Posts Categorized: Interview

Monday, October 13, 2014

Interview with Cat Winters, author of The Cure for Dreaming + Giveaway!

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TheCureForDreaming
I read The Cure for Dreaming a few weeks ago and I absolutely loved it – see my review here! – so I’m stoked to have Cat Winters on the blog  today for an interview, and then you can enter to win something pretty sweet! And in case you haven’t stumbled upon this little gem, yet, here’s a bit about the book:

Interview with Cat Winters, author of The Cure for Dreaming + Giveaway!The Cure for Dreaming by Cat Winters
on October 14th 2014
Genres: Historical, YA
Source: Amulet Books
Buy on Amazon
Goodreads

Olivia Mead is a headstrong, independent girl—a suffragist—in an age that prefers its girls to be docile. It’s 1900 in Oregon, and Olivia’s father, concerned that she’s headed for trouble, convinces a stage mesmerist to try to hypnotize the rebellion out of her. But the hypnotist, an intriguing young man named Henri Reverie, gives her a terrible gift instead: she’s able to see people’s true natures, manifesting as visions of darkness and goodness, while also unable to speak her true thoughts out loud. These supernatural challenges only make Olivia more determined to speak her mind, and so she’s drawn into a dangerous relationship with the hypnotist and his mysterious motives, all while secretly fighting for the rights of women. Winters breathes new life into history once again with an atmospheric, vividly real story, including archival photos and art from the period throughout.



Interview with Cat Winters


The One About VooDoo

Hi Cat! Thanks so much for dropping by my little space on the web! I loved the Shadow of Blackbirds and am very excited to read this one!

Thank you so much for hosting me, Giselle! I’m thrilled you enjoyed In the Shadow of Blackbirds! Blogger support of that novel truly helped the book gain a following, and I’m grateful to all of you who spread the word about it.

Let’s start with giving us a brief description of The Cure for Dreaming using only 2 sentences.

In 1900 America, a father hires a young hypnotist to cure his daughter of her dreams to vote, attend college, and speak her mind. The cure doesn’t go quite as planned.

What was the most interesting part of your research for this novel? Is there something surprising or fascinating that you stumbled on?

I loved so much about all of the research, whether I was digging up information on the fight for women’s suffrage in 1900 Oregon, the glamour of Victorian stage hypnotism, or the horrors of nineteenth-century dentistry (my protagonist’s father is a dentist). I found startling and fascinating bits of historical trivia about all three of these major aspects of the book. For example, I learned that dentists used leeches inside patients’ mouths to suck blood out of inflamed gums, and the practice continued until the World War I time period. I also discovered that millionaires’ wives were often the strongest voices in the anti-suffragist movement in the U.S. It really shocked me to find out how many females were taking a stand against their own independence. They didn’t want to shake things up and veer outside of the normal “sphere” for women.

Imagine you had a past life in 1900, describe what you think you (and/or your life) were like.

I think my past life in 1900 would be very much like the life of my The Cure for Dreaming protagonist, Olivia. I’d probably be frustrated by the limitations placed upon women. The world was dramatically changing; technology advanced by leaps and bounds. And yet women were still considered second-class citizens. Even if I had a loving family and a husband, as I do in the modern world, I would have likely helped to fight for women’s suffrage and the right for females to obtain a higher education. Like Olivia, I think I also would have wanted to be a pianist or organist, because I thoroughly enjoy turn-of-the-twentieth-century ragtime music.

What do you think you would do with it if you had an ability to see people’s true natures like Olivia (in the present)?

I don’t know if I’d be able to handle that ability all that well, to be honest. While it would be nice to cut through all the false barriers people frequently place in front of themselves, I think more often than not it would be terrifying and heartbreaking to see people’s true natures. The optimist in me would like to believe I’d mostly see goodness and well-adjusted souls, but the realist in me knows that wouldn’t necessarily be the case.

Do you have any favorite quotes or a favorite passage in the book you want to share?

Here’s one of my favorite passages. It’s from Chapter Eighteen and involves a point in which my characters are just being themselves and enjoying life.

Overhead, the moon peeked between the clouds, washing the road before us in swaths of silver. “Beautiful Dreamer” waltzed through my mind, especially the line “Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee,” which seemed particularly lovely in the lamp-lit splendor of the nighttime streets of Portland.

And here’s a quote from Chapter Ten that early readers seem to be enjoying:
“I love that books allow us to experience other lives without us ever having to change where we live or who we are.”

 

About the Author




Cat Winters’s critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, was named a 2014 Morris Award Finalist, a 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, a 2013 Bram Stoker Award Nominee, and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013. Her upcoming novels include The Cure for Dreaming (Amulet Books/Oct. 2014) and The Uninvited (William Morrow/2015), and she’s a contributor to the 2015 YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at www.catwinters.com.




This post is part of The Cure for Dreaming blog tour.
Click on the banner for the full tour schedule!

 


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Giveaway

What’s up for grabs: 1 winner will receive a brand-new paperback edition of IN THE SHADOW OF BLACKBIRDS, a signed THE CURE FOR DREAMING poster, a copy of the CD containing the music that inspired THE CURE FOR DREAMING (Kristen Lawrence’s ARACHNITECT), and swag!

