Interview and Giveaway: Sara Humphreys

Please join me in welcoming Sara Humphreys to Debbie's Book Bag today. Sara is here to talk about her book Unleashed, the first book in the Amoveo Legend series. The publisher is sponsoring a giveaway for two copies of Sara's book, see details at the end of the post.

DEB: Sara, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

SH: I’m the mother of four boys ages 16, 13 and 10 year old twins. I’ve been married to my college sweetheart for 17 years. I loathe doing laundry. I love chocolate. I prefer jogging outdoors versus the treadmill but I wish someone would invent a pill that makes you lose 20 pounds overnight.

 

DEB:Tell us a little about your debut novel, Unleashed and the Amoveo Legends series?
SH: Unleashed is the first book in the Amoveo Legend series. The Amoveo are a secret society of dream-walking, telepathic shape shifters comprised of ten different animal clans (Tiger, Lion, Panther, Cheetah, Wolf, Coyote, Falcon, Eagle, Bear and Fox) and they can travel at the speed of thought. Amoveo have one pre-destined soul mate and if they don’t find their mate by the age of thirty, they lose all of their abilities and they die. They can only have children with their mate, so even with all of their strengths they’re a very fragile race. If you kill one Amoveo, their mate eventually dies and you wipe out the opportunity for any offspring.

According to legend, they can only mate with another Amoveo but Malcolm Drew of the Golden Eagle clan finds out that’s not entirely true. He has found his mate after years of searching but she hasn’t been looking for him because she’s a hybrid. Samantha Logan is a half human and half Amoveo of the Gray Wolf clan but she doesn’t know it. Her parents died when she was an infant and she was raised by her human grandmother. All of her abilities have been dormant…until Malcolm finds her.

DEB: What was your inspiration for this book? Have you always been interested in the paranormal?
SH: I’ve always been fascinated by the paranormal and I think the ability to shape shift would be incredibly cool. I wanted to create an entirely new race and explore all the possibilities that comes with their unique abilities. Since I couldn’t decide on just one animal, I chose to have them comprised of several different clans because I thought it would make it more interesting. The possibilities are limitless.


DEB: What type of research did you do for your book?
SH: For the most part I researched the different animals and their behaviors in the wild.  The Amoveo can utilize some of their animal strengths while in their human form. For example, Malcolm is a golden eagle and they have outstanding eyesight which he uses at various points in his human form. I also watched a good deal of videos of wolves and eagles so that I could create realistic scenes for the reader.
  
DEB: What is your normal writing day like? Do you have things that have to be in place to write comfortably?
SH: I write whenever and wherever I can. I have a full time job and four children, so I’ve gotten very good at squeaking out an hour here or there. It’s a real luxury if I get an entire day to write. Someday, I hope to be able to make my living doing this full time but for now it’s all about time management.

DEB: What was it like when you got the word that your first novel would be published?
SH: I jumped up and down like a lunatic in my kitchen. The dogs thought I’d completely lost it and I guess I did for a minute. I was over the moon…I still am. It’s kind of surreal to see my name on a book…in a book store…or in my hand…it’s just freaking cool.

DEB: Do have any advice for new writers?
SH: Write. Write. Write. OH…and find an agent. It really is worth the wait to get yourself an agent. Trust me.

DEB: When you’re not writing, what kinds of books do you like to read? Do you have a favorite author?
SH: I love to read romance and paranormal is my favorite. Lori Handeland, Christine Feehan, Judi Fennell, Terry Spear and Christina Dodd. I also like a good cowboy romance and for that I go to Carolyn Brown, Joanne Kennedy and C.H. Admirand.

DEB: What are you working on right now?
SH: I’m almost done with Untamed (#3 Amoveo Legend) and I’m also working on a vampire series called Dead in the City. It’s Sex in the City but with vampire chicks. Additionally, I have a YA series in the works…stay tuned on those. 

DEB: Tell us one thing that people may not know about you?
SH: I have crazy long toes. My husband calls them Alien Toes because I can spread them so far apart that my foot looks like a really weird hand.  I know…ewww.

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Sourcebooks is sponsoring a giveaway for two copies of Unleashed by Sara Humphreys, for two winners from Debbie's Book Bag!


~ You must be a Google Friend Connect follower to participate.
~ US and Canadian Addresses only (Publisher Request)
~ Deadline to enter this giveaway is Midnight EST November 3rd.


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