Defector Blog Tour: Guest Post + Giveaway

Welcome to my stop on the blog tour for DEFECTOR by Susanne Winnacker! Today I have a guest post by the author to share with you - and don't forget to enter the awesome giveaway!

Defector (Variants #2)

Author: Susanne Winnacker

Release Date: June 26, 2014

Publisher: Razorbill

Pages: 288

Description:

Tessa has finally made peace with her life as a Variant. She and long-time love Alec are officially a couple, and for the first time, she has everything she wants.

But the air is tense at FEA headquarters. An agent has disappeared, and rogue variant organization Abel’s Army is likely the culprit.

When Tessa is summoned for her second mission, she is unexpectedly launched into a massive conspiracy. Her best friend Holly is kidnapped and Tessa knows it was meant to be her. But who is after her? And more importantly, why?

When the FEA’s efforts to rescue Holly don’t yield any results, Tessa takes matters into her own hands. Desperate to save her friend and uncover the mystery behind Abel’s Army, Tessa launches her own investigation—but nothing could prepare her for what she finds. Everyone in her life is harboring secrets: Alec, her estranged mother, even the father she never knew.

The truth will take her out on the road and out of her comfort zone, with danger lurking everywhere. Summoning all of her courage and strength, Tessa must decide who can be trusted and what is worth fighting for—even if it means going against the life she thought she wanted. Her final decision will leave readers breathless. 

What's your writing process like? Do you research a lot or make outlines (or any other practices/rituals)?

I’m a plotter. I’ve been one pretty much from the start, but I’ve become even more organized since I became a fulltime writer.

I used to write only about a two-page synopsis before I started writing the actual book, but recently my outlines have become almost novellas (between 15 and 40 pages). That’s because I’ve started using notecards.

So once I’ve decided which book to work on, I take out notecards and write down every scene that comes to my mind. Then I put the notecards in the order I want the scenes to happen. I often come up with more scenes that need to be added once I’m staring at my long row of cards. Somehow my mind works better when it can rearrange cards and play with scenes that way.

When I’m fairly certain that I’ve written down every scene that needs to happen in my book, I transfer everything into a word document, extending each scene so it includes more details than a small notecard can hold. Once the outline is done, I open a new word document in which I will write the actual book. But before I start writing, I copy and past the outline and put it into the new word doc; for one simple reason: I hate blank pages. For my mind it’s easier to work on a book if there’s already quite a bit written. Maybe it’s strange, but it helps.

As for habits and rituals, I usually write at home. I stretch out on the sofa, put my laptop on my lap and start typing. Sometimes I listen to music. I don’t always use playlists but some books require them. I always need some kind of background noise. That doesn’t have to be music. I often pop in one of my favorite TV series into the DVD player and let it run in the background. I don’t eat or drink when I write. I find it distracting, and I’ve learned the hard way that it isn’t easy to clean your laptop if you’ve spilt coffee all over it.

I think every writer needs to figure out what works best for them. It took me a few books to find my way and it probably isn’t the right one for many others.

Thank you for having me on your blog!

Thank you so much for stopping by and sharing your writing process and habits with us Susanne!

Susanne Winnacker studied law before she became a full-time writer. She lives with her husband, a dog that looks like a sheep and three bunnies that have destroyed every piece of furniture she's ever owned in Germany. She loves coffee (in every shape and form), traveling and animals. When she isn't writing, you can usually find her in the kitchen, experimenting with new vegan dishes. She blogs for The League of Extraordinary Writers.

You can find her on Twitter and on Facebook. 

Website/Twitter/Facebook/Goodreads

Buy Links: Amazon / Barnes and Noble 

(2) Hardcovers of DEFECTOR and (1) Impostor audiobook. Giveaway is International. (3) winners. 

 

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Tour Schedule:
 

Week One: 
6/16/2014- Jump Into Books- Review 
6/16/2014- Literary Meanderings- Guest Post 
6/17/2014- YA Story Teller- Review 
6/17/2014- Supernatural Snark- Interview 
6/18/2014- Crossroad Reviews- Review 
6/18/2014- The Cover Contessa- Guest Post 
6/19/2014- Book Swoon- Review 
6/19/2014- Bittersweet Enchantment- Interview 
6/20/2014- The Storybook Kingdom- Review 


Week Two: 
6/20/2014- Fantasy Book Addict- Guest Post 
6/23/2014- Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews- Review 
6/23/2014- Fire and Ice- Interview 
6/24/2014- Fiction Freak- Review 
6/24/2014- A Dream Within A Dream- Guest Post 
6/25/2014- Reading and Writing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, and Romance- Review 6/25/2014- Such a Novel Idea- Interview 
6/26/2014- Becoming Books- Review 
6/26/2014- Addicted Readers- Guest Post 
6/27/2014- Library of the Seen- Review 
6/27/2014- Mom With A Kindle- Interview