Utah Book Month~ Author Spotlight Ilima Todd!

I'd like to thank Ilima for doing this spotlight today! I hope you enjoy learning more about her and where she writes.

I’m super spoiled. I have a writing room in my house, and I’ve used it for years. It’s difficult for me to write anywhere else now. It has a door that I can shut and be at peace AND it’s tucked away on one side of the house far from the hustle and bustle of the family. Still, because I homeschool half of my kids and am a full-time mom at home, I usually don’t get to writing until the wee hours of the night. When that time comes, this is where the magic happens. J

I was quite crafty at one point in my life (way before becoming a writer), and you can see some of that in my writing space. I painted and glazed the walls, cut-sanded-painted the giant clock in the corner, made a wreath out of Harry Potter pages, and even decoupaged Pride and Prejudice pages onto my desktop. You can’t see it in this pic, but I have quotes on the wall from Firefly and Battlestar Galactica (nerd alert), and several shelves filled with books. We have a dedicated library in the house with walls of books, but I keep my favorite YA titles in my office. J I also have a collection of bookmarks, objects that represent parts of my books, and several gifts from my CPs that I love to hold onto lining the shelves and walls. It’s basically a writer inspiration wonderland.

Of course my laptop (the octopus on the cover is an ode to Remake) and Diet Coke are the two must-haves on my desk. And close beside me is a picture of my current main characters (for inspiration) and a calendar with daily word count goals (for motivation). I don’t like writing to a schedule, but with a crazy tight deadline from my publisher looming, I have no choice. So that chaise in the corner…yeah. It never gets used. Who has time for relaxing when there’s a story I need to get out of my head? J

And that’s my writing space!

Book blurb:

Imagine a future without family...

Nine is the ninth female born in her batch of ten females and ten males. By design, her life in Freedom Province is without complications or consequences. However, such freedom comes with a price. The Prime Maker is determined to keep that price a secret from the new batches of citizens that are born, nurtured, and raised androgynously.

But Nine isn't like every other batcher. She harbors indecision and worries about her upcoming Remake Day—her seventeenth birthday, the age when batchers fly to the Remake facility and have the freedom to choose who and what they'll be.

When Nine discovers the truth about life outside of Freedom Province, including the secret plan of the Prime Maker, she is pulled between two worlds and two lives. Her decisions will test her courage, her heart, and her beliefs. Who can she trust? Who does she love? And most importantly, who will she decide to be?

Author Bio:

Ilima Todd was born and raised on the north shore of Oahu and currently resides in the Rocky Mountains. She never wanted to be a writer even though she loves books and reading. She earned a degree in physics instead. But the characters in her head refused to be ignored, and now she spends her time writing science fiction for teens. When she is not writing, Ilima loves to spend time with her husband and four children.