Giveaway + Author Interview: Chrissy Peebles, author of Agartha's Castaway

I’m pleased to welcome Chrissy Peebles here at The Fairytale Nerd! She's visiting The Fairytale Nerd to talk about being a her favorite books, her real life hero, and her new book, Agartha's Castaway.

Chrissy Peebles, a practicing nurse, has always loved reading and writing fantasy from the earliest age she can remember. She plotted every single twist she could think of during bedtime stories for her children. When her little ones begged for more adventures, she felt confident enough to let her overeager imagination and sense of humor spill out into her first novel. She lives in Ohio with her husband, two young kids, one hamster, three dwarf hamsters and cat. When she's not taking the kids to Little League soccer, basketball, or baseball, she loves to snap photos as her favorite hobby. ***

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Welcome to The Fairytale Nerd Chrissy!
Hello and thank you for having me. I have to say your blog is just gorgeous and so magical. I’m thrilled to be here.

How are you today?
I can't complain. No one would listen anyway. : )

The readers would! So tell me about your book.
I’d be happy to. Three contemporary teenagers get shipwrecked on what they presume to be a mysterious tropical island. While searching for a way home, they realize this place is anything but normal. The story is told in the POV of seventeen year old Casey. This book might have dinosaurs, but it’s totally different from Jurassic Park. The plot is quite unique and has a slight sci-fi vibe complete with a hidden civilization and a glass city.

What is your interesting writing quirk?
I’m so used to writing with cartoons on in the background. Now my kids are in school and the house seems so empty that I find myself turning on cartoons. *slaps hand to forehead* Go figure. LOL. I think I’ll try music. Hmm. I wonder what kind of music would inspire me to write. Any suggestions?

I guess that depends on the type of music you like. Anyway, what is the message (from your books) that you want to convey to your readers?
You can survive a tragedy. Keep fighting. Never give up and always be strong.

Which living person do you most admire?
There have been many people in my life, but a teacher is one of those who I admire the most. My fourth grade teacher, Mrs. Barr, taught me how to write my first book. It was an adventure and treasure hunt. I even drew my own pictures and made a cloth cover. She had me enter it in the school fair. I didn’t win but I never forgot how wonderful it felt to put my words onto paper that people actually read.

When and where are you the happiest?
Chasing butterflies or catching lightning bugs with my kids. Just being outside and having fun. It’s so magical to watch their smiles light up.

Give me three of your favorite books.

Touched By An Alien by Gini Koch, Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, and The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong.

I loved Angel Fire! What is your greatest fear?
Those eight-legged things that have been around for millions of years - spiders. Scary or just misunderstood? I dunno ‘cause I just run a million miles an hour in the other direction. *disclaimer to readers and insect lovers* no spiders were ever harmed or killed in one of Chrissy’s freak out moments.

Who is your hero in real life?
My hero is my mom. (She passed away at the end of July this year) She taught me to always do the right thing, to value others, and help anybody in need; to be a hard worker and never give up; to smile and keep a sense of humor even when things get tough. I'll never stop missing her.

What about in books?
I have many, but my childhood book sticks out the most. Aslan from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis.

The man who loves you or the man you love?

The man who loves me with the intensity of a thousand burning suns. (oh, and he has to love my cat too)

Hugs or kisses? (not the chocolates)
No chocolate kisses? Hey now, that’s just not playing fair! But all joking aside, my answer would be - kisses. Hopefully with super sexy vampire hunk, Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (played by actor Ian Somerhalder) I love his beautiful black hair and those piercing blue eyes. I just hope he doesn’t have bad breath. LOL. : )

I'm Team Stefan... buy yes, Damon is hot! Super strength or super intelligence?

Super intelligence. That way I’ll be smart enough to design a time machine to go back and fix all those stupid mistakes I made in my lifetime. (like the time I spilled grape juice on my mom’s white carpet when I was ten or dating my first boyfriend, Chris, who broke my heart into a million tiny pieces)

Viral epidemic or nuclear explosion?
Viral epidemic. Because from the question above, I’ll have super intelligence. And with that kind of intelligence, my top team of scientists and I will develop a cure for all those infected with the nasty virus. Maybe we’ll even cure zombies too. But then they’ll have to cancel AMC’s new zombie television show, The Walking Dead. (‘cause we cured them all)

Mashed potatoes or french fries?
French fries with a healthy dose of malt vinegar. I eat as many as I want because gosh darn it—they’re vegetables. Right? (At least until they hit the hot oil)

Vampires or shifters?

Vampires. What can I say? I have a thing for boys who sparkle.

So, what's your next project?
I have written the sequel to Agartha’s Castaway. I hope to have it out on Amazon Kindle soon. And I am ¾ of the way through a new adventure fantasy called, The Ruby Ring. It’s about a twenty-one year old girl named Sarah Larker who returns to a cave where her sister disappeared five years earlier. She walks through a portal and is mistaken for a runaway princess on the run by a dangerous Immortal king in medieval times. Her plan is bold as well as daring—become this princess, wed the king, and slip on an ancient wedding ring that will unlock the portal. Then find her sister and run as fast as she can out of Dodge. But taking on the identity of Princess Gloria comes along with dangerous consequences; and slipping on the ruby ring comes with an even higher price.

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That was a fun interview... Thank you for your time Chrissy!

And now... for the giveaway!

Chrissy is giving out FIVE eBooks of Agartha's Castaway! 

Fill out the Rafflecopter Form for a chance to win!

Amazon | Smashwords

AGARTHA'S CASTAWAY

Dinosaurs, abduction, and a hidden civilization were never part of Casey Smith’s vacation plans. That is, until a freak storm tossed her and two best friends, Mike and Jack, out to sea. When they wash up on what they presume to be a mysterious tropical island...they soon discover that being lost...is the least of their troubles. In a jungle that teems with impossible creatures, UFOs, and an unworldly landscape, the three friends need to team up to fight danger...without letting their emotions tear them apart. Can they find a way to survive the harsh jungle…and its deadly inhabitants?