GLITTER by Aprilynne Pike Interview + ARC Giveaway!

It is with great pleasure that I present an interview of bestselling author Aprilynne Pike on her upcoming YA Nigh-Fi, GLITTER! If you've been eager to learn more about this gorgeous book, then you have come to the right place - Aprilynne has given me the scoop from how it all began to if we can expect a series, including research subjects, inspirational music, favorite characters and quotes, and her GLITTER Love List! But that's not all: Aprilynne has generously offered an early signed ARC to one lucky reader! Want to read GLITTER before its October release? Then see the giveaway at the end to enter!

THE BOOK

Title: Glitter

Author: Aprilynne Pike
Release Date: October 25, 2016
Publisher: Random House BYR

Summary: 

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life. 

 
Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.

But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

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PRE-ORDER LINKS:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | IndieBound

THE INTERVIEW

1. GLITTER in one sentence:

Danica Grayson tries to escape a world of blackmail, court intrigue, fancy dresses, and cutting-edge technology by selling a new designer drug.

(For a more detailed explanation, see Aprilynne's "About Glitter" post here!)

2. What inspired GLITTER?

Ha! This is hilarious (to me) actually! I was a huge fan of Breaking Bad, and though the series finale was amazing, I found the first half of Season 5 to be … lackluster. And, as we egotistic writers do, I kept thinking, I could do better. Then I thought, but what I really want to do is write girls in pretty dresses. And that’s how it all started.

3. What were some of the subjects you researched for GLITTER?

I did SO much research into the time when the three King Louis lived in the Palace of Versailles. Truly it’s glittering heyday. Lots of research into Marie Antoinette, arguably France’s most famous queen ever, and watched a lot of documentaries. I also spent a lot of time on the Palace of Versailles’ website because the Palace is almost like a character itself and I wanted to feel like I’d been there. (I haven’t, actually.)

4. Was there any particular music that inspired you while writing GLITTER?

I have no idea why the song Boston by Augustana resonated so deeply while I was writing Glitter, but it did. More understandably, I discovered the song Le Tempdes Cathédrales from the musical Notre Dame de Paris while writing Glitter (though it must be sung by Bruno Pelletier, and it must be sung in French) and have listened to it over and over hundreds of times.

5. Who was your favorite character to write & why? Who was your least favorite to write & why?

Oh, the King. The King is unabashedly a ruthless, awful, selfish person and not only does he know it, it makes him a very good CEO. I enjoy seeing just how bad I can make him, while still making him the hero of his own journey. That being said, in the sequel, as I continue to take Danica down her own path, Danica is getting to be just as much fun to write as the King … though I probably shouldn’t say much about why. :)

My least favorite character to write is Danica’s mother who is an equally awful person, but making her act selfishly in a way that she is quite aware is going to make her child suffer is difficult to write as a mother. It’s a line I would never cross and writing a truly awful mother has been stretching for me as an author. But it’s not fun.

6. What’s your favorite line/passage in GLITTER?

Oh dear. It’s the last couple lines of the book. I truly can’t say anything beyond that. However, my second fave is about a character I adore, named Lord Aaron: 

“Some knights appear on white steeds; mine rides bejeweled heels with satin laces.”

7. Aprilynne Pike's GLITTER Love List

• Danica’s hair! It’s long and thick and can make a pompadour all by itself.
• Pretty. Dresses. That is all. :)
• Writing a selfish and rather reckless anti-heroine.
• Men in heels.
• Fancy food.
• A hero who is in no position to save anything, much less the day.
• My setting. Not just the Palace of Versailles, but Paris.
• Danica’s corset.
• M.A.R.I.E.’s acronym (the Mainframe for Autonomous Robotic Intelligence Enhancement).
• All of the little things that don’t seem so important in this book, that are crucial in the next one.

8. If possible, would you live in your future Palace of Versailles Pocket Kingdom? Why or why not?

Oh man, I would be sorely tempted to say yes! All the glitz and glamour of the days of the Sun King, but with all of the modern comforts they didn’t have access to four hundred years ago. If only the government weren’t so very corrupt …

9. Is GLITTER a standalone or a series? 

Glitter is going to be two books and I am editing the sequel as we speak! It’s slated to come out one year after Glitter.

10. Anything else you’d like to say about GLITTER?

As fun as it’s been to write an anti-heroine, it’s nerve-wracking too. Male characters get away with so much more than female characters without losing the sympathy of the reader. So I am hoping that readers will enjoy reading about a girl who does some really bad things as much as I enjoyed writing her doing them! Main character she is … Good girl she is not.


And that's it! Thank you so much to Aprilynne for the interview. ❤❤ If you want even more info on this amazing book, check out the Happy Ever After interview Aprilynne did back in March for the cover reveal here, and be on the lookout for the GLITTER Blog Tour this October from Rockstar Book Tours!

THE AUTHOR

Aprilynne Pike is a critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author of young adult fiction including the Wings series, Earthbound series, Charlotte Westing Chronicles, and Life After Theft.  At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and their four children. 

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Wattpad

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THE GIVEAWAY

So what do you think, want to get your hands on this beauty as soon as possible? Then enter below for the chance to win a signed ARC of GLITTER - good luck!!

US/CAN only | Must be 13+ years to enter
(Cheaters do not prosper here - be warned I check every entry!)

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NOT IN THE SCRIPT Blog Tour: Amy Finnegan's Romance Top 3x3 (+ Giveaway)

Welcome to my stop on the Not in the Script Blog Tour! Check out author Amy Finnegan's Romance Top 3x3 (her 3 favorite picks on three romantic subjects) and enter to win a prize pack!

THE BOOK

Title: Not in the Script

Release Date: October 7, 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Summary: 

Millions of people witnessed Emma Taylor’s first kiss—a kiss that needed twelve takes and four camera angles to get right. After spending nearly all of her teen years performing on cue, Emma wonders if any part of her life is real anymore . . . particularly her relationships.

Jake Elliott’s face is on magazine ads around the world, but his lucrative modeling deals were a poor substitute for what he had to leave behind. Now acting is offering Jake everything he wants: close proximity to home; an opportunity to finally start school; and plenty of time with the smart and irresistible Emma Taylor . . . if she would just give him a chance.

When Jake takes Emma behind the scenes of his real life, she begins to see how genuine he is, but on-set relationships always end badly. Don’t they? Toss in Hollywood’s most notorious heartthrob and a resident diva who may or may not be as evil as she seems, and the production of Coyote Hills heats up in unexpected—and romantic—ways.

PURCHASE LINKS:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository | IndieBound

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THE AUTHOR

Amy Finnegan writes her own stories because she enjoys falling in love over and over again, and thinks everyone deserves a happy ending. She likes to travel the world—usually to locations where her favorite books take place—and owes her unquenchable thirst for reading to Jane Austen and J.K. Rowling. Her debut novel, NOT IN THE SCRIPT, came about after hearing several years of behind-the-scenes stories from her industry veteran brother. She’s also been lucky enough to visit dozens of film sets and sit in on major productions such as Parks and Recreation and Parenthood. 

Site/Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Goodreads

Amy Finnegan's 
Romance Top 3x3

#1: Top 3 Favorite Romance Movies

1. EVER AFTER. My far-and-away favorite adaptation of Cinderella! The humor is fantastic, the cinematography and script are near perfect, and the romance gives me raging butterflies. Dougray Scott is my dream prince! I’d climb up the highest tower and cry for help any day of the week for him. And this is my favorite movie of Drew Barrymore’s too: her trademark awkwardness hits all the right notes. Year after year, the aww moments continued to affect me the same way. I’m so in love with this story.

2. PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (the 2005 feature film). I know a lot of people prefer the Colin Firth mini-series of P&P, and I swoon over that version too, but I’m an even bigger fan of this movie. Firth and Matthew Macfayden are entirely interchangeable for me as far as Mr. Darcy goes—I’m completely in love with whoever is on the screen at the moment—but I think the 2005 movie has a much better cast overall. And to successfully tell this story in just 100 minutes is miraculous. Yes, I think it should’ve been longer, but even the six-hour mini-series doesn’t give me enough of what I want!

3. THE YOUNG VICTORIA. If you aren’t crazy about this movie, you haven’t seen it yet. Based on the journals of Queen Victoria herself (she kept journals throughout her entire life), it tells the love story of her courtship with and early marriage to Prince Albert. The acting is superb. The script, the locations, the costumes—all brilliant! The real-life relationship these two had is the stuff that legends are made of. I won’t spoil anything if you don’t know much about them, but talk about true love (in very unusual circumstances).

#2: Top 3 Favorite Love Songs

1. SOMETHING by The Beatles/George Harrison. In my opinion, there’s never been a song full of more emotional pull. Typically I would say a Beatles song was just, you know, written by the BEATLES, and that would be enough. But George was known as the “quiet Beatle,” and this song he wrote and performed deserves more than just the name of his massively famous band on it. It’s his song, and it feels that way. It’s beautiful, it’s moving, and it’s entirely seductive. I couldn’t deal without this song in my life. No, really. Could . . . not . . . deal. There are several versions of it. My favorite was originally recorded for their Abbey Road album. My second favorite version was actually recorded live by Jim Sturgess for the movie, Across the Universe. (Jim Sturgess needs his own album!)

