Hello everyone. I am super excited about today’s
author interview. Jus Accardo, author of Touch,
has stopped by to tell us a little about her book and her life. I am going on
record as saying…if you haven’t read Touch
do so immediately. If you missed my review…check it out HERE.
Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book, Touch, is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing.
She is represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Kristin:
Tell us a little bit about yourself and where you live?
Jus:
Hmm about me? Well, I’m a World of Warcraft junkie who lives for cheese and
chocolate, is terrified of planes and clowns, and spends 90% of her time with
people who don’t exist. I live in upstate NY with my husband, our 3 four-legged
kids—a Narcoleptic Akita, an opinionated German Sheppard, a lab-mutt named Duck,
and my guard bear, Oswald. Okay—he’s not mine
really, but he might as well be. Two years ago he got himself all caught up in
the screen of our enclosed porch. I got him out but he’d already ripped off
most of his right ear. Last year he came back around, all grown up and very
friendly. He’s been hanging with us ever since.
*What could be better
than chocolate and cheese? But clowns…ugh. Definitely scarey.
Kristin:
What is the first book that really caught your attention?
Jus: TEX
by S.E. Hinton. Actually, everything by S.H. Hinton… Was kind of like a chain
reaction.
Kristin:
Did you read much as a teenager?
Jus:
All the time. I cooked, I read, and I wrote. I have stacks upon stacks of boxes
of books from when I was a kid because I refuse to throw them away. If only the
nook had been around…
Kristin:
If you couldn’t be an author, but anything else…what would you be?
Jus:
If I wasn’t writing, I’d be a chef. No doubt in my mind. My grandfather was a
chef, so I grew up in a kitchen. I was accepted to the Culinary Institute of
America but ended up passing on the spot last minute to pursue writing.
*I need you at my
house. I don’t cook worth a flip.
Kristin:
Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Jus:
Everywhere. There’s a story in everything! Really. People watching, music,
staring at the stars… The idea for TOUCH came to me while staring into the
woods at the end of a very long drive-through line to get coffee.
*I would say I am sorry
you had to wait in that line, but I can’t lie…I’m not. Touch is an amazing book.
Kristin:
What’s the name of your most recently published book?
Jus:
TOUCH is my debut. TOXIC, the second book in the Denazen series, will be out in
2012.
Kristin:
Who is your favorite character from this book and why?
Jus:
Ooo unfair question J
I donno, TBH. I love Dez and Kale, of course…but I’ve always had a soft spot
for Alex.
*That’s funny. A couple
of blogger buddies and I were discussing Touch
and we decided that Alex was our second favorite character. I always have a
soft spot for those bad boys though.
Kristin:
Independently published or commercially published?
Jus:
Entangled is a Boutique Publisher
*In case you guys don’t
know, Entangled has some of
the most anticipated titles in the YA world. Touch by
Jus Accardo, Obsidian by
Jennifer L Armentrout, Hushed by Kelley York.
Kristin:
Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring writers?
Jus:
Write, write, write, write! Then? Write some more. The book I wrote before
TOUCH was queried for over a year with NO requests. While I was querying it, I
wrote TOUCH. The response was like night and day. One week into querying TOUCH,
I had four requests. Two months of querying I had multiple agent offers and signed
with the awesome Kevan Lyon. You really just never know. So much of it is
timing. This business is SO subjective. What an agent turns down today could be
exactly what he or she is looking for a month down the road. Just keep at it.
Write what you love and not for the market. Write often and write a lot. Look
at it this way—with each word, you’re practicing your craft. Getting better.
Sharper.
*Great advice,
especially during NaNoWriMo. Just keep going.
Kristin:
What is the most useful advice you received while writing any book?
Jus:
Do not give up. Ever. Keep writing. Then when you’re done with that, write
more. Write until your fingers fall off! Kind of a mimic (hah!) of the response
above, but it’s so, so important!
Fun
Stuff
Kristin:
The apocalypse is coming…what do you do?
Jus:
Eat a LOT of cheese. The real stuff.
None of that processed-canned-formed-into-neat-little-slices-of-ick crap. Oh.
And travel. I’m terrified of planes…but if we’re all about to bite the big one,
I’d probably risk it. Maybe. I have a ton of family in Italy and I’ve always
wanted to see Scotland…
Kristin:
If you were stranded on an island, name the 5 things you could not live
without?
Jus:
My family, Coffee, my computer, my dogs, and music.
Kristin:
What 5 things are within your reach right now? No cheating?
Jus:
Coffee (the coffee is ALWAYS in reach), cell phone, an Akita, a small stuffed
llama named Lloyd, and a tin of Rosebud Strawberry lip balm.
