Kicking it with Gypsy Rae Choszer!

I recently had the pleasure to read Gypsy Rae Chozser's debut novel, Rain Check. After reading it, I just HAD to interview her to get more information on how this book came to be! I absolutely loved it and if you haven't read it yet, be sure to get it!

Blurb

For Avery Montgomery, the devastation of losing her parents in a tragic accident has left her completely shattered. As she begins to pick up the pieces of her once perfect life, she uncovers a secret that will forever change her—she’s adopted!

In a search for answers, Avery ventures to Portland where she rents a room from Jonah, a quirky artist who quickly becomes her best friend. His house puts her in close proximity to the metaphysical shop run by her birth mother, the free-spirited Marianna Hutchins. Avery enters The Crystal Moon fully intending to confront Marianna, but instead she chickens out and inquires about a job. She's hired; yet remains leery about confessing her secret.

As Avery settles into town, she has an embarrassing encounter with Gabe, the incredibly attractive man who works a few doors down. Despite the awkward introduction, there is undeniable chemistry, but after a recent heartbreak all he’s looking for is friendship.


Everyone deserves a second chance. Will Avery get hers with a new family? Will Gabe allow himself a second chance at love? Will they embrace their new relationships, or will they simply decide to take a rain check?

The Interview

     V: Hey there, Gypsy! So happy to have you on my blog! How about you tell the people who you are, where you’re from, and what you’re about!

G: Thanks Victoria!  I’m Gypsy Rae Choszer, author of the new adult novel Rain Check.  I’m the lucky mom of three amazing boys, and married to my best friend.  We all live in Arizona with our crazy dog Rosie and two chickens.  We used to have four, but two of them mysteriously passed away.  Rest in peace Hilda and Henry.

      V: Not everyone is fortunate enough to come straight out of the womb knowing they wanted to be a writer. I, on the other hand, knew this when I was simply a fetus, writing my memoir in the icky pits of amniotic fluid. Okay, I’m totally kidding. I’m pretty sure I didn’t even know I had arms to do anything with at that point of my life. Moving on. Do you have any authors/friends/family members that helped influence you to write? Who keeps you motivated in regards to your writing? Who was it that gave you the push you needed to start typing or writing away?

G: I have always been a writer.  In high school I was a singer in a band and the drummer and myself would have epic lyric writing marathons.  The lyrics were always super angsty and emo…  basically, exactly what you might expect a couple of sixteen year olds to write.  I may have to dig up some of our old albums and share the lyrics one of these days. 

I have a lot of people in my life who encourage me; my husband and our families have been very supportive on this journey.  Jennifer Miller is one of my very best friends and she has been an amazing support and cheerleader.  She and I have been meeting for weekly writing dates for the last 1.5 years and I don’t think I could have come this far without her.  She has been there to hold my hand at every turn and I am enormously blessed to have her in my life.

      V:Now that we have the proper introductions and information out of the way, let’s get down to business. Rain Check. I absolutely loved the story and I actually became teary-eyed at one scene (which rarely happens). So tell me, what inspired the thoughts and genius words behind Rain Check?

G: I had been working on a different writing project that had stalled.  There had been a couple of deaths in our family and suddenly the subject matter of that particular project became too difficult to write anymore.  Jennifer Miller and I got together for our weekly writing date to discuss my issues with the project and we started talking about her next one, which ended up being Whispering Wishes.  As we spoke I realized that what I needed was to write something lighter.  Something that was mostly just for fun.  We came up with the idea to have a couple of crossover characters, and suddenly the ideas just started flowing.  By the end of our meeting I had most of Rain Check plotted out and I was able to go home and write out the first chapter.

V: If you could bring any character from your book to life, who would it be? Personally, before you say anything, I would probably have to ask you to say Jonah. But because this is your interview, that’s neither here nor there! Sorry, got a tad bit off topic there. Which character would you bring to life?

G: That’s an easy one.  Without a doubt it would be Jonah.  He is my favorite character hands down.  He was so much fun for me to write.   He seems to be a fan favorite too, every single message I get from readers mentions how much they love Jonah.

V: Avery works in a metaphysical shop in Rain Check, and there seem to be a lot of detailed information on what was sold there and done in that sort of shop. Was this something that you had to research or was this something that you actually know about and practice in real life? I think it’s rather groovy either way!

