A to Z Blogfest: I is for Interview!

I is for Interview... with Monica Leonelle

I'm excited to be taking part In a blog tour this month for Monica Leonelle, a well-known digital media strategist and the author of three novels, the first of which Is being released this month - SOCIAL PUNK.

The blurb for the book sounds pretty cool, and hey, the main character's name starts with an I !

Ima would give anything to escape The Dome and learn what’s beyond its barriers, but the Chicago government has kept all its citizens on lockdown ever since the Scorched Years left most of the world a desert wasteland. When a mysterious group of hooded figures enters the city unexpectedly, Ima uncovers a plot to destroy The Dome and is given the choice between escaping to a new, dangerous city or staying behind and fighting a battle she can never win.

I have my copy already and will post my review soon, but in the meantime, here are my Seven Questions for Monica:

1. Give a brief bio and tell us what kind of books you like to read and write.

My name is Monica Leonelle and I spent years working in marketing before following my dreams of becoming a writer. I'm lucky to now have the opportunity to help writers through my free email consultations and free writer toolkit at proseonfire.com.

I'm a sucker for young adult novels, probably because I never grew up! I love to both read them and write them. All my novels are suitable and appealing for teens 14 and up.

 

2. What's your favorite part of your job as a writer?

Probably helping others! I do a ton of editing for writers through my 100% free "First 1000" email consultation. It's so cool - writers upload their first 1000 words and I get to help them make their opener hook readers. You can learn more about it at proseonfire.com/free-consultations.

I also love when the book is done, and I get to hear what people think of it. It's really fun to hear when someone just gets what you were trying to do with a book. Of course, lots of people don't. But it's okay, because I learn from those people how to communicate better.

 

3. What's your least favorite part of writing?

 

I usually start to hate writing when I'm near the end of the book... I go into procrastination mode! There's something about crossing a finish line that can be so daunting at times.

 

4. Did you ever imagine yourself doing this when you were growing up?

 

Yes, all the time. I wrote stories pretty much every day, and I was obsessed with reading. I read 2-3 books a day, no joke. Every summer of won one of those Book It! pins. I was such a nerd.

 

5. If you weren’t a writer, what would you be?

I love marketing also, so I would probably go back to that (and to be honest, I still do a lot of marketing consulting in addition to writing and editing consulting). 

 

6. Tell us a little about your new release.

Socialpunk is a fast-paced thriller set in a future where everyone makes money through creating art. It's based a bit on my time working in digital marketing and has touches of social media that I think people in the biz will appreciate. There's also a ton of romance and a pretty awesome heroine, if I might say so!

 

7. If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

I'd love to be able to pause or slow time. I feel like there's never enough!

Interesting, right? Now wait, there's more. Monica is hosting a contest during the month of April with the help of Rafflecopter. To enter, visit Monica's website and follow the directions! She's got some great prizes, including a brand new iPad 3 and a brand new Kindle Fire, as well as signed hard copies of her book! Check it out!

 

Monica Leonelle is a digital media strategist and the author of three novels. She blogs at Prose on Fire (http://proseonfire.com) and shares her writing and social media knowledge with other bloggers and authors through her Free Writer Toolkit (http://proseonfire.com/free-writer-toolkit).

Links to purchase your own copy of SOCIAL PUNK:

Amazon: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkA
Barnes and Noble: http://monicaleonelle.com/SocialpunkB