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Susan Kaye Quinn is here today to tell us about her book Open Minds and to offer up an ebook copy of it and the anthology In His Eyes, which includes several short love stories taken from the male POV.

Inventing the Future: Mindjacking
by Susan Kaye Quinn

When I first had the idea of writing a novel about a mindreading world ( Open Minds ), my first concern was whether it was even possible. What about dialogue? How can I write a novel that operates entirely in the minds of the characters?
Part of solving that problem came when I realized: everything operates entirely in our minds.
Without diving off the philosophical ramparts, it is a simple reality that our brains process all the sensory inputs from the world and create something we call a consciousness that allows us to live, love, and occasionally fight like tomcats.
When I realized that my story would involve not only mindreading but mindjacking —with some characters able to control the thoughts of others—I immediately wanted this to be a very sensory experience. After all the mindjacker’s consciousness was interacting directly with the brain function of a mindreader. How could that not have a feeling, a taste, a smell?
During the first draft of Open Minds, I was truly pantsing my way through Kira’s world, discovering along with her what it felt like to be a mindjacker. I was surprised to discover that each mind had its own scent. That emotions could flavor a mind field, and that mind barriers could be soft like Jell-O or as hard as a rock. During subsequent drafts, I developed a hidden history of mindjackers, just like there was an evolution of the mindreading world, where the mindjackers’ abilities allowed them to stay hidden in the world of mindreaders, and also provided the motivation to do so.
What if your neighbor knew you could control their thoughts? What if they only suspected it? Kira knows intuitively know that this is a secret that must be kept.
It was a tricky to puzzle out, at times, how a roomful of mindreaders or mindjackers or a mixture of both would interact. Even if we can read each other’s minds, or control someone’s thoughts and actions, we are still people, with human desires driving us and usually some kind of morality behind what we do.
The most interesting science fiction, I find, is always stories that explore what it means for us to be human—in spite of being surrounded by technology or radically changed environments. One look at Shakespeare’s plays or ancient mythology shows that human beings haven’t changed much over the millennia. The fundamental structure of our brains evolved over a million years, and that evolution certainly didn’t account for mindreading or mindjacking. Even though the characters in Open Minds have new powers, they are still using the same basic mental equipment from the time people were living in caves. In other words, the characters that populate Kira’s world are still human.
Exploring that thought continues to make for some interesting writing in Book Two, Closed Hearts, where technology increasingly becomes a part of the story of mindreaders vs. mindjackers, and who will come out on top.

Open Minds by Susan Kaye Quinn Publisher: CreateSpace (November 1st, 2011) Reading Level: Young Adult Paperback: 326 pages Series: Mindjack Trilogy #1 When everyone reads minds, a secret is a dangerous thing to keep.

Sixteen-year-old Kira Moore is a zero, someone who can’t read thoughts or be read by others. Zeros are outcasts who can’t be trusted, leaving her no chance with Raf, a regular mindreader and the best friend she secretly loves. When she accidentally controls Raf’s mind and nearly kills him, Kira tries to hide her frightening new ability from her family and an increasingly suspicious Raf. But lies tangle around her, and she’s dragged deep into a hidden world of mindjackers, where having to mind control everyone she loves is just the beginning of the deadly choices before her.

Prize:

• 1 winner will receive an ebook of OPEN MINDS and the IN HIS EYES anthology.

• You must be at least 13 to enter.
• Name and email must be provided and counts as 1 entry.
• Extra entries are possible and links must be provided.
• Contest is INTERNATIONAL and ends March 16th.
• Once contacted, the winner will have 48 hours to respond.
• The form must be filled out to enter.

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In His Eyes Anthology by Various Authors
Format: ebook (February 14th, 2011)
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Authors
Rating: 5 of 5 stars
Available NOW, just in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Sixteen original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters — some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology.

Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes.

The contributors to IN HIS EYES include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors.

Surprise, Surprise by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of Glimpse: Half the women in Melody's family can see the future, which makes it nearly impossible for Raleigh to surprise her. What's a guy to do for Valentine's Day when his girlfriend is always one step ahead of him?

First Kiss or First Kill? by C.K. Bryant, author of Bound: Love isn't always rainbows and kittens, sometimes it can be downright deadly. (A deleted chapter from Bound.)

Shattered by Ali Cross, author of Become: James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes you. (A chapter of Become from James’ POV.)

Before by Jessie Harrell, author of Destined: When a younger Eros is exiled to a land that doesn't believe in the Greek gods, he finds the first love of his immortal life. Read Eros' first person account of his romance, and heartbreak, in the time before he met Psyche.

The Qualm Before the Storm by Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides. Yara Jones doesn’t want to be a mermaid. Treygan doesn’t want to be the monster who turns her. You can’t always get what you want. (A short prequel to Tangled Tides.)

