Giveaway & Interview with Author Carrie Butler

Welcome to the Strength Book Tour and Giveaway featuring an interview with paranormal romance author, Carrie Butler. 

In celebration of her new release Strength, she is giving away several awesome prizes so be sure to enter below!

About Strength

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, she’s stunned. Wallace Blake is everything she’s ever wanted in a man—except he can’t touch her. His uncontrollable strength, a so-called gift from his bloodline, makes every interaction dangerous. And with a secret, supernatural war brewing among his kind, there’s no time to work it out. To keep Wallace in her life, Rena will have to risk a whole lot more than her heart.

Where to Buy Strength

Stength is Available at:

Amazon ~ Kindle
Barnes & Noble ~ Nook

Meet Author Carrie Butler

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

Connect with Carrie Butler

WEBSITE  |  BLOG  |  PUBLISHER  |  TWITTER

  FACEBOOK  |  GOODREADS  |  GOOGLE+  |  LINKEDIN

Interview with Carrie Butler

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

Writing is something I've always enjoyed, but I didn't realize I wanted to pursue it as a career until January of 2011.

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

I wanted to be a secret agent, undercover as an artist. Seriously. LOL

How long does it take you to write a book?

It took me three months to draft Strength, but I was able to give that manuscript my undivided attention. The sequel is proving to be a little more difficult...

What is your work schedule like when you're writing? 

Oh my goodness. I work at the most ridiculous hours. Sometimes, I get a good pace going after midnight, and I keep writing until I crash—which could five or six in the morning.

(Thankfully, the fatigue makes for fewer inhibitions!)

My days are usually dedicated to blogging, freelance projects, marketing, etc. They're not nearly as exciting.

Do you stick with a schedule or just write when you feel like it?

I used to keep a loose schedule, but things are a bit hectic at the moment.

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

I love to watch hockey, create digital paintings, and go to the shooting range. :)

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

How easy it is to get wrapped up in a story! Sometimes it's hard for me to come out of the writing zone, especially if there's a sudden interruption. I have that moment of disorientation before I can process the reality around me—almost like I've been woken from a dream.

What do you think makes a good story?

I think a good story is felt by both the author and the reader. They might feel it on different wavelengths, and they might relate it to different experiences, but a good story will touch them both.

What inspired you to write paranormal romances instead of another genre?

I like to think of paranormal romances as "supernaturally-charged love stories". They blend the uncertainty of a budding relationship with the notion of things beyond our explanation. There's just something about them...

I think that's why I struggle so much when I try to write contemporary. I always end up giving someone superpowers!

Did you have any goals for Strength when you wrote it — to get published, or just to finish, etc?

My main goal for Strength was definitely publication. I had already written a few "shelved" stories by then, so I knew I could finish it. The thing was, with this manuscript, I took the time to really learn the craft and the industry. That made all the difference in the world.

What inspired to you write the Mark of Nexus Series?

(This is kind of my boilerplate answer for this question, but it's the best way to describe it.)

Strength—and ultimately, the whole Mark of Nexus series—started as a "what if" scenario. What if a unique, supernatural race lived among us? What if there was more than one? How would the world stay in balance?

I listened to music while I plotted out a few points, and the 2005 Five for Five cover of "All I Know" came on. Oh my goodness. The lyrics—the first few lines about bruising each other—really struck me. 

As I considered them, the figurative meaning morphed into a more literal scenario. How tortured a man with uncontrollable strength must be... falling in love for the first time... unable to touch the woman he loves without hurting her...

That's how the romance element fell into place. ;)

Did you originally plan to have the series Mark of Nexus or did the idea of a series occur after you started writing strength? 

The plot always felt a bit too complex for one book, but I didn't get a clear number until I sat down to write a loose outline.

Do you have a specific number of books in mind for Mark of Nexus or are you planning to write until your _______________? 

I think three should do it, but I'm not absolutely certain. I'd love to do a few novellas that focus on secondary characters, like Cole's story.

If you could tell your fans anything, what would it be?

That I love them. Seriously. They're allowing me to live my dream, and for that, I'll be forever grateful. <3

Strength Tour Giveaway

a Rafflecopter giveaway