Tour Stop: Storm of the Gods by Amy Braun - Interview - Giveaway!

Storm of the Gods
By: Amy Braun
Series: (An Areios Brothers Novel)
Publication date: August 27th 2018
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

The first in a brand new urban fantasy series where gods roam and mortals fight, STORM OF THE GODS follows two brothers who are caught in a conspiracy revolving around ancient artifacts, and find themselves siding with their supposed enemies rather than the Olympian who demands their loyalty…

Thirty years ago, the gods of Greek legend returned to the world. Their return restored their powers, which had been spent in a cataclysmic battle with the Titans. With the ancient deities imprisoned in Tartarus, the Olympians now reside in Néo Vasíleio, formerly known as California.

Twenty-four-year-old Derek Aerios is a war scion, a descendent of Ares, the God of War. He and his brother, eighteen-year-old Liam, capture mythological creatures and rogue scions as part of Ares’s elite military force. As he struggles to cope with his violent powers and the scars of a traumatic childhood, Derek tries to keep the two vows he has made: protect his brother, and never kill a human again.

But when Ares forces him to hunt and kill four rogue scions under Athena’s control—by threatening Liam’s life—Derek chooses to go after the scions in order to save his brother and keep his promise to himself.

Yet the closer Derek gets to the scions, the more he realizes that his orders are part of a deeper conspiracy that put him at odds with his mission and his conscience. Athena may not be the enemy, a traitor could be in their midst, and the Titans could be closer to freedom than ever before.

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Let’s start with, how are you this find day?

Good, except I’m suuuuper hot right now. My part of Canada’s been having a heat  wave and my only source of cooling down is a fan. But at least the sun is shining and I can work on my tan on the balcony!

Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?

Honestly, I can get inspired by anything. Usually its books or comics or movies or lately, anime, but sometimes it can be as obscure as a digitally created image, a book cover, or even a quote. I once got an idea from a song title while I was walking to Walmart.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I guess my first “official” book was a dystopian sci-fi story I wrote as part of a writing project one of my best friends wanted to try in high school, so I was in my early teens. It was never published, but it followed mutants, kidnappings, and unlikely romances. After that, I started writing as a hobby until I learned it wasn’t going to be a hobby forever: It was going to be my career.  

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

Reading, usually. I go through at least three books a week, depending on page count. I’m also really big into coloring so I do that whenever I need to relax and watch Netflix. I’m also big into gaming, but haven’t found the time for it, which kind of sucks because I was having a lot of fun with Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag before I took a break to write. I am the shark hunting queen.

What does your family think of your writing?

They love it! They’re my biggest fans. My mom is always asking for updates and buying my books and recommending them to co-workers. My dad is also super enthusiastic and is waiting for me to get a movie deal.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating your books?

That I will constantly get better, and that my work will be noticed. I once had my novel Crimson Sky featured on Michael J. Sullivan’s (Riyria novels and Legends of the First Empire series) website, and he gave me so much advice and hope that I can make it to the NYT bestseller list. I look at what I write now as compared to what I wrote in the past, and I see how far I’ve come. And I want to push myself farther. With every book I write, I try something new and add it to my knowledge. It’s a constant learning experience, and one I’m eternally grateful for.

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

All told, I’ve written nine full length novels, three novellas, and about a dozen short stories. Right now, Storm of the Gods is my favorite. It’s a concept that has been with me for a long time and I’m thrilled to finally share it. It’s gone through many edits and rewrites but at the end, I came up with a story I was completely proud of and in love with. I don’t know if it will be the book that kickstarts me to a higher level of independent publishing, but honestly, I don’t care if it doesn’t. I love the plot. I love the world. I love Derek and Liam and their allies and adventures. I want to share that love with other readers, too.

Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?

I do, and many times I get questions about ARCs and upcoming promotions. But I always, always love hearing from readers and want their opinions! Even if they just want to stop by and say hello, I’m happy to respond!

Have you even been sent fan art?

