Courtney Reads A Lot: Book Blog Tour: The Watcher by Lisa Voisin Interview & Giveaway

Title: The Watcher
Author: Lisa Voisin
Published: March 4, 2013
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Synopsis
Millennia ago, he fell from heaven for her.

Can he face her without falling again?

Fascinated with ancient civilizations, seventeen-year-old Mia Crawford dreams of becoming an archaeologist. She also dreams of wings—soft and silent like snow—and somebody trying to steal them.

When a horrible creature appears out of thin air and attacks her, she knows Michael Fontaine is involved, though he claims to know nothing about it. Secretive and aloof, Michael evokes feelings in Mia that she doesn’t understand. Images of another time and place haunt her. She recognizes them—but not from any textbook.

In search of the truth, Mia discovers a past life of forbidden love, jealousy and revenge that tore an angel from Heaven and sent her to an early grave. Now that her soul has returned, does she have a chance at loving that angel again? Or will an age-old nemesis destroy them both?

Ancient history is only the beginning. (Goodreads)

Interview

I am happy to have Lisa Voisin, author of The Watcher, as a guest today on Courtney Reads A Lot. She was nice enough to answer a few questions I really wanted answered. So without further ado...

Me: Why did you decide to write paranormal romance?

Lisa: I had this idea kicking around in my head for years about a boy who wakes up one day to discover he's an angel. Writing it from his perspective didn't feel right. I've been a fan of paranormal romance and urban fantasy since I first read Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton years ago. But when I noticed the YA paranormal genre pick up with some of the great stories out there, I really liked the first-person perspective. I knew the boy who was an angel needed to be seen through the eyes of the girl who loved him. Thus, The Watcher was born.

Me: If you could be any character from The Watcher, who would you pick and why?

Lisa: In some ways I would have liked to be as wise as Mia is. She's an old soul, and I admire her inner strength. But, ultimately, I think I'd like to be Arielle. She's really kick ass, with super powers and the ability to smite demons, and is really low key about it.

Me: What are some of your favorite authors/books? How have they inspired you?

Lisa: Well, my favorite author is Neil Gaiman. I love his voice and I've been a fan of his since I read the Sandman series back in the day. His first novel, Good Omens, which he co-wrote with Terry Pratchett blew me away. I've also been inspired along the way by Kelley Armstrong, Cassandra Clare, Eileen Cook, and Melissa Marr.

Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Lisa: Well, I was inspired by Neil Gaiman telling people to "keep writing." It was some of the best advice I ever got, so I'm passing it along. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do it, whatever it is and no matter what stage you're at. People seem to want to do that and I don't know why. As you learn the craft of writing and the art of storytelling, keep in mind that nobody's perfect and don't be too hard on yourself in the process. The harder you are on yourself, the harder you'll be on others, and that seems to create a great deal of harshness in the world.

And just for fun, here's a round of This or That:

City or Country?
City! I'm into the convenience of the city, the cafes and shopping. But I love being able to go out into the woods too. Luckily, where I live, I can do both.

Peeta or Gale?
Peeta, even though Gale is a total dish. Peeta has the right disposition for Katniss.

Zombies or Vampires?
If I have to choose, I'll go with vampires, I guess. I appreciate that they don't look as scary.

Coffee or Tea?
Coffee! Though I love both!

Thank you so much Lisa for answering my questions! Here's a little bit about Lisa Voisin.

About the Author
A Canadian-born author, Lisa Voisin spent her childhood daydreaming and making up stories, but it was her love of reading and writing in her teens that drew her to Young Adult fiction.

A self-proclaimed coffee lover, Lisa can usually be found writing in a local café. When she's not writing, you'll find her meditating or hiking in the mountains to counteract the side effects of drinking too much caffeine!
Though she’s lived in several cities across Canada, she currently lives in Vancouver, B.C. with her fiancé and their two cats.

Find her: Twitter | Facebook | Website | Blog

Rafflecopter Giveaway

If you've stuck around to the end, you deserve a reward!

Lisa Voisin and Inkspell Publishing are giving away print (US/Canada/UK) and ebook (INT) copies of The Watcher as well as this lovely angel wing necklace! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway below for a chance at winning these awesome prizes!