G: When I was in high school, my best friend and I used to ditch school and drive to Park City, Utah for lunch.  We would always stop in a little metaphysical bookstore while we were there to buy incense and look at the crystals, and drool over all the gorgeous tarot decks.  I didn’t have to do a ton of research because I have been in enough metaphysical shops to have a good idea of what to expect.  I DID have to do some research on tarot for the reading that Marianna gives to Avery.  Luckily I have some friends who are gifted in tarot and actually give readings.  They were so kind to help me and explain to me what different cards would mean in a reading.

As for myself, I have a tendency to lean towards natural health and the metaphysical. I’ve been known to carry a crystal or two in my bra for energy, and I was actually a licensed massage therapist for eight years until I injured my wrist several years ago.  I gave birth to all of our boys at home, I am working on becoming a certified aromatherapist (I am obsessed with essential oils), and I am certified in several healing energy modalities.     

V: Do you know when you’ll be releasing anything else? It’s totally cool if you’re just going with the flow and basking in the after glow of your release. But…not to be all demanding and what not…I need something to read from you like…yesterday. So yeah. Any release dates or word of any upcoming projects?

G: I don’t have any solid dates yet, but my goal is to have something out by October.  I have been working on a companion book to Rain Check which will tell Wren’s story.  There will of course be more Jonah. ;)

V:  I believe I have asked you this before personally, but I just want to ask again for the record. One of your characters in Rain Check is related to a character in Jennifer Miller’s book Whispering Wishes (which is also awesome)! Was that done on purpose or completely coincidental?

G: Totally on purpose.  The idea for having those crossover characters is actually what birthed the idea for Rain Check.

     V: If you had to pick any scene in your book, which would be your favorite one?

G: I love the scene where Avery and Gabe kiss at the top of the ferris wheel.  I had actually written that scene for the project I was working on before, but I loved it so much I decided to put it in Rain Check.  I also love when Jonah paints himself blue.

V:  Which scene was the hardest to write?

G: It isn’t a scene exactly, but the whole last section of the book.  I rewrote the ending twice before it felt right.  My first ending was a total disaster and I knew it.  It was rushed and just felt wrong.  After a few panic attacks and some good conversations with my critique partners and betas I went back in and rewrote the last 7 or 8 chapters. 

V: To show people how awesome this book is, can you give a small teaser? Between the dialogue and the amazing storytelling, I’m pretty sure you’ll have people eating out of your hand!

V: As an author, I know how important music can be in the process of writing. What was on your playlist as you wrote Rain Check?

G: I like music that doesn’t have a lot of lyrics, but has a good beat.  Not like a get up and dance beat, but more of a trance beat…  I listened to a Zero 7 station on Pandora, as well as Sigur Ros, Portishead, and Dax Johnson.  Dax is piano music, which I love to get lost in when everything else seems to have too many lyrics.

V: Where can people find your book to purchase?

G: Rain Check is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo.

Amazon-  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KMF8LKY/

Barnes & Noble-  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/rain-check-gypsy-rae-choszer/1119617740

Kobo-  http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/Rain-Check/

V: How can people connect with you on social network? (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, blog, website, etc.)

Facebook-  https://www.facebook.com/gypsyraewrites

Twitter-  https://twitter.com/GypsyRaeWrites

Instagram-  http://instagram.com/gypsyrae

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8109340.Gypsy_Rae_Choszer

Website/Blog-   http://gypsyrae.com/

About the Author

Gypsy Rae Choszer grew up in the valley below Mount Timpanogos where she watched the apricot trees in her backyard bloom every spring. When she was eighteen she packed her bags and ran away to the exotic locale of Mesa Arizona to begin the work of being an adult. 

Gypsy’s love of reading began as a child when her mom would take her to their local library and let her bring home stacks of whatever she wanted. This often lead to Gypsy reading with a dictionary nearby to explain words she intuitively knew her mother wouldn't approve of.

In her spare time she likes to explore photography, make jewelry, eat chocolate, and mix magical potions.

When she’s not writing, you can find Gypsy hanging out at home with her husband and best friend, their three children, a neurotic dog, and four chickens. However, Gypsy knows her family will not be complete until she brings home a peacock and a goat.

      

The Daring Assignment is coming soon!

Hi everyone! I hope you all had a lovely weekend! I...mostly played The Sims instead of outline like I was supposed to, but that's neither here nor there. 

