Amy has been happily married to her own version of Edward Cullen for fourteen years. She and her soul mate, Kelly live in Tabor City, North Carolina with their two beautiful children, Olivia and Keaton.
Dancing, acting, and writing are all forms of communication. Each form requires exceptional creativity and passion to inspire and impress and audience. Amy has enjoyed a passion for reading, writing, and the arts since she was a child. As an adult, she has enjoyed having the opportunity to share her passion for the arts with children. It only seemed appropriate that delving into the world of teen fiction would be the next logical step in her life.
Welcome Amy to the other side of interviews at Indie-Licious. I always ask the question of inspiration, so I'm interested to know what or who inspired Rhapsody Ripper, the brace-faced vampire heroine in Vampire Valentine? (I just love the sound of her).
"The idea for Rhapsody (and Hardy and Samantha, for that matter) stemmed from the fact that I am a high school teacher. I witness teenage social interactions on a daily basis, and sadly those interactions are NOT always pleasant. High school is a scary place - expectations are high, competition is steep, and teenagers are MEAN! So, I got to thinking about numerous YA books and movies that glamorize paranormal creatures. They are ALWAYS portrayed as being perfect, beautiful, athletic, smart, etc . . . but in reality, anyone who is perceived as being the least bit different or odd in high school ends up being shunned. This is where the idea evolved. I guess it preaches to bullying, but I didn't want to write too deep or heavy so the supernatural became the super freaky!"Who would you pick to play Rhapsody, Hardy, and Samantha if this fabulous story should become a movie?
"Hmm . . .We've been debating this a little bit over the Vampire Valentine Release Party on FB. Rhapsody Ripper, (blonde and beautiful, even with crooked fangs) I envisioned this brace-faced vampire, fifteen, pretty, and petite. I was thinking about the Vampire Diaries' Candace Accola (Caroline)."
"Hardy Hunter I picture as dark-headed with a continual five o'clock shadow, despite his age. I also see him with one blue eye and one brown eye, like a husky . . . hehehe . . . I think Zayn Malik of One Direction is really cute and would make for an adorable Hardy."
"Samantha Spell is tall, thin, and flat-chested - she gets teased about this by the humans - with bright red hair and jade-green eyes. She has a very cute girl-next-door appeal. Samantha was tougher to cast, maybe Emma Roberts? What do you think?"Personally, I love Emma Roberts and think she would make a PERFECT witch!
Can you share with us a favorite line from Vampire Valentine?
"In this scene, Hardy and Samantha are chastising Rhapsody about her 'table' manners.
"I don't see what the problem is. If the mortals get hungry, they just grab a Snickers or something. If I get hungry, I open the closest human vein."Hilarious line!
What was the most exciting part of your writing / being published career?
"I think it is a tie between seeing Soul Quest, my first novel (The Soul Quest Trilogy) in print and meeting one of my fans in person for the first time (Tess Watson of My Pathway to books - http://tessmw.blogspot.com/ at a book signing in Savannah, GA in the fall of 2011."Do you have a favorite site for writing tips that you can share with us?
"Writers can find a wealth of information on the Kindleboards online -Amy, thanks so much for stopping by and captivating us with insight into Vampire Valentine.
http://www.kindleboards.com/index.php It's a great place to network with other authors, both indie and traditional, seek advice and support, writing tips, etc . . . You can find out just about anything you want, or get pointed in the right direction, all in one spot."
How is it that vampires, werewolves, and witches always manage to become glamorized in Hollywood? They are forever portrayed as the overwhelmingly gorgeous, record-breaking, athletic types with off-the-chart SAT scores! This is a such a load of crap. Let's be honest with ourselves for a minute. It's never easy being different, even under normal circumstances. Now, factor in the reality that your DNA is something far from human, and imagine yourself wandering the halls of an ordinary mortal high school. You still think this would be cool, right? Well, you would be dead wrong (no pun intended). Take it from someone who can claim this miserable fate, it totally sucks!
The name's Rhapsody Ripper, and I'm a freshman at Mundane High. Everyone in my school hates me and my two best friends, Hardy Hunter and Samantha Spell. Why? The answer is very simple, we're freaks of nature, complete outcasts. We're para-ab-normal misfits, and we don't fit in. Our peers go out of their way to avoid us on a regular basis, but today something happened that has never ever happened before.
One of them was nice to me. Actually, he was much more than nice. With only five days remaining until Valentine's Day, Reece Good, the deliciously warm-blooded star quarterback, invited me to the Sweetheart Dance. Maybe this year I won't have to spend the holiday, invented by a greeting card company, alone.
Character Profiles:
Rhapsody Ripper - Blonde and beautiful, even with crooked fangs, this brace-faced vampire is a hopeless romantic. She's had her sights set on winning the affection of the handsome star quarterback of the Mundane High's varsity football team and has finally captured his attention. Just when she thinks things are going her way, her life becomes very complicated.
Hardy Hunter - This werewolf is an asset to Mundane High's football team as long as he doesn't get distracted or lose his temper. His loyalty to his friends is unwavering, even when he becomes jealous and envious of attention they receive that he doesn't. More than anything, this guy just wants to fit in and be accepted.
Samantha Spell - This witch can't master her spells or earn passing grades in her classes at Mundane High. Not only does she fail to fit in with the humans, but she fears she'll never get the hang of being a witch. This chick is in dire need of a serious boost in self-esteem.
Want to learn more about Amy Maurer Jones and her books?
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I love the actress who plays Caroline on Vampire Diaries. Her exterior portrays beautiful innocence, but inside she's on fire. I love it. This book sounds great. What do you think the age rating is on this? My son likes to read about vampires in high school. :-) He's 12.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I don't know how you maintain sanity while spending time around teenagers all day long. That scares me!
This book sounds like a great way to portray a teenage vampire! Who didn't have braces at some point during their teenage years? Great Idea!!! Also, awesome interview:)
ReplyDeleteOh my gracious, this looks like such a fun book! Love Rhapsody already. You're right, the portrayal of High School in paranormal books is anything but realistic. I also love the actress who plays Caroline on VD.
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to read this!
Oh, and Andrea, I didn't have braces when I was a teenager, but it was a good thing I was born with good teeth because my parents couldn't afford an orthodontist, lol.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is 12 too, Krystal and I'd let her read it. It's completely tame. In fact, a few of my ARC readers mentioned that it would be well liked by middle graders too. There is absolutely no profanity in this book, not one word. I only believe in using curse words if it fits the character and situation and it doesn't work at all for the Sucking the Life Out of Me series. This is a playful read with loveable, albeit dorky characterization, LOL! I love stupid jokes, nothing makes me laugh harder, and this book is filled with them. :)
ReplyDeleteI had braces too, Andrea and I HATED them with a passion, LOL! You were sooooo lucky Christie. My BF back then didn't need them either and I secretly hated her for it and then felt guilty about it, ha! ...and yeah, Candace rocks! I could totes see her as Rhapsody! ;)