2. AGAINST ALL ODDS by Phil Collins. This is another song that pulled me in decades ago and I’ve never become tired of it. It’s filled with longing, regret, and downright sorrow over lost love. Phil Collins at his very best. As a side note, I find it interesting that so many timeless love songs are written and performed by men, proving that they are much more romantic and sensitive than we often give them credit for.

3. WHEN YOU SAY NOTHING AT ALL by Alison Krauss. Do you ever notice that songs by singer-songwriters are often performed with deeper passion and emotion—like the words really mean something—than those performed by a more typical artist who records a song written by someone else? No? Listen to this song and you’ll know what I’m talking about. Easily one of my all-time favorites!

#3: Top 3 Favorite Romantic YA Reads

I’ll answer this question by naming a few of my favorite couples who were romantically involved, but not necessarily in “romantic” books:

1. THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green. “There’s no way I’m going to read that book about cancer. No freaking way.” That’s what I told myself. I also told myself once I finally found the courage to start it that I wouldn’t get attached to Hazel and Augustus. Just like Hazel told Augustus to not get attached to her. Well, we both fell for him. And we fell hard.

2. THE INFERNAL DEVICES TRILOGY by Cassandra Clare. I’m typically not the biggest fan of true love triangles in books. There have been 5,000 too many in the past decade or so. But this trilogy has a love triangle that kept me up at night! There isn’t a moment in poor Tessa’s romantic entanglements that feels false. And Tessa herself is worth the affection of both (equally fantastic) boys... who just happen to be best friends. The last book in this series is honestly one of the best series finales I’ve ever read—so full of unexpected and mind-blowing twists that I still get chills whenever I think back on a few of the scenes. If you think Shadowhunters are hot in the IMMORTAL INSTRUMENTS series, try them in tailcoats. I promise, you’ll swoon!

3. THE HUNGER GAMES TRILOGY by Suzanne Collins. Peeta and Katniss. Heck yeah, I shipped them. I shipped them all the way to the end (even though I didn’t particularly like how it all ended—but that’s an entirely different discussion). The only problem is, I also loved Gale. But Peeta was so devoted and loyal and sweet, and . . . and so was Gale. And that scene in the cabin with Katniss and Gale was exceptionally perfect. But so was that beach scene with Peeta and Katniss. Crap. I totally fell for another love triangle, didn’t I?

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THE GIVEAWAY

Enter below for chance to win a Not in the Script prize pack, which includes a copy of the book, signed bookplate, bookmark, button, sparkly nail file, and flip-flop pedicure kit!

US residents only | Must be 13+ years to enter
(Cheaters do not prosper here - be warned I check every entry!)

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2014 Debut Authors Bash: R.C. Lewis

Welcome to my stop on the 2014 Debut Authors Bash, hosted by Y.A. Reads! Check out my interview of debut author R.C. Lewis (which includes her Stitching Snow Love List), and enter to win a copy at the end! 

THE AUTHOR

R.C. Lewis teaches math to teenagers—sometimes in sign language, sometimes not—so whether she’s a science geek or a bookworm depends on when you look. That may explain why her characters don’t like to be pigeonholed. Coincidentally, R.C. enjoys reading about quantum physics and the identity issues of photons.

Site | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Goodreads

THE BOOK

Title: Stitching Snow

Release Date: October 14, 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Summary: 

Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back-but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy's future-and her own-in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival.

Goodreads | The Book Depository | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

THE INTERVIEW

Stitching Snow in one sentence:

Snow White in space, if Snow were a cage-fighting tech-head.

What was the initial spark that created Snow? 

During my commute home one day, the song “Blinding” by Florence + the Machine came on. There’s a line in the bridge—“Snow White stitching up your circuit board.” The basis of the story kind of blew up in my head right there. (Actually, I thought I was hearing the lyric wrong, but it turned out I wasn’t.)

Who was your favorite character to write in Snow, and why? Who was your least favorite and why?

I’m not sure I have “favorite/least favorite,” but there is “easiest/hardest.” The drones as a group were the easiest to write, because their individual personalities were always very clear to me. Tobias was probably the most difficult, because he went through a few iterations in the revision/editing process. Anytime a character gets changed, I have to “get to know him” all over again.

What were some of the subjects you researched for Snow? 

I researched the original fairy tale a lot, including commentary by several folktale scholars. I learned a lot about various interpretations of the symbols, like the magic mirror as the voice of Snow’s father, male judgment of female value, etc.

