January's Indie Author of the Month is...

It’s that time again! Time to bestow the great honor of Indie Author of the Month to another one of my favs!

And who would that be? Drumroll please…….

Courtney Cole!

For those of you that know Courtney you know she is freaking AH-MAZE-ZING! For those of you who don’t know Court, this will get you on board…

Courtney Cole is a novelist who lives near Lake Michigan. Her favorite place in the world is on the shore with her toes in the water. Although, since she is deathly afraid of sea gulls, it makes days at the beach interesting.

Courtney is the author of several YA series (The Paradise Diaries, The Bloodstone Saga and The Moonstone Saga) as well as a couple adult series (The Cougar Chronicles and The Minaldi Legacy). Her next project is a Women’s Contemporary Romance titled If You Stay, which will release on February 12, 2013.

To learn more about Courtney, visit her website, www.courtneycolewrites.com

She's awesome, right? I know! I had the great pleasure of chatting with Courtney and throwing some of my mediocre interview questions her way. Check it!

M: Alright Courtney, we'll start with an easy one. How long have you been full time writer?

C:  I’ve been writing full-time for a couple of years.  The problem was, that for the first year and a half, I still had a full-time day-job too.  Luckily, I’m an insomniac, so the inability to sleep came in handy during that time.  Haha.

M:What was the last book you read?

C: I am usually only able to read when I am editing or in between books.  And I was just fortunate enough to read Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker and Vain by Fisher Amelie this past weekend.  Both were excellent and I highly recommend them.  Lovely authors, amazing books.

M: Adding those to my TBR list as we speak! Looking back on 2012 what was your favorite moment/memory?

C: Quitting my full-time dayjob.  It was a surreal experience.  I left at lunchtime that day and had lunch with my husband.  It was an amazing feeling to know that I didn’t have to go back.  It was amazing to know that my future was solely going to be in my hands.  Although, that was a little terrifying, too. 

M: I applaud you! That is so amazing! What's next for Courtney Cole?

C: My next book is If You Stay.  I’m sooooo excited about it.  I think it’s my favorite work of mine so far.  It will release February 12, 2013.  It’s explicit and gritty, but I’m hoping that the story will grab you with both hands and pull you in. 

M: I have no doubt it will! I cannot wait! So, do you have any events on the agenda for 2013?

C: Well, so far, I am thinking of going to UtopYA in June and then I am scheduled to be at the Naughty Mafia Rocks Vegas in August.  It’s an event with a bunch of best-selling authors—some I can’t wait to see again and some I can’t wait to meet.  If you’re in the Vegas area in August, you should check us out!

M: Vegas sounds delightful! You should definitely hit up UtopYA because it is going to be epic AND I'm going! Yay! I can't wait. Sorry, I get really excited at the mere mention of UtopYA. Time to pick your brain a bit.  If you could have any fictional character as your real life bestie, who would it be?

C: Probably Sara from Confessions of an Alli Cat.  How can you not like Sara?  She’s ornery and frustrating, but so freaking hilarious. 

M: I completely agree! Sara in your life would keep things interesting. Here's a tougher one. If you could have any fictional character as your boy toy, who would it be?

C: Hmm.  From my own books?  Maybe Luca Minaldi.  From someone else’s book?  Holy cow.  There are so many.  Maybe Cash Davenport from Down to You by M. Leighton. Or Andrew Parrish from Edge of Never.  He’s pretty yummy, too.

M: Mmm...Luca...Cash. *wipes drool* I must learn more of this Andrew character, making a mental note. Enough of the boy toys for the moment at least. What is your most prized possession?

C: My kids.  :)   Although they would argue that they’re not possessions.  In reality, they’re little minions.  Bwahaha.  But I love them. 

M: LOL! Minions, I love it! What is one thing not many people know about you?

C: Ummmmm.  I like to have the volume on my car stereo set to an even number.  Weird, right? 

M: That is so NOT weird. This coming from a seriously OCD person who likes to sort her M&Ms by color. *giggles* Alrighty! We're almost done. Let's wrap things up with the speed round…respond with the first thing that comes to mind:

Color?  Red

Song?  The Last Time by Taylor Swift and Gary Lightbody  (It’s on the top of my playlist for If You Stay…)

Food?  Chicken enchiladas (it’s what I had for dinner)

Place?  Home. My favorite.

Book?  Edge of Never…because now I’m thinking about Andrew Parrish…

Movie?  Parental Guidance.  I just saw it yesterday with my kids.

Season?  Summer.  Because that’s what I wish it was…

Animal?   Puppies.  Because we recently just got a baby Yorkie for my daughter.  We’ve got puppy toys everywhere.

 Isn't Courtney just the bestest?! Thank you so much for taking the time to hang with me for a bit, Courtney! It is greatly appreciated! 

Now, it's time to kick off the giveaways! Woo hoo! For those of you new to Indie Author of the Month this is how it goes. Each week you can enter to win the weekly giveaway (which includes Courtney Cole e-books and fun swag) along with earning an entry towards the SUPER MEGA AWESOME GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY (which includes Courntey Cole books, swag, & a $15 Amazon/B&N gift card)! So, technically if you are really lucky you can win each week!!! There's more details under the Giveaways Rules & Details Tab or if you have any questions just drop me a line!

So, how do you get entered to win a Courntey Cole e-book of your choice AND your first entry towards the SUPER MEGA AWESOME GRAND PRIZE GIVEAWAY? Easy peasy! In the Rafflecopter below, respond to the following Trivia Question:

What is the name of Courtney's newest release dropping February 12, 2013?

Thanks for stopping by to celebrate the magnificent Courtney Cole! And til next week be sure to Share The Love! ;)

a Rafflecopter giveaway