What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? In Riley J. Ford's novel, INTO YOU, high school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch...let's find out more about this intriguing book with the author herself.
Q. Welcome to Mina's Bookshelf, Riley! Great to have you on the blog. We would love to know more about you. Can you please introduce yourself to our readers?
A. Hello! I'm a former teacher who is now an author of five books. I'm excited to be here!
Q. Your novel, INTO YOU, is an interesting blend of humor, paranormal elements, and mystery. Would it be correct to label it as a young adult/new adult fantasy?
A. Yes, it's definitely young adult/new adult fantasy. There are some darker themes in the book, though, as the main character is able to read people's thoughts when she kisses them. Because of some of the things she's able to see, some of which aren't for the faint of heart, I would recommend that the reading age be 16+.
Q. How did the idea of a 'gifted', teen-age central character come into being?
A. I was thinking about how I wanted to write a teen paranormal, and the idea of being able to read people's minds has always intrigued me. I threw in the unique twist of the paranormal element (mind reading) occurring when a teen girl kisses someone, and voila! INTO YOU was born.
Q. Teen literature has been feeding Hollywood with a goldmine of blockbuster ideas in recent years (see Meyer, Rowling, Clare, and Colllins). They mostly turned into wildly popular franchises. Do you have a favorite book remake? If INTO YOU was adapted for the screen, how would you envision it, as a movie feature or tv series?
A. My favorite teen book made into a movie was Ella Enchanted. I thought it was done in such a clever way, and in some ways, I liked the movie even more than the book!
I think INTO YOU could work well for both film or TV, but because I have two more sequels planned in the series, a TV series might be a better fit.
Q. I believe in the importance of first impressions, also when it comes to books. After all, the cover is the first thing that meets the eye. INTO YOU cover artwork surely catches the attention. Was the cover theme entirely your choice?
A. Ha, ha! Glad the book cover caught your attention! That was my entire intention with this cover. I wanted it to be eye-catching, and it certainly does the trick. Now that the book is successful and doesn't need to "stand out from the pack" as much. I've had suggestions to remake the book cover into something more mainstream. But I love that it's offbeat, and love it or hate it, it definitely makes you take a second look. And that, in my opinion, is a good thing.
Q. Twitter style (140 characters or less), who should read INTO YOU and why?
A. Anyone who loves unique books and is curious about what makes people tick.
Q. Riley, you are also the author of a series of romantic comedies, CARPE DiEMILY. Can we expect any more installments?
A. Absolutely! Due to high reader demand, I've moved up the next installment of CARPE DiEMILY to next month. People absolutely love this series, and I get emails everyday from readers telling me how much they enjoyed these books and how much they made them laugh. As an author, it doesn't get better than that! I'm excited to release the sequel, which has many more crazy adventures in store for all the characters my readers have come to love so much. That series has been compared to the movie Bridesmaids, so anyone who likes that kind of humor is bound to enjoy CARPE DiEMILY. I've also had readers tell me they want to see a series about Simone, Emily's best friend, so I've obliged! Simone' s very own series will be out within the next two months.
Q. You have covered three different genres so far: comedy, fantasy, and romance. Which one do you favor and why?
A. I love writing in all genres. I can't choose just one. I just love to write good stories! Besides romantic comedy and young adult humorous mysteries, I also recently released a thriller/horror called CIRCUS OF LOST SOULS, which is in a completely different genre
from my other books. Here's the book description:
Cirque du Lune is killing off teenagers, but it's all part of the act. Or is it? As the body count rises with each performance, one girl at this infamous theater-based summer finds herself contemplating what's real and what's not. What if it's not a horror show, but a live snuff performance perpetrated by real-life, famous serial killers? What if the murders..are real?
Q. Last question, totally random...if you could be a literary genre, a book, or a character from a book, what/who would you be?
A. Definitely romantic comedy. I see humor in everything. Plus I like to play practical jokes. My hubby thinks I am wacky, but that's ok. He loves me anyway, even though he thinks I'm absolutely silly (he's a math-and-science kind of guy - you know, very straightlaced). At least my kids get my humor - they're nutty and creative as I am - LOL! Poor hubby, he's definitely outnumbered. Every year we paint his soap green in honor of St. Patrick's Day (we're part Irish). Last year, poor guy was so tired and didn't have his glasses on (he's blind as a bat), so he didn't realize his face was green until he saw himself in the mirror: a big, fuzzy, green blob peering back at him! The kids and I howled with laughter. Yep, that's what life is like around here! :D Definitely filled with humor.
There's never a dull moment in the life of a writer and her family! Riley J. Ford is the living proof of that. Thank you so much for the pleasant chat, Riley! Best of luck with all your upcoming projects. We'll keep an eye on them. To all our friends, thank you for reading. Stick around for few more details about INTO YOU, Riley, and a GIVEAWAY.
YES, A INT'L GIVEAWAY!!! Riley J. Ford is graciously offering an e-copy of INTO YOU to a lucky follower of this blog. The contest is open to all countries. Comment below for a chance to win: would you like to be able to read people's minds?
About the book
Createspace, July 2nd 2012
Mystery, Paranormal, New Adult, Young Adult
Print & ebook, 252 pages
What if you could know exactly what your friends are thinking? High school student Winter Reynolds can, but there's a catch...
She can only read people's thoughts when she's kissing them.
When a member of the track team is murdered, Winter has an opportunity to use her special ability to find the killer. Trouble is, kissing everyone on the track team isn't such a good idea when you have a new boyfriend. Talk about complications!
Should Winter persevere using her secret power to catch the murderer still in their midst, even if it means risking her relationship with her one true love?
Disclaimer: Mild profanity and a graphic murder scene. While humorous, this book also explores the underbelly of teen life. May not be suitable for younger teens.
About the author
Riley J. Ford is a graduate of UCLA with a degree in English. After teaching at both the high school and college levels for a number of years, she turned to writing full-time. Her non-fiction books are used in college classrooms around the country, and her essays have been featured on such websites as MSNBC.com.
She is the author of three fiction books, INTO YOU, a young adult mystery, CARPE DiEMILY, a romantic comedy caper, and FIFTY SHADES OF FIFTY SHADES OF GREY, a satire. She enjoys running with the bulls in Pamplona and downhill skiing in her free time.
Riley J. Ford is the WINNER of Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award, Humor Category
Website: www.rileyjford.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/rileyjford
Follow the Tour
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I love your blog! Thanks for the wonderful post on me and my books. It's so appreciated! Have a great day!
ReplyDeleteHugs,
Riley J. Ford
Thank you for the wonderful interview, Riley! I hope you'll visit again and share more news about your future release. It was great to chat with you :)
DeleteThanks for taking part in the tour and hosting Riley!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the opportunity, Teddy!
DeleteThis looks like an interesting read! Thanks for sharing such an entertaining interview. You're always doing something so clever Mina! You've put Riley J. Ford on my radar!
ReplyDelete