Snow is based on the Snow White fairy tale. What is your favorite fairy tale and why?

To get ready for my book releasing after Snow, I read a lot of lesser-known fairy tales, and two friends pointed me toward “The Wild Swans” by Hans Christian Andersen. What I love about that one is that its core is about the family bond between a girl and her brothers, and that she saves them.

I adored your drone adaptations of the seven dwarfs! If you could own one of the drones, which one would you choose and why?

Most of my critique partners immediately established the Dimwit Fan Club as soon as they read the manuscript. But one friend in particular says Cusser is her spirit drone, and she might have a point. Cusser works hard and gets things done, but he also doesn’t hold back in expressing himself.

What is your favorite line/passage in Snow?

Hmm, that’s tough, but maybe this one: “Feelings can’t be wasted. Knowing they’re real for however long they last makes them worth having.”

That, or just about anything Dimwit says.

Were there any particular songs/albums/soundtracks that inspired you while writing Snow?

Definitely! Besides “Blinding” (as explained above), I listened to a lot of Florence + the Machine in general while writing.

R.C. Lewis's Stitching Snow Love List 

• Petey and how he watches out for Essie in a quiet way
• Imagining all the creative ways Cusser might swear
• Putting Essie in heels
• Turning a particular fairy tale scene on its head

And that's it! My thanks to Ms. Lewis for the awesome interview! :)

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THE GIVEAWAY

R.C. Lewis has graciously provided a copy of the book! 

Enter below to win - good luck! :)

Open US & CAN | Must be 13+ years to enter
(Cheaters do not prosper here - be warned I check every entry!)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The 2014 Debut Authors Bash blog tour continues all this month - be sure to check out all the stops to find out more about this year's debut authors!

September 1st

YaReads - Geoffrey Girard

Swoony Boys Podcast - Jane Nickerson

Kristi's Book Readery - Page Morgan

September 2nd

Book Bandit - Laura Lam

The Word Mineur - Mindee Arnett

My Friends Are Fiction - Samantha Shannon

September 3rd

Nose Graze - Jessica Verdi

Between Printed Pages - L. M. Augustine

You've Been Blogged! - Jody Casella

September 4th

Skye's Scribblings - Kasie West

Lose Time Reading - Emily Murdoch

The Eater of Books - Kelsey Sutton

September 5th

Book. Blog. Bake - Lauren Miller

Bookend 2 Bookend - Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Musings of a Blogder - Heather Reid

