The Best Reader: Dawn Dalton

1. What can you tell us about Killer’s Instinct?

Killer’s Instinct is the first book in the Most-Wanted Monsters series Judith Graves and I are co-writing and Leap Books is publishing. We’re excited that Leap is testing an innovative, new format by releasing Killer’s Instinct in 6 cliffhanger e-episodes throughout 2013, and then publishing the print book in its entirety in 2014.

Here’s the official blurb for Killer’s Instinct. It’s creeptastic!

Where there is NO life – there’s Hope.
Hope has always been a bit of a freak. But when her mother crawls from her grave and her undead corpse goes MIA, Hope's last thread of normal snaps with a vengeance.

Enrolling in a militia-style school for monster slayers seems the only course of action. And the best bet at tracking her mother down.
But does Hope have a true killer's instinct? If she finds her mother, will she have the guts to do what must be done?

If you’re into monsters, why not check out the Most-Wanted Monsters blog at www.mostwantedmonsters.blogspot.com, where Judith and I wax poetic about some of the world’s most sought after beasties. Hey, it might even save your life.

2. What do you like to listen to while writing?

It really depends on what project I’m working on. Every character kind of has his/her own soundtrack. Lately, I’ve been leaning towards the heavier stuff, like Marilyn Manson and Linkin Park, but I’ve been known to write to pop and classical, as well. My family knows to walk away when the headphones are in, or the iPod is cranked.

3. What is your writing process like?

Chaos. I’ve always got a lot of projects on the go, and I’m not much of a plotter, except when I have to (or when I’m working with Judith Graves on something – she’s the plot master and she wields a mighty whip!) I try to write at least 1,000 words a day on any given project, but I’m more apt to binge write and then take a few days of break. I have several writing places throughout the house – my husband even built me a small writing “cabin” in the back yard – but more often I’m sitting at the kitchen table.

4. Is it more difficult to develop a book or a story for an anthology?

I’ve never considered myself a strong short story writer. Even though I think I write “tight” I can never figure out how to get all of the elements of the story into something that isn’t a novel. But I love reading shorts stories, and I had a lot of fun writing THREAD OF THE PAST for the SPIRITED anthology, so it’s certainly something I’ll keep working on.

Fun questions, Jessica. Thank you!

Spirited: 13 Haunting Tales (anthology)
Published: Leap Books (February 13th, 2012)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Paperback: 332 pages
Leap Books has summoned some big names in fiction to help put together 13 ghostly stories to support a good cause. Spirited drops this October, with all proceeds to be donated to 826 National. 826 offers free after-school tutoring, workshops, and in-school programs because they believe that"strong writing skills are fundamental to future success." The authors featured in the anthology, from best-sellers to wickedly talented debuts, will participate in a chilling blog tour that's guaranteed to raise your goosebumps.

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HOW THE TOUR WORKS Each day of The Crossroads Blog Tour, a new research question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page: http://judithgraves.com/events/the-crossroads-tour/crossroads-2012/ and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all answers by the end of the tour.
Answers are to be emailed to judithgraves @ ymail dot com by October 28th at MIDNIGHT. Winner of the grand prize will be announced on OCTOBER 31st – HALLOWEEN.
The GRAND PRIZE you’re vying for? A brand new KINDLE, preloaded with a title from each of the participating Crossroads Blog Tour Authors. That’s right folks, a free KINDLE and 13 free EBOOKS!

This year we have 23 authors that I'll be featuring over 7 days and each day you'll have a chance to enter to win! There's also a scavenger hunt going on, so be sure to check out The Crossroads Tour Post to see what questions will be asked, what blog you'll be able to find the answer on and enter to win!
Today I am featuring Christine Fonseca, Dawn Dalton, and Amanda Ashby. Be sure to check out the rafflecopter giveaway, too!

1. Can you tell us 3 little-known facts about Nesy, from your Requiem series?

Three facts about Nesy? Sure…
1) Nesy loves classical choral music. She often visited churches when she was a younger warrior, sitting in the back just listening to the music. Something about it felt so sacred, so pure. She said it was the way humans remembered their angelic nature.

2) Nesy often wishes she choose a different order. I know, shocking considering how much she loves being a Sentinal. But, she tires of the pressure at times, the need for perfect control of her feelings. In those moments she fantasizes about being like Cass, one of the Anointed, healing others instead of killing them.

3) Nesy may be great with a sword, but she is even better with her bare hands. In fact, she’s disarmed many UnHoly with nothing more than her hands. She is pretty bad-ass.

2. If you could have one super power, what would it be and why?

I’d totally want to be an empath. Absolutely. I mean, being able to feel another’s emotions, know what they are hiding deep in the dredges of their soul—THAT is pure power. And like any power, it can be used for good… or evil.

1. Of all the characters you have written, which one has been the most challenging for you to write?

Probably Emma Jones from Fairy Bad Day. She had a lot of rage and it took me a long time to calm her down and stop her from arguing with everyone she came across in the book! Thankfully she also had a big sword and some killer fairies to do battle with, which helped with some of her anger issues!

2. Celeste and Cassidy are two very different characters in Demonosity. Are they based off of any of your high school acquaintances?

None of my characters are ever based on real people but Cassidy was definitely influenced by my time in college. It was the mid-eighties and there were a lot of cool gothic punks walking around the campus! As for Celeste, I basically wanted to make Cassidy’s job as hard as possible so having to be the guardian for a girl who was such a snob, seemed pretty funny! Well, funny to me, I’m not sure that Cassidy would agree with me!!

1. Can you tell us a little about the school Hope enters in Killer’s Instinct?

It’s awesome. That is all.

Just kidding. The monsters in Killer’s Instinct are different than your typical pop culture fare, which means our young hunters require some additional skills. At Le Manoir, the recruits are put through a series of mental and physical drills to help hunt – and if necessary, take down – 52 of the most wanted baddies, including the likes of Frankenstein. But as Hope and her crew find out, not everything is what it seems at Le Manoir.

2. If you were to have a chance to enter any special school like that, what skills would you want to learn the most?

Glamour immunity! I know myself, and if I ever met a handsome vampire in a back alley, I’d be easily seduced by his charm. Especially if he looked like Alexander Skarsgard. All of that acrobatic, ninja, weapons training stuff is cool and all, but if I didn’t have the ability to deflect some vampire seduction, I’d be hopeless as a real monster hunter.