Spooky Stories

Halloween is a measly ten days away. The weather is chilly. Orange and black decorations pepper lawns across our town. And the days are getting shorter. 

Every October, I love to curl up with at least one spooky novel. This year, I picked up Interred with their Bones, Wicked Lovely, and Bliss to satisfy my scary craving. What are you reading? Do you like to curl up with creepy stories during the month of October? Did anyone read Interred with their Bones, Wicked Lovely, or Bliss? What did you think? 

Another books I can't wait to check out is debut author and fellow Jersey girl, Cyn Balog's FAIRY LUST. :) Cyn Balog was kind enough to carve out some time to answer a few questions about her writing journey, her other job, the call, and her brand spanking new novel. 

1. How long have you been writing? Did you always write or did you work in another profession? 

I've always been a writer. I read a hundreds of books a year and reading them always inspired me to write my own. I still have several old manuscripts from when I was eight or nine. One of them was a Choose Your Own Adventure book that I wrote because I was obsessed with them as a kid. Recently, I sat down and went through them all and wow. I have no idea where my ideas came from. But, I am jealous of how prolific I was! I had a dozen stories going on at that time. My friends and family always knew I wanted to write. My uncles and aunts bought me writing books as gifts, my friends called me 'writer girl', and my parents bought me a word processor and a writing desk when I was very young. I think when I did get 'the call' they were like, "it's about time". 

2. Tell us about the day you received 'The Call' for FAIRY LUST. 

A lot of writers, when their book goes on submissions, might hear about the interest their book is generating. I heard nothing. It was on submission for six weeks and *crickets*. This was the second book my agent had sent on submissions, and I was sitting there thinking, "Well, if it was going to sell, I would have heard SOMETHING by now." It was at that exact moment that my agent called and said that Stephanie Lane at Delacorte loved it. I was thinking, "Well, that's great. If she loves it, now it will have to go through an editorial board and a bunch of other hoops and maybe, just maybe, they will buy it." And that's when she told me they offered a 'pre-empt'. I screamed and cried and told everyone at work, who kind of just gave me a blank stare because no one knew I was a writer. Then my husband and I celebrated by getting McDonalds (yes, we know how to live it up). 

3. Are you working on any other projects right now? 

Yes, I just sold a book titled SLEEPLESS for publication in Summer 2010. And an untitled project for publication in Summer 2011, to Delacorte. I am so thrilled because Delacorte is wonderful, and I love everything they've done with FAIRY LUST. SLEEPLESS is a paranormal about the afterlife and a forbidden romance. Not sure what the next project is, but I'm sure it will be paranormal. 

4. I've read that you are involved with the running magazine, RUNNER'S WORLD. Can you tell us about your mag job? And have you ever ran a marathon? 

I am the events manager for Runner's World. I run a program that they have to sponsor races across the country, and I get to travel to many of them, which is exciting. A few years ago, before the birth of my daughter, I was running twenty-five miles a week. That's actually not that much, when you consider I work with marathon winners who go on 100-mile ultra-runs for fun - it's a little intimidating. Unfortunately, I'm no longer a serious runner, though I love running a lot and keep trying to get back into it. But with a full-time job, a family, and writing, something had to give. 

5. I love the cover of FAIRY LUST. Can you tell us about the cover design? 

Marci Senders is the amazing designer who created the cover. I was extremely lucky because I never had to give any input whatsoever. I just received a jpg one day, opened it, and squealed with glee. It was unanimous. Everyone loved it. 

Make sure to pick up a copy of FAIRY LUST when it drops June 23, 2009 or pre-order a copy today. Check out the blurb for FAIRY LUST below: 

Morgan Sparks and Cam Brown are a match made in heaven. They've been best friends practically since birth, they tell each other everything, and oh yeah - they're totally hot for each other. 

But a week before they're joint sweet sixteen bash, everything changes. Cam's awkward cousin, Pip comes to stay, and Cam starts acting distant. Morgan is stunned when her formerly perfect boyfriend seems to be drifting away. When Morgan demands answers, she's shocked the reason for Cam's distance. It's not another girl - it's another world. Pip claims that Cam is a fairy. No, seriously, a fairy. And now his people want Cam to return to their world and take his rightful place as Fairy King. 

Determined to keep Cam with her, Morgan plots to fool the fairies. But as Cam continues to change, she has to decide once and for all if he really is her destiny. Witty, original, and unexpectedly touching, FAIRY LUST will captivate fans of TWILIGHT and WICKED LOVELY. 

Thanks, Cyn for joining us today. 

Don't miss this: The fabulous Book Muncher is on Wheel of Fortune tomorrow night. :) 

Have an amazing day, everyone!