Open to US residents only; use the Rafflecopter below to enter:


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto + Giveaway!

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto + Giveaway!

Posted by on 08/13/2014 • 40 Comments

As a big fan of ghost stories, I’m excited to have the Ghost House tour stop by today where I got to interview Alexandra Adornetto, and you can enter to win before you go!

Interview with Alexandra Adornetto

What’s the best word to describe Ghost House?

Haunting.

What’s the biggest challenge you had while writing this book?

Allowing Alex to be a 19th century gentleman with 19th century values, without making him come across as an oppressive or controlling figure in Chloe’s life. I feel like this was best avoided by making Chloe sassy and confident within herself. I couldn’t change Alex, but I could make sure she knew how to hold her own!

Do you have a favorite scene from Ghost House?

The flashback sequence where Alex…

Cover Reveal, Interview & Giveaway: I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Cover Reveal, Interview & Giveaway: I’ll Meet You There by Heather Demetrios

Posted by on 06/27/2014 • 53 Comments

I hope everyone is as excited as I am about a new release by Heather Demetrios! Today we’ve got the brand new cover to show off to you guys, and a Q&A with Heather as well as a giveaway! So let’s see the new pretty!!

Q&A with Heather Demetrios Describe I’ll Meet You There in a Tweet (140 characters)!

Every single word of I’ll Meet You There gutted me. Here is my heart, in paper and ink. I’ve never loved a book so much. 

What was your initial reaction to the cover design? What do you like best about it?

I was thrilled…and relieved! My editor was on the phone with me when she sent the cover comp over. She knew how important the cover of this particular…

Take Me On Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway!

Take Me On Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway!

Posted by on 06/06/2014 • 49 Comments

Being a big fan of this series, I’m happy to welcome Katie McGarry on the blog again for the Take Me On blog tour. We’ve got an interview for you today as well as a giveaway! If you want to know my thoughts on the series you can find my reviews here!

Interview with Katie McGarry

Hi Katie! Thanks so much for dropping by the blog (again! :))! Being a big fan of the Pushing the Limits series it’s an honour to have you back to chat about Take Me On!

To start, if you were to describe Take Me On with just one word, what would it be?

Passionate

And since we’re all excited to meet West, describe him in a tweet (140 characters)

I had…

The Break-Up Artist Blog Tour: Interview & Giveaway!

The Break-Up Artist Blog Tour: Interview & Giveaway!

Posted by on 05/07/2014 • 22 Comments

Today we’ve got the mind behind The Break-Up artist on the blog for an interview where we learn a bit more about this fun novel, and then there are some fab prizes to win! Haven’t heard of The Break-Up Artist yet? Have a look:

Interview with Philip Siegel Let’s start by describing your book in a tweet (140 characters or less)

Girl runs business breaking up couples at her school.

This break-up artist premise is pretty intriguing, where the idea come from?

I had some friends who were in unhealthy relationships a few years back. People change when they get into relationship, and mostly it’s for the better, but not always. It’s a tricky situation, because you want to say something, but doing so can risk harming…

Crash Into You Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway!

Crash Into You Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway!

Posted by on 11/14/2013 • 45 Comments

I’ve got the wonderful Katie McGarry on the blog today for an interview as part of the Crash Into You blog tour. I’m very excited to have her over, I love this series! You can read my review of Crash Into You here if you missed it!

Interview with Katie McGarry

HI Katie! I’m so happy to have you over! I’m a big fan of this series – Crash Into You being my favorite so far actually! 🙂

All Our Yesterdays Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway

All Our Yesterdays Tour Stop: Interview + Giveaway

Posted by on 09/12/2013 • 15 Comments

I’m excited to have the All Our Yesterdays tour stop by the blog today. I’ve got Cristin over for an interview and then you can enter to win your very own copy! I read this gem a few weeks back and adored it. You can read my review here if you missed it!

Interview with Cristin Terrill Hi Cristin, I’m so happy to have you on the blog today. All Our Yesterdays is awesome and I’m honored to be part of the tour!

Let’s start with telling us a bit about how you got the idea for All Our Yesterdays.

The initial kernel of the idea for All Our Yesterdays came to me when I was watching The Terminator on cable late one night because I couldn’t sleep….

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown Tour Stop – Interview + Giveaway

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown Tour Stop – Interview + Giveaway

Posted by on 09/01/2013 • 21 Comments

Today I’m very excited to have one of my favorite authors drop by the blog! Holly Black is here to talk to use about the mysterious Gavriel, and there’s a sweet giveaway for you all as well! 😉 Also, Holly is touring a few states, her schedule is here if you want to see if she’ll be going near you!

For my fellow audiobook listeners, I have a clip here to share for you if you’re considering the audio version – can be pre-ordered via Audible or Downpour. Having read the book I can already tell the narrator has the perfect voice for the MC I think she’ll do her justice! 🙂

Interview with Holly Black

Hi Holly! Thanks so much for…