As I stated on my author page, I am working on an erotic romance. I'm pretty nervous about it because this is way out of my comfort zone AND isn't something that I've written before. I think I'm more nervous because most of my friends think I'm a prude (which I may or may not be), so it's a bit unnerving to think about what I'm getting myself into.

I'm still working on a synopsis for it. Because I'm working on this book for Camp Nano (that starts in a few days), this book will be done by the end of July. The cover reveal for The Daring Assignment will be on September 2, 2014 and the book will be released on September 30th!

I'm pretty excited about starting this story and I most definitely can't wait to get started on it. I'm pretty sure you all will love it just as much as I love writing it!

xoxo,

Victoria

Both books are available on Amazon now!

Oh my goodness!

Love Unbroken has been republished and Love Reborn has been, well, born! Both books are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble right now, so be sure to get your copy today!

Both books are currently $0.99. Don't miss out!

xoxo,

Victoria

Cover Reveal for Sanctum by Cameo Renae!

Title: Sanctum (The After Light Saga #2)

Author: Cameo Renae

Genre: YA Post-Apocalyptic/Dystopian

Publisher: CHBB

Cover Design: Regina Wamba at Mae I Design Photography

Hosted by: Lady Amber's Tours

Blurb: The Arvy threat worsens each day. They continue to destroy the hive’s vital fuel resources, leaving us with one option— evacuate to the largest government bunker, located in South Dakota. The injured hive members are moved as first priority, but a disastrous event occurs on the way to our drop-off zone. We find ourselves in a ghost town, surrounded by spiteful, revenge filled Arvies. Chaos ensues and our death toll rises. Just when we think the end has come, unsuspected help arrives. We are rescued and brought to an underground bunker. They call it Sanctum. With no way of reaching outside help, we must depend on each other to reach our pick-up zone, thirty miles away. If we don’t make it in time, we will be left for dead. Time is ticking. My name is Abigail Park. I am a survivor.

My family is what keeps my heart beating, and my world a happy place to be. I love reading great books that whisk me away from reality, even if for a little while. :) Writing is my passion. I love creating new worlds and new characters, and taking wondrous adventures with them. In My Dreams & Hidden Wings were both recently published through Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing. Descent (A Hidden Wings novella) will be released May 15, 2013, and Broken Wings (Book 2 in the Hidden Wings Series) will be released June 1, 2013. One day I will find my magic wardrobe, and ride away on my magical unicorn... ♥ Until then... I'll keep writing! ;)

Follow Cameo on: Facebook * Blog * Website * Twitter

Chatting with Ahmad!

Sooo...on Sunday, Ahmad came over to visit to help me learn a little lesson. Here's what went down!

I can’t do it. I can’t let go of him. I want to, but I don’t know how. I rolled over in bed and glanced at the clock. It was a little after two in the afternoon and here I was, still moping around over a breakup that happened over three years ago. What was wrong with me? He was obviously moving on, so why couldn’t I? I found it nearly impossible to get over someone that I gave everything to, someone that I built everything with. Imagine building the most perfection creation, only to have something sabotage it to the point of no repair. That’s how I felt and it wasn’t a good feeling.

Scrolling through photos on Facebook and Instagram was depressing. There were so many people in love and since I wasn’t in love, it was sickening. I was happy for my friends, yes, but I felt this pang of jealousy that I couldn’t shake off. To be completely honest, I had no one to be mad at but myself. The craziest thing about this situation is that it’s my fault that I’m still single. Guys would approach me, but because I’m so wrapped up in him, I’m in this lame ass “I-can’t-see-myself-with-anyone-else” phase. Talk about the ultimate cock block. We can call it “Typical loner Victoria” syndrome if you want to put a title on it.

I was completely fine until I went to my best friend’s wedding. Seeing her so in love with someone who loved her just as much as she loved him made me feel bitter. It was supposed to be a joyous weekend, but here I am on a Sunday comforting myself with butter pecan ice cream. I totally needed to get my life together.

My interest peaked when my iPhone vibrated next to me. I raised my eyebrow in curiosity at the sight of Ahmad’s picture on my screen. Of course he would call when I’m in one of my moods. “Thanks for calling the House of Heartbreak, this is Victoria. How can I help you?” I answered, flopping back into my pillows. I heard Ahmad chuckle on the other end. “You really need to get a grip on yourself, girl. What are you up to?”

“Oh, nothing. Just enjoying the company of bacon, rice krispy treats, and Ben & Jerry’s.”

