Erin Irvin-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

ERIN IRVIN-Interview and Giveaway with the Author

From Erin Irvin’s Blogsite  As you probably know, I’m the author of the Lone March Series. I write all sorts of things, though much of it tends to be in the YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Paranormal Romance genres.

Besides writing books, I am a singer-songwriter/musician. My songs, which I generally refer to as quirky anti-folk, are accompanied by my guitar, affectionately known as Bertram, who’s been with me for ten years. I’ve also made one music video and if you look to the right of this page, you should see it around the middle of the right-hand column.

Some years ago, never mind how long precisely, I spent the most glorious year of my life to date in England, studying at the University of Leeds, as an exchange student from the University of North Texas, where I will soon graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in General Studies. My three areas of concentration are Music, Film/Theatre Arts, and Creative Writing. I am a complete nerd for all these subjects. I only mention England because if you’re paying attention, you’ll find out pretty fast that I’m a serious anglophile.

Also, if you care, I make very poor doodles and, for reasons I can’t fully explain, post them on Deviantart→

Let’s Get Started

TRC: Hi Erin and welcome to The Reading Café.  Congratulations on your latest release in the Lone March series MOON-SWELL. We would like to start with some background information.  Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Erin: Sure. Let’s see…Well, I’ve been writing since I was about four years old. My first “book” was called Sally’s Party. It was about a girl named Sally having a birthday party. As I’m sure you can guess it was very imaginative. I wrote about what presents she got and illustrated the whole thing. My mom drew the line at letting me staple the pages together though—she insisted on doing that part for me.

TRC: Many authors develop their love of writing at an early age.  What was the catalyst that sparked your desire to write?

Erin: I don’t think there was a specific catalyst. I honestly can’t remember a time that I wasn’t telling stories in some way or another. I was singing delirious, make-it-up-as-you-go songs when I was probably two or three, I was creating whole worlds with my dolls, filling spirals with doodles and poems, and play-acting with my siblings or by myself. I don’t know how to live day-to-day without these creative outlets.

TRC: What difficulties have you faced as an author?

Erin: Growing up, I had a lot of trouble finding a story that had traction. I had ideas coming out my ears but I was sort of all over the place and my brain was still developing so I would get bored easily and want to move onto some other creative pursuit, or at least some other story. That’s why I loved poetry and songwriting so much because those forms allowed for my shorter attention span to flourish! I didn’t complete a story until I was thirteen (other than Sally’s Party, of course) and even after that it was a struggle. I wrote hundreds of pages of stories when I was in high school but couldn’t seem to finish them. After high school, I wrote a [very poor] one-act play, a couple of short stories, more poetry, and lots of songs. It wasn’t until I was 24 that I completed my first novel. But now that the finding traction issue has passed, I would say my biggest difficulty is being able to step back from a story and see it as a whole, to find its weak spots and flaws. If it’s a series, that gets harder the further on you get because there’s just more going on and there’s more at stake the further in you are. But I like a good challenge so it’s worked for me!

TRC: Your bio states that you are also a musician.  Do you use music as a means to help you write and if so how?

Erin: I do actually. I’ve sometimes written songs to help me get inside the head of a character before I write a particularly difficult scene with that character. And I’ve also done the flipside of that, where I’ve been inspired to write songs based on scenes from my books, or at least based on the emotions of a character in that scene. “Ancient Glass” and “The Pure” are two songs that come to mind just off the top of my head, but the latest one is “Just Two” which is especially interesting—since I’ve never done this with either songwriting or novel writing—because I actually did them both simultaneously; I started the scene, then stopped to write a couple of lines that would end up being the first in the song, then wrote a little more in my chapter, then wrote some more of the song. It was strange but it worked on both ends.

TRC: Would you please tell us about your ‘addiction’ to Dr. Who? 😉

Erin: *Ahem* How did you know about that? How did this get out?? Oh, I guess I have talked about it in both of my blogs a couple of times… So you want me to tell you about my—did I use the word ‘addiction’ myself—did I actually admit to that, or is that your inference from my shamelessly nerdy blogging? Either way, I suppose it’s true. Well, do you have a few hours? Because I can hash this out right now, if you really want me to. I could get into all the specifics of why I love that show but I will no doubt bore 98% of your readers to death. If anyone wants to know—and if you are a sci-fi nerd, or a writer—or even just a lover of good story-telling then I advise you to watch it and find out for yourself. It may be my favorite show, second only to Twin Peaks.

