and story teller.

2. Were there any differences between writing Tangled Tides and Grasping at Eternity? Was one book easier/harder to write than the other?

Yes, I wrote Grasping at Eternity first. It was the first time I ever attempted a novel and I cranked out a 150k word first (and very rough) draft in two months. I was obsessed. I didn't write in order, I didn't know how it would end, or even if my scenes would ever tie together to make a complete story. Somehow, magical intervention maybe, the pieces of the story all clicked into place. 

Tangled Tides was a slower process and I mostly wrote it in chronological order.

However, with both, I never plotted. My mind works best in creative chaos mode.

3. What is one of your happiest memories?

The day I got hugged and kissed by a honu (Hawaiian sea turtle). I was snorkeling in Hawaii and a giant sea turtle appeared beside me. We swam side by side for a few minutes and he led me to a whole family of turtles. I surfaced and took off my mask to talk to my friend about how amazing it was to see so many honu, but something brushed up the front of me and I squealed in surprise. I looked down and was nose to nose with a giant turtle--so I kissed him. And I swear, I think he smiled at me.  It was very surreal.

4. What is the craziest thing you have ever done?

Jumped out of an airplane with no one to instruct me except a radio strapped to my chest. Except the radio had no batteries. Of course, we didn't realize that until I landed dead center in the drop zone all on my own. *fist pump*

5. Being a Florida native, I just have to ask: besides the amazing weather and beaches, what is your favorite thing about the Sunshine State? Also, have you ever been to Weeki Wachee, the home of the mermaids (and my hometown!)?

So weird. We were JUST talking about going to Weeki Wachee on July 4th, but we weren't sure if they'd be open on a holiday. So, no, I haven't been there YET, but we ARE going this summer. My favorite part about Florida is Disney. I spend way too much time there, but it's my happy place.

6. Do you have any juicy tidbits from Taking Back Forever or Dangerous Depths that you would be willing to share?? :)

Ooooh, I WANT to share so much, but I can't because then it would ruin the surprise factor. 
How about a link to my Pintrest boards? Those have a few fun clues. 
http://pinterest.com/karenhooper/dangerous-depths-book-2-of-the-sea-monster-memoirs/ 
http://pinterest.com/karenhooper/taking-back-forever-book-2-of-the-kindrily-seies/

WOW! Thank you so much for stopping by, Karen, and for letting all of us get to know you better! *bear hug*

Also, Karen, being the amazingly wonderful and super kind person that she is, is going to be giving out one free copy of both of her books! (Click on the cover for Goodreads info!)

I loved Grasping at Eternity and Tangled Tides, and if you have not read them yet, then I would definitely recommend doing so!! This contest will be international, and just sign-up below to enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Grasping at Eternity by Karen Amanda Hooper

Grasping at Eternity (The Kindrily Series, #1) by Karen Amanda Hooper

Release Date: May 25, 2012
Publisher: Starry Sky Publishing

Author Information: Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook

Genre: Paranormal, Reincarnation, Romance
Available Formats: eBook
My Shelf: Own (eBook)
Other Books: Tangled Tides

Buy the Book: Amazon / Barnes & Noble

Leave it to Maryah Woodsen to break the one rule that will screw up eternity: Never erase your memories.

Before entering this life, Maryah did the unthinkable—she erased. Now, at seventeen years old, she’s clueless that her new adoptive family has known her for centuries, that they are perpetually reincarnated souls, and that they have supernatural abilities. Oh, and she's supposed to love (not despise) Nathan, the green-eyed daredevil who saved her life.

Nathan is convinced his family’s plan to spark Maryah's memory is hopeless, but his love for her is undying. After spending (and remembering) so many lifetimes together, being around an empty version of his soulmate is heart shattering. He hates acting like a stalker, but has no choice because the evil outcast who murdered Maryah in their last lifetime is still after her.

While Maryah’s hunter inches closer, she and Nathan make assumptions and hide secrets that rip them further apart. Maryah has to believe in the magic within her, Nathan must have faith in the power of their love, and both need to grasp onto the truth before they lose each other forever—and discover just how lonely eternity can be.

X-MEN meets MY NAME IS MEMORY in Karen Amanda Hooper’s latest young adult release.

Review:

“A person’s destiny is written in the stars. The sky is a storybook, and the stars are the characters in its pages.” ~pg. 69

It seems, however, that Maryah’s story is already reaching its end. The star that represents her eternal life has gone out. She grows up unaware that her story is drawing to a close, but when a tragic event strikes her biological family, she has to move in with complete strangers who seem to know more about her than she does herself. She comes to realize that she was once a part of their Kindrily, a family of superpowered, reincarnated souls that have been together for centuries. Each member of the family lives a lifetime, passes on, and then is born again with the same soul and all their past memories intact. Except Maryah. She has no memories of this family, or her soulmate, Nathaniel. Without her memories, her eternal soul is in danger of being lost forever, and when a group of people begin hunting her down for being a Kindrily, her life, and her soul, have never been more at risk.

With books dealing with soulmates and reincarnation gaining popularity as of late, it is becoming hard to find a story that is unconventional. However, Hooper never fails to deliver, and she provides a stunningly original story of love and loss. Hooper’s expressive prose and exquisitely rendered characters makes Grasping at Eternity an enthralling read, and the emotional intensity of this book is gripping and heartrending. I loved everything about this story, and Hooper has definitely become one of my favorite authors.

