Interview and Giveaway with Heather Lyons

I recently read Heather’s books, A Matter of Fate and A Matter of Heart, in just a few days.  I was so fascinated with her characters and story line that I couldn’t stop reading until I devoured them both.  I am very lucky to have her here today to discuss her new book, A Matter of Heart, which just recently came out.

1. Tell me about your new release, A Matter of Heart.

I recently released the second book in my Fate series, A Matter of Heart (the first is A Matter of Fate). The series, which starts as Young Adult and transitions to New Adult in this second book, follows the journey of Chloe Lilywhite, a powerful Creator who is not only partially responsible for all of the worlds she and the rest of the Magicals oversee, but is also entrenched in a truly messy love triangle between twin brothers.  In A Matter of Heart, Chloe settles into her role on the Council while having to deal with all of the complicated emotions stemming from being in love with two people.

2. Where did you come up with the idea for this series?

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve been fascinated with various mythologies from around the world.  It was always fun to wonder what it would be like if there WERE people who oversaw our world, from the crops we grow to the weather to how people acquire knowledge.  So when I sat down to write the Fate series, I knew I wanted to explore what these beings would be like and how they work; having one of the most powerful (and conflicted) being a teenage girl seemed almost too fun to pass up.

3. Do you have any actors that you envision when you are writing your characters?

For some, right away yes, for some no.  There are a lot of characters that I have trouble matching up to actors/models/etc.  But for the three main characters in my Fate series, I do have a pair of actors that I feel look fairly close to how they do in my head.  For Chloe Lilywhite, Imogene Poots is pretty spot on.  For Jonah and Kellan, who are identical twins, I see Ben Barnes (when he was younger) in the role.

4. What are you currently working on ?

I am currently wrapping up a story that has its roots in Greek mythology.  See?  I love me some mythologies!

5. What is your favorite book that you’ve read at the moment?

Oh, wow.  This is like picking a favorite child.  Hmm….I’m going to have to go with Persuasion by Jane Austen.  I’ve only read it a zillion times! If we’re talking recent releases, I absolutely adored Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.  Ooh-la-la!

6. What advice would you give aspiring writers?

Write.  Write some more.  And then keep on writing!

Thank you so much for answering my questions.  It is a pleasure to have you here today.

Thank you so much for having me!

About the Author:

Heather Lyons has always had a thing for words—She’s been writing stories since she was a kid. In addition to writing, she’s also been an archaeologist and a teacher. Heather is a rabid music fan, as evidenced by her (mostly) music-centric blog, and she’s married to an even larger music snob. They’re happily raising three kids who are mini music fiends who love to read and be read to.

Links:

Website  /Author Goodreads / Twitter /Facebook

Chloe Lilywhite struggles with all the normal problems of a typical seventeen-year-old high school student. Only, Chloe isn’t a normal teenage girl. She’s a Magical, part of a secret race of beings who influence the universe. More importantly, she’s a Creator, which means Fate mapped out her destiny long ago, from her college choice, to where she will live, to even her job. While her friends and relatives relish their future roles, Chloe resents the lack of say in her life, especially when she learns she’s to be guarded against a vengeful group of beings bent on wiping out her kind. Their number one target? Chloe, of course. 

That’s nothing compared to the boy trouble she’s gotten herself into. Because a guy she’s literally dreamed of and loved her entire life, one she never knew truly existed, shows up in her math class, and with him comes a twin brother she finds herself inexplicably drawn to. 

Chloe’s once unyielding path now has a lot more choices than she ever thought possible.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble /Goodreads

Jennifer’s Review of A Matter of Heart

TITLE: A Matter of Heart

SERIES #: Fate Series #2

CHARACTERS: Chloe Lilywhite, Jonah and Kellan Whitecomb

AUTHOR:  Heather Lyons

PUBLICATION DATE:  06/25/13

ORDER LINKS:  Amazon | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS: No longer in high school, Chloe Lilywhite is now living and working in Annar, the Magicals city-state plane of existence. Since moving, she’s joined the Council, gone on missions with the Guard, moved into her own apartment, and enrolled at the University of Annar.  Plus, she’s happily engaged to be married to Jonah Whitecomb, the literal man of her dreams, not to mention her Connection.  While she still struggles with aspects of her craft, Chloe feels like she’s finally coming into her own, especially after a difficult year that had her questioning nearly everything in her life.

After a brutal attack by the Elders, her life is turned upside down once more. Accusations fly throughout the Council and Guard, forcing Chloe to confront her worst fears about what she’s capable of as a Creator.  And then there’s the matter of Kellan Whitecomb, Jonah’s twin brother and Chloe’s ex, who resurfaces after disappearing months before.  Although Chloe chose Jonah, and despite their best efforts, the two find it hard to stay away from another.

But no matter what Fate throws at her, Chloe is determined to take charge of her life, even as it begins to spiral out of control.

REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Jennifer            NUMBER OF STARS: Five Stars

REVIEW: I devoured A Matter of Fate in a couple of days and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on A Matter of Heart.  Chloe Lilywhite has taken her place as Creator on the council and is immediately assigned challenging missions right out of the gate.  Being put in a powerful yet stressful position at such a young age provides Chloe with so many conflicted emotions that it was hard to watch at times as she struggled with these difficult decisions.  She has a terrible burden placed on her shoulders and I was impressed with her character because I know that I never would have been able to handle that level of stress at her age. With these changes, Chloe also has to deal with the fact that the threat from the Elders is escalating and is now putting everyone that she loves in harm’s way.

Her relationship with Jonah has taken a more serious turn now that they have moved to Annar and live next to each other.  They are engaged to be married but Chloe still feels conflicted because of her feelings for his twin, Kellan.  In the first book, I absolutely adored Kellan because I just felt that he was a better match for Chloe, even though she was Connected and destined to be with Jonah.  In this book, she still has to work with Kellan, which is awkward and confusing at times because they are both unsure about what to say to each other. The feelings are still there and I just find myself liking Kellan more and more. The love triangle between the three intensifies in this book and it was such an gut-wrenching emotional roller-coaster from beginning to end.

I loved A Matter of Heart and Heather’s writing captured my attention from the very start.  I can’t wait to read A Matter of Truth which is due out in December because I can’t wait to see what happens to Chloe next after the events in A Matter of Heart.

Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway