I am very excited to welcome Jonas Lee, Author of A Time to Reap, to my blog. I have to say I fell in love with this book from the moment I opened it. The story sucks you in and has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Before I give away to much, let me introduce Jonas…
1. What is your name and where do you call home?
- My name is Jonas and I reside in the temperate climate of Rapid City, SD (South Dakota, not San Diego like most people think)
2. Do you have a pen name?
- I go by Jonas Lee instead of my actual last name. I’m not trying to hide or fool anyone with it. Just my last name is more of a mumble when putting it all together and Lee is already my middle name. So there it is.
3. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?
- A Time to Live is my most recent book, set to release February 12, 2015. Twenty or fewer words: A teenager who can time travel, teleport and has a knack for sarcasm goes up against terrorists with similar abilities. (<— This was super hard)
4. Is the above book part of a series?
- It is, The Legend of Carter Gabel series. The above is the second novel, the first, A Time to Reap is already available.
5. What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing?
- I can’t really say that anyone inspired me other than myself. I just loved putting words to thoughts and entertaining people with stories. My mom was my very first fan though, so she encourage my writing to grow. I’ve been writing things since I was at least 9, but publishing only since July of 2014.
6. How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)?
- I tried to keep a steady imagery of time throughout the series, so with the help of my cover artist Amanda Simpson at Pixel Mischief Design, we played around with various concepts. The newest cover was cool to me because it shows more timepieces signifying the additional characters being brought into the mix.
7. Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)?
- I usually listen to something melodic and dubstep. This is to keep my mind energized and also not have to focus on words or much more than the emotion the notes bring.
8. How did you come up with the title for your book(s)?
- I originally titled it The Time Traveler’s Grandchild (it started off as a fan fiction piece from The Time Traveler’s Wife). To stand apart from that, since the story in no way follows that wonderful book, I played with various time elements. I landed on a song by The Byrds called Turn, Turn, Turn and in it was a lot time references and I focused on the few that made the most sense for me and the story. Needless to say, I could make a lot of stories based off those lyrics alone.
9. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books?
- For me, I love having an ebook and a hard cover close by. I love books and I think that covers are art, so I love displaying the good ones. Ebooks are just so easy to have a small library at my disposal though.
10. Are you a self-published/Indie author?
- Indie through and through so far. Always opened to finding a Literary Agent though 😉
11. If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route?
- Being an Indie is liberating and a very educational experience. I have more freedom with my work and know that I can rely on myself to get what I need to done. The down side is that I’m in a sea of other author (some great, some not so) and we’re all trying to find our way onto that lifeboat that will help us shine nationally.
12. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it?
- I have read a couple of books more than once. Lord of the Flies was my first one, but The Thief of Always was truly fun to go through again. I also want to dive into the Left Behind series again once I find my way into a plethora of free time.
13. What is your opinion of novellas?
- I think novellas have their place. All writing has a place from the epic to the poem. Novellas help me think I’ve read a lot more than normal, so it’s kind of a motivational boost.
14. Have you ever read a book just based on its cover?
- I have and I can’t say I was thrilled or really disappointed. Mainly, someone did their job well enough to make me buy it.
15. What is your favorite film based on a book?
- The Green Mile is one of those books (more of a short story turned novella really) that I think turned out wonderfully on the screen.
16. What is your favorite book genre at the moment?
- Currently, I love the paranormal. Supernatural is never far behind that. I should probably read more YA Sci-Fi, but hey, I think of that stuff all the time. Daddy needs a break.
17. What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why?
- Take Me Tomorrow by Shannon A Thompson is one. She’s an author I’ve followed since I started blogging and it seemed like an interesting read. The Paper Magician by Charlie N. Holmberg looks interesting with the magic elements he is working. Spin by Robert Charles Wilson was recommended to me and after reading the blurb, thought it belonged in my collection.
18. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?
- I’m reading three books right now
a) Revenge by yours truly, Nina Soden. I have it in .pdf ARC format and I look forward to buying physical copies one day and having her sign them for me.
b) Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake on my Kindle
c) The Former Hero by Jeffrey Allen Mays in paperback
19. If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why?
- Morgan Freeman because he has the coolest voice ever and talking with him would be fun in itself.
- Stephen King – he’s a legend in the biz and I think we could get some pretty interesting thoughts firing off together
- Heath Ledger – a great actor who was taken out in his prime, a cool guy from what I’ve read and I think he’d round out the party
- Bruce Lee – Another monumental figure in this world that I think was gone too soon. His thinking, teachings and philosophy was very pure and I’d have to have him give a nunchuk demonstration
20. What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing?
- Don’t stop writing and reading. Simple. True. Every page read or wrote gets me further and I can only think it would help others finding their own voice too.
21. Do you have any hobbies that aren’t related to reading & writing?
- I love going on walks, hiking. I enjoy art and plays. I help coach teenage girls softball and all the crazy things those girls think up.
Where can your readers follow you?
Blog: http://jonasleeblog.com
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jonasleeauthor
Goodreads author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8417690.Jonas_Lee
Twitter: @AuthorJonasLee
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jonas-lee/95/b42/7a9
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Jonas-Lee/e/B00M9EV6EO
Author Bio:
Jonas Lee is an author making his way from the Black Hills of South Dakota. Living in the ever-changing climate with his wife and daughter, he likes to keep his mind occupied with stories that entertain and provoke thought. A child of the 80’s, his imagination has always been rampant as thoughts of time travel, other dimensions, religion and the fight of good versus evil has always been prevalent in his stories.
A Time to Reap:
Pemberton Academy is not just a school, it’s a gathering place for the children of the future that are afflicted with Temporal Displacement and Telepathy; in short, time travelers and mind readers who have been diagnosed with this “disease.” The Academy is not all as it seems after an explosion nearly takes one of its classmates, but not before Carter Gabel rescues her by using an unknown symptom related to his described illness. An unsanctioned group called the Program begins taking notice as the two classmates exhibit stronger abilities when they are together. Carter’s sense of reality begins to unwind as he learns more about his estranged father’s involvement with it all.
Carter will have to overcome the past of his father leaving, the present of an unknown adversary hunting him down and a future that seems to change with each decision he makes. He will have to learn who to trust out of the people in his life if he wants to conquer the looming notion that the government may be hunting him down because of his developing abilities.
A Time to Live:
Carter Gabel had to overcome a lot in the last year, and time travel as a side effect of his “genetic disease” was only the beginning. He’s lost his mother, reunited with his estranged father, crippled a city and destroyed his school. If he thought he could fade into the sunset, Carter has another thing coming.
A terrorist group known as Pirates has infiltrated his hometown to overthrow the Program designed to monitor those with potentially harmful abilities. Carter is a teenager, but he’s forced back into the mix as his grandson, David, has been put into a coma. He will have to try and stay out of sight as much as possible and work with new Eventuals along the way in order to stop the Pirates from turning Lincoln Square into a ghost town.
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Nina Soden 