Quintina (The Starseed Series #2)
by Meghan Riley
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Release Date: 2016
Summary from Goodreads:
No longer on Earth, Anna must now piece together her memories on the strange, new world of Enki. Guided by Julianus, the mysterious man who brought her back, she soon realizes this isn’t the same world she was starting to remember, making it even more difficult to figure out why she was sent to Earth. Will she be able to solve the mystery before the people who sent her away realize she’s back? Or will her memories forever remain lost?
Add to Goodreads
Anna (The Starseed Series #1) on Goodreads
The Starseed Series on Amazon:
Anna (Book 1) – Paperback | eBook
Quintina (Book 2) – Paperback | eBook
About the Author
Meghan Riley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland and immediately pursued her lifelong passion for the written word. Her debut novel, Anna, presented itself as a way for Riley to inspire teenage girls to expand their interests beyond the typical teenage quandaries, ultimately encouraging females toward an interest in science. She is currently hard at work on the next book in The Starseed Series.
Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
by Meghan Riley
Genre: YA Sci-fi
Release Date: 2016
Summary from Goodreads:
No longer on Earth, Anna must now piece together her memories on the strange, new world of Enki. Guided by Julianus, the mysterious man who brought her back, she soon realizes this isn’t the same world she was starting to remember, making it even more difficult to figure out why she was sent to Earth. Will she be able to solve the mystery before the people who sent her away realize she’s back? Or will her memories forever remain lost?
Add to Goodreads
Anna (The Starseed Series #1) on Goodreads
The Starseed Series on Amazon:
Anna (Book 1) – Paperback | eBook
Quintina (Book 2) – Paperback | eBook
About the Author
Meghan Riley graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Maryland and immediately pursued her lifelong passion for the written word. Her debut novel, Anna, presented itself as a way for Riley to inspire teenage girls to expand their interests beyond the typical teenage quandaries, ultimately encouraging females toward an interest in science. She is currently hard at work on the next book in The Starseed Series.
Author Links:
Website│Goodreads│Twitter│Facebook
INTERVIEW WITH THE AUTHOR:
Quintina (The Starseed Series #2) by Meghan Riley
Tell us about your latest book.
Quintina is book 2 of the Starseed Series. Book 1, Anna, follows a high school senior who is trying to deal with the big decisions that come with leaving behind her tight-knit family and transitioning into the next stage of life, college, as well as strange, paranormal-like physical changes that won’t seem to go away. She will eventually learn that it’s what you don’t know about yourself that can kill you.
The Starseed Series is a sci-fi series, but the first book reads a lot like a contemporary romance. As Quintina begins, readers will see that that story plays out much more like sci-fi…but I don’t want to give away too much to those who haven’t read Anna yet.
Tell us a little about some of the others who contributed to your book, such as cover designer or editor.
After a poor experience hiring a cover designer for Anna (the cover has since been updated), I decided to handle the cover design straight from the get-go. I also used a new editor for this book – Megan Harris. She did a wonderful job, and I recommend her to anyone looking for a book editor.
Who are your favorite authors?
Arthur C. Clarke – He was writing about technology before it even existed.
Anne McCaffrey – She was an amazing world builder. Her Dragonriders of Pern series was incredibly fleshed out down to every last detail.
Holly Black – I love her gritty urban fantasies that stretch the limits of typical Young Adult Fantasy books.
Of course, I also love J.K. Rowling for her pure creativity.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Spit out your story. Don’t let inhibitions hold you back from getting it out. The true magic comes during the editing stage after the first draft is done. Also, learn your craft. The most idiotic thing I’ve ever read was an aspiring writer saying it was their job to write the story, not know how to properly use grammar (they thought that was purely the editor’s job). Grammar is part of the storytelling. If you don’t understand it, you won’t know the best way to use it to effectively portray an idea or emotion.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
Through your writing, you get to live any life you want and choose what happens. There’s something very exciting about that.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Staying on track. It’s important to make time to write every day, but the motivation and inspiration isn’t always there. Some days, it takes a lot of pushing and sacrifice to get it done.
Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
Visit my website at MMRiley.com.
How long did it take you to write your book?
It took me about 2 years to write it. My writing time became very limited after I had my first child. I wrote Quintina during nap time and the few hours after my little one went down for bed. It was hard, especially when she was teething or being very needy, but persistence paid off.
Did you learn anything from writing your book that was unexpected?
Writing book 2 was much harder than writing book 1, because there was a lot more science. There were multiple times I had to revise my story, because the science in it became outdated/disproved before I could finish. It happened right up through the editing stage and got to be kind of frustrating, but I wanted to stay true to the current theories.
Where can a reader purchase your book?
Amazon is currently the best place to purchase my books.
What are you doing to market the book?
I currently have an online book tour happening. I’ve also met some great Young Adult fans on Instagram who are reading and reviewing my books.
Who inspires you?
My daughter. She reminds me of the dreams I had of being a writer when I was a child and how much possibility the world seemed to have prior to the bills and responsibilities that come with being an adult. I want to set a good example for her by following my own dreams in hopes that she’ll follow hers.
How do you research your books?
The Starseed Series is inspired by both myths and science, so I rely a lot on peer reviewed articles and professional science websites. I’ve spent hours looking at databases and reading articles while comparing and contrasting ideas.
Do you have another work in progress? Tell us about it.
I’m currently taking a break while my family and I acclimate to having another baby in the home, but I will soon be back working on book 3 in the Starseed Series.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing verses traditional publishing?
