Mirriam Neal: "Monster", an Author Interview, and an Amazon Blitz

About Monster, by Mirriam Neal
The year is 2053, and the world is recovering from a Morbus, a plague that swept across the globe, destroying millions of lives. Eva Stewart is a promising young WorldCure scientist assigned to a facility in Alaska where she is made a Handler and given her own human Subject for research and experimentation. What she believes to be a step up in her career becomes a nightmare when she discovers writing on her Subject’s cell wall. I still have a soul. Soon Eva is drawn into a horrific plot kept quiet by WorldCure, and as everything she knew collapses around her, she must discover the truth behind her Subject, her beliefs, and herself.

Mirriam Neal, a good friend of mine, is publishing her first book, and is doing a series of author interviews across several blogs. Mirriam's book Monster is set to be coming out on the 15th of June on Amazon, and Mirriam is planning on throwing an "Amazon Blitz" that day, where as many people buy the book as possible. I hope you all look into Monster and buy a copy-- I can verify that it's fantastic! Be sure to visit Mirriam's blog on the 14th of June to check out the giveaway and Amazon Blitz details.

I got the chance to read Monster as Mirriam was writing it, and be a part of her beta team. I fell in love with the story, and I hope that all of you guys get a chance to get a copy and love it just as much as I do.  So, without further adieu, I'll give this post over to Mirriam and let her do the talking.

What kind of things did you draw inspiration from, while writing and editing Monster? (Books, movies, pictures, music, etc.) 

I drew inspiration from a lot of things, but the biggest was Big Bang's song and music video, "Monster." I read a lot of medical articles - but I didn't have to look for inspiration, oddly enough. It was just sort of 'there' for this novel.

How did you write Monster? Was it on a computer, or by hand? 

I wrote SO much of it by hand, and then I typed it up onto the computer. Almost the first third was handwritten; the rest was typed up - I can type at the same speed as my brain, so I prefer writing on the computer. The last fourth of the book was finished in a hotel room using my mom's laptop!

Do you consider yourself to have a specific writing style, something that shines through in most everything that you've written, or do you think that your writing has its own personality for each story? 

Ah, not really. My style differs from book to book; something mom pointed out while reading various chapters. My style sounds totally different to fit each different book idea.

Did you have any one person who really supported you through the writing of this story? Who? 

I've been blessed with more people who encourage me than I can count. My family, my friends - everyone. And, of course, there was one person I didn't actually KNOW who inspired Mir. Lee Joon, a singer, actor, and the person who was (and is) Mir personified.

Did writing Monster teach you anything? 

This book taught me to value every soul on an even deeper level. It changed how I see people. It helped me look past appearances, to see the beating heart beneath.

Some writers have their characters living in their heads-- do Eva and Mir "live in your head" the way some characters do? 

All of my characters reside inside my head. They're as colorful and close to me as people in the real world, which is both a blessing and a danger to my real life! 

What do you consider the best part of writing-- the actual writing and beta-ing, or the editing? 

I much prefer the actual writing and beta-ing. Editing and rewriting, while not horrible, is my least favorite part. There isn't as much creativity in editing as there is in the actual writing.

About the Author

"Mirriam Neal is a nineteen-year-old homeschooled young woman who believes in embracing the weirdness in life. She writes at strange hours, reads strange books, listens to stranger music, and loves discovering the uniqueness in people."