Rachel McClellan **Author interview and international giveaway** [Fractured Light Blog Tour Day 2]

Rachel McClellan is the author of Fractured Light, which I reviewed as part of the blog tour yesterday (click here to read it).
I'm very excited to be able to say that Rachel is here at Pen to Paper with us today for an interview and a very special giveaway.

So, without further delay, I'd like to welcome Rachel to the blog!
First of all, could you tell us a little something about yourself?

I was raised in Idaho. My summers were spent floating the canal behind our house, making orange julius and watching Days of our Lives. But then I became an adult and had to say goodbye to care-free days. I currently live in Maine with my husband and four kids. I absolutely love the area.

Who are your top 3 favourite authors, and why?
There are several, but I'll choose three: C.S. Lewis whose works helped me become a better person, James Dashner and Suzanne Collins for teaching me about pacing and tension, and (I know I said three, but I've got to choose one more) Markus Zusak for showing me how words can come alive.

If you had to name your all-time favourite novel, which one would you choose and why is it your favourite?
This really is impossible. There are so many great books. Can I choose a few? I'd have to say The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The Fountainhead, Chronicles of Narnia, and Odd Thomas.
Which author(s) would you say most influence your own writing?
There are many authors I like to read because their works are darker and that's what I tend to write. It's hard not to be influenced by them. Some of the authors are Dean Koontz, Mary Higgins Clark, Christopher Pike, L. J. Smith, Joshua Gaylord, Robert Louis Stevenson, and Mary Shelley.

Have you always wanted to be a writer? And what was it that made you decide to put Pen to Paper, to create the wonderful Fractured Light?

I've always enjoyed writing and wrote all the time, but I never thought about doing it for a living until several years ago. Honestly, I didn't think I was good enough, but then a trip to Ireland changed everything. Something there helped me grow a pair of ovaries to just go for it. As for Fractured Light, it was my third completed novel. It started out as a fun writing assignment with another friend, but I knew the moment I wrote the first chapter I had something special.

Where did the inspiration for Fractured Light come from?

I wanted to write something different. I thought of all the supernatural beasties that "exist" in our world. As the little wheels in my brain turned, I thought it would be cool to have a girl who could use light as a power. Then when I overheard someone talking about the aura's surrounding a person, I sort of put the two together. Just like peanut butter and chocolate, it turned pretty good.

How long did it take you to write the novel? And when can we expect to see the next in the series?

It took me about six months to write. The sequel, Fractured Truth, will be available February 2013.

I don't want to give too much away to anyone who hasn't yet read the novel, but will Llona and Christian ever find a way to be properly together?
Ah, Llona and Christian. Every true love has to be tested and theirs will be tested more than most.
Did you base any of the characters off anyone you know, or even yourself?

There are pieces of me in every character, and sprinkles of family and friends. I think most authors do this. That's why writing is so personal, at least for me. It was really scare at first when I found out my book was going to be published. It felt like the world was about to read my journal.

Do you know how this series is going to end yet?

I do. It's going to be epic. :)

Do you prefer...

Sweet or Savoury? Sweet
Long books or short books? Long
Paperback or Hardback? Hardback
Physical book or eBook? Physical
Margarine or Butter? Butter
Big night out or quiet night in? Big night, followed by a few hours of quiet.

Other than reading and writing, what are your other hobbies?

I love to snowboard, play racquetball and volleyball, watch football, hike, run, cook, make truffles, throw parties, go to movies, and eat. And then eat some more. If you were told you could go anywhere in the world, free of charge, for as long as you liked, where would you go?
EVERYWHERE! I was just talking about this with my husband today. We really want to explore the world. I can't wait!

If you had $1 million, what would you do with it?
Make a treasure map and bury it. Then when I get bored I'll have an adventure to go on.
What is your favourite food?

A really yummy chicken madeira with garlic mashed potatoes. It's a little piece of heaven in my mouth.

What are the simple things in life that make you smile?

You're going to make me get all sentimental, eh? Um, watching my husband wrestle with our kids, speaking with old friends, and a bowl of ice cream with homemade fudge sauce on my lap while I'm watching Being Human.
And finally, could you tell us an odd and interesting fact about yourself?

In high school, I played McBeth in the play McBeth for the whole school. I didn't get many dates after that. I don't know why. I thought I looked good in a goatee.

Thank you so much for coming along to Pen to Paper, Rachel - it's been really great fun having you here!

Thanks for having me!

_______♥________

And now for another exciting event! Rachel has been kind enough to offer the wonderful followers of Pen to Paper a giveaway, with not just one prize available, but two!

• 1 winner will receive either an eBook or hardcopy of Fractured Light to read - the winner will specify which they will like and the giveaway is open internationally.
• A second winner will receive the beautiful necklace (engraved with ETTE - 'Endure to the End') that Christian gives to Llona in Fractured Light. Again, this prize is available internationally, so every follower has a chance to win!

When picking out the winners, the first winner that comes out of the Rafflecopter will win the book, and the second will win the necklace - it's as simple as that.

Before we get to the good part, I'd like to lay down some simple rules :)

• You must be a follower of Pen to Paper for your entry to qualify. In the extra info bit in the initial rafflecopter entry, I am going to need your follower profile URL. This can be found by logging on to the blogger homepage and clicking to view your full profile. This should load a page with a list of all the blogs you are following. This is the web address I needed copied and pasted into the extra info box on your entry.
  
• There are a possible 20 entries for this giveaway - 1 initial entry for following Pen to Paper, and another for selecting either hardcopy or eBook. The other 18 are optional, but may be the difference between someone else winning the prize, or you!
• Please do not leave your email address in the comments below this post. I have been having trouble with this in my other giveaways. I use Rafflecopter so that your personal information is not accessible by anyone other than me - and I only use it to email you if you win! Stick to the Rafflecopter and be safe guys!
• The giveaway will end on January 20th 2012 at 23:59 EST

Right! Now for the good part! Log in to the Rafflecopter below and get entering!

a Rafflecopter giveaway