Perfect
Pitch is the second book in the
Chameleon Effect series. In addition to continuing Idris and Cadi’s story — which
centers on protecting the crystal tree needed to create a Livran community on
Earth — Perfect Pitch brings back two minor characters, Dean and Shri,
the story’s new romantic couple.
Perfect
Pitch completes Cadi’s hero’s
journey. The part where she returns to her “normal world” as a new person. Only
in this case, the normal world is brought to Cadi in the form of Dean and Shri,
who arrive in the Adirondack Mountains where Cadi now lives.
Our
new hero, Dean, is conflicted over leaving his brother, Ty, in the care of
their alcoholic mother.
When
their abusive father returns to the family fold, Dean is forced to leave and
take Shri and Ty along for the ride.
Accepting
a job carries Dean into Cadi’s world, a place far more intriguing and
complicated than he ever imagined.
While
Dean deals with his mom’s threats and his quasi-obsession with Cadi, the girl
in question struggles with her conflicted feelings over Dean. Cadi knows she
loves Idris and that she cannot trust Dean — whatever Shri might tell her about
how much he’s changed — but if only her feelings for the guy who kissed her
under the mistletoe last Christmas were that cut and dry.
Figuring
it’s easier to deal with Dean by not dealing with him at all, Cadi tries to
shut him out of her life. But the more she pushes to keep the door closed, the
harder he shoves back, determined to crack it open.
Do you have a favorite
character?
Idris
is my favorite character. When I conceived the Chameleon Effect series, I
wanted to create a guy who was sarcastic and funny, outwardly confident but
inwardly unsure, egotistical, highly talented, and at times, downright stupid.
I absolutely love him, and it’s a joy to keep him coming back to each book in
the series.
Have you ever had a minor
character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel
at all?
Great
question. Yes, Dean and Shri are both secondary characters who grew to be so
much more. My conception of Dean was to make him the jerk who screwed up Cadi’s
happy life in the first book of the series, Silken Scales, but he ended
up being so much more complicated than that.
He
really fell for Cadi in a big way, and I simply couldn’t make him into a black
and white villain. So I made him the trigger, rather than the gun.
As
the story developed, Shri played best friend and mentor to Cadi, raising
questions over Dean’s duplicity, and I sensed Shri would make it her mission to
figure him out. And so she does, in the space between the first and second
books.
I
also felt strongly that Cadi hadn’t fully closed the door on her past and
dealing with Dean would be a great way to test the bond between Cadi and Idris,
as well as give Dean a chance to clear his name. Meanwhile, a sweet and subtle
love develops between him and Shri that plays out through the second book.
Did you try the
traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?
Sure. When I finished my
first book, Ice Cracks, years ago, I sent out dozens of queries and
received many polite rejections. So, I decided to publish Ice Cracks on
my own back in the early 2000’s. That decision carried forward with my more
recent books, and though I plan to continue querying agents, I see no point in
putting my career as an author on hold.
Are you currently under a
traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts
that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I’m
self publishing and plan to approach more agents.
What factors influenced
your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
Time
and the freedom to be my own publisher.
If you used a graphic
designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative
process for your cover?
Very
involved. I’m proficient with Photoshop and do preliminary designs. I worked
with a professional designer to create the covers for the first three books in
the Chameleon Effect series and The Golden Thread, a tie-in novella.
Do you belong to a
critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
Yes,
Scribophile. My critique partners have helped me bring my work to a
professional level, and I’ve improved my own writing skills exponentially by
critiquing the work of others. Although getting others to critique my work has
been instrumental, I cannot speak highly enough about the value of critiquing
the work of other writers.
What is your writing
process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
When
I’m in my creative space, conceptualizing stories and scenes while exercising
or walking, I love to listen to music. My favorite singers include Sia, Charlie
Puth, Florence and the Machine, Seal, Sarah McLachlan, but I love classical
piano, guitar, new age and a lot of older bands.
When
I write, I need silence or a stream of soft classical music to help me focus on
the words. Listening to anything with lyrics is too distracting.
Do you outline your story
or just go where your muse takes you?