TRC: Would you please tell us about the premise of the Young Adult  LONE MARCH series?

Erin: The Lone March Series is about a girl named March Howe, who finds out she’s the last female were-wolf on earth. At first she’s scrawny, sickly, and very, very sheltered, so therefore, kind of immature. But as her were-wolf traits start coming out, she goes through a lot of physical changes, and by the end of her first Full Moon cycle, she’s sort of blossomed into a young woman. Her maturation is still slow but her position as the last female of her kind pretty much forces her to grow up (at least a little bit) with each book. There’s a lot of mystery about her past, a lot of things the wolves in her pack aren’t telling her, and, I have to say, there are some gritty things in this series, like some heavy issues she has to deal with, pertaining to the fact that she is the last she-wolf. But there is also humor and romance—though it’s always unsettled; March’s romantic life is uncertain and almost always in flux. I think that’s enough to get people going. If I say much more I’ll start giving too much away.

TRC: Your latest book in the series is MOON-SWELL.  Would you please tell us about the premise?

Erin: Why don’t I give you the last paragraph of the official synopsis? This sums it up pretty well:

In Book Four of the Lone March Series, March Howe has to figure out who she can trust, and who’s pretending. In her evolving love triangle, she must decide who’s best for her. And when strange things reveal themselves, it’s time for her to finally come to terms with the fact that she’s different. Will these secrets earn her the trust and respect she deserves from her pack or will the last of the were-wolves go beyond protection…and lock her up once and for all?

So there you go. And I guess I should say this one has more…graphic content, shall we say? It definitely deals more with the romance aspect of March’s life. For those of you who are already readers of Lone March, just know: this book is different from the first three. I like to call Book #4 the beginning of “Act Two” in the Lone March series.

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?

Erin: At least eight. But I can’t say for sure because I never know exactly how long it’s going to take me to tell the story of any given installment. It could be nine. Oh, and there is also one novella planned for after the series ends.

TRC: March is a very angry young woman/werewolf and at times she risks the lives of everyone with whom she has contact, yet Avery Harper (her guardian) seems to take much of it in stride.  Is there an Avery or March in your life that you have based these characters upon?

Erin: Not really. I guess it would be a more interesting answer if they were based on real people but no. I will admit March has a lot of me in her. Not the angry part—that’s all her and her were-wolf hormones—but definitely her awkwardness, her thought progressions, her general fear and doubt. Those things are all very much me. Avery was completely independent of real life. I’m going to sound crazy when I say this, but he created himself. In the beginning, I had a very clear idea of who Avery was going to be and what purpose he would serve in the story—he even had a different name back then—but over the course of writing the first few books, I would get these…what can I call them that won’t make me sound insane?…little whispers that would sneak up out of nowhere. (Yeah, that’s not crazy at all, is it?) But it’s true, as I wrote him, he would make these inferences on his own character and his actions and I felt very compelled to trust that and respect the character’s independence. I’m really not crazy, I promise (well, maybe a little). It’s hard to explain—even some other writers I’ve spoken with don’t get what I’m talking about. But for lack of better phrasing, I let my characters tell me who they are. And Avery’s not the only character to straight-up tell me no and demand his own way!

TRC: If you could virtual cast the Lone March series, which actors or models would best represent the major characters?

Erin: Ah! I’m always afraid of this question—and I have to answer it so many times! I should just come up with a finalized list and make it a rote recitation. But I can’t ever decide. It used to be Emma Roberts as March, but I guess she’s getting too old now. Maybe Chloё Grace Moretz would make a good March? She’s about the right age and has definitely demonstrated both a gentle, innocent side, and a darker, angsty side, in the movies I’ve seen. March needs both, for obvious reasons. She’s got to be able to pull off a major sense of weakness and fear, as well as strength and courage. It’s a hard mix. As for the others…I don’t know…Adrien Brody has a very raven-like quality so he would make a good Avery. I know one for sure—I have always pictured Quinn, from the moment of his conception, as Kris Kristofferson. Hands down, he would make the perfect—well, he IS Quinn. Funnily enough, Adam Brody (no relation to Adrien that I am aware of) is who I pictured for Deckard, albeit a younger version of him—more like when he played Dave Rygalski in Gilmore Girls. That’s all I know—I’m tapped out.

