Cut by Emily Duvall Blog Tour

Today I will be sharing an interview with Author Emily Duvall, as well as information about her book, Cut. I am currently in the midst of reading it, so my review isn't fully figured yet, but I've been enjoying it so far. I have been reading so many YA books lately, that it's kind of refreshing to read something more on the adult side of things.

I really enjoyed having a chance to delve into Emily's mind regarding her character building process. I hope you'll enjoy her responses as well :)

When you are developing your characters, do you have plans for how they will behave, or do you let them dictate their actions? I always give my characters one trait that is very "them." For example, I decide that the heroine is going to be impatient or immature, etc., or if the hero is going to be hard-headed or spoiled, and I let that trait dictate his or her actions. Those actions then shape the scenes, responses, and interactions with other characters. If my main character is impatient, I let that guide her behavior and show that through action and example. This helps me to write consistent characters and more important, helps me to shape how that character can change and improve.

Which of your characters do you most identify with, and why? I most identify with Olivia Lawson from my second book, Back to You. She's quiet yet straight-forward. She's surrounded by strong personalities, yet has her own strength in deciding what she wants and who to trust. It's easy to get lost in the opinions of others and I wanted to show the reader that at the end of the day, you have to do what's best for you (and trust yourself).

Can you tell us something special about your main characters that will not be directly revealed in the story? (Favorite food, style of music, fashion accessory, story, etc?) I love this question! Makes me wish I had hinted at this in the book. In Cut, Brent Harrison has a weakness for 90's country music and Jessie never wears the color yellow. She always has bad luck whenever she wears that.

If you could meet one of your characters in real life which one would it be, and where would you spend the day with that character? Hands down, I'd meet Brent. I'd demand he take me on a gemstone hunt hopefully somewhere international and non-English speaking, a place where some of the last adventures on the planet are still real. Oh, and I'd hope to get some kind of massive, rare diamond out of the deal.

In general, would you consider yourself a planner - detailed outline follower - or pantser - let the story take you where it will? I'm a pantser all the way! The only thing I know with certainty is how I want the book to end. Whenever I outline I end up doing nothing on the list, so I stopped writing with one. At the end of every chapter I ask myself one question: How can I make this situation worse for my characters? If I haven't done everything to get them set in the wrong direction, I re-write the chapter so they make a lot of mistakes that will come back to bite them. Otherwise, my books would all be over in 10,000 words.

~E


Now here is some more information about her book, as well as the other people who will be sharing their thoughts throughout this tour. I'll be completing my reviews once I get a chance to finish the story. For now, however, it's time for me to get back to my own editing project!



Cut
By: Emily Duvall
Summary from Goodreads:
Jessica Cahill is having one perfect night. In six weeks she’ll walk down the aisle and marry her
long-time boyfriend. But for tonight, she’s celebrating hard at her bachelorette party. It’s the time of
her life until… she takes things too far.
Brent Harrison is having the worst night of his life. Across town, seven rare diamonds are tucked
safely in the vault at his brother’s mansion. These diamonds are special. They hold significance.
They belong to the infamous Abbott Tiara. The task should be easy, he should have them by the
morning. That’s when everything goes wrong. That’s when he runs into her.
One tiara
Seven diamonds
Sometimes beautiful things come at a cost…


About the Author:
My love of reading stories began as a young girl. I read my first romance novel decades ago, and I
was hooked. Seriously. I still am. And although I have not always been a writer, I’ve always been a
reader. I encourage writers everywhere to keep their love of reading during the “process” of
writing.
No matter what genre I read, I always come back to romance stories as my absolute favorite. There's nothing like that one book that stays on your mind long after you’ve read the ending. But that’s
the entire point of writing in this genre I suppose, to create characters that stay on your mind and
your heart, to bring on the falling in part of love and all that comes with it: wrong choices,
complications, miscommunication, and loads of heartbreak.
Advice to you if you’re starting out on your writing journey? Write each day, even if it’s only a
sentence. So much of writing is just doing it. Just write. Just give those characters in your mind a
story to tell. I worked in educational research for the National Assessment of Educational Progress
where I developed training materials for national studies for years before I began writing. Then I
had my children. There was no time for much of anything. However, between the two, I started
writing early in the morning (since I was up anyway) and fed my creative outlet. Motherhood,
careers, college, and whatever life throws at you can coexist if you want to pursue writing. – Emily

AUTHOR LINKS:
Website: http://www.emilyduvall.com
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/eduvallauthor
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emilyduvallauthor1/
GIVEAWAY:
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/050c6a3b2/
(Code for Giveaway)
a
Rafflecopter giveaway


TOUR SCHEDULE:
Monday June 27th:
Angie (http://www.instagram.com/mywolfs_booktaste)
Sarah (http://www.transientdrifter.blogspot.com)

Tuesday: June 28th:
Laura (http://www.lifeisabookblog.com)
Charlotte (http://www.writingsofa21yearold.wordpress.com)

Wednesday: June 29th:
Kathleen (http://www.www.bookshaul.wordpress.com)
Zeee (http://www.eyeheartromance.com)

Thursday: June 30th:
Tegan (twrshelton.wix.com/bookdragondreaming)
Friday July 1st:
Jordan (http://www.readbyroe.wordpress.com)
Saturday July 2nd:
Jen (http://www.happylilbooknook.com)

Sunday: July 3rd:
Karol (http://www.readwithkarol.wordpress.com)
Hosts were provided with a copy of the book for review purposes in exchange for their honest reviews.