giveaway and Interview with Janelle Stalder

Interview with Janelle Stalder
and Giveaway (US ONLY) ( Giveaway closed - Winner is Courtney)

Eden by Janelle Stalder has to be one of my favorite books of 2011 and a must read for all . I have gotten to know Janelle quite well and not only is she a wonderful writer but a very nice author and friend. Be sure to check out my review of Eden here on the blog. I have had the pleasure of reading some of her next book Eden- West and let me tell you it is going to be a must read.

Brief Bio Written by Eden author Janelle Stalder–

I grew up in Brampton, Ontario, Canada. My mother is from here and my father is originally from Switzerland, so we spent many summers over there visiting family. I have two older siblings, which makes me the baby of the family! My and sister and I actually have the exact same birthday, but we’re three years apart, so we’re definitely close. I like to think I was the best birthday present she ever got! (She’d disagree, but whatever.) I had my son when I was 19, so I’ve been a mommy my entire adult life. I’m not sure what kind of person I would be if I didn’t have him. Aiden has definitely made me appreciate every day, and made me realize the important things in life. I also have a daughter now who is 2 ½, and quickly turning into a little diva. I write YA novels. My first published book is Eden, which is the first installment in the series. There will be four in total, the next ones being Eden-West, Eden-South, and Eden-East. The second book is currently in the editing and revision stage. I’m still doing a lot of re-writes and things like that, but ideally I’d like to have it out by late Spring. No concrete date yet, but once I have it I’ll post it on my blog and on Goodreads. The third is more than halfway done, which I’d like to get out by the end of this year, but that might be overly optimistic on my part. Eden can be purchased through all major retail sites. Happy Reading!

Interview: Janelle's answers in green


1) What made you want to be a writer? Was it just someday you were like I could so do this writing thing?

Ha, ha I definitely didn’t say “I could so do this writing thing” lol I’m still not sure I can “do this writing thing”! No, writing as just always been my creative outlet. Both of my siblings are either good at art, or music, or both and unfortunately I don’t have an artistic or musical bone in my body. I’m pretty sure my seven year old can draw better than me, and my husband can attest to me being tone-deaf. I’ve always loved to read. That is definitely where it started. I think I have a pretty active imagination as well, as a child I was constantly making up my own games to play. It’s just the way my brain works, I guess. When I got older I simply started to put my ideas down on paper and began writing stories. I love to write and create different characters, and different worlds. It was really just my hobby for a long time. While my husband and I sat at home in the evenings, I would just type away on my computer. It wasn’t really something I had imagined turning into a career. When I finished Eden, I was just so proud of the story, and where I wanted it to go in the next installments, that I finally decided to take the chance and have it published.

2) How did you come about the idea for Eden?.. Was it a dream? or Written in the clouds?

Yes, I was looking up at the clouds one day and there it was! Imagine my surprise! No, no it was really just a thought I had one day while I was driving. My mind tends to wander…a lot. My husband often has to grab my attention again mid-conversation, because he’s lost me somewhere lol The original idea was slightly different, but as with all my new ideas, I just thought about it for a long time until I had it all worked out in my head, and then I started to write it. That’s kind of my lame creative process. Nothing as fancy as a dream. Even now, I have an idea for a new story, but it’s just at the beginning stages of me thinking about it now and then, so I won’t actually write anything until I’ve thought it all up. I’m not one to write any ideas down, they just float around in my head. Might contribute to my lack of attention…not too sure about that one.

3) Ok so here is a hard question. Who is perhaps your favorite character in Eden and why?

Oh, that is a hard one. It’s really difficult to just pick one, because I love them all. Instinctively I want to say Wolf, so I’ll go with that for the sake of the question. Wolf is interesting for me, because he can be quite the complex character. He’s good looking yes, but there is more to him. He’s talented, strong, loyal, funny, charming, passionate, but he can also be quite harsh and challenging. He loves his friends, and is one of the first people to really take Aiden under his wing. Although he acts like he doesn’t care for Elisa, you know that he truly does, and you can see where he shows his concern. I don’t think there is anything that one of his friends could ask of him that he wouldn’t do. He is terribly affected when something bad happens, or someone is hurt. There are just so many faces to him that he is a joy for me to write from his point of view. You never really know what he’s going to do, but there are certain things you can definitely count on from him, and one is that he will always stick up for and protect his friends. I find him very admirable, even though he can be a jerk.

4) Here is a chance to reel more readers in. Describe your book in about 3 words.

Ugh, this is even harder than number three! Hmmm…three words…I guess I’d say “Fun. Romantic. Adventurous.”

5) Any advice you would give to inspire new writers?

I think all new writers just need to keep doing what they’re doing, and write. There is such a supportive community online now that makes it a lot easier for writers to get their work out to the public. Use this to your advantage and get as many people to look at your writing as you can. You might not always hear good things, but that’s okay. Sometimes I find the negative comments are the best, because you can actually learn and grow from your mistakes. Don’t be afraid to have others look at it, like I was. The more opinions the better.

Fun Facts:

1) Favorite Drink – I’m a diet Pepsi sorta gal!

2) Current Book you are reading: Fifty Shades Freed

3) Favorite place to read: On my sofa at home, while my hubby lies beside me watching TV.

4) Digital,paperback, or hardback: All! Honestly, nothing beats a real book, paperback or hardback, doesn’t matter to me, although I really don’t mind ebooks. As long as it’s a book, I don’t care the format!

5) Shoesize: 6 ½ I have abnormally small feet for someone who is 5’6, might be why I’m so clumsy…

6) Name one thing you can’t live without: Oh this is easy for me! Aside from my family, which is the obvious answer, I’m going to say CHOCOLATE! I seriously cannot go a day without having some sort of chocolate. It’s an addiction, for sure.

Here are some links to goodreads and amazon so you can add Eden by Janelle Stalder to your reading list. Here is the Janelle's tumblr

Here is our first giveaway on the blog a signed copy of Eden as well as a map of Eden :)

Make sure to leave your name and email addy in the comments . Thanks

a Rafflecopter giveaway