US: Eternally Yours (Book 1 of the Afterlife Series) by Gina Ardito
UK: Eternally Yours (Book 1 of the Afterlife Series) by Gina Ardito
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| Eternally Yours by Gina Ardito |
After one too many disappointments, Jodie Devlin took her own life. Too bad her suicide is only the beginning of her troubles. Until a new future can be created for her, Jodie will serve as one of Death’s bounty hunters, retrieving souls who haunt Earth. She’ll need smarts, charm, and trickery to convince these specters to give up the ghost and move on. Of course, these same skills will come in handy for verbally sparring with her bull-headed, know-it-all trainer.
It's no wonder Luc Asante is so bitter toward women. His former wife ordered him taken off life support, condemning him to employment in the Afterlife. Now he has a trainee—a female trainee who’s as soft-hearted as he is hard, as impulsive as he is methodical. In a place where perfection is the norm, she flaunts her flaws just to drive him nuts.
If they weren’t already dead, working together would probably kill them.
Traveling between the dead and the living, bringing peace to lost souls, Jodie and Luc will be forced to come to terms with their differences and their pasts, to discover a love that might bind them for eternity.
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Author Quiz interviews Gina Ardito...
If you had to sum up your book, Eternally Yours, in three words, what would they be?
Love after death.
Would you expect yourself to be most creative as a writer shut off on a desert island or immersing yourself in a busy social life?
I'm a very social animal. I need noise around me when I write so I'd definitely need the busy social life. I find the busier I am, the more I find time to get things done. If I have too much time on my hands, I waste it.
If your book, Eternally Yours, was made into a movie who would you want to play the main character and why?
I had two very specific individuals in mind when I wrote Eternally Yours: Johnny Depp and Charlize Theron (with dark hair). I even describe my hero, Luc, as having "movie-star-slash-pirate-looks," a distinct reference to Johnny. My heroine, Jodie, is tougher than she looks and I think Charlize could pull off that duality well.
Are any of your characters based heavily on people you know or have met from real life and if so, would they regard it as a compliment or an insult to discover they were the inspiration for the character in question?
All of my ghosts in Eternally Yours are actually based on my daughters' friends--at their request! I gave each of them an option to be a "good" ghost or a "bad" ghost and named the characters with similar initials. Every one of them was thrilled with their particular scene.
What do you think stimulates sales the most; positive reviews or advertising?
I think it's a combination. Like with any other product, all the advertising in the world won't get me to buy a shoddy item. I'm also savvy enough to realize that just because a total stranger raves about a story doesn't mean I'm going to love it too. I need the right advertisement, targeted to my taste, and the right balance of reviews that reflect the content for me to make a secure decision.
How do you see the publishing industry changing over the next few years?
The success of indie publishing has really changed the game in the last few years. The NY houses are shrinking, merging, and struggling to stay vital. Agents have lost a lot of their power, and authors have gained more of a say in the market. I hope this trend will continue. For too long, authors have been seen as publishing's necessary evil: feeding the publishing machine but, for the most part, gaining little in return for the hard work.
What are some of your favourite quotes from reviews that you've received?
"The author's voice is singular, funny then serious when needed, and jammed with an imagination totally outside the box. In fact, I don't think the author has ever even seen a box." and "..from the title and the cover I expected just another run of the mill love story. This is a love story but it is not `run of the mill', it is a journey to the unknown, in a place outside my thought process with an imperfect couple and the ultimate romance."
Do you opt for Digital Rights Management on your ebooks and would you recommend it to other authors?
No. As an ebook reader, I find DRM inconvenient. I can't transfer books from one reading device to another, and I often bypass an ebook that looks interesting because I need that flexibility.
What advice would you give to a new author who has just finished writing their first novel and is unsure as to what steps to take next?
Hire an editor! I don't care how talented you are, how many books you've written, or how many times you've read the manuscript yourself. An editor will pick up what you miss. One of the harshest criticisms indie authors face is that their books aren't as "good" as NY pubbed books. A competent editor is the best way to make your story competitive in the publishing market.
Who do you see as your target audience?
Romance fans who love something different, edgy, and fun.
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Thanks for your comments, Gina, and good luck with your writing.
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| Gina Ardito, author of Eternally Yours |
www.ginaardito.com
ginaardito.blogspot.com
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Gina Ardito is on facebook and twitter:
Facebook: Gina Ardito
Twitter: @GinaArdito
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A brief sample of Gina's writing:
In this scene, Jodie has finally gained the opportunity to go after a bounty without her trainer, Luc, beside her. Unfortunately, this particular ghost won’t be as easy to retrieve as the phantoms she’s wrangled up in the past.
She rocketed toward Jodie on black thorny wings, hands curled into claws with nails sharp enough to cut a diamond. Sheets of flame encased her ebony mourning gown, yet never singed a thread. Beneath a frilly white lace cap and steel wool hair, her pale face was a contorted mask of rage. Garnet eyes blazed with hellfire.
Amanda Kroger, aka the Lighthouse Widow. A Fury.
Bloodless lips opened in a puckered suture line. “By what business do you dare to disturb my solitude?” Her voice, raspy as sand, scraped Jodie’s hackles.
Still, Jodie gathered enough energy to shout back, “By the order of the Board. I’ve been sent to take you back with me to the Welcome Level of the Afterlife. A new life awaits you there.”
“To hell with your new life!” On a blur of violent hues, the widow’s talons slashed Jodie’s face.
Her atoms split like fabric tearing along a seam. The universe diffused, casting her into a spiral vortex of dust and debris. Funny…who knew dead people could still suffer pain? But agony radiated through Jodie’s cells, and she had to bite her lip to keep from screaming. Centipedes of color began a frenetic dance across her consciousness: white-hot sparks turned yellow, collided with red, bounced off orange, and wavered over pulsing blue lines. The sparks blinded her, their flashes of neon intensifying each needle-like stab in her vision.
The widow expelled enough hatred to feed a global war for centuries.
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Gina's books and short stories are available for Kindle and the Kindle app:
Amazon.com:
Eternally Yours (The Afterlife Series)
Chasing Adonis
Duping Cupid (A Valentine's Day Short Story)
Amazon.co.uk:
Eternally Yours (The Afterlife Series)
Chasing Adonis
Duping Cupid (A Valentine's Day Short Story)
Eternally Yours is also available from Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Kobo:
SmashwordsBarnes & Noble
Kobo Books
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