Unspeakable by S.R. Johannes, author of Untraceable: When Mo sees a strange girl in the woods, he follows her. He soon realizes they are both in a dangerous position and might not get out alive.

In the Beginning by Katie Klein, author of Cross My Heart: Seth is falling hard for Genesis Green, but the guardian angel is determined not to interfere, until an accident changes the course of their lives forever. (A short prequel to The Guardian.)

A Chance Encounter by Cheri Lasota, author of Artemis Rising: Finnian's eyes hide a terrible secret. But a girl on the train home, the girl in tears with a secret of her own… She sees right through him. A scene from the upcoming novel, Echoes in the Glass.

Family Bonds by Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Halloween party filled with teens who can channel energy and use it to kill, what could go wrong? For Spruce Knoll fans who are dying to read more about Fane.

Getting Closer by Lisa Nowak, author of Running Wide Open: Megan is smart, hot, and an upperclassman—in other words, way out of Cody’s league. So why did she choose him? (An excerpt of Getting Sideways.)

Precalculus by Cory Putman Oakes, author of The Veil: a re-telling of the fateful class period that changed Addison Russell’s life, from Luc’s point of view (a.k.a. Chapter 2 of The Veil from Luc’s perspective)

The Almost Assassin by Laura Pauling, author of A Spy Like Me, releasing Spring 2012: Malcolm tries his hand at the family business but his conscience and a beautiful"spy" may be his downfall.

Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds: Raf wants to take Kira—the only girl in school who doesn’t read minds—to the mindware Games, but his friends have other plans. (A short prequel to Open Minds.)

By The Firelight by Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise: When Nate McKenzie asks an unpopular girl to dance on a dare, he's in for the time of his life.

A Very Alien Valentine’s Day by Magan Vernon, author of How To Date An Alien: After surviving confinement and an intergalactic war for his human half, Alex, now he has to live through the biggest challenge of them all: Valentine's Day.

Aligned by RaShelle Workman, author of Exiled: A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature whose been feasting on their pain and suffering.
Review: I love a good anthology. It's a nice break from novel-length stories and often it gives us a glimpse into stories we may not have read in the past. That was exactly what this book was. It was a wonderful book full of cute love stories and perfect for a Valentine's day read.

One of the things i really loved about this anthology is that we get a little explanation of who we will meet before each story. These are often connected to other stories already available by the author. Links are listed as well so it's easy to click on it and go directly to the book page. I found myself doing that often. I would read one of the stories and go back to add the author's book to my list. I was worried I might be confused jumping into different stories that take place in contrasting worlds but that wasn't the case at all. Each story was so amazingly written.

Since these are short stories I won't go into too much detail but I will say that they bring so much emotion in a small package. For example, during the 2nd story First Kiss or First Kill I was cracking up through most of it.

Most people love a good male POV as well so if you are a fan of those, you gotta check this out. It was so adorable to see how these guys felt about love and romance.

In His Eyes was such a cute, enjoyable read. I was happy to get the chance to sample the writings of each author and have added many more titles to my to-read shelf now!

Recommended: Anthology fans. People looking for male POVs, short stories, and new books to read and would like to check out some new authors.

The Indelibles Website

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I'm so happy to have 2 of my favorite characters, Alexis and Tristan, from Purpose here with me today. Thank you both for being on my blog.
I have some questions for you.

What was the first word that popped into your minds when you first saw each other?
Alexis: Beautiful. Tristan (raises an eyebrow): I don’t think it’s appropriate to say. What’s the rating on this blog? Alexis (blushes): And you say I’m incorrigible?

What are some of your favorite memories from when you were dating? Alexis: Cooking together. Tristan: Cooking? Really? Alexis: Yeah. What’s wrong with that? Tristan: It’s just so… domestic. Alexis (with a slight smile and a shrug): I think it’s sexy. Especially with you. Tristan: Hmm… I’ll have to rethink my favorite memories then. (Pauses) Nah. Still on the beach… on the boat… pretty much any time you were in a bikini. Maybe you can cook in a bikini… Alexis: Can you be serious? Tristan: I am. Alexis: (glares) Tristan: Okay, if you really want to know… darts. Alexis (blushes again): Next question, please.

You've had some hard times together as well, what advice would you give couples for ways to overcome that? Tristan: I’m not exactly the right person to be giving relationship advice. I certainly don’t deserve what I have because of anything I’ve done right or well. Alexis: Yeah, me either. It’s not like either of us have much experience. We’re still learning what works for us. But, I think, trust is a big thing for every relationship. You have to be able to trust each other. Of course, that’s easier said than done, but I think it’s necessary.

