Hi Everyone,
Please help me give a warm welcome to two amazing authors, Chris Almeida and Cecilia Aubrey. They are here to answer a few questions about their Countermeasure Series. (To read my reviews of their books, click on each of the titles: Uncharted, Countermeasure, Bytes of Life Anthology, To Russia with Love, Blindsided, Lost to Rapture.)
Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl
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1. Hi Chris and Ceci! Thanks for hanging out here today. Could you tell the followers here a little bit about yourselves and your books?
Chris: Hi, Nicole! Very happy to be here. I guess we should give your readers a little back story. I’m a Brazilian expatriate living in Canada and a total geek. My background prior to writing was in web development and design but through life’s twists I now find myself writing romance. Cecilia and I began writing together a bit over three years ago. We met at a role playing group and played a mated couple for a while before we decided to write our own stories. I’ve lived in Canada for 15 years and although I suffer through the low temps each year, I’m rewarded each season with the change of colors and the magnificent views so I guess mother nature and I are even.
Cecilia: Hi, thank you for having us. To follow Chris’s lead, I’m a mutt—mix of Irish and Spanish—and an Air Force brat currently living and working in Northern California. Life’s curveballs always lead you one way or another, mine led me to meeting Chris, this adventure we’ve embarked, and into writing our stories.
2. Your books cover a multitude of genres exquisitely well and they seem to be current/ahead of their time. How did you come up with the idea for this series and where do you look for inspiration?
Chris: The original idea for the series came from a dream I had which also became Countermeasure’s prologue in its entirety. The development of the series from the core idea to now has been done in partnership with Cecilia. Inspiration is all around us. We both bring our own lives and experiences to the table and that gives the series the dynamic and diversity it carries out.
3. Now I know you enjoy listening to music, while you write, but is there one particular song that comes to mind for each book?
Chris: Although Ceci and I have the same basic taste in music, we have personal preferences in how to use it in our writing. I personally associate a set of songs to a specific character and when I need to write in that character’s POV, I play the playlist for him. Scenes, romantic or otherwise, also have their own playlist. I associate songs with the couples, with the action sequence, but I don’t have one specific song I can associate with each book.
Cecilia: I do something similar but I tend to pick a song either from a characters’ or couples playlist that feels like the moment in time that I am working in. I guess you could say a theme song for the scene or emotional situation. We have selected a songs that we feel best represent the beat, speed and rhythm of each book for the trailers but our view of the energy within the books is not limited to them.
4. If you could live in any one of the places that is mentioned in your books, where would it be and why?
Chris: I had the pleasure of living in Ireland for a while and if I could pick a place it would be somewhere there, most likely outside Sligo Town. Although Dublin is a wonderful city, I’d still pick Sligo as my home.
Cecilia: I have traveled to many countries and have walked the streets of Monte Carlo. The one place I’ve never been yet is Ireland. My father’s family hails from County Cork, however, having listened to Chris’s reminiscing of adventures in Sligo and researching the area, I feel as if I too have been there. It has become a bucket list item for us to go there in the near future. I have a feeling Sligo will steal my heart.
5. Your characters are very relatable and seem very real to your obsessed followers. Which qualities/characteristics do you share with your characters? Which qualities/characteristics do you wish you shared with them?
Chris: Trevor and I share the love for technology and loyalty to family and friends. I just wish I was as young as he is and could roam the world the way they do but I guess I can do that through their adventures.
Cecilia: Cassandra’s no nonsense approach to situations, love of having a set plan, and of course, very protective of family and friends are some things Cassandra and I have in common. I would love to be that young again with the world and adventure always on the horizon. It will be fun to one day walk some of the steps they have taken.
6. What can readers expect to see from you two in the future?
Chris: We have a lot on our TBW pile and we wish we had more hours in a day to explore all of the stories we want to write. But for certain, we will finish the Countermeasure Series novels and a few more Bytes of Life novellas telling the stories of the secondary characters in the stories. We will also branch out Countermeasure onto the spin-off series The AWE Crew. As for the other stories, we’ll update the list as we go.
7. Where can readers find you?
Is there anything that you would like to ask me or the readers?
Chris: We are all over social media and we welcome new friends on Facebook anytime. We are not even close to reaching the Facebook friend limit so friend away. As for the question, what makes you take interest in a specific book/series? What pulls you in?
Cecilia: Question: As a reviewer/reader, you read books across several genres. Is there a specific genre that holds your special attention?
As Chris mentioned, we are everywhere and anywhere. Here are some direct links to our social media presence:
Authors’ Website: http://chrisalmeida-ceciliaaubrey.com/
Countermeasure Series: http://countermeasureseries.com/
Authors’ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Authors.ChrisAlmeida.CeciliaAubrey
Countermeasure Series Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Counter.Measure.Series
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CAlmeidaCAubrey
To answer Chris’s question, for me, I like to read a story/series that I can get lost in. I prefer to be able to relate on some level with the characters or their story. However, if it is totally impossible to relate to a character, but the plotline is engaging, I find myself anxious to find out what happens next. As a reader, I love a story that pulls me into it and allows for my reality to fade away. 😉
To answer Ceci’s question, I have found that I go through reading phases. As a child, I loved a good mystery or any animal themed book, whereas in my teens I enjoyed more of the psychological thrillers. It wasn’t until my mid-twenties that I found the Happily Ever Afters in romance books. I am grateful to have such a broad taste in genres, when I am desperate for a book vacation, I tend choose a YA book, since they are normally fast, easy read and offer a hint of both mystery/romance. But nothing beats a great book that leaves you emotionally wrecked for a few days/weeks. 🙂
So what about all of you? How would you answer Chris’s and Ceci’s questions?
Fun tidbits:
Chris and Ceci are currently working towards 4,000 Likes on their Facebook page. (https://www.facebook.com/Authors.ChrisAlmeida.CeciliaAubrey) Once they reach this significant milestone, they will be giving away a paperback copy of Countermeasure.
Uncharted is the first Byte (short story) and it is the official start of this whole series. It is available for FREE at all retailers!!! So if you want to get a feel for this series and love a great deal, go pick up your copy today.
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Thanks again to Chris and Ceci for stopping by today and I hope you all enjoyed this interview.
Have a wonderful day!
Enjoy!
~Ariesgrl
Ariesgrl Book Reviews 