TRC: There are certain ‘unwritten’ guidelines for writing Young Adult storylines but sometimes the lines blur, especially knowing many of the readers are adults.  Where do you think the lines should be drawn as it pertains to sex and violence (graphic or otherwise) in young adult storylines?

Erin: Oh, I don’t know. I mean I have a running debate with myself about where to draw the line; I think about it all the time. It’s a very blurry line—it’s a blurry subject. A large part of me says it’s my story and I have to tell it how I want to tell it without worrying about what everyone will think—because if you worry about other people’s opinions all the time you’ll drive yourself crazy and end up hitting a wall in your writing. But there is another part of me that does feel an obligation—or, more accurately, a responsibility to represent what I believe to be good morals and decision-making in my main characters. And if he/she screws up, then I feel a responsibility to make them pay for their mistakes or at least face them and learn from them. For Lone March, we’re talking about were-wolves, so there have to be some elements of the grotesque, the macabre, anger and violence, and overcharged hormones. It’s just in their nature. What fun is a were-wolf who never has the urge to thrash around and engage in some mild sexual activity? The answer is no fun at all.

TRC: What difficulties did you face getting this series to publication?

Erin: For Moon-Linked, I had more trouble than with subsequent books. I saved up a lot of money to get it in print by self-publishing and to pay for a professional cover. That was quite a hurdle for me, being, at the time, a broke, full-time college student with no job. And it took a while to find a cover artist, and then when I did, he was far away and I’d never met him in person, so it was difficult to communicate what I wanted in emails. The cover turned out great but after that, a friend volunteered to do the others, and he’s such a talented (Emmy-award-winning) genius that I never have to communicate anything twice; he just gets it and turns my simple idea into something way cooler than I could possibly imagine.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas with other authors, family and friends.  With whom do you bounce ideas?

Erin: First, my sister, Lauren, who is a writer too. (She’s working on a series that has a fairy princess as the main character—but she’s not what you think of when you think ‘fairy princess’ in the least. She’s a total badass. My mouth was hanging on the floor for nearly every page of reading that book because she was so arrestingly fearless and powerful and hardcore!) Anyway, we have major idea-bouncing sessions with each other. Second, my dear friend, with whom I share my first name, Erin. She’s also a writer. (And she’s working on an amazing graphic novel trilogy, of which she’s doing the artwork herself, and which is also very fantasy-based and has a really beautiful and inspiring message.) We bounce ideas every time we talk on the phone or see each other. And third, my fiancé, Travis. He gets the brunt of the idea-bouncing. All three of them are very helpful and encouraging. And they’re all smarter than I am so that helps!

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Erin: I am about 75% through the first draft of Lone March #6. I have another YA paranormal series—it’s actually a trilogy—and a middle grade four-book paranormal series, both of which I will be able to dive back into once I finish Lone March. I’m just too immersed in March’s world to focus on anything else at the same time.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Erin: Yes—I want to thank all my amazing readers, who are coming along with me and March through her turbulent journey. You guys are awesome!

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Pizza

Favorite Dessert: Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Favorite TV Show: Twin Peaks

Favorite Movie: Matilda

Last Movie you Saw: In Theaters: The Master; At Home: Deathly Hallows Part 1.

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark!

Last Vacation Destination: San Diego, for Comic-Con 2011.

TRC: Thank you Erin for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the new release. We wish you all the best.

Erin is offering a paperback collection of books 1-4 in her Lone March series to one lucky member at The Reading Cafe.

1.  You must be a member at The Reading Cafe to qualify for the giveaway.  If you are not a member, please register using the log-in at the top of the page or by using one of the social log-ins.

2.  If you are using a social log-in such as Twitter or Google, please post a comment along with your email address as Twitter etc does not allow for email information (if we have to contact you as the winner).