Tristan, when you first met Alexis when she was young, did you ever think you'd be where you are now? Tristan: Not at all, but not because of her age or anything else so irrelevant. For me to have a relationship with anyone was at one time unbelievable, but with someone like her… with Alexis, who she is and who she’ll become… I never expected it would come to this between us. I never knew happiness before, let alone love. And now look at us.

Alexis, you are an amazing writer. Can you explain to us what writing does for you personally? Alexis: It’s always been an escape for me, really. I’ve never felt like I belonged in this world. In my writing, I get to be someone else, feel like I’m living a different life. It’s like reading a really good book with a story that’s exactly what you want to read… but no one else has written it, so you get to.

Tristan, what did you think when Alexis finally allowed you to read one of her stories? Tristan: Well, I knew when she would finally let me read one, it would mean she really trusts me. That’s what I care about, more than anything. Alexis: You care about more than that. You read it. And admit it… you liked it. Tristan: Yeah, I did, but I’ve always known you were talented. Of course I’d like it. Alexis: Even though it’s about witches and werewolves? Tristan: You are, obviously, weirdly infatuated with the monsters. But, it’s your thing and I’ve come to accept that.

Alexis, how difficult was it to learn the truth from your mother after all these years? Alexis: I still don’t know everything. In fact, I feel like I hardly know anything at all. But what I do know… it was pretty shocking at first. To the point that I had a hard time really grasping it all as real. I mean, Tristan showed me some of his abilities and told me what he was he able to, what he’s not bound to keep secret, but it still didn’t feel real… not until Ian showed his disgusting self, anyway… and then Edmund and that… thing. I guess that’s when it really hit home that not all things in this world are as they seem.
Do you still worry that she may be hiding important things from you about your history? Alexis: Ha. Of course, she’s still hiding things. I know there’s much more to everything about us. But as I’ve been told repeatedly, I have to wait until the Ang’dora. It’s frustrating and annoying, but even Tristan won’t tell me, though I know he would if he could. They’re bound too tightly and nothing I do can break that bond, apparently. Besides, right now, I’m just concerned about us… being safe… staying together… maybe living a somewhat normal life while we can.

Tristan, what was the worst part about keeping secrets from Alexis early on? Tristan: I was trying to earn her trust. It’s kind of difficult to do when you know yourself that you’re untrustworthy. The only thing I had going for me was that she kept secrets, too. I hoped she’d understand.

Did you expect to feel so connected to Alexis immediately or did it come as a shock to you? Tristan: She definitely shocked me. Alexis (with an embarrassed giggle): I did shock you! Or you shocked me. Tristan (chuckles): Yes, that is the right word… in so many ways. I really didn’t expect anything at all, especially anything so strong, except maybe immediate abhorrence. If you look at it the way some of the others do, it all makes sense. But I, personally, don’t understand it. Our connection doesn’t make sense. Alexis: Of course it does! We’re meant to be together. That’s just how it is.
Be honest, what bugs you the most about each other? Any pet peeves? Alexis: Actually, Tristan’s so dang beautiful, it can be annoying. We can’t go anywhere without all the females gawking, like animals in heat. Between him and my mother… I don’t know who’s worse, men or women. And then everyone looks at me and you can tell by the look on their faces that they’re wondering how the heck I’m with him. Tristan: Because you deserve better. Alexis: And then there’s that. It’s like he doesn’t even notice. Sometimes I feel like he puts me on this pedestal and I’m the last person who deserves to be there. One day he’ll open his eyes and see exactly how wrong he is – about me and himself. Tristan: Oh, my eyes are open. I know what I see. But you don’t see yourself clearly, either. You have no idea what you do to people, especially to me. And your potential… I guess you’ll just have to wait and see for yourself. Alexis: And that’s another thing. How he knows things I can’t know yet. That bugs the crap out of me. Tristan: You’re talking about me like I’m not here. Alexis: Huh? Tristan: That’s one of the things about Alexis that can get to me. She can go on such a rampage sometimes, words spilling out of her mouth without realizing how absurd she’s being. It makes me laugh, though. Alexis: I’m not being absurd! How can you— Tristan: And defensive. She can be quite defensive. Alexis: (crosses her arms, opens her mouth, then closes it again) Tristan: See, she doesn’t know what to say because she knows I’m right. I like how she does that, though. It’s kind of cute. So is this. (winks) Alexis (eyes glaze over for a moment and rendered speechless) Well, this has been such a fun interview! I am so glad you could be here today Tristan *wink* … oh… and you too Alexis *clears throat* … anyways, I have a friend over at A Life Bound By Books and I know she would love to get a chance to talk to you too.
Think you can pay her a visit soon?

Alexis: Of course.

Tristan: Anything for you. *wink*

(Okay, okay… so maybe Tristan didn't actually say that last part)

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