I have! My friend once drew me a sketch of a character from my Dark Sky series and I absolutely love it! I follow a lot of authors who post fan art they get for #FanArtFriday and it always amazes me the level of skill these fans have! To me, fan art is one of the highest praises an author can get from their readers.

What do you think makes a good story?

A good story is one that completely captures you in its world, and makes you feel like  you’re there on the sidelines. It’s bold, exciting, full of twists and turns that make you want to scream, characters that bring tears to your eyes, and action that legitimately pounds your pulse. Whenever I feel my eyes widen and quickly flip to the next page of a book, I know it’s a good story, because I literally do not want to wait to get to the next page.  

As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?

A marine biologist! I love the ocean and find it so fascinating. I’ve always loved whales and dolphins, and in September I’ll be fulfilling one of my dreams by going whale watching and swimming in the Great Barrier reef.

What is that one weird quirk about yourself, that no one else knows?

The top of my index fingers bend in opposite directions. It’s physically impossible for me to push them together, but I’ve never broken them. The secret’s out now!

If you had your time back what would you tell yourself about writing?

That I should have started sooner, and that you get what you pay for. To be fair, I never thought writing would be my career. I hadn’t given it much thought during a lull between high school and my early twenties. I didn’t go to school for it, and there are definitely things I wish I had done or known about earlier. But that’s part of any career: It’s a learning experience, one that you grow from and are stronger for.  

Last but not least,

What advice would you give aspiring writers?

The same advice I’ve been given/learned from what other authors have said.

1. You will get rejected many times by literary agents and publishers, but it will never be personal. Your story may not be right for the market or the person you’re querying, or maybe you made a mistake in your query or there are unpolished aspects to your story. Literary agents are never out to hurt or insult you, and when you do get those rejections, they will always encourage you to keep trying. Every single author you’ve ever read has been rejected. It’s the way of the business, and en excuse to try harder.

2. Don’t burn yourself out. You’re allowed to take breaks. I’m actually still learning this myself. I see so many successful NYT authors who are rocking it at Comic Con and living their dreams and all I can think is: “I need to work harder to be up there with them.” But you need to take care of yourself, too. Otherwise, you’ll get to the point I did: You lose motivation, keep scrapping projects, and feel like everything you write is terrible. Take time to unwind and breathe and then think about your project. You’re more important than it is.

3. You have to do everything yourself, but it’s okay to ask for help. There is only so much publishers and editors can do for you. The story is your responsibility, so you need to work to give it the spotlight it deserves. But never be ashamed to ask for help, especially if it’s from an author you admire. I’ve done this multiple times, and even if I had to wait and the reply was brief, it was just what I needed to hear. From what I’ve experienced so far, the professional writing community is filled with good people who have worked hard to get where they are, and want to help others overcome the same challenges they’ve faced.

4. Don’t give up. I’ve gotten more rejections than I care to mention, tend to hop one trends too late, and know that even if I love a story and think “it’s The One,” it will probably be a few more years before I see traditional publication and write full time. But I haven’t been anywhere Stephen King and J. R. R. Tolkien and J. K. Rowling have never been. I’ve reached a point in my budding career where I no longer wish to be an NYT bestseller. I will be one, because I believe in myself, and I push myself to write on the hard days. I understand that I will create an gigantic project with mistakes, have it picked apart by editors, sew it all together, and send it to agents only to have it rejected or ignored. And I will keep doing this because I love it. It’s passion for the craft, and every day I work to stoke the flames.

Thank you for answers my questions

Thank you so much for having me! It was a lot of fun! Thank you to all the readers who came by as well! Now, if you’ll please excuse me, I’m going back to tan on my balcony… ☺

Amy is a Canadian urban fantasy and horror author. Her work revolves around monsters, magic, mythology, and mayhem. She started writing in her early teens, and never stopped. She loves building unique worlds filled with fun characters and intense action.

When she isn’t writing, she’s reading, watching movies, taking photos, gaming, struggling with chocoholism and ice cream addiction, and diving headfirst into danger in Dungeons & Dragons campaigns.

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