Most writers dream of their book or series getting chosen by one of the big publishing companies, to have a full advance and marketing team so they only have to focus on writing. However, from what I’ve seen, that rarely happens nowadays. Many of the “traditional” publishers require the writer to put in as much work marketing as they would self-publishing and the advances aren’t large enough to live off of. Giving up the control over the book and devoting all that time to promotion just doesn’t seem worth the small cut the writer gets.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I’m not 100% sure. Some of my earliest memories are of the local book store. It was a locally owned store and my parents took me there almost every week. Half of the second floor loft were children’s books, and I was so excited every time I saw it.
Does your family support you in your writing career? How?
My mother reads every chapter as I finish them and is one of my biggest cheerleaders on social media. Other family members have supported the publishing of my books through my crowdfunding campaigns.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I’m also listening to the audiobook for Cassandra Clare’s Lady Midnight.
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I’m not writing (or working the day job), I’m spending time with my daughter and/or fiancé. We go to the park, play video games, play board games, make crafts, and work on a never ending list of house projects.
The Starseed Series on Amazon:
Anna (Book 1) – Paperback | eBook
Quintina (Book 2) – Paperback | eBook
Quintina (The Starseed Series #2) by Meghan Riley
Tell us about your latest book.
Quintina is book 2 of the Starseed Series. Book 1, Anna, follows a high school senior who is trying to deal with the big decisions that come with leaving behind her tight-knit family and transitioning into the next stage of life, college, as well as strange, paranormal-like physical changes that won’t seem to go away. She will eventually learn that it’s what you don’t know about yourself that can kill you.
The Starseed Series is a sci-fi series, but the first book reads a lot like a contemporary romance. As Quintina begins, readers will see that that story plays out much more like sci-fi…but I don’t want to give away too much to those who haven’t read Anna yet.
Tell us a little about some of the others who contributed to your book, such as cover designer or editor.
After a poor experience hiring a cover designer for Anna (the cover has since been updated), I decided to handle the cover design straight from the get-go. I also used a new editor for this book – Megan Harris. She did a wonderful job, and I recommend her to anyone looking for a book editor.
Who are your favorite authors?
Arthur C. Clarke – He was writing about technology before it even existed.
Anne McCaffrey – She was an amazing world builder. Her Dragonriders of Pern series was incredibly fleshed out down to every last detail.
Holly Black – I love her gritty urban fantasies that stretch the limits of typical Young Adult Fantasy books.
Of course, I also love J.K. Rowling for her pure creativity.
What advice do you have for other writers?
Spit out your story. Don’t let inhibitions hold you back from getting it out. The true magic comes during the editing stage after the first draft is done. Also, learn your craft. The most idiotic thing I’ve ever read was an aspiring writer saying it was their job to write the story, not know how to properly use grammar (they thought that was purely the editor’s job). Grammar is part of the storytelling. If you don’t understand it, you won’t know the best way to use it to effectively portray an idea or emotion.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
Through your writing, you get to live any life you want and choose what happens. There’s something very exciting about that.
What’s the hardest thing about being a writer?
Staying on track. It’s important to make time to write every day, but the motivation and inspiration isn’t always there. Some days, it takes a lot of pushing and sacrifice to get it done.
Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
Visit my website at MMRiley.com.
How long did it take you to write your book?
It took me about 2 years to write it. My writing time became very limited after I had my first child. I wrote Quintina during nap time and the few hours after my little one went down for bed. It was hard, especially when she was teething or being very needy, but persistence paid off.
Did you learn anything from writing your book that was unexpected?
Writing book 2 was much harder than writing book 1, because there was a lot more science. There were multiple times I had to revise my story, because the science in it became outdated/disproved before I could finish. It happened right up through the editing stage and got to be kind of frustrating, but I wanted to stay true to the current theories.
Where can a reader purchase your book?
Amazon is currently the best place to purchase my books.
What are you doing to market the book?
I currently have an online book tour happening. I’ve also met some great Young Adult fans on Instagram who are reading and reviewing my books.
Who inspires you?
My daughter. She reminds me of the dreams I had of being a writer when I was a child and how much possibility the world seemed to have prior to the bills and responsibilities that come with being an adult. I want to set a good example for her by following my own dreams in hopes that she’ll follow hers.
How do you research your books?
The Starseed Series is inspired by both myths and science, so I rely a lot on peer reviewed articles and professional science websites. I’ve spent hours looking at databases and reading articles while comparing and contrasting ideas.
Do you have another work in progress? Tell us about it.
I’m currently taking a break while my family and I acclimate to having another baby in the home, but I will soon be back working on book 3 in the Starseed Series.
What are your thoughts on self-publishing verses traditional publishing?
Most writers dream of their book or series getting chosen by one of the big publishing companies, to have a full advance and marketing team so they only have to focus on writing. However, from what I’ve seen, that rarely happens nowadays. Many of the “traditional” publishers require the writer to put in as much work marketing as they would self-publishing and the advances aren’t large enough to live off of. Giving up the control over the book and devoting all that time to promotion just doesn’t seem worth the small cut the writer gets.
Who or what inspired you to become a writer?
I’m not 100% sure. Some of my earliest memories are of the local book store. It was a locally owned store and my parents took me there almost every week. Half of the second floor loft were children’s books, and I was so excited every time I saw it.
Does your family support you in your writing career? How?
My mother reads every chapter as I finish them and is one of my biggest cheerleaders on social media. Other family members have supported the publishing of my books through my crowdfunding campaigns.
What are you currently reading?
I’m currently reading Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. I’m also listening to the audiobook for Cassandra Clare’s Lady Midnight.
When you’re not writing, how do you spend your time?
When I’m not writing (or working the day job), I’m spending time with my daughter and/or fiancé. We go to the park, play video games, play board games, make crafts, and work on a never ending list of house projects.
The Starseed Series on Amazon:
Anna (Book 1) – Paperback | eBook
Quintina (Book 2) – Paperback | eBook
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