Secrets and Lies
by Christine Amsden
About The Author:
Christine
Amsden has been writing science fiction and fantasy for as long as
she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others
will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction
is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is
about real people defining themselves through extraordinary
situations. Christine writes primarily about people and it is in this
way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful
for everyone.
At
the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt's Disease, a
condition that effects the retina and causes a loss of central
vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down
or get in the way of her dreams. (You can learn more here.)
In
addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy
Authors.
She also does some freelance editing work.
Christine
currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who
has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two
beautiful children, Drake and Celeste.
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Release Date: November 15, 2013Book Description:
Cassie
Scot, still stinging from her parents' betrayal, wants out of the
magical world. But it isn't letting her go. Her family is falling
apart and despite everything, it looks like she may be the only one
who can save them.
To
complicate matters, Cassie owes Evan her life, making it difficult
for her to deny him anything he really wants. And he wants her.
Sparks fly when they team up to find two girls missing from summer
camp, but long-buried secrets may ruin their hopes for happiness.
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Release Date: May 15, 2013
Book Description:
Cassie
Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between
worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a
place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in
the shadow of her family's reputation isn't easy. When she is
pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and
handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.
Author Interview:
The Avid Reader: What inspired you to write Secrets and Lies?
Christine Amsden: Secrets and Lies is the second of four books about Cassie Scot, the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers. Cassie came to me in a flash of inspiration as I tried to think about what kind of power or destiny I could give a fantasy heroine that hasn't already been done before. The answer of course was - none at all! This series is about Cassie coming into her own in a world where she doesn't quite belong, and book two continues that journey with a bit more romance and self-discovery.
The Avid Reader: When or at what age did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Christine Amsden: I can't think of an age when I didn't know I wanted to be a writer. I've always been a writer.
The Avid Reader: What is the earliest age you remember reading your first book?
Christine Amsden: I remember making up stories to go along with picture books before I could even "read" in the way you probably mean. I've always read, just as I've always written.
The Avid Reader: What genre of books do you enjoy reading?
Christine Amsden: All of them. My favorite stories are the ones about strong character undergoing some kind of transformation or revelation. Unfortunately, there's no genre for that, so I just have to guess. I read a lot of fantasy, romance, mystery, and science fiction. (And I go through phases.)
The Avid Reader: What is your favorite book?
Christine Amsden: Dreamer, the last book in the Cassie Scot series. If you want me to pick someone else's, I just can't! I love too many books for too many different reasons. I don't have a favorite. Part of why I write is that as I read, I often feel like I'm looking for a story I haven't found yet. So saying that one of my own is my favorite isn't like saying I think I'm better than every other author - on the contrary, I have a lot of humility. (To much, some days. It's a hard business, and not everyone is a fan.) But I sat down and wrote the book I most wanted to read, even though I hadn't found it yet. So yeah, it's my favorite.
The Avid Reader: You know I think we all have a favorite author. Who is your favorite author and why?
Christine Amsden: Again, I have no favorites. I have moods. And mood swings. :)
I like Jim Butcher and Orson Scott Card (his old stuff), I like Heinlein and Asimov and Linda Howard and Catherine Anderson and Jayne Ann Krentz (under all three pseudonyms) and Karen Marie Monina and Jk Rowling. Each one of them fills a slightly different need within me.
I like Jim Butcher and Orson Scott Card (his old stuff), I like Heinlein and Asimov and Linda Howard and Catherine Anderson and Jayne Ann Krentz (under all three pseudonyms) and Karen Marie Monina and Jk Rowling. Each one of them fills a slightly different need within me.
The Avid Reader: If you could travel back in time here on earth to any place or time. Where would you go and why?
Christine Amsden: One of my college history professors asked this exact same question on the first day of class one year. I felt a bit weird at the time to answer by saying, "Now's good." I left thinking I should have come up with a better answer, but it's fifteen years later and I still haven't. Oh, maybe it would be fun to travel with Doctor Who for a bit, but I'm not in love with any period of history.
The Avid Reader: When writing a book do you find that writing comes easy for you or is it a difficult task?
Christine Amsden: Yes.
Some days it flows, some days I want to cry. Some days I do cry. :)
Cassie mostly came easily to me, but at the time I was sort of unencumbered. This has been a hard writing year for me. I'm trying to keep working ahead while at the same time trying to market the books that are being published, take on editing jobs to pay for that marketing, and every couple of months I get edits in on yet another draft of yet another book. It's been hard to focus. But I think when all this passes, it will be a little easier again.
The Avid Reader: Do you have any little fuzzy friends? Like a dog or a cat? Or any pets?
Christine Amsden: Not at the moment, no. I had cats, but after the last one died a few months ago we've decided not to get another one because my husband has a mild allergy. (He didn't have the allergy when we got the cats in the first place.) I'm okay with it for now. My kids are still young enough to sit in my lap so until they're older, I think that's all I need.
The Avid Reader: What is your "to die for", favorite food/foods to eat?
Christine Amsden: I'm a chocoholic - actually, a chocolate snob chocoholic. Halloween has come and gone with yet another reminder of why I generally avoid cheap candy. It feeds on itself, rather than truly satisfying a craving. And it doesn't really taste that good. But give me some Lindt or Godiva... mmmm...
The Avid Reader: Do you have any advice for anyone that would like to be an author?
Christine Amsden: Lots, actually. I put up writing tips on my blog sometimes, and I hire myself out as a coach/mentor. But the only general bit of advice I have is this: Only write if you love it. It isn't going to make you rich.
Christine Amsden: Thanks so much for having me here today!
Praise
for the Cassie Scot Series:
From Publisher's Weekly:
"In this entertaining series opener, Amsden (The Immortality Virus) introduces readers to the eponymous Cassie, a decidedly mundane member of a magical family. …Readers will enjoy Cassie's fish-out-of-water struggles as she fights magical threats with little more than experience and bravado."
Kim Falconer, bestselling author of The Spell of Rosette, Quantum Enchantment Series, had this to say:
"When sorcerers call the shots, what's a girl without powers to do? Get ready for a ripper of a murder mystery full of romance and intrigue, where magic potions bubble, passions spark and vampires are definitely not your friend. Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective grabs you by the heart and won't let go until the very last page. Well written, immersive and unputdownable. This is urban fantasy at its best. More please!"
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