I’m
an Analyzer/Organizer according to some personality test I took back in high
school. I absolutely outline my stories, working through various story
structures, and carefully consider plot and character arcs, along with
obligatory scenes and genre specific requirements. The muse and details kick in
with the drafting.
Did you hire an editor to
review your manuscript before publishing?
Yes.
My critique partners and my own methods for editing and proofreading are pretty
effective, but a professional catches the more illusive and esoteric issues.
What have you’ve learned
during your self-publishing journey?
The
self publishing is easy, selling books is a lot more difficult. The landscape
is constantly changing, and there’s no tried and true method for success that’s
lasting. The journey is a work in progress that has to be carefully balanced
with my writing which is my passion.
Besides Amazon, are there
any other sites where your books are for sale?
Yes.
My books are on sale through most online retailers.
What kinds of marketing
[twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your
book(s)?
Twitter,
Facebook, Pinterest, Goodreads, Book Funnel. I have a website and send out
newsletters which I also post on my blog.
Do you find it difficult
to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next
book?
Yes.
It’s tough to market and write at the same time, and being successful at this
requires mastering slow-motion multitasking. Writing is my passion and the
place I prefer to work and be, but I enjoy other aspects of the writing,
publishing and marketing process. If I take it in small bites, switching
between tasks, the process is more manageable.
What advice would you
give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?
It’s
important to understand your personal objectives and priorities when
considering becoming a published author. The hardest part is enjoying the
process and not being overwhelmed by it. That is a journey all its own.
Publishing the book onto Amazon or with another retailer is the easy part.
Selling books takes time, money and a lot of determination.
Besides writing, do you
have any other passions?
Well,
writing is my biggest passion, but I enjoy reading fiction and non-fiction,
photography, graphic design, gardening, cooking, interior design, sewing,
painting, and listening to music.
Some fun facts about you,
which do you prefer
Dogs or cats? Cats.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee.
Talk or Text? Talking face to face.
Day or Night? Both for different reasons.
I’m renovating a hacienda in Mexico with my partner; I’m a parent to four cats; I’m a doggy aunt.
Dogs or cats? Cats.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
Coffee or Tea? Coffee.
Talk or Text? Talking face to face.
Day or Night? Both for different reasons.
I’m renovating a hacienda in Mexico with my partner; I’m a parent to four cats; I’m a doggy aunt.
What’s next for you?
I’ve
just completed Book Three of the Chameleon Effect. I’m working on a few books
concurrently. These include the fourth book of the series, of course, plus two
tie-in novellas. I’m also working through high-level conceptual plans for two
other series to follow Chameleon. One is a dystopian science fiction series,
the other is an urban science fiction/fantasy trilogy.
Perfect Pitch
Alex Hayes
Publication date: August 6th 2019
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Young Adult
All Dean wants is to escape…
But he can’t leave his younger brother, Ty, in the care of their alcoholic mother. And when their abusive father shows up, Dean has to get Ty out. Which means joining Shri — his best and only friend — in taking a job out of state and breaking the law by stealing his brother away.
Cadi’s life is almost back together after Dean blew it into a million pieces. She’s come to terms with her life as a shape-shifter — well, almost. She’s still trying to wrap her head around the fact that a vicious enemy is out to destroy the remnants of her people.
As if Cadi doesn’t have enough to deal with, Dean’s about to land on her front doorstep, forcing her to decide whether to let him into her secret world or slam the door in his face.
The Chameleon Effect series, starring shape-shifter teens with extraordinary superpowers, is sure to appeal to Young Adult and New Adult readers who enjoy romance with a paranormal twist.
Author Bio:
Alex Hayes wrote her first fiction story when she was twelve. Inspired by her mother’s storytelling, she began work on her first novel, Ice Cracks, at eighteen.
She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, Creative Writing from San Francisco State University. In her twenties, she moved from Marin County, California to Boston, Massachusetts, where she built a career as an IT professional in database engineering. In 2004, she self-published Ice Cracks, which became a semi-finalist in the 2005 IPPY Awards.
Alex splits her time between Grand Junction, Colorado and Guanajuato, Mexico. When she isn’t writing, she’s helping her partner, Lee, renovate a 450 year old hacienda. She is mother to one beautiful daughter and many wonderful cats.
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