Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Tara Tyler Pops In

I'm really happy to welcome Tara Tyler, author of Pop Travel, here as part of her fantastic blog tour. If you've followed Tara at all you know she's been popping up all over the place, so I'm thrilled that she decided to stop by here as well.

Tara's original plans for her stop here involved a local book festival and didn't work out the way we'd hoped, so she was kind enough to offer to interview me for her tour. So here is our interview and also all the scoop on the fantastic Pop Travel.



Since my friend, Julie lives in Ohio and has recent releases as well, I offered to interview her for our stop on the Pop Travel blog tour... Here goes.

Julie, you work in a small college library, can you tell us more about that?

It's an interesting time to be working in academia because everything seems to be in a constant state of flux as we all try to adapt to the ongoing changes in technology. I think as librarians we are just always working to find the best ways to help our students in this new reality. The college where I work is implementing more online courses to meet the needs of our students and that has provided us with both challenges and opportunities. Also, our traditional students are part of the “born digital” generation, which means they have never known a world that didn't include the internet and all that goes along with it. I have always enjoyed working with our students and still do, but for the first time I now really feel quite old!

Would you share a thrilling excerpt from Polar Night, your paranormal thriller? 
 
Thanks for asking! Here is a short excerpt:

Aleksei headed for the Snow Creek kitchen and opened his private refrigerator. He took out a bag of blood, and poured it into a crystal glass. He was so grateful for Alaskan blood banks. He could always make sure he was well stocked on food for the winter.

He felt himself relax as he sipped the blood and fed his hunger. He could have gone out to hunt, as there was an Inupiat tribe not far away, but he didn’t feel like working tonight. He had neither the energy nor the ambition. 

He returned to his study and to the comfort of his leather armchair. Staring at the wall, he went over the evening in his mind.

There was no longer any doubt that Maria was not making the grade. Not only was she too talkative, and too damn nosy, but she couldn’t even wear the clothes he had given her with any sense of elegance. She was simply not suitable. 

Besides that, he couldn't stop thinking of the Irish detective and his rude invasion of Aleksei's home. In the back of his mind, he knew the detective was on to him, and he'd figure out a reason to come back to Snow Creek eventually. He was thankful that at least all of this had come about early on in his cherished winter season. He would have to abandon his New Year's plans, but he had plenty of time to put his new plan in motion and enjoy the rest of the winter. 

He would have no trouble finding Maria's replacement, since he had all of her family’s contact information in his guest book. It would be a piece of cake. And this time, he was going to make her his permanent companion. He knew it was time. 

He finished his dinner of blood and put the glass on the table next to him. His groin tingled with anticipation. 

He would bring Katie here, and she would be his. He shook his head, almost imperceptibly. No, it wouldn’t be Katie at all.

It would be Katerina. 

Have you visited the places you write about? Or do you base your settings on research? Where is a destination you would like to go? 

I relied entirely on research for Polar Night because I have never been to Alaska. I hope I did justice to both the state and the city of Fairbanks! I felt much more comfortable writing about the setting for my next book, The Ghosts of Aquinnah, because it takes place on Martha's Vineyard and I have been going there since I was a child. So that one was easier for me, but I loved researching Alaska and trying to put myself into the setting. As far as a destination I would like to go, that would have to be Alaska! I've always wanted to go there but now even more so. I wish the teleportation of Pop Travel was real and I could use it to pop to Fairbanks and the towns of the Arctic. :)

What are you working on now? Are you developing Polar Night into a series? 

I would love to make Polar Night into a series. Right now I am working on a sequel but I admit I have a lot of work to do on it. I have been concentrating primarily on getting ready for the publication of The Ghosts of Aquinnah, which will be out in December of this year. But now that I've done as much as I can do with that before its release I am hoping to get back to my sequel and really make progress with it.

Thanks again, Julie for letting me interview you!



Now, here are some details for Pop Travel.

Cooper thought he could get through
life without having to pop...
Pop Travel by Tara Tyler
A tale of deception and teleportation.

When a distraught client enters J.L. Cooper's small town detective agency, ranting about a pop travel teleportation cover up, Cooper takes the case. He blames the pop travel craze for his wife's death and would love to expose a glitch in it.

But the glitch turns out to be disintegrating travelers. And now, his client is dead, his secretary is missing, and a hitman is stalking him. Plus there's all the webcams watching his every move. Cooper must find a way to expose the deadly flaw, while using pop travel to escape the maniacs covering it up, not to mention save a couple of tag-alongs he's not sure he can trust. No problem.

Available now on Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Goodreads  <==>  Trailer  <==> FB Author Page


After having a hand in everything from waitressing to teaching math to rocket engineering, Tara Tyler now writes and teaches in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. In addition to her novels, she has published short stories and poetry in Science Fiction, Fantasy, Thriller, and Humor. So many stories to tell!






Thank you, Tara for being here and for the interview! :)

30 comments:

  1. Sometimes series aren't easy to write! (Trust me.) Hopefully you do get to visit Alaska some day.

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  2. I have to agree with Alex on writing a series. Working on one.

    Good interview.

    Hugs and chocolate,
    Shelly

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  3. The born digital generation - now I feel old, too.

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  4. Your book sounds great. I'm adding it to my TBR pile. I think a series would be difficult--so many things to remember. Hopefully you visit Alaska. I haven't been there either, but it's on my list.