Grasping at Eternity is told from both Maryah’s and Nathaniel’s point of view, and this shifting of perspectives allows the reader to really get a feel for both characters. Their voices are distinct, and I have to admit I loved getting explicit peeks at Nathaniel’s thoughts. With his soulmate unable to remember him and their past lives, Nathaniel is experiencing heartbreak and emotional pain like never before. Hooper’s vivid details made his heartache feel real, and there were moments where I would be rubbing my chest in phantom pain. Maryah is thrust in a new world and family, and she has no idea why everyone seems to know who she is, or how Nathaniel knows she loves hot chocolate. Her confusion and disorientation felt genuine, and I loved how the reader pieces the story together with Maryah.

The most appealing aspect of this book for me was Hooper’s concept of reincarnation. After every life, the eternal soul is given an option: retain or erase. If you were given the choice to remember everything, both the good and the bad, and carry it with you in the next life, would you? Or would you like to have a clean slate and be able to experience everything again for the first time, like your first kiss and falling in love? It is truly a fascinating idea! Hooper also delves into the meaning of promnesia, otherwise known as déjà vu. We all experience moments or events in life that seem startlingly familiar, but we just write it off as one of those weird déjà vu moments. But what if one of those strange moments is actually a recollection from a past life? There are so many stories out there of people who believed they remember their past life, but what those stories are actually true? Hooper’s theory of reincarnation really captured my attention, and I loved how it made me think.

After reading Tangled Tides, I feel in love with Hooper’s writing, and just when I think she could not get any better, she produces Grasping at Eternity. This book blew me away with its excellent (and intriguing!) storyline, heartfelt characters, and emotional turmoil. I feel like this book should have come with a warning sign! Warning: this will put you through an emotional wringer. This book will make you laugh, make you cry, make you experience heartache, and make you discover the happiness and joy in finding your destined person. This book was everything I expected from Hooper and more, and I cannot wait to see what she comes out with next!

Lastly, I will leave you with this beautiful quote that so perfectly represents this book:

“If you love someone, put their name in a circle; because hearts can be broken, but a circle never ends.” ~Anonymous

The Greatest Escape!

Tangled Tides by Karen Amanda Hooper

Tangled Tides (The Sea Monster Memoirs, #1) by Karen Amanda Hooper

Release Date: November 25, 2011

Publisher: Rhemalda

Format: Paperback (also available in eBook)

Age Group: Young Adult (14+)

Pages: 328
ISBN: 9781936850433

Buy the Book: Amazon

Yara Jones doesn’t believe in sea monsters—until she becomes one.

When a hurricane hits her island home and she wakes up with fins, Yara finds herself tangled up in an underwater world of mysterious merfolk and secretive selkies. Both sides believe Yara can save them by fulfilling a broken promise and opening the sealed gateway to their realm, but they are battling over how it should be done. The selkies want to take her life. The merfolk want something far more precious.

Treygan, the stormy-eyed merman who turned Yara mer, will stop at nothing and sacrifice everything to protect his people—until he falls for Yara. The tides turn as Yara fights to save herself, hundreds of sea creatures, and the merman who has her heart. She could lose her soul in the process—or she might open the gateway to a love that’s deeper than the oceans.

Young Adult fans of Mermaids, Selkies, Sirens and Gorgons will love this tale of the sacrifice one makes for genuine love. Love that could be lost at any moment to the ever-changing tides.

Review:

What an amazing debut by Karen Amanda Hooper! I was captivated by this story from the very beginning, and believe me when I say that Tangled Tides is definitely one of the best mermaid stories out there.

Hooper has certainly weaved quite a story. This book is so much more than a simple mermaid tale. Sirens, gorgons, and selkies all make an appearance, and the mythical world that Hooper creates for them is well-detailed and breathtaking. It was so easy to envision the underwater realm that Yara, Treygan, and their many companions live in. Another thing I loved was the elements of Greek mythology that were present. These elements give background to the merfolk and sea creatures, explaining how they came into being. I feel like with most mermaid stories, there is no mention of how or why mermaids exist, but instead, the reader just has to accept that they do. The fact that Hooper offers explanation to the history surrounding these sea creatures really sets her story apart from others and gives a fresh, new take to the classical mermaid tale.

The characters are also wonderful. Each one has their own, definitive voice, making it really easy to connect to them. Yara is faced with a tough decision that not only affects her, but hundreds of others, yet she is resolute and strong, and I really liked that about her. There are moments when she feels fear, but never once does she back down. All of her emotions come across really well, and I think she was an excellent main character. (I have to say I was a little surprised by her reaction to becoming a mermaid. She was angry, yes, but what about the freak out?? If you just got turned into a mermaid, you are entitled to freak out a little!) And then there is Treygan. Oh my, where do I even begin with him? He is strong, confident, smart, and the list goes on and on. He is just a great guy who really cares for Yara, and I love their relationship and chemistry. There were even a few instances where Treygan had to stop himself from having some inappropriate thoughts about Yara, which made him seem more ‘real’ and really fleshed out his character. There are also the minor characters, such as Pango, Rownan, and others, and I liked every one of them. It is very rare that side characters have their own voice (or personality, for that matter), and I applaud Hooper for creating such excellent characters.

Hooper’s awesome writing style coupled with great characters and an intriguing plot make Tangled Tides a must read for all. This is one of the best books published in 2011, and also one of the best mermaid stories available. I cannot for the sequel, which is still untitled. There is no release date set, but I hope it is soon! I cannot wait to see what Yara and Treygan’s next underwater adventure will be!

The Greatest Escape!