The Thoughts of a Book Junky!: Author Spotlight: J. Meyers + Giveaway!

Please Welcome

J. Meyers

Author of

Intangible

1) Could you tell us a bit about yourself.

I stay up too late because it's the only time I get to work or be alone (I have four young kids), can't drink coffee because it makes me grumpy (and I just can't subject my family to that), get excited about great dialogue in movies/tv/books, write down funny things people say in hopes of using it someday (or being inspired by it), and I talk to myself (out loud). (Also, I really like using parentheses.)

2) Could you tell us a bit about Intangible?

It's the story of seventeen year old twins Sera and Luke who have special abilities. She can heal with a touch of her hand, and he can see the future with 100% accuracy. He has a vision of her death and they have to figure out how to change the future--something he's never been able to do.

2) What was the inspiration for writing Intangible?

Two things--Reiki (an alternative hands-on healing therapy) and superheroes. My original idea was to have a girl who could heal, but after flipping through a superhero encyclopedia one night--looking at all the fabulous powers they have--I thought "What if there was a world where teens were cropping up with these superhuman abilities? That would be *so* cool!"

3) Was Sera and Luke's character based on anyone or were they purely made up characters?

They were purely made up. Of course, there's always a little bit of me in every character, and I'm sure I pick up mannerisms, thoughts, sayings from people I know and from life in general. But no one character in the book was based on any one particular person.

4) What was your inspiration in the cover art for Intangible?

I really wanted an image of a girl who could be Sera because it's mostly her story, and I wanted to give it an other-wordly feel too. I actually came up with three different covers, posted them on my site, and asked people to vote. The one on the book was the winner by far (which surprised me because it wasn't my first choice).

5) Do you plan to have Intangible as a stand alone novel or part of a series?

While the book does stand alone (it's a complete story), it is the beginning of a series. And I have no idea how long the series will be yet--at least another two or three books. I'm also considering writing companion novels/series that focus on other characters. There's so much I can do with this world and concept, and that's really exciting to me.

6) Who is your favorite character in the book? And why?

Oh, gosh. That's like asking me who my favorite child is! I don't have a favorite, but I will say that I *love* Jonas. I love the strength of his convictions, his complicated moral compass, his seemingly unbreakable loyalty. Plus he's totally swoon-worthy. (Oh, yes, I love him.)

7) Do you write to music? If so, what is your favorite?

I wish I could, but I just can't. I have this terrible problem where I start listening to the music and lyrics, singing along, rather than listening to the voices in my head. Um, I mean, the unfolding story in my head. I need silence when I'm writing, I think because I need to focus so closely on what I'm seeing, hearing, and experiencing in my mind and I have to slow it down, examine it from different angles, and get it all down on the page. I can't have anything distracting me away from that. (And I am very easily distractable.)

I do listen to music when I'm thinking about the story or characters, when I'm plotting it all out or trying to solve a story problem. I find a lot of inspiration for characters, story/plot ideas, and moods in music. For Intangible, I listened to the Indigo Girls' song "Jonas & Ezekial" a lot (and that's where Jonas got his name). I also listened to "Hallelujah" sung by K.D. Lang, and "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2. Over and over and over and over again. I don't have an mp3 player, so it's *possible* my family may have gotten a little tired of listening to my very limited song selections for a while. ;-)

8) What do you plan on doing in the future?

Writing! I plan to keep putting out good books for as long as I love it. And I hope that's a long time. :-)

9) What are you reading right now?

I'm reading ReVamped by Ada Adams and The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson. I also have my nose in several research books for the next book in the series.

10) Who are a few of your favorite authors?

Laini Taylor, Kristin Cashore, J.K. Rowling, Frannie Billingsley, Sarah Prineas, Aidan Chambers, Megan Whalen Turner

11) Anything you would like to add?

Thank you so much, Steph! It's been a real pleasure being here. :-)

Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.
Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.