The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom: Interview: The Blue Effect by Rose Shababy

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

The Blue Effect is a tip of the hat to science fiction and comic books/graphic novels. I love the idea of what could be, what might be, the possibilities beyond what we know. I love the idea that we can be greater than we are now, that the sum of our parts can be something fantastic and fantastical. This book has superheroes, antiheroes, a maniacal villain, battles, humor, romance and, I hope, enough humanity for all of us to relate to the people in the story.

Are you a mom?

I’m the mother of 2 boys, now 18 and 20.

If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?

I’ve been working toward this for a few years, and in the beginning it was definitely a struggle, more because I was still learning how to manage my time and organize my thoughts. My boys were a little older though, and they always thought what I was doing was cool. I think the one on one time with my husband suffers more than time with the kids. The boys brag about me to their friends, tell them I’m going to be a famous writer. It feels good to hear that, but I also try to point out that they shouldn’t cash in on my success just yet!

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

The main character of The Blue Effect, Blue Brennan, is so many pieces of me the lines between us get a little blurry. I didn’t start out with the intention of writing about myself, it just kind of happened. She’s given me the ability to love myself more than I did before, because I love her so much. When I realized I was really putting myself into her, all sorts of things I’d criticized in myself for so long didn’t seem so bad. It was cathartic, really, to realize your flaws maybe aren’t so bad after all!

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

I guess my central theme is that even though I’m writing about people with amazing powers, what I’m really writing about is the hero that exists in each of us. Heroes aren’t people who possess a higher skill set or special powers or are smarter than then rest of us. It’s the courage they use to conquer their fears, the way they move past adversity. We all have the ability to affect the world around us, even if it’s as simple as donating blood.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

I’m super OCD and all this social media stuff kicks it into overdrive. Trying to get involved with people I don’t know, networking, talking to folks I don’t know in “real life,” it all scares the sh** out of me. I don’t know what I’m doing, I’m always afraid I’ll say the wrong thing, I’m afraid people won’t like me or my perspective. Or they won’t want to read anything I write. I mean, why would they? Who am I? Why should they care about anything I have to say? I’m just a girl with a dream. That said, I’m too OCD to give up on that dream, so I’ll just keep plugging away despite all the scary social media outlets and interviews and new people. I don’t really have a choice since I’m pretty sure this is what I was born to do. At least, I hope it is!

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

Reading, of course! And I don’t feel one bit guilty about it.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Blue Brennan from The Blue Effect. As I stated before, she’s so much of me, or what I wish I could be. She’s fiery and sassy, beautiful and intelligent. She says exactly what she’s thinking and swears like a sailor. She makes me laugh all the time. I’ve had so much fun writing her, creating her dialogue, her inner voice. I wish every character came so easily.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

This is the first in a three book series. The Blue Effect was written from the perspective of Blue Brennan, and the second will continue with the same characters, advancing the story we began in the first book, but will be from the perspective of Kasey, the love of Blue’s life. We’ll learn more about Kasey’s childhood, a new hero will emerge, and Kasey will have to deal with the ghosts of his past. It’s all very exciting and I’ll leave it at that!

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

As I stated, I’m working on the next book in the Renegade Heroes series, the sequel to The Blue Effect. I also have a book called Shadows of Night that I may be releasing soon, although there are still some big-time edits that need to happen. I’m hoping to release it sometime in November or December.

What book are you reading now?

Hidden Wings by Cameo Renae. I also recently finished a great YA series called In Your Dreams by Amy Martin. Great books!

The Blue Effect

Renegade Heroes

Book One

Rose Shababy

Genre: Adult Urban Sci-fi/Fantasy

Date of Publication: September 8th, 2014

Cover Artist: Regina Wamba

Book Description:

Blue Brennan is jaded and bitter despite her pinup girl looks and quick wit. Night after night, she scours the Seattle club scene looking for someone or something to fill the emptiness inside.

When she meets the mysterious Kasey, her world stops… literally. He claims she has the ability to control time and stuns her even further when he reveals his own gifts.

Blue is inexplicably drawn to Kasey and reluctantly enters his world filled with a new breed of humanity. They’re misfits like her, blessed or cursed with powerful abilities, struggling to hide their differences from the rest of society.

Then the group discovers a nameless, faceless sociopath with nightmarish powers; and he’s coming for Blue. She’s left reeling when they discover her gifts are the key to defeating his terrible evil and saving them all.

Now she must race against the clock to harness her own powers and save her new friends. Can she be more than a renegade? Can she be a hero too?

Excerpt Three

Clearly the time had come for the two of us to have it out. “I may have thought you were hot when we first met, and you got to listen to the nasty thoughts in my head, but every time we meet I find it harder to like you. In fact, every time you open your mouth, you get uglier and uglier. I don’t know if Val was right, and you really are jealous, but let me make this crystal clear for you. There is no part of me that wants you.”

His eyes narrowed for a moment, and then, before I could do anything, his hands shot out and grabbed my shoulders again. He yanked me close to him and I the heat from his chest burned through my t-shirt. His face was so close to mine I could feel his hot breath blazing against my cheek when he spoke. “You’re a little liar,” he hissed. “There is a part of you that likes this,” he shook me a little and I flushed with rage… and something else. “And goddamn me, there’s a part of me that likes it too.” He hovered with his face still close to mine and for a moment I thought he was going to kiss me. My head fell back slightly and my lips parted involuntarily as I anticipated his invasion.

Then he released me, almost flinging me away from him. I pressed my back against the wall as I watched him and tried to catch my breath as my traitorous heart beat so hard I thought it might burst out of my chest.

“Let me make this crystal clear for you,” he mimicked. “Kasey is like a brother to me and if you hurt him, you’ll wish you never met me.”

“I already do,” I whispered with sincerity.

About the Author:

Rose Shababy and her family reside in eastern Washington State. Rose grew up in the Northwest but swears she’s going to move to warmer climates someday. She’s claimed this for over 20 years, however, and has yet to move more than 75 miles away from her mother.

Rose has a deep love of all things Star Trek and yearns to travel the heavens, as well as an intense desire to be bitten by a radioactive spider.

Unfortunately she sucks at science and math so she hasn’t been able bring her dreams to life, instead living vicariously through books, comics, television and film. She hopes to someday make a million dollars so she can afford to buy her way to the international space station, but she’d settle for being able to fly around the world and leap tall buildings in a single bound.

Rose also loves to cook and worked for years in a gourmet Italian grocery and deli where she learned to hone her skills. She prepares culinary masterpieces for her family, but fervently wishes the dishes would wash themselves. Especially now that her dishwashers/children are nearly grown and only one still lives at home.

Rose likes to use her free time wisely. For instance, she likes to daydream, will often read for hours until she falls asleep on the couch with an electric blanket and a warm tabby cat curled up on her hip, as well as spending cozy weekend days watching Syfy movies like Sharknado and Mega Piranha with her husband.

If Rose were a cartoon animal, she’d prefer to be a wise old owl or a sleek and sexy jaguar, but in reality she’d probably be a myopic mole with coke-bottle glasses.

http://roseshababy.com/

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https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6063741-rose-shababy

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