Spotlight on New Book Debut Author Casie Bazay #giveaway

Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay

1- Your book characters get a "bucket list of places to visit." Have you done much traveling in your lifetime?

I plugged KJ and Becka into one of my Yellowstone trip pics

I have actually! I grew up camping with my family quite a bit and now my husband and I enjoy traveling to new places around the U.S. whenever we can. I’ve traveled to all of the places except one described in Not Our Summer, and I had a lot of fun envisioning how Becka and K.J. would see those places.

2- Would you please, in 160 characters or less, give a #WriteTip ?

Read your work aloud to check the flow, as well as to check for missing or repetitive words. Then, after finishing your final revision, use a text-to-audio app to listen to your writing. You’ll be surprised by what you catch!

3- What most motivates you to read a new book?

I usually pick up books based off of online buzz or if a friend recommends the book. Of course, there are also certain authors I have on auto-read because I’ve loved their previous works so much. This includes Ken Follett, Lauren Oliver, and Erin Hahn.

4- What is your favorite tree to hug? 🌳🌲🌴🏞

I don’t discriminate when it comes to trees—I love them all—but I do have a favorite tree. :-) It’s a giant oak on our property. We had a rope swing on it when my kids were younger.

5- Would you share a picture with us of your book with an animal you care for?


McCoy

6- What's a common misconception about horses?

People always use the expression, “healthy as a horse”, but horses can actually be quite difficult to keep healthy in domestic situations. As a lifelong horse owner and a freelance writer specializing in horse health, I’ve learned about so many common equine ailments. Horses have a very sensitive digestive tract, for instance, and you have to be very careful about how you feed them.

7- What's your Twitter handle, and do you have two or three writer friends on there to shout-out to for #WriterWednesday ?

@CasieBazay and sure, I’d love to give a shout-out to my #Pitch2Pub friend @justine_manzano whose next book, Never Say Never comes out in June. Also, to @AmyWagnitz who has been such an enthusiastic supporter of my writing. And last but not least, to my talented #AMM mentee @SouleStories !

8- Do you have a favorite #bookstagram image or account/ profile?

I really love all the support and positive vibes from The Book Bratz ( @bookbratz ). They seem like a great group of young ladies! @bookbratz

9- Are you a Plotter, Pantser, or Plantser, and how did you adopt that style?

I am a Pantser through and through. When I first began writing, I thought I would be a Plotter (because I’m fairly organized and tend to be a planner when it comes to other facets of life). I definitely tried to force myself into that role; however, I couldn’t, for the life of me, make it work. I’ve since accepted that I’m a Pantser who likes to have a vague plan of where the story will go.

10- What does your basic writing schedule look like, and how often do you write?

I work from home as a part time freelance writer, so I typically focus on my freelance work in the mornings and my fiction writing in the afternoons. When my kids were in school (pre-Covid), that was much easier.

11- What is your favorite book by someone else, what's the author's Twitter handle, and what do you love most about that book? #FridayReads book recommendation time!

Author name: @ShanaYoungdahl
Title: As Many Nows As I Can Get
Love because: It’s a beautifully and masterfully story told through a nonlinear structure that really hits you right in the feels.


12- What emotions do you hope your book will evoke for the reader?

Overall, I’d hope that readers feel sympathy, surprise, and hope while reading NOS.

13- What kind of impact do you hope your book will have?

My hope is that NOS is the kind of book that people find entertaining and fun. I also hope it will hook more reluctant readers and inspire them to read more books. Lastly, I hope that the places the girls travel to in NOS will inspire readers to come up with their own bucket list of places to travel to.

14- What is your favorite creative non-writing activity to do?

Is gardening creative? If so, I’d say that. :-)

15- diversebooks.org #WeNeedDiverseBooks What's your favorite book with a diverse main character?

My favorite book with a diverse MC is Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley. It’s amazing!

16- What method do you feel is the best way to get book reviews?

I think genuinely connecting with readers, other writers, and book bloggers online is a good way to get people interested in reading and reviewing your book. Also be willing to do the same for others.

17- What was the deciding factor in your publication route?

I decided from the start that I wanted to traditionally publish with a big publisher because I wanted to see my book on the shelf at Barnes and Noble and other book stores. I also wanted my book to be available to readers around the world. Not that that can’t happen with self publishing or small presses, but I figured a big 5 publisher would get me the best shot at those things. My idea was “go big or go home” and I stuck with that for 10 years while writing and querying four books. It finally worked out. :-)

18- What's the biggest writing goal you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

I hope to have one of my books made into a movie! Probably not super original, but I’ve dreamed of that from the beginning, too.

19- Would you please ask our audience a question to answer in the comments?

What’s your favorite book that’s come out in 2021 or which 2021 book are you most looking forward to?

20- Anything else you would care to share about your book and yourself?

NOS blurb:

It's bad enough that estranged cousins Becka and KJ see each other at their grandfather's funeral, but when he leaves them a bucket list of places to visit together over the summer, so they can earn their inheritance, it seems like things are about to get much worse.

However, with each trip the cousins complete -- like riding mules into the Grand Canyon or encountering a bear and a hot tour guide at Yellowstone -- they steadily learn about and begin to trust one another. That is until the truth behind Grandpa's bucket list, and their family feud, is revealed, testing Becka and KJ far beyond their limits. Will they ultimately find a way to accept each other or will their grandpa's wish to mend his divided family end up buried alongside him inside his grasshopper green casket?

Bio:

Casie Bazay is former middle school teacher who now works as a freelance writer and editor. In her spare time, Casie enjoys exploring the great outdoors, spending time at the barn with her horses and goats, reading, and watching movies (especially young adult novel adaptations). She lives on a hay farm in northeastern Oklahoma with her husband and two children but loves traveling to new and exciting destinations whenever she can.

Links:

@CasieBazay Twitter
@Casie_Bazay Instagram
https://facebook.com/casiebazayyaauthor
http://casiebazay.com

GIVEAWAY!

Get a signed copy of NOT OUR SUMMER.

US only. Must provide a US address and answer question 19 in the comments to be eligible.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Not Our Summer by Casie Bazay