Discover the world of author Carrie Pack's In the Present Tense. Don't forget to enter the giveaway at the end of the post for a chance to win some great prizes from the author. The contest will close on June 8th. The tour is sponsored by Pride Promotions.
Talking with author Carrie Pack....
What started your interest in writing?
I’ve been a voracious reader since I was
a child. (I think a lot of writers start out that way.) For me, writing was the
next logical step. I don’t think I ever had an “ah-ha moment” but I distinctly
remember trying to write novels as a kid. But I didn’t have the storytelling
ability. As I got older and was exposed to more genres, I kept thinking, “I
want to do this.” It took growing up to realize the only thing that was
stopping me from writing was me. So one day I just started writing for fun.
If zombies attacked what kind of
supplies would you want?
A machete, a baseball bat and some
non-perishable food. And maybe some matches so I don’t always have to start a
fire from scratch.
If you could sit down with any author
dead or alive who would it be?
Jane Austen. I’d want to tell her how
beloved her books are.
Do you keep a notebook near you for when
new ideas pop into your head?
You know, I don’t. Occasionally I will
use the Notes app on my phone, but I am horrible about jotting down ideas. I
like to carve out chunks of time to write. It takes me a while to focus, so I
like to have a stretch of quiet, uninterrupted solitude.
If you write a series do you reread your
previous books before you begin the new one?
I haven’t written a series yet, but I’m
sure I would have to go back and read previous books to get back into the
characters’ heads/voices. I am thinking of writing a sequel to In the Present Tense, and I know I’d
have to reread that to get in the headspace for it.
Is there anything you wish to say to
your readers?
I hope they enjoy my books. There’s
nothing more rewarding than sharing your creative ideas with others and having
them get joy out of it.
For readers who haven't tried your books
yet, how do you think your editor or loyal readers would describe your books?
I like to explore themes that deal with
characters finding themselves and learning to be true to that. Because I don’t
tend to stick to one genre, I’ve done a lot of thinking about what compels me
to write, and it’s the character’s journey. My characters always have something
to learn about themselves and/or their loved ones. Who are they? What do they
value? What kind of person do they want to be? How can you be true to yourself
when the world is constantly asking you to conform to their expectations?
That’s the stuff I’m interested in, so it’s what I write.
I’m always looking for book
recommendations. What books have you been reading? Would you recommend them?
I just finished 44 Chapters About 4 Men: A
Memoir by B.B. Easton and it
was really fun. The writer has a unique style that I really enjoyed.
Another recent
read that I would recommend to lovers of sci-fi romance is The Star Host by F.T. Lukens. It’s a YA novel that is reminiscent of
series like Divergent and Star Wars but with its own flavor and nuance.
How often does your muse distract you
from day to day minutiae?
Actually, it’s usually the other way
around. The day-to-day distracts me from writing far too often. I need to get
better at that. But when I get in “the zone,” I can write for long periods of
time without getting distracted.
What do readers have to look forward to
in the future from you?
I’m currently working on a YA romance
set during the ’90s feminist punk scene known as Riot Grrrl. It’s a time period
that is close to my heart and there are a lot of parallels to issues that
interest teen girls in 2016.
After that I want to revisit the
characters from In the Present Tense
for a possible sequel.
Now let's check out Carrie Pack's In the Present Tense....
Publisher: Interlude Press
Cover
Artist: CB Messer
Release
Date: May 19, 2016
Miles Lawson goes to sleep
dreaming of a future with his boyfriend Adam, but wakes to find he is married
to Ana, an acquaintance from high school. When he learns he has been time
traveling, Miles is consumed with finding a cure for his rare condition—and finding
his first love. But will he be able to convince Adam he is telling the truth
before it’s too late?
Pages or Words: 336 pages
Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction, Gay
Fiction, Romance, Science Fiction
Excerpt:
Miles sat there and tried to make
out shapes and colors in the dark room as he searched his brain for a memory of
anything.
Nothing looked familiar. His
desk, his drum set, the sheets—all gone. Not one thing looked the way it had
when he'd fallen asleep, and Ana certainly hadn't been in his bed.
He tried to replay the previous
day's events, but everything seemed fuzzy, like a fogged bathroom mirror that
he couldn't wipe clean.
Why was everything so fuzzy?
Last night... What happened last night?
Adam had come over and they
were watching TV together, and Adam had given him a small stuffed giraffe
because Miles was scared about having surgery. He reached for his left arm,
expecting to find the cast that had been there for the last two months, but it
wasn't there. His heart began to beat so loudly he glanced over at Ana to make
sure she was still asleep.
Unable to determine what had
happened to his cast, Miles resumed his tally of the previous evening's chain
of events. At around ten-thirty, his mom said Adam had to leave because they
had to get up early to go to the hospital. He had taken his pain meds and gone
to sleep with the phantom of Adam's goodnight kiss on his cheek. He'd been
happy.
He'd gotten a text from Ana
earlier in the evening, but she was only wishing him luck with the surgery. She
hadn't come over. In fact, as far as Miles knew, Ana had been several hours
away in her dorm room.
So how had she gotten into his
bedroom? And who had changed his sheets?
He threw off the covers and
stood up, noticing he was only wearing a tight-fitting pair of boxer briefs
instead of his usual basketball shorts.
He looked around the room for
anything familiar, but it was still dark out, and all he could see were shadows
and vague shapes. On the dresser opposite the bed, he found a few framed
photos. Squinting to see without turning on a light, Miles studied the images
carefully.
As his eyes focused, he
recognized a couple of the photos. One was from last year's prom: Adam wearing
that ridiculous corsage Miles had bought him, Ana being dipped by her date,
David, as all four of them smiled widely in front of a cheesy faux tropical
scene. One of the frames held a collage of photos of his and Ana's friends. He
recognized Adam, Lucky, Antonio, Dahlia and Brienne. But the last one, the
largest of all the photos, was of him and Ana—her in a flowing white dress and
him in a black suit, both wearing broad smiles and flanked by Miles's parents
and a woman Miles had only seen once: Julia Espinosa, Ana's mother.
A loud clatter echoed through
the bedroom as the frame hit the edge of the dresser and fell to the hardwood
floor. This wasn't his room, and he didn't remember that photo being taken.
"Go back to sleep,"
Ana mumbled, her voice muffled by the pillow.
"Ana," he whispered,
risking her full anger, but unable to stop himself, "we're married."
"Thanks for the update.
Now go back to sleep before I divorce your dumb ass."
He dropped to the floor on his
knees, barely even noticing the sharp pain of bare skin hitting the hard
surface.
Married. To Ana?
What the hell had happened?
Buy the book:
Interlude Press: http://store.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1T0HsbU
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.
Apple iBookstore: https://itunes.
All Romance eBooks: https://www.
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/
Book Depository: http://www.
Tour Dates & Stops:
24-May:
Unquietly Me, Dawn’s Reading Nook, BFD
Book Blog
26-May:
Love Bytes, Louise
Lyons, A.M.
Leibowitz
30-May:
Bayou Book Junkie, MM Good Book Reviews
1-Jun: Prism
Book Alliance, Molly Lolly
Meet the author:
Carrie Pack is the author of Designs On You and a part-time
college professor who recently left her job in marketing to actively pursue her
writing career. Carrie lives in Florida, which she fondly calls America’s Wang,
with her husband and four cats.
Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/mscarriepack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/carriepack
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mscarriepack/
Website: www.carriepack.com
Rafflecopter
Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card, 5 First Prizes: eCopy of In
The Present Tense by Carrie Pack