Kristin:
Favorite book ever?
Jus:
Oh… I donno… I don’t think I’m able to pick a fave. There are so many books I
consider essential to my life—meaning I need to read them over and over. I have
comfort books. Piles of them.
Kristin:
Ultimate bad boy crush? (TV, Movies, or Books)
Jus:
It’s SO a tie. Vampire Diaries – Damon or Bitten’s (Kelley Armstrong) Clayton
Danvers.
*I have got to read
Bitten. I know…right? But I am in definite agreement about Damon.
Kristin:
Ultimate good guy crush? (TV, Movies, or Books)
Jus:
A few weeks ago I was introduced to Kyle XY—which of course is typical since
they’ve already pulled it from the air. I’m normally a sucker for the bad boys,
but Kyle is SO frickin sweet…
Kristin:
Favorite food?
Jus:
Since coffee isn’t technically a
food…this is another hard one. Again—Italian. We love ALL food. If I was forced
at gunpoint to pick though, it’d be chicken marsala (done correctly—none of
that watery sauce crap) or brownies!
*Brownies…yum.
Kristin:
Favorite Movie?
Jus:
Don’t laugh… my all time fave is The Last Unicorn
*No laughing, I promise.
Kristin:
Favorite TV show?
Jus:
*sigh* Every time I heart something, it gets canceled. They canceled Eureka.
Before that it was Roswell. And Futurama (Hah! We got that one back!) I’m afraid to jinx it. Right now though, I’ll give
you a hint. Begins with a V and has the most amazing, tall dark and tortured
hottie…
*I think I know what
show you are alluding to and I don’t want to jinx it either. Who would I drool
over on Thursday nights?
Kristin:
Favorite Song?
Jus:
I don’t have just one… But right now, I’m kinda in love with 10 Years - Fix Me.
Kristin:
Favorite singer or band?
Jus:
Music is a big deal for me, so to pick just one would probably make my brain
explode. Really. Not kidding. And I’m
not cleaning up that mess… It’s bad enough in here with all the Akita fur
flying around. So the top few are, Powerman 5000, Seether, Stone Sour, and Disturbed.
Kristin:
One food you would never try?
Jus:
Eggs—pretty much cause it would kill me… And it would Not. Be. Pretty.
*Oh no, we couldn’t
have that.
Kristin:
The most exotic food you have ever eaten?
Jus:
My grandfather was a chef. He made me try frogs legs when I was little. There’s
a good chance I haven’t gotten over it. I twitch every time I see a frog…
*Yeah, my parents loved
frog legs too. I never touched them.
Kristin:
Day on the beach or snow skiing down a mountain?
Jus:
Give me cold temps and snow all the way, baby!
Kristin:
Campfire with smores or curled up in front of the fireplace?
Jus:
Ooo... That’s an even one. I’m a sucker for a camp fire, but we have this
amazing fireplace that’s perfect for those nice snowy days.
Kristin:
If you could move anywhere on this Earth, where would it be?
Jus:
I think it’d be pretty awesome to live in Australia! Who doesn’t love
kangaroos?
Kristin:
Health nut or junk food junkie?
Jus:
Total junk food junkie. You’ll find nothing remotely healthy within the walls
of my house.
Kristin:
Two books you think everyone should read. (Yes, you can and should include
yours.)
Jus:
Nightlife by Rob Thurman and Bitten by Kelley Armstrong.
Kristin:
Are there any blogs or websites you frequent?
Kristin:
Places my readers can stalk you?
Thank
you so much for taking this time to let us get to know you. We have enjoyed
having you today. I hope you have enjoyed yourself and will stop by to see us
again soon.
Thank you so much for inviting me. I had a blast.
Title: Touch
Series: Denazen #1
Author: Jus Accardo
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Publicist: Cathy Yardley
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Release Date: November 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-44-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-45-9
About the Book:
When
a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen‐year-old
adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father
by bringing
the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.
Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is
overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to
dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun
and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to
this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.
Kale
has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to
collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And,
oh yeah, his touch? It kills. Dez and Kale team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on
taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of
all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.
A secret Kale will kill to protect.
Target Audiences Include:
• Readers of Paranormal YA
• Readers of Paranormal Romance
• Fans of Lili St. Crow, P.C. Cast, Jeri Smith‐Ready
*I would like to take a moment to thank Entangled Publishing, Jus Accardo, and Cathy Yardley for inviting me to be a part of the Touch Virtual Book Tour. It has been a great honor and my best wishes go out to Jus and her team. This is a phenomenal book and I cannot wait to read more about Kale and Dez.*
