Saturday, July 5, 2014

Feature: Brea Behn author of Wolves In the Woods



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Blurb

Meet Braelin a young girl in a world soon to be changed forever by a virus known as C47. Now an orphan, Braelin is forced to take care of herself. Come see the secret place in the woods Braelin escapes to and how she finds peace and happiness in a world that is harsh and all about survival. She learns to survive and fend for herself. Here we also meet two brothers, Timber and Aravon. Timber is the leader of a gang known as the Wolves. Aravon is the younger brother trying to keep his older brother in line. Filled with suspense, passion and excitement, Wolves in the Woods, will keep Braelin fighting for her life and for her love until the very end.


Excerpt from Chapter One

Braelin fell to her knees next to her dead parents and at last something gave way and she was able to cry. She cried for her twin for whom her heart ached like a lost piece of herself and she cried for her parents whose lives the virus C47 had also cut short. She cried until she ran out of tears and until the black sheet of grief swam back over her mind. She lay on the ground thinking to herself. “I could just stay here. I could just lay here until I die next to my family.”

 Then she remembered her twin’s words. It felt like a lifetime ago since she heard them.

They were watching the story of C47 unfold like a bad dream around them. At first, it was just in the cities; then stories of it being in small towns spread. One night she sat with her twin talking and crying about their family members who lived in cities. They had not heard from them in weeks and Braelin assumed they were already dead.

“It’s like a nightmare,” Braelin said to Bradin. “It’s just like those

Stephen King books I found in the attic, only real.”

“You and your obsession with everything antique!” Bradin jokingly prodded his sister. “You know no one actually reads paper anymore, right? Or grows food out of the dirt, or puts material together with… what do you call that thing again…a needle?”

“Shut it, Bradin,” Braelin said affectionately, poking her twin in the ribs.

He laughed and then they both went quiet again. After a moment of silence, a tear slipped out of Braelin’s eye.

“Bradin, I’m scared. I don’t know what I would ever do if I lost you.”

Bradin looked over at his sister with a look of future doom and pity in his eyes, then his face cleared and he smiled his best charming smile, the one that he was already starting to win young women with.

“You would be fine, Braelin. You would live for both of us.”

Interview


What inspired you to write this book?

I started seriously writing at the age of fifteen when I wrote a memoir for my twin brother. When I finished it ten years later, I realized how much I loved to write. So I started Wolves in the Woods.

 

Can you give us an interesting fact about your book that isn't in the blurb?

The main character’s name is a combination of my children’s names together. Kaelin + Braedin = Braelin

 

How did you choose your title?

Wolves in the Woods is a representation of the safe versus the not safe in the book. The Wolves is the name of a gang. The Woods is where Braelin finds safety.

 

Tell us about the cover and how it came to be.

My cover artist asked me what I had in mind. I always envisioned Braelin (a young woman) with long blonde hair running through the woods. He ran with it!

 

Did you self-publish or publish traditionally and why?

I published through an independent publisher. Kind of an in between traditional and self-publishing. I like the fact that they allow you to have control over the content of your book and a say in each step of the process. Plus they are a smaller press so they personalize your experience. I have loved working with them so far.

 

What do you consider the most important part of a good story?

I think pacing is very important. Not too slow and good flow. If you take too long to get to the exciting part I lose interest.

 

What is your writing process?

I have written some of my books with an outline and some I just wrote from my heart. Both can work, as long as you are organized and consistent.

 

How long have you been writing?

As long as I can remember I have written little short stories and even drawn comic strips. Seriously though, since I was fifteen.

 

How did you get started writing?

My twin brother encouraged me. He liked the comic strips I drew. My parents also encouraged it.

 

 

What part of the writing process is the hardest for you?

Editing! I have Chiari malformation which is a skull deformation resulting in compression of the brain stem. For some reason this has resulted in problems with time (past/present tense), numbers, and names. You can imagine how that makes writing difficult. Fortunately, I work with a wonderful editor.

 

What tips can you give on how to get through writers block?

Take a break. I am constantly writing at least two or three books at the same time. When you get stuck on one, work on a different one. Just a good night of sleep can help too!

 

What kind of music do you like to listen to while you write?

I like silence when I write. Probably because I am a stay at home mom. Noise and chaos are my life. So when I write I will sometimes wear ear plugs!

 

Who is your favorite author?

Stephen King. The original dystopian master. J

 

Who is your favorite character from a book?

I have many, but my current favorite is Daenerys Targaryen in the Game of Thrones. Probably because I like that she is constantly underestimated and yet amazingly strong and resilient with a good heart.

 

What is your favorite book?

I have favorite books in several genres. However, the one that impacted me the most is the Shack by William P. Young.

 

Read anything good lately?

The best book I have read recently is the Brain that Changes Itself by Norman Doidge. It reads like a textbook, but it is an amazing view of brain plasticity and what our bodies are capable of.

 

What do you like to do when you're not writing?

I am a full time stay at home mom. We also homeschool. For myself, I love to read (of course), crochet, garden, plays, and movies. We also volunteer at the animal shelter as often as we can.

 

What advice would you give an author just starting out?

Get started with social media now! Create accounts, build up a following and a circle of peers. Write articles, write blog posts, and write about things you love and/or are passionate about.

 

Have you had anything else published?

I have had several articles on grief and grieving published, but Wolves in the Woods is my first book published.

 

What's your next project?

Wolves in the Woods is a series. So I have three of the four books already written. I am working on the fourth and final book in the series. I also wrote a children’s picture book and a non-fiction book on healing from grief that I am pursuing publication for this winter. Finally, I have been working on a middle grade book that I have been trying to finish for a while. I am always writing something!




About The Author


Brea Behn is very passionate about reading and writing in all genres. She started writing at the age of fifteen, when she wrote a memoir for her twin brother. Currently, she writes fiction of several genres, nonfiction, and is building her career as an author and public speaker.

When Brea is not writing, she is reading, usually several books at the same time. She also volunteers at her local humane society, gardens, and homeschools her children.

Brea lives in Wisconsin with her husband and their two children.

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