Interview: YA Paranormal Author J. Meyers

Intangible
Author: J. Meyers
File Size: 722 KB
Print Length: 349 pages
Publisher: J. Meyers
Released: January 29, 2012
Available on Amazon

SUMMARY: Twins Sera and Luke Raine have a well-kept secret—she heals with a touch of her hand, he sees the future. All their lives they’ve helped those in need on the sly. They’ve always thought of their abilities as being a gift.

Then Luke has a vision that Sera is killed. That gift they’ve always cherished begins to feel an awful lot like a curse. Because the thing about Luke’s ability? He’s always right. And he can’t do anything about it.

INTERVIEW WITH J. MEYERS
Brenda: Intangible is an amazing YA paranormal read. I've heard you've had a wonderful response to it, so I'm hoping we can look forward to a second book in the future. Can you tell us when and if we'll be getting another story?

J: Oh, wow! Thank you so much for the compliment. :-) The response has been incredible and overwhelming--I feel really blessed, in all honesty. And, yes, there is a book two coming. I'm working on it right now and hoping it'll be out by the end of the year (fingers crossed!). And I have to say that I'm really, really excited about the story in book two.

Brenda: I loved the way you handled Sera's first relationship with a guy. This is such an exciting, yet stressful time for teenagers. Did you have to think a lot about how you would handle it in the story?

J: I wanted this to be a clean read--something that I'd be totally comfortable with my kids reading (and I'm really picky about that)--so I already knew there wasn't going to be any sex in it. And for Sera, for a first relationship, it doesn't make sense (to me) for it to go that way anyway. At least not that quickly. So I didn't have to really figure much out for this book. With every character I wrote, I put myself in their shoes, tried to look through their eyes, feel their reactions based on their life experiences. And with Sera there were many things I could relate to--one of which was the first relationship as a teen girl and being consumed, giddy, surprised, and also not ready for some aspects.

Will there be more advanced relationships in subsequent books? Probably. But only when it makes sense for the characters. At the same time, I'm not writing romance, so if there is more romantic action it's still not going to be a focus of the story, just a plot point. It's important to me to write books that anyone can enjoy and that any parent isn't going to cringe that their daughter or son is reading. I want to stay true to what characters would really do, but also keep it appropriate for my youngest readers. My 9 year old wanted to read the book, and while he isn't quite in my target audience age range yet, I wasn't worried at all about the content being inappropriate for him. It was really nice to be able to say yes to him reading my book. :-)

Brenda: Time for a mom moment-- I loved that you explored Sera's temptation to use her gift in a negative way. I felt like there were a few "lessons" to be learned from the story, but yet you were subtle about it, so as to avoid any "eye rolling" from teens. Were you thinking about any of this as you were writing?

J: No, actually, I wasn't. I was just exploring Sera in all her imperfections. She's a good person, but she's not *all* good. She makes bad decisions sometimes, she does things she shouldn't do out of anger/frustration . . . just like we all do.

Brenda: When I read the description of Marc with his red hair I immediately thought of Shaun White and it stuck in my head. Did you have inspiration for your characters?

J: Not really. (But I can totally see Shaun White as Marc now that you say that!) There's a little bit of me in every character, and I'm sure little pieces of people I know, but no one character was based on any one specific person. I don't even have any celebrities pictured in my head as any of my characters. (You know, except for Shaun White now.) They are each unique creations.

Brenda: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm really looking forward to whatever story you come out with next.

J: It's been a real pleasure, Brenda! I'm thrilled that you enjoyed the story, and can't wait to share book two with you! Thank you! :-)

MY THOUGHTS ON INTANGIBLE
Intangible is a compelling, fast paced, read with rich characters that jump off the page into the reader's mind and heart. I found myself wishing I'd had friends like Fey, Luke and Sera when I was in high school. Fey is protective, witty, mysterious and beautiful, yet she doesn't let it go to her head. Luke is good looking, loyal, smart, and caring. Sera is kind, smart, couragous and compassionate. I enjoyed the unfolding of their secrets and personalities as the story progressed. The three of them are the heart of Intangible, but that doesn't mean the other characters we meet aren't crucial to the story as well.

Intangible is set in a world where vampires, elves and magic exsist, but are unknown to most humans. Luke and Sera are 17 year old twins who have special talents that they've kept secret their entire lives until events unfold that expose what they can do. They experience heartbreak, loss and betrayal while trying to figure our how they figure into the supernatural world they've discovered. I loved the author's take on the paranormal. The story was at times heart wrenching, but never without hope.

To learn more about J. Meyers and her books visit here:

http://www.jmeyersbooks.com/

You can also read Intuition, a 22 page short story that takes place before the events in Intangible for free. The normal price is .99, so be sure to take note if it's still free when you go to the page. Available from Amazon