PRAEFATIO & Creator, YA Author Georgia McBride & WIN a SIGNED copy!!!

GRAFFITI PROMOTIONS is a regular feature on Writer's Alley, where authors and aspiring writers, editors, publishers, and anyone from the publishing world, to share their journeys, valuable wisdom, and to promote their work along a road of humor, encouragement, and inspiration. Features include Author Interviews, Book Promos, and Character Introductions.

There is no easy way to start describing this next author. Lots of writers know her or, at the very least, have heard her name. An inspiration to lots of writers, those just starting out as well as seasoned writers. She's been instrumental in my personal journey as an author. I first met her when I began blogging, stumbling upon her newly started writing community, YALitchat. Having no idea what I was doing, other than the desire to write professionally, I offered to help her new community grow in anyway I could. She welcomed me on the administrative level without even batting an eye.

She is a wife, mother, promoter, over-achiever, hard-worker, founder of the well-know & respected YALitchat community of writers, author of the PRAEFATIO series, and owner/publisher of Month 9 Books. Meet Georgia McBride.

Welcome, Georgia. So excited to have you visit the Alleyway!! It's always nice to hear where authors started out, what stories fascinated them as young children and beyond. Care to share?
I have always loved anything Dr. Seuss as a child. When I got older I read Stephen King, VC Andrews and lots of classic literature.

Got to <3 Dr. Seuss.

Speaking of what inspires an author, what moved you to write PRAEFATIO?

AMAZON | B&N | GOODREADS

Grace, Gavin and Remi all insisted that I write their stories. And so, PRAEFATIO is essentially that.

Ah...persistent characters. Let's give the Alleywalkers a description of the story:  Seventeen-year-old Grace Ann Miller is no ordinary runaway...

After having been missing for weeks, Grace is found on the estate of international rock star Gavin Vault, half-dressed and yelling for help. Over the course of twenty-four hours Grace holds an entire police force captive with incredulous tales of angels, demons, and war; intent on saving Gavin from lockup and her family from worry over her safety.

Authorities believe that Grace is ill, suffering from Stockholm Syndrome, the victim of assault and a severely fractured mind. Undeterred, Grace reveals the secret existence of dark angels on earth, an ancient prophecy and a wretched curse steeped in Biblical myth. Grace’s claims set into motion an ages-old war, resulting in blood, death and the loss of everything that matters. But are these the delusions of an immensely sick girl, or could Grace’s story actually be true?

Praefatio is Grace’s account of weeks on the run, falling in love and losing everything but her faith. When it’s sister against brother, light versus darkness, corrupt police officers, eager doctors and accusing journalists, against one girl with nothing but her word as proof: who do you believe?

“With Praefatio, Georgia McBride proves that you can take any genre to a higher level. This is teen fantasy at its most entertaining, most heartbreaking, most compelling. Highly recommended.” –Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author."

Hope you don't mind, but you've worked in so many areas of the publishing world I'd like to pick your brain. (Not in the Walking Dead way, so no worries.) 

Flash questions: Three important elements to writing a novel?
Characterization, pacing and story - in that order.

If no one cares about your characters, they won't support the story. Pacing is key. A well-paced story is also a well-developed story that has highs and lows at just the right times. Then of course, there is story. Without a believable, well thought out and rich story, the reader loses interest.

Biggest challenges for creating YA literature in today's market?
The biggest challenge is getting your books to a wide audience. Apart of that, just being relevant and standing out is quite difficult.

Piece of advice for aspiring authors?
Find community.

I bow to that piece of wisdom. Describe yourself in five words.
Opinionated, caring, forgiving, level-headed and hopeful.

Current WIP outlined using five images?
CONFESSIONS OF THE DARK QUEEN: Crow, ball gown, bloody knife and computer.

Naming your characters?
They tell me their names mostly. For my upcoming YA, CONFESSIONS OF THE DARK QUEEN, I had to come up with names. But I am always on the hunt for unusual names. Recently, I did a school visit and found a student named Hunter Blue. I got permission to name the lead in an upcoming work, MESSIAH, Hunter Blue. Also, the draler I bought a car from recently took a call from his teen dayghter, Hensley. I later inquired as to the spelling and gave that awesome name to a female lead in an upcoming book. Be careful, or I might have to name one of characters after you!


Got to say, you've intrigued me with your WIP. Looking forward to read it! Thank you so much for joining us and leaving your splatter on Writer's Alley.

Georgia McBride was born and raised in NYC but has been living in NC since 2006. When not writing or running Month9Books or Swoon Romance or the non-profit literary organization YALITCHAT.ORG, which she founded, Georgia visits schools and talks to kids about writing books!

Georgia writes speculative fiction for teens and tweens and even has an adult non-fiction book brewing in that overactive brain of hers. In her spare time she can be found rounding up 2 kids, 1 German Shepard  3 Chihuahuas, and 1 parrot. She loves music of all kinds, wine and movies, and is addicted to coffee and bacon. Some of her favorite creators are George Lucas, Steven Spielberg, JJ Abrams and Ridley Scott. She would cut off her right (or left) arm to work with any of the above. 

She supports adoption (people and dogs), music appreciation, reading/literacy, animal rescue, cultural exchange, eco-friendly activities, equal rights for everyone and believes that we must achieve world peace.

GEORGIA McBRIDE

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ENTER to WIN your very own SIGNED copy of PRAEFATIO!!!
Giveaway ends June 24th. Spread the word!

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Have a question for Georgia, ask away!!! And for those of you who are YA writers, have you heard of YALitchat? Are you a part of this awesome community?