The time it was about Chaos

I got approved for Chaos by Jamie Shaw and instantly fell in love with it. After I devoured it and then Mayhem the next day, I may or may not have lost my mind all over Jamie.  I asked if she would be available to do an interview, and even though she was super busy with other things {and a new baby!}, she agreed!

Before we get to her answers, let’s check out the newest book in the series, shall we?

From the moment she saw Shawn Scarlett perform at a school talent show, Kit Larson has loved two things: the guitar, and the gorgeous, green-eyed boy who inspired her to play. But one careless night in high school shatters her hope of ever being more than a notch on his bedpost.

Six years, two bands, and one mostly-mended heart later, Kit’s about to make her rock star dreams a reality as the new guitarist for Shawn’s band, The Last Ones to Know. He may not remember their reckless night together, but Kit has never forgotten… and she’s determined to make him eat his heart out.

The release of their new album means a month cooped up on a tour bus, sleeping inches away from the ridiculously sexy musician she’s never quite gotten over. And as Kit gets to know the real Shawn—not Shawn Scarlett, the rock god, the player—their attraction becomes too hot to resist. But the past is paved with secrets, and when they finally surface, Kit could lose everything: the band, the music, her dreams… and Shawn.

Sounds good, right? {They’re amaaaaaazing!!}

1. Where did the the idea for the Mayhem series come from?

Back when I got the idea, I was reading a LOT of NA, and I was listening to a lot of new bands, and those two loves just kind of came together. I think I was swooning over the lead singer of Brand New when I got the idea to write about a normal girl who hooked up with a rock star. ;) The very first scene of Mayhem is actually something that happened to me when I was a teenager. A bunch of friends took me to see the band Muse, but I had no idea who they were, so when the lead singer cut in front of me in line and knocked on the door to the club….. yeah, I seriously stepped up and told him, “They’re not letting people in yet.” Afterward, after he was let inside, I found out who he was, and I was absolutely mortified.

2. Why do you love Kit and Shawn and why should we root for them?

I love Kit because she’s a freaking rock star. She sports piercings, combat boots, and blue highlighted hair, and she plays the guitar like no one’s business. The girl doesn’t take shit from anyone, but when it comes to Shawn, she can’t help feeling like a total girl. Hell, if I was her, I’d feel the same way! Shawn Scarlett is hot. He’s smart, talented, and has that introspective sensitive side to him that only true musicians seem to have. Those two were made for each other—it just takes them a while to figure it out! Readers can see it a lot faster than they can, which is why we’re rooting for them to get together the whole time.

3. Without spoilers, were there any scenes you had to cut that you wish could have stayed?

Surprisingly, the answer to this is no! My contract for this book was approximately 80,000 words, and I started freaking out when the book got up to 90,000… 95,000… 98,000…… But my editor loved it so much that she let me keep it all! And in fact, she asked me to add stuff!

4. What was your favorite part of writing Chaos?

I loved writing from the perspective of a rock star. Through Kit’s eyes, we get to see what it’s like to be in a rock band. We get to perform onstage under the heat of the lights. We get to look down into the eyes of hundreds of screaming fans. We get to spend four weeks on a tour bus with four insanely hot rock stars. I loved living her life for a few months while I wrote this book.

5. Describe Chaos in 5 words.

Rock Stars for the Win. ;)

Speed {ish} Round:

1. You get the call/email/letter saying you’re being published for the first time. Describe the next five minutes.

Phone calls! Call my mom, bawl my eyes out. Call my husband at work, bawl my eyes out. Call my best friend, bawl my eyes out. Hahaha. I was a mess. It was a dream come true.

2. What 3 things would you take to a desert island?

My Kindle (books!!!). Sunscreen (my vampire-pale skin wouldn’t agree with the desert island sun). Aaand… can a cooler full of margaritas count as one thing?

3. You can only read one book for the rest of your life. What is it?

Honestly, I’m not much of a re-reader. BUT, if I could have amnesia and keep re-reading the same book for the first time, I’d pick Jamie McGuire’s Beautiful Disaster. It was the first NA I fell head over heels for, and I read it all in one late-night sitting.

4. Who are your favorite swoony boys/girls?

From books? Travis Maddox (Beautiful Disaster), Roth (Dark Elements series), Will Herondale (Infernal Devices series), Noel Falcon (Rock the Heart), Shane Baxter (Better When He’s Bad), Brennus (Premonition series). …I kind of have a thing for bad boys, in case you couldn’t tell.

5. What is one thing about publishing you wish someone would have told you?

How ridiculously time consuming it is. It’s very difficult to balance the writing portion of this job with the promotion portion. I never imagined how much non-writing work writers have to do.

6. You wake up and find that you are Bella from Twilight. You know how it plays out. What do you do differently? {Huge thanks to Bookish Broads for letting me use this question}

Wait until I’m a vampire before I sleep with Edward! Or… invent some type of super-vampire-strength condoms… No vampire babies for me, thanks! I’d want to enjoy Edward for a few hundred… thousand years first. ;)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Born and raised in South Central Pennsylvania, JAMIE SHAW earned her M.S. in Professional Writing from Towson University before realizing that the creative side of writing was her calling. An incurable night-owl, she spends late hours crafting novels with relatable heroines and swoon-worthy leading men.

She’s a loyal drinker of white chocolate mochas, a fierce defender of emo music, and a passionate enthusiast of all things romance. She loves interacting with readers and always aims to add new names to their book-boyfriend lists.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Huge thanks to Jamie for taking the time to do this!! Make sure you’re checking out her website, following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, and adding all of her books to your Goodreads TBR shelf.

Now. Haven’t had a chance to get these books in your greedy hands? I’ve got some up for grabs.  Three winners will win e-copies of all three books.

**Good Luck!!**

a Rafflecopter giveaway