3.  The giveaway is open to USA only.

4.  Giveaway runs from November 28 to December 1, 2012

Share

Lone March series by Erin Irvin-a review of books 1-4

LONE MARCH YA series by Erin Irvin-a review of books 1-4

 

MOON-LINKED (Lone March #1)

MOON-LINKED is the first storyline in Erin Irvin’s young adult Lone March series focusing on 15 year old March Howe and the discovery she is not human. The basic premise is interesting-March finally reaches puberty at the age of 15 and in a 24 hour cycle, she gets her period, develops unusual body hair, increased hearing and sight, falls in love and grows several inches. And to complicate matters, her new boyfriend’s father has taken a dislike to March. But what March will discover is that Ethyn Harper’s father knows exactly what has been happening to March and why.

March will discover that she is a shape shifter- and the last of her kind. There are several different species of ‘were’ including raven, cougar and wolves, but March is the last surviving female of her clan due to a war between the species. Every female was eradicated to ensure the species did not continue, but we will learn that March did not meet the same fate as the other females.

The first 2/3 of the book we follow March as she tries to figure out what is happening to her body, and the last 1/3 she must follow the dictates of her new clan and the impending full moon. Her first shift isn’t pretty and what she discovers is that she will become the pawn in a war between the clans. The clan with the female holds the power.

I had a couple concerns with Moon Linked but one in particular involved a ‘real’ wolf and its need to be with March.  Yes, I know this is a paranormal storyline that involves shifters and werewolves (What? Werewolves are NOT real? ) but it made for a few uncomfortable moments.  Everyone knows I am NOT a prude and I do not have too many issues with the content in most storylines, but this one had me a little–unsettled.

MOON-LINKED is an interesting and different look at a ‘were’ shifter series. There is some humor as our heroine tries to deal with her new and improved body. There is a potential for the requisite YA love triangle and of course, the popular and cool crowd wants nothing to do with March and her friends. I suspect there are others of varying species about to evolve and manifest in the halls of the local high school. The writing is simple, the storyline is fast paced and easy to read and, Erin lets the reader in on her version of the ‘were’ myth and how it has affected the varying species on earth.

ORDER NOW: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO

MOON-ACHE (Lone March #2)

MOON-ACHE is the second storyline in Erin Irvin’s Lone March series. It has only been a few days since March’s first change and already the ‘were ‘world is very much aware of her existence. When her new pack ran into some internal troubles, March would find herself back with the Harper’s. Running from the pack only made sense when the new self-proclaimed alpha was determined to make March his mate. But life wasn’t about to get any easier, when she discovers that the only family she has known is gone and social services has placed her with a religious zealot who doesn’t stop at anything to keep March in line. Once again, escape is her only option and this time she will find herself back with the Harper’s. When Avery Harper reveals to what extent her new pack has had to endure because of her existence, March decides that to take matters into her own hands.

Meanwhile March’s personal life runs into a little trouble. The requisite YA love triangle has emerged. We all saw it coming. As the only female of her species, she is wanted and hunted by all of the clans, and life as a breeder is not on her agenda. But when a young were from her pack begins to have feelings for March, territorial instincts will kick in and March’s high school boyfriend will become the victim of a jealous rage. Knowing her presence in his life could possibly lead to further problems and attack, it is March’s decision to let go and move on with her new life.

MOON-ACHE reveals the existence of a few more ‘were’ species and further develops upon the animosity between the groups. There is still no revelation about what has happened to create such hatred between the supernatural powers but we are closer to discovering why this has occurred. And the were-ravens-all I can say is Victorian England probably never looked so stuffy—“quoth the raven-Nevermore.”

ORDER NOW: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO

MOON-BURN (Lone March #3) by Erin Irvin

MOON-BURN will find March on the run with an unwelcome partner. Knowing his intentions towards March are for personal gain and power, she takes control of the situation from the start- using gun power at every opportunity- the former alpha wanna-be becomes her personal target. The girl should not be allowed to hold a gun but we will discover that she had a good reason to keep him under control. At this point and throughout most of this particular storyline March’s anger is out of control, but it is explained away as wolf-rage. When March attempts a rescue of the pack, Avery Harper will once again drop in like the super hero and help March save the day. But March will remain the number one person on every were-wolf’s hit list. Whoever is in possession and marks the female, has power over the other packs. And there are other packs looking to claim March as one of their own.