“The sugar and fat content alone makes me cringe. I told you about comfort food.”

“You told me about a lot of food, but when will you learn that I won’t listen? You’re a trainer. I like being soft and fluffy. I’m in no rush to have a body like yours.”
            “It’s about health, not necessarily your appearance. But anyway, I’m down the street, so be decent when I get there.”

“Yeah, yeah,” I mumbled, disconnecting the phone and tossing it on the bed. I sighed loudly as I bounced off of the bed and rummaged through my closet for something to wear. I hated his random impromptu visits.  My plans were to lie in bed all day with my hair standing on my head, stuffing my face with a ton of junk food. But no, my best friend was going to be here in a couple of minutes and I had to look presentable.

Although Ahmad and I were friends, it didn’t stop my mind from wandering. He’s obviously seen me at my worse (which was a complete accident that would NEVER happen again), but I always try to look my best when I see him. You never know what could happen if he were…you know…single again.

I quickly pushed the thoughts aside. What was I thinking? He was happy with Whitney and I was happy for him. He went through so much during the last couple of years and I was happy that he found some kind of peace in his life. Seeing how happy he was lately made me wonder how I could get that same happiness for myself. Maybe I should ask him about it when he gets here.

After slipping on a pair of yoga pants and tank top, I quickly ran a brush through my frizzy hair and tossed on a headband to keep my poof in control. As if on cue, I heard a knock on the door as soon as I brought my snacks into the living room. I opened the door and immediately was in awe… as usual. This man was too handsome for words. Here he was leaning against my doorframe with that stupid smirk on his face, just taking my breath away. I stepped aside and let him in. “So how’ve you been?” I asked as we settled onto my leather sofa. He shrugged. “Everything is cool. The better question is how have you been? What’s with this ‘House of Heartbreak’ business you mentioned? I pray it’s not because of your ex,” he said, raising an eyebrow at me.

I looked away timidly. Being a man, I’m sure he wouldn’t understand. Having gone through something as tragic as losing the one you love, he would probably think I’m just being dramatic. “It’s hard to explain,” I said softly, turning my attention to my hands. We sat in silence for a little bit while I gathered the courage to talk about what I wanted to ask him.

“Ahmad… when you lost Camille, how did you finally get over it to move on with Whitney?” I finally asked. He chuckled and shook his head. “If I told you the actual story, you wouldn’t believe me. But it took a lot of reflection. I had to stop thinking about my feelings, especially with having a three-year-old daughter. I don’t know, it's kind of hard to explain this because our situations are different.”

“How so? I feel like I’m grieving the lost of my relationship, too.”

“But not how I did. My girl died, you and your ex had a mutual breakup. If you guys wanted to work things out, you have the opportunity to. I can’t have Camille back and I struggled with that thought the most,” he said, his eyes clouding over with sadness. I patted his hand gently. 

“I didn’t mean to bring up any memories,” I said softly. From being around him for the past couple of years, I knew the pain and torture he put himself though with his memories of her.

He smiled. “Everything is good now, though. I’m dating again, business is great, and life is just taking a turn in a better direction right now,” he beamed. I gave him a small smile. This is what I was talking about. Why couldn’t I have something like that, to be happy? Why am I still crying into a pint of ice cream over someone who is obviously over me? I shoveled another scoop of ice cream into my mouth as I thought.

“What made you start dating Whitney anyway? No one could get you to go on a date,” I noted, pulling my legs underneath me. A small smirk pulled at his lips.

“I was gambling and I lost.”

“Gambling? I figured it was something that you were forced to do,” I giggled. Ahmad chuckled.

“I’m sure it was like pulling teeth for everyone to get me to go out on a date after three years. I’m just glad I decided to.”

“How are things with the two of you? I rarely see you now that you have a little girlfriend.”

“You rarely see me because work has been hectic. But everything’s great with her. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately.”

“About?”

“Well, I’ve been with her for about two years now. Ahmelia is completely in love with her. She even calls her mommy,” he mentioned. I smiled in awe. It was nice to see that Ahmelia was happy with the decision Ahmad made. I’m glad that she had a complete family now.

“Okay, so what have you been thinking about, genius?”

“I’ll tell you in a minute. But first, we need to focus on you and your emotional pow wow you have going on,” he said, confiscating my ice cream. My jaw dropped.