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  5. i loved interviewing julie, she is so sweet! and thoughtful! i hope you get to visit ak too!

    alex & shelly, i agree! i like to end at one but when i read & like a book & char i want more, so we have to write more for the readers!

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  6. That snippet creeped me out...in the best of ways. She wears her clothes wrong? That speaks volumes about his character, one I wouldn't want to know outside of a book!

    Best of luck to you and Tara!

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  7. That's the first I've heard of the phrase, born digital. I wasn't but I adapted well, lolol!

    Hmm, Pop Travel has an interesting premise and for sure a nice dose of danger and intrigue. Have to check it out.

    Sia McKye Over Coffee

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  8. @Alex, thanks, I hope so.

    @Shelly, thank you.

    @Diane, it's awful, isn't it? LOL I feel 100 sometimes.

    @TBM, thank you!

    @Tara, aww, thanks!

    @Elizabeth, yeah, I wouldn't want to know him outside of a book either. Thanks so much.

    @Sia, I definitely wasn't either but I've tried to adapt too LOL.

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  9. What a fun interview, Tara! Thank you!

    And Julie, the more I learn about you and your writing process the more I like you!

    I'm adding Pop Travel to my to-read list- it sounds so thrilling!

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  10. Thanks for sharing life as a librarian and an excerpt from your book Julie. You are a great interviewer Tara, you asked cool questions. Aleksei is definitely one dark guy, the detective has a lot to deal with. Poor Katie.

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  11. @Beverly, thank you! That's so nice of you to say.

    @Sheena-kay, thanks so much. And Katie really is in trouble. :(

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  12. Eek! Such a wonderful excerpt! How am I supposed to go the rest of the day WITHOUT reading now, huh? Did you think about that before unkindly addicting me to your wonderful book? *glare* The kids can do without a mother....right?

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  13. You would get a good laugh out of me, then. Several years ago, after searching the library in vain, I leaned in and whispered to the librarian, "Where's the card catalog?"

    You should have seen the look on her face. xD

    Cut me some slack, guys. I hadn't been to a public library since college. :P

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  14. @Crystal, I would say they definitely can LOL. Just for a little while. :D
    Thanks so much!

    @Melissa, LOL, I still kind of miss the card catalog. The students now would think it was a relic of some ancient civilization.

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  15. My husband wants to visit Alaska, it's the only place he wants to visit! Lol. Some day. :)

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  16. You'll get there someday, Julie, and when you do Alaska will be that much sweeter. Did you see Yolanda's post on it yesterday? She had a real adventure!
    Great interview, ladies!

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  17. Polar Night was a wonderful book, creepy. I've never heard a story line like Pop Travel. It sounds like it would be a good read.

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  18. I loved Polar Night. Series seem to go faster. You'll find it so if you write one. I think they are...

    Anyway looking forward to Julie's new one. How fun to run into Tara here.

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  19. Great interview and excerpt, gosh my TBR list isn't getting shorter but yours has moved up!

    I read all books written with an Alaskan setting. My first year there was in Fairbanks! Can't wait!

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  20. Julie, I didn't realise you've not visited Alaska! Ha! Great interview, Tara.

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  21. nice except from Polar Night Julie..

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  22. @Rachel, oh, that's funny that's the only place he wants to go. I hope he makes it!

    @PK, I did see Yolanda's post, I love her Alaskan adventures. Thanks!

    @Nana, thanks to much, I'm so glad you liked it. I agree about Pop Travel.

    @Mary, thank you!

    @Yolanda, mine keeps getting longer too LOL. I hope you will like the book and that I did justice to the setting, thanks so much.

    @Lynda, no, I faked it LOL. I hope that didn't show too much.

    @David, thanks!

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  23. Hi Tara and Julie! Great interview. One day I'd like to go to Alaska too.

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  24. Alaska is definitely on my list of dream vacations! Loved the interview. ☺

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  25. diane, i read an article about the first digital generation, what were we? the tv generation?

    tbm, thats awesome! thanks!

    elizabeth, julie has a great way with words!

    sia, adapt or die, right? and thank you!

    beverly, thank you! and julie is a wonderful person!

    sheena, thanks for stopping by! julie does a great job w/her characters!

    crystal, you crack me up!

    melissa (& julie) my detective goes to the future library "museum" to do some offline research!

    rachel, its a unique place, i can see why!

    pk, funny she should mention it!

    nana, thank you! i am excited about the next one too!

    mary, speaking of the next one, it did go faster, but with less back story, its on the short side... needs more second story...

    yolanda, you are all over!!

    lynda, thank you. i thought she had been there too!

    christine, thanks! love your new pic!

    dana, i hear the cruises are good! miss ya, hon!

    thanks again julie!

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  26. Well, one good thing about the age of technology is you can find better research on the Net than from Encyclopedia Brittania :)

    That was an intriguing excerpt.

    .......dhole

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  27. It was interesting learning about your work in the college library Julie. Great interview Tara and Julie! Congrats on Pop Travel Tara!

    Julie

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  28. @Christine, thanks!

    @Dana, I know, it would be such an amazing vacation I think.

    @Donna, definitely true LOL. Thanks about the excerpt!

    @Julie, thank you!

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  29. Nice switcheroo on the interview! Let's get Tara going on making Pop travel real, because I'd like to go to Alaska too.

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  30. @Nicki, LOL, she needs to get busy. We all have places to go. :D

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