To complicate matters, everyone at school is now treating her like a celebrity. With at least 2 abductions (and a runaway) to her credit, March has topped the A-list for wannabes cliques and one-time enemies seeking information. But it is her ‘relationships’ with Ethyn and Greyson that amped up my angst. She continues to play a game with their hearts. Her Jekyll and Hyde persona is disconcerting for both me, as the reader and the storyline characters. Werewolf rage is not pretty, and definitely, not an easy read.

One thing that made me uncomfortable in this particular storyline- March has developed sexual feelings towards her guardian Avery Harper. Avery is the father (and were-raven) of her on-again/off-again boyfriend Ethyn and at every opportunity March is throwing herself into Avery’s embrace. To say the least, when a 15year old girl has a fascination with an older man, it becomes more than uncomfortable in a young adult storyline.

MOON-BURN divides the storyline between her life with the pack and her life back in school. There is no easy solution in the short term, but some major anger management is definitely something that has to be considered.

ORDER NOW: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / KOBO

MOON-SWELL is the latest (November 2012 release) storyline in the Lone March series and with it comes some major revelations. We follow March as she travels between pack den and the Harper household but her feelings become conflicted when she believes everyone is hiding secrets-and they are. Not knowing what the future holds, she is fully aware that the pack is preparing to go to war to protect the only remaining female werewolf. There is a feud between the species, and the wolves are at the center of it all.

March’s relationship with both Ethyn and Greyson will hit some rough patches as she learns to deal with her wolf hormone-induced aggression. Her friends will eventually turn their backs on March and, Greyson’s decision to leave will force March to take another look at the damage she has inflicted, but it won’t take long before the young shifter finds another target for her affections and finally gives in to her hormonal drives. But this new target is more than just human and his involvement with March will bring out another side that can only be explained by the very people keeping her true heritage under wraps. Although the sexual encounter was not graphic in content, there was a sexual encounter-none the less.

March’s relationship with Avery will continue to be uncomfortable for me. Avery reveals his feelings for March –that of a father to a daughter, but with that realization, March is once again conflicted with her own emotions towards the man who has sworn to protect her from the others and in most cases, from herself.

March in many ways is your typical rebellious teen but with the added difficulty of being a shape-shifter and the only female were-wolf in existence. But that doesn’t excuse her self-centered attitude and self-appointed god-like status. She actually considers herself royalty among the wolves. The history of the ‘were’ will reveal some major turn of events, when the players involved are closer to March than she could have imagined. This is a story of stereotypes, racism (as in species) and prejudiced attitudes to towards anyone with a differing set of DNA.

MOON-SWELL continued to run up my YA love triangle angst, especially when March continues to deny any responsibility or culpability for her actions towards the opposite sex. She is in a perpetual state of anger, rage and arousal, and lashes out without thinking about the consequences of her actions to others and especially her friends.

Once again, the storyline is fast paced although I would like to see more interaction between March and her pack. There are also some Harper family secrets that have yet to be revealed when Avery’s flock of ravens alludes to some major indiscretions in his past. Moon-Swell is another interesting storyline and look at a shape-shifting phenomenon.

ORDER NOW: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Overall, The Lone March series is an interesting and fascinating read.  Erin Irvin has put her own spin on the shape-shifter genre centred on the ‘lone’ survivor of a war between the species. Erin has written a series that takes many of the human problems of hatred and animosity between race and religion, and applies the same to the varying species in her shifter world.

But as you can guess, I had a couple of issues as it pertained to the Young Adult storyline and the heroine’s need to  ‘have sex’ and ‘mate’. The storyline tells of a young, 15 year old (turned 16 in Moon Swell)  shifter girl adjusting to life as an angry, hormonal female wolf but I did not consider her behavior with the boys (and men including her guardian) as role model material for the YA genre. I am especially concerned with her attempts (to) and fascination with seducing her boyfriend’s father. The series is directed at young adult females and the sexual aggression and actions of the 15 year old female heroine were disconcerting and uncomfortable (for me).  

Copies supplied by the author.

Reviewed by Sandy

Share