For the merry month of May, my indie digital book giveaway features the amazing YA paranormal romance, Shadowed Strength by Wendi Wilson.

UPDATE: I’m now giving away 3 copies of Shadowed Strength!!! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter by May 31st 7PM CST to enter

This book is exactly what I like to read: superpowers, a likeable underdog heroine, and a sweet romance.

Here’s an excerpt from my Amazon review: “Wow. I just devoured this book, finishing it in a single day. Wendi’s writing style is exactly what I like to read: enough description to let you picture the scene, with steady pacing and great characterization. Add the super powers, nefarious villain, and first love…how could I not be hooked?

I really appreciated the fact that Wendi didn’t give us the typical hot-but-she-doesn’t-realize-it, perfectly proportioned heroine. Melanie has flaws and she’s noticeably insecure. I love that she has to work through her doubts and learn that she is beautiful, even if she isn’t a size two.

I also loved that I was able to connect so easily with the characters, and in particular the main protagonist. The way she wrote it felt more like first person than third person, which is a rare experience for me.”

You might call me a fan. 🙂 I thought it would be fun to do a Q and A with Wendi, so you can get to know the fun and wonderful person I now call a friend. Enjoy!

1) What was the inspiration behind the Shadowed Series?

When I was in 10th or 11th grade, there was this boy who sat behind me in Biology. One day, and I don’t remember how the subject came up, he told me he had written some books and submitted them to a publisher, but the publisher told him he wasn’t ready. Something switched on inside me after that conversation. I grabbed a yellow legal pad and a pencil and started writing. I created Melanie, who was basically me. I gave her all my insecurities, my sense of humor, my low sense of self-esteem. I gave her my crush on one of my best friends. I made something terrible happen to her and made her overcome. I made her strong. I made her loved.

Many years later, I looked for that yellow legal pad and couldn’t find it. It had been lost after my move from my mother’s home. I sat down with a spiral notebook and attempted to rewrite it from memory. Eventually, I got a computer and started typing it out. This is when the paranormal aspect was added in. I had read Twilight and fell in love with paranormal romance. The rest is history!

2) It’s no secret that your book contains dogs. Are you a fan of dogs, do you have any at home?

I do love dogs. I do not, however have any. Unfortunately, though I love him dearly, my husband is NOT a dog person. I’ll wear him down one day.

3) When I read Shadowed Strength, I fell in love with your protagonist, Mel. Is she fashioned after anyone real?

Yeah. See question 1. 🙂

4) What are your super powers?

I’d have to say my super power is juggling. Not juggling in the literal sense—God knows I don’t have any hand-eye coordination—but I have to juggle everything in my life to find time for it all. With a husband, two young boys in various sports, my involvement with the PTA, two cats, two snakes, a guinea pig, a tortoise and a betta named Red Vine, my life is full to the brim. Throw in this whole published author thing, and I am constantly juggling and organizing. And I still make time to watch my shows.

5) For the Shadowed Series, book two is already out, and book three is in the works. Do you have any plans for additional series, or different genres?

I don’t have any set plans, but I am excited for the future. I’m ready to try something new. I’ll probably stay in the YA paranormal romance genre, but I’d like to try something like psychic powers or maybe time travel. We shall see!

Additional bonus – Lyrics that inspired Wendi when writing Melanie’s transformation.

Now that you’re excited to read Shadowed Strength, all you have to do to win it is sign up for my newsletter. I’ll be randomly choosing a winner from all active newsletter subscribers at the end of the month. I’ll email the winner to find out digital preference – Kindle, Nook, iTunes, etc.

Comment if you have any questions or wish to strike up a conversation with a highly entertaining and talented indie author. 🙂

If you want to reach out to the other highly entertaining and talented indie author mentioned in this post, here are her links:

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