Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run--Dan Cohen

The next author of the Spencer Hill Press Summer Blog Run is the wonderful Dan Cohen. 

*A twenty-one gun salute*

Dan’s, MASTERS OF THE VEIL, was released in March 2012, and it is definitely an awesome read.  Lots of great reviews to prove it, too. A little sci-fi, a little fantasy, and a cute, unknowing hero--you know, an actual male protagonist. 

As always, I'm going to provide you a bunch of links so that you can slink after Mr. Cohen. Goodreads fan page, twitter, facebook, and blog. 

Thank you so much for stopping by my blog, Dan. 

Yo homie.

Tell us when your passion for writing started.

When I first met a young man named Harry Potter.

What book touched you when you were younger?

“The Giver,” by Lois Lowry. I still read it about once a year. Nothing is perfect, but “The Giver” proves you can get pretty darn close.

What is your favorite read right now?

“The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss. It’s epic fantasy about a musician. And it’s written so well it’s like poetry (HAHA! Inside joke, because Kvothe—the main character—despises poetry).

What do you do when you are not sitting in front of your computer writing? 

Play tenor saxophone. I have split passions, and music and writing take up the majority of my time. 

Do you have any other hobbies?

I collect kisses.   

Any takers??

What is your favorite food?  

Chicken.

Would you like to share the recipe with us?

That might be a little graphic for your readers. But if I must: You see, when a mommy chicken and a daddy chicken love each other very much…

First thing to pop into your head….

Greasy cheeseburgers or escargot?

Cheeseburgers.

Cake or pie? What's your favorite?

Pie.

Beaches or mountains?

Beaches.

Slacks or jeans?

Jeans. I live in Texas now and I’m going for the All-American cowboy look.

Favorite jolt of caffeine beverage.

COOOOOFFFFFFEEEEEEE

Beer or margaritas?

Beer.

Most embarrassing moment in your life? (Like everyone else, you have to share...mua ha ha)

Oh jeez. It happened at the BEA this year. I have a friend that works for Wiley Publishing that I hadn’t seen since last year, so I went to the Wiley booth and gave her a big hug and tried to catch up with her. She acted really weird but went with the conversation.

Turns out it wasn’t her. I got a text from that friend later who watched the whole thing happen. Apparently I hugged a complete stranger and tried to talk with her about the “good old days.”

Shoot me now.

Can you tell us one book you absolutely love but hasn't gotten the spotlight that you think it deserves?

“Elemental,” by Emily White. It’s such a refreshing and unique book in the YA genre and it should be getting the attention that all the copycat books are getting.

Favorite author? And why?

J.K. Rowling. Because her work makes my soul sing.

Who has been your greatest fan while traveling down writing road?

My mom :)

Was there a teacher who encouraged you? Who? And what did they do?

Yes there was. Cynthia Glozier, my High School English Teacher. She did more than I can mention in an interview. Let’s just say that she believed (believes) in me.

What was the first piece you ever wrote?

Besides the junk that I wrote for school, my first real piece of writing (that came from the heart, and not from an assignment) is my first book called “The Ancillary’s Mark.” It was published a few years back and it’s actually pretty good. 

Why young adult?  

Because the years of young adulthood often harbor the most change and development, and YA brains are in the greatest position to be inspired.

Masters of the Veil blurb...

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer.

Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot.

As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.

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Time for the Tantalizing Teaser Temptation

Jock meets magic meets coming-of-age story meets MAGIC. I think that should suffice.

For all the lucky people who stopped by, Dan is kind enough to give away…

Four winners. One will win a paperback copy of “Masters of the Veil.” And three others will win a .pdf copy of the e-book that can be read on an e-reader or computer. 

Just two things to enter:

1)      You have to follow my blog.  Need directions---scroll back up closer to the top, right hand side and click follow 

2)      You have to tell me what book you absolutely love but never made it to a best seller list.

Contest ends Saturday, July 21^th.

Winners will be announced Sunday, July 22^th.

Oh, and don’t forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run. 

Thank you all for stopping by and saying hi.  Please leave Dan a comment thanking him for his time and for the ultra-cool prizes.