“I was still eating that!” I shrieked, reaching over to grab the pint back from him. He casually held me off with one arm. He wasn’t fazed in the slightest with my struggle, as he was much stronger than I was. With a huff, I settled back into the couch.

“Fine, you fool. Focus on what?” I grumbled, folding my arms across my chest with a pout. He gazed at me with amusement shining in his eyes for a moment before speaking.

“What exactly is holding you back from moving on?” he asked softly. I opened my mouth to speak only to be stumped on my answer. There were so many reasons that I didn’t want to move on. For starters, I had this tiny thread of hope that I held on to, hoping that things would work out on its own. That thread should have obviously been broken when I saw that he had a new girlfriend. Then there was the feeling that made me think that I couldn’t see myself with anyone else. I couldn’t even fathom the thought of giving my body or my heart to another man. I had been with my ex since I was sixteen, we had history. I sighed. It was so easy for him to move on, as if his feelings were a faucet that could easily be turned off and on.

I shrugged my shoulders with a sigh. “I really don’t know,” I admitted softly, biting the inside of my cheek.

“Do I have to force you to go on a date?”

“No. I don’t even understand why it’s so hard for me though. It’s not like I’m not attractive. It’s not like I don’t have guys asking me out. I sit around writing romance novels about people finding their happily ever after, but I neglect my own. Hell, I gave YOU a happily ever after,” I said with bitter dismay.

Ahmad looked at me and smirked. “Isn’t there some kind of quote that says life is what you make it or some shit?” he asked. I met his eyes with a confused gaze.

“Yeah, and?”

“Why can’t you create the relationship you want?”

“Because life doesn’t work that way, Ahmad. I have ideas of how love is supposed to be and how I would want love to be, but some men may not agree. They say that you shouldn’t want the perfect companion because no one is perfect. You should just accept people for who they are.”

“And you should.”

“But do I have to settle just to be in a relationship? When I set my standards, men are quick to tell me that I’m stuck up or judgmental. Just because I don’t want a smoker, drinker, or some random thug in my bed doesn’t mean that I’m stuck up. It simply means that I won’t settle for shit that I don’t want,” I stated matter-of-factly. Ahmad nodded knowingly.

“You shouldn’t feel bad for what you want. If a guy does any of those, if he truly wanted to be with you, he’d stopped. If you continue holding out, I’m sure you’ll find the guy that you’re looking for and it’ll be worth the wait.”

“But what if I never find him though? What if I never find a guy that can handle my situation?”

“Situation?”

“Yeah, my ‘situation',” I said, waving my hand in front of my whole body. Ahmad raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You mean with your lupus or something? Or being bipolar?”

“I’m not even bipolar, you fool. But yes, my lupus.”

“Like I said, the right guy will be able to handle all of that and he will do it without complaining. You would realize that if you stopped cutting yourself off from the world. I learned that the hard way,” he said, rising to his feet.

What he was saying made perfect sense. Being stuck in the past wasn’t going to help my situation. I learned that from watching Ahmad during his grieving period as he got back on the dating scene. Maybe I just needed to trust myself and trust that things would work out for the best as long as I stuck to my guns about what I wanted.

“Where are you going?” I asked as he moved toward the door. He turned and slid his hands into the pockets of his khaki shorts.

“I have to pick up Ahmelia from Karin’s house and meet up with Whitney. Are you going to be okay?” he asked. I nodded and followed him to the door. Just as he stepped over the threshold, a thought popped into my head.

“Wait a minute. You said that you would tell me what you were thinking,” I reminded him. He smiled and nodded.

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot. I’ve been thinking…” he said, digging around in his pocket. I watched him with anticipation. When he pulled out a small black box, I felt my heart rise in my throat.

“Are you…?”

“I’ve been thinking about proposing to Whitney. I’m not completely sure, but it’s been on my mind heavily,” he said with a wink, showing me the beautiful 14-carat white gold diamond ring. I immediately became confused as everything processed in my mind.

“Why did you buy a ring if you’re not completely sure?” I asked. He grinned as he slipped the ring into his pocket.

“I think it would make for an interesting story line for book three, don’t you think?” he said with a wink and walked away before I could get another word in. I smiled and shook my head as I closed the door. I gave him his happily ever after. I think it’s past time for me to obtain my own.

***BE SURE TO GET YOUR COPY OF LOVE UNBROKEN AND LOVE REBORN ON JUNE 12TH!***