MEN in YA: Interview + Giveaway with J. Gabriel Gates (2 US copies + 1 International!)

I'm insanely excited to welcome the fabulous J. Gabriel Gates to my blog today! He was awesome enough to stop by for an interview! We will also be giving away 3 copies of his FANTASTIC YA book, Dark Territory. If you missed my yesterday's review of Dark Territory, make sure to check it out ASAP - this book will rock your socks off! After you enjoy the interview and check out J's totally HOT MEN in YA photoshoot, head over to Rafflecopter to enter the book draw! :) 

Guys, please give a warm welcome to our super talented YA Galaxy Defender, J. Gabriel Gates!

E: Evie
JGG: J. Gabriel Gates

E: Welcome to Bookish J.! I can’t tell you how happy and excited I am to talk to you today! Thanks so much for taking the time out of your schedule to join us here today! Your recent YA novel, Dark Territory, is a wild, gut-wrenching and action-packed ride! Where did the inspiration for this book come from?

JGG: Thank you very much for having me! The idea for the Tracks Series and for Dark Territory came to me a few years ago when I was living in L.A. My roommates were into watching teen dramas like Degrassi and the O.C., and I was taking kung fu classes at the same time. One day I thought: “You know what would be awesome? A teen drama with kung fu.” That’s how the idea started.

E: How long did it take for you to write Exiled?

JGG: Well, my co-author Charlene and I initially planned to pitch it as a TV series, but we never got around to it. She contacted me years later and suggested that we write it as a book series instead. I thought that was a great idea, and once we got our publisher HCI on board, the process went quite smoothly. The initial draft took about five months, with another month or so of revisions. The characters and the concept were so compelling that it almost wrote itself.

E: Are any of your characters based on people in your own life? Which of your characters do you feel is the most like you?

JGG: None of the characters are really based on anyone; even though they are fictional, they are their own people! I did get the name Ignacio from a guy I knew when I was living in L.A., though. He was the bassist for my ex-girlfriend’s rock band, and a really cool guy. As for what character is most like me: I’d have to say it’s Raphael. He’s an honorable guy who’s always trying hard to do the right thing and take care of the people around him despite whatever hardships they might be facing. I relate to that.

E: What was the most fun part of the book for you to write?

JGG: All of it was a blast! But I’d have to say that the beginning was a lot of fun. You’re meeting all these new people, getting to know them and peeling back layers of their world. It’s exciting. I enjoyed writing the later stuff too, though. Writing action is always exciting.

E: How do you approach writing a new novel? Are you a plotter or a pantser?

JGG: Ha ha. A little of both. I generally stake out a few plot points—maybe five or so—then just let the rest flow. The joy of real life is that it’s spontaneous and unpredictable, and I really try to capture that in my work.

E: Do you ever experience writer’s block? If so, how do you deal with it?

JGG: You know, I’ve never had writer’s block. I think the cure to writer’s block is to write. That ‘s what being a professional writer means, you do it whether you feel like it or not. You don’t hear NBA players saying they have “basketball block” and refusing to practice. If you don’t know what to write, come up with something. Maybe it will be good. If it’s not, scrap it. It’s that simple. But if you really want to be a writer, you write regardless.

E: If your book was made into a movie, who would you cast for it?

JGG: That’s always a hard question for me. I really see the characters as such individuals that it’s hard to imagine them being “played” by someone. To me, they’re just who they are. So I guess I’ll have to leave that one to Hollywood.

E:  What’s next in line for you? When can we expect to see the next book in The Tracks series?

JGG: Book 2 of The Tracks series, Ghost Crown, is finished and is coming out in March. And I have to say, my co-author, my editor and I all agree that it’s better than book 1, so buckle your seatbelt! I also have an awesome teen horror book called The Sleepwalkers that came out last month. If you decide to read it, make sure you’re wearing underwear. It’s been known to scare the pants off of people.

E: What advice would you give to aspiring authors interested in writing YA novels?

JGG: Read a lot. Write daily. Revise your work many times before you even think of showing it to anyone. Most of all, have faith in yourself and your work. Before I got my publishing deal, I was rejected by just about every agent in the biz. Nothing great in life can be accomplished without transcendent faith.

E: What genre do you like to read in your free time? Which of your favorite books would you recommend everybody to read?

JGG: I read an extremely wide range of books. To give you an idea, the last two books I read were 1776 by David McCullough and World War Z by Max Brooks. Before that, I read a book on Christian mysticism. But my favorite genre is probably literary fiction. I love the classics. I love guys like Hemingway and Fitzgerald. A few books I’d recommend are: Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski, and The Dark Tower series by Stephen King. I also enjoyed the Hunger Games series. If there’s anyone out there who hasn’t read it yet, you should get on it!

J., thank you so much for joining us today!  

I can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the Tracks Series!

I hope you guys enjoyed the interview, for more information about J. Gabriel Gates and his books, please visit his website: J. Gabriel Gates or/and read my review of Dark Territory.

Here's some serious awesomeness from the wonderful author!
Exclusive MEN in YA photoshoot for your enjoyment!

Huge thank you to J. Gabriel Gates for the exclusive MEN in YA photoshoot! <3

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Thanks to the fabulous HCI Teens:

I have two copies of DARK TERRITORY to give away to two (incredibly) lucky winners!!!

I am also sponsoring one INTERNATIONAL copy for my INTERNATIONAL friends!

To be eligible to win all you need to do is be a follower of my blog and enter through Rafflecopter below.

Ends: December 20th

Please let me know in your comment if you're in US or if you're entering to win the BOOK DEPOSITORY copy!

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This interview and giveaway are posted as a part of the MEN in YA event (Nov 20th - Dec 20th)

For more awesomeness (reviews, interviews, giveaways, guest posts) please click the banner below!

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About the Author

Evie is the Blogger behind Bookish. She enjoys reading many different genres, especially YA, Paranormal, Contemporary Fiction and Fantasy.

She loves talking to authors and is always happy to welcome them for interviews, and guest posts. She also likes spreading the love for awesome books and  chatting with fellow book-worms.

You can find Evie here: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Shelfari | The Library Thing