The Stone Guardian Book Tour: Interview & GIVEAWAY

Welcome to our stop of Theresa McClinton's The Stone Guardian book tour! This tour is hosted by Bewitching Book Tours. We got to ask the author a few questions about the book and herself, and we're going to give you a sneak peek into part of the book, so we hope you enjoy! We got the book a little late, so we won't have a review yet, but we should soon. So let's get started and hand it over to Theresa!

The Interview

1.   What was your favorite scene to write in The Stone Guardian? Your least favorite?

This is such a great question. One of my favorite scenes is when Jayden first arrives, because it’s the first time you get to see another side of Ashley. She’s been struggling to recover from a broken heart, and suddenly her ex turns up right after she finally opens up to new possibilities with Arwan. Not to mention from that point on there’s a fantastic dynamic between the three of them—Ashley, Arwan, and Jayden. 
 
My least favorite was a fight scene between Ashley and Arwan that I ended up deleting. It was something I struggled with, wrote and rewrote, and just never felt right about, no matter how much I tweaked. No wonder it never made the final edits!


2.   Looking back, if you could change anything about The Stone Guardian, what would it be?

I would give Tara and Peter more page time. But don’t worry, The Stone Guardian isn’t the last you’ll see of them—promise!


3.   Would you say that your writing life and your family/social life are very intertwined?

I’d say that my writing life this last year has nearly wiped out my social life, if that makes them intertwined. Lol. But seriously—when I started writing, I dedicated myself to it, and I knew I had a lot to learn. I had no background in writing novels, only columns, and needed to learn the ropes before I really dove in. I’ve had zero formal training, so being self-taught is both easier and more difficult, depending what circumstance you’re in. It took a good six months to learn the basics, and then the dirty process of writing my first book was pretty hardcore. I had a ton of rewrites, made a lot of mistakes, and connected with a lot of awesome people. But that’s just the process you have to go through sometimes. Make mistakes and learn from them. 
 
My kids have been eternally patient and have done so well at sharing me with my computer. There are days I’m locked in my office, finishing edits on a deadline. Other days I don’t touch my computer but to check my e-mail. My husband likes those days because that’s usually when I cook dinner and the house is clean.


4.   Is there anything new that you're working on that you can tell us about?

The Stone Guardian is the first of a series in the Stone Legacy novels. I currently have something under review that I can’t really talk about because it’s a surprise, but once I get the green light, you’ll hear all about it!


5.   Did you ever want to be anything other than an author? If so, what? What made you decide to be an author?

Actually, when I was younger, I wanted to be a news anchor. I began writing in journalism, but after taking an internship at a local newspaper, I realized it wasn’t a field I wanted to be locked into for the rest of my life. I yearned for freedom in my writing, and although Features is about the closest thing you’ll get to creative writing in journalism, I knew I needed more. That’s when I decided to write novels.


6.   What authors do you look up to?

Edgar Allan Poe is one of my longtime favorites. In eighth grade I memorized The Raven for my English final and had a blast reciting it. So it took up almost a quarter of the class’s time, but I rocked it! Toni Morrison is another fantastic author I recently discovered from a friend who suggesting I read The Bluest Eye.


7.   If you could be anyone for an entire day, who would it be?

The President of the United States. I’d spend the day signing contracts to bring our troops home, and then play practical jokes on the secret service. I’d be an awesome president for a day! Slightly annoying, but awesome!

This or That

Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla ice cream, Chocolate cake.   
Series or Stand-Alone? Series, almost always.   
Morning or Night? Morning, just because at night I’m usually exhausted—but I’m not a morning person either.   
Chicken or the Egg? Chicken, so it can lay eggs and then I’ll have both. ;) 
Prequel or Sequel? Sequel, unless the prequel comes out before the book or series. I have a hard time going back in the story and imagining the main characters in a different way than they were in the following novel(s). I know it doesn’t sound logical to release a prequel after the series, but I’ve seen it done.   
Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars! Not a fan of Star Trek. “Beam me up, Scotty” verses “When you look at the dark side, careful you must be. For the dark side looks back.” There’s no comparison. Yoda rocks.

I love Toni Morrison! Actually I've only read Beloved, but she has such a beautiful writing style that always goes along with her stories that are already so interesting and meaningful.

And I really like your plan for the chickens. Smart thinking. But what if you had an egg? Wouldn't it hatch into a chicken that could lay you more eggs eventually? Ah, the eternal question....

Oooo, so you're a Star Wars fan, huh? I'm more of a Trekkie myself considering how this is the one question I always ask, but I do have to agree with you that Yoda is pretty awesome. But I still have to give it up for Spock and Data. They're the best.

The Stone Guardian by Theresa McClinton

When myth becomes reality, reality becomes a nightmare.

Like any other teenager in America, Ashley just wants a normal life. But growing up in an orphanage for the insane is anything but normal. After endless therapy and increasing medication, her nightmares have only gotten worse.

Probably because they’re not nightmares.

When Ashley’s mysteriously abducted, she finds a reality even less normal than the orphanage. And she discovers something else—she’s no ordinary orphan. Faced with enemies thought to only exist in fairy tales, Ashley discovers she possesses a powerful Maya bloodline. She’s the daughter of an ancient Maya Guardian, whose duty is to protect the Stone of Muuk’ich, an enchanted relic blessed by the gods. But first she must get it back from Sarian, a power-hungry demigod who slaughtered the last guardian—Ashley’s mother. Without the stone, all will be lost.

When she meets Arwan, a hot Belizean time bender, his delicious olive skin and dark eyes make her feel a little less alone. But his gentle whispers and reassuring touch might not be all they seem. How can she balance love and duty when it’s up to her to prevent the rising of the underworld? Especially when the guy she loves might be its crown prince… 

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A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa started her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance. 

Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to sixteen U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.

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Click here to read part of The Stone Guardian!

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