Allodoxophobia: The Fear of Opinions - Lindsey Scheibe

September 6th

Magical Manuscripts - Shaunta Grimes

The Reading Vixens - Sarah Ashley Jones

September 7th

Books for Birds - April Genevieve Tucholke

Book Blather - Romily Bernard

September 8th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Kara Taylor

Inspiring Insomnia - Stephanie Kuehn

September 9th

Kissed by Ink - Ellen Oh

Sleeps on Tables - J.R. Johansson

Always YA at Heart - Amanda Sun

September 10th

Lisa Loves Lit - A.G. Howard

whYAnot Reviews - Liz Fichera

Samantha Clark - Claire M. Caterer

September 11th

Rampant Readers - Leah Miller

Emily's Crammed Bookshelf - T. Michael Martin

September 12th

The Uninterrupted Reader - Cat Winters

The Book Beacon - Christina Mercer

September 13th

Read & Reviewed - Lindsay Ribar

Paranormal Book Club - Kit Grindstaff

September 14th

Books as You Know it - Mary Gray

Paranormal Reads - Elsie Chapman

Bibliophilia, Please - Helen Douglas

September 15th

The Book Cellar - Erin Bowman

Fantasy Book Addict - Miriam Forster

September 16th

Pond Across the Pond - Laurie Crompton

YaReads - Debra Driza

September 17th

Teen Librarian Toolbox - Mindy McGinnis

Le'Book Squirrel - Kimberly Ann Miller

Finding Bliss in Books - Lydia Kang

September 18th

Rachel Reads - Errica Lorraine Scheidt

Kentucky Geek Girl - Holly Smale

September 19th

Turning Pages - Amy Butler Greenfield

Beauty and the Bookshelf - Alison Cherry

September 20th

Synchronized Reading - J.L Spelbring

Reading is My Treasure - Kristin Halbrook

A&C Book Junkies - Carey Corp

September 21st

Playing Jokers - Lenore Appelhans

Lizzie's Dark Fiction - Elizabeth May

September 22nd

Sandwich Making Book Bitches - Anne Applegate

Little Bookwork Reviews - Jennifer Iacopelli

September 23rd

Moosubi Reviews - Megan Shepherd

Little Miss Trainwreck - Julianna Scott

September 24th

Fictionators - Emma Trevayne

Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists - Corey Ann Haydu

September 25th

Breath of Books - Steven dos Santos

Jennzah - Chelsea Pitcher

September 26th

Nightly Reading - Liz Coley

Pandora's Books - Kelly A. Barson

September 27th

Forever 17 Books - Amie Kaufman

My Bookopolis - Jamie Blair

September 28th

Nick's Book Blog - Jennifer McGowan

Curling Up with a Good Book - Leila Howland

September 29th

Ex Libris - Mindy Raf

Adventures in YA Publishing - Carly Ann West

September 30th

YaReads - J.J. Howard

Fiction Freak - Kate Karyus Quinn

THE GATEWAY THROUGH WHICH THEY CAME Blog Tour: Heather Marie Interview

Welcome to my stop on The Gateway Through Which They Came Blog Tour! Here you will find my interview with the author, Heather Marie, which includes her Gateway Love List! 

THE BOOK

Title: The Gateway Through Which They Came

Author: Heather Marie

Release Date: August 25, 2014
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press

Summary: 

To seventeen-year-old Aiden Ortiz, letting the dead walk through his body to reach the other side comes with the territory. Being a Gateway isn’t an easy job, but someone’s gotta send Bleeders where they belong. Heaven. Salvation. Call it whatever you want. Dead is dead. But when his search for Koren Banks––the girl who went mysteriously missing seven months ago––leaves him with more questions than answers, he finds himself involved in something far more sinister and beyond his control. 

With the threat of the Dark Priest's resurrection, and his plan to summon his demon brothers from hell, Aiden is left to discover his identity before the Dark Priest's curse infecting his blood consumes him, and before the world as he knows it succumbs to the darkness of hell on earth.

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

THE AUTHOR

Heather Marie lives in Northern California with her husband, and spends the majority of her time at home reading. Before she followed her dreams of becoming a writer, Heather worked as a hairstylist and makeup artist for several years. Although she enjoyed the artistic aspect of it all, nothing quite quenched her creative side like the telling of a good story. When the day had come for her to make a choice, she left behind her promising career to start another, and never looked back.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

THE INTERVIEW

Summarize The Gateway Through Which They Came in one sentence:

Aiden Ortiz is a Gateway for the dead, but his gift becomes a curse when the Dark Priest's resurrection threatens to bring hell on earth, and leaves Aiden wondering which side he's truly on. 

What was the initial spark that created Gateway? 

I’ve mentioned this once before, but Ghost Adventures is the spark to quite a few of my ideas. The night was just a typical Saturday, and I was living alone at the time. I can’t remember how many episodes I had watched, but I’m sure it was several. Most of the time I do a marathon, until I’m thoroughly freaked out. And on this particular night, I want to say it was something about the investigation. The place and their surroundings, the story behind it. The idea for Gateway—a boy who passed the dead through his body—popped into my mind. The what, why, and how, came shortly after.

What were some of the subjects you researched?

Honestly, most of the things I researched was that of the church written within the book. I don’t describe myself as a religious person, seeing as I’ve been to maybe four churches in my entire life. It was important for me to have Gateway based, for the most part, within and/or surrounding a church. I didn’t want to get anything wrong, because this is incredibly important to a lot of people, so I was sure to do as much research possible to get it right. I also had several people read it that I knew could help me get everything how it should be. I just hope it was enough.

Who was your favorite character to write, and why? 

As much as I love Aiden as a character, I freakin’ adore his best friend, Trevor. He’s just so genuine and kind-hearted. He’s someone I wish I had as a best friend. Always loyal. Always brave. I kind of feel like I’ll miss him the most when the series is over.

Gateway is told from a male point of view (Aiden Ortiz). As a female writer, were there any tricks you used to make Aiden's voice more authentic?

I’ve been a tomboy my whole life. I grew up around the boys. I skated with the boys. I acted like one of the boys to the point where I think some people thought I was a boy. Finding Aiden’s voice is a lot easier for me than writing a female voice. Weird, I know. A part of me feels like I can be a little more real with Aiden. Like his brain and my brain are the same. He just… gets me.

What’s your favorite line/passage in Gateway?

  

Ooh. Gosh. I’ve never been asked this question. This is a tough one. I’d have to say when Aiden discovers that being a Gateway isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. He’s trying to be a normal kid when so much is happening, that when he tries to do his English homework he gets fed up and says, “I don’t know what this Hamlet guy is so worried about.” LOL. I can’t read that line without busting up. Actually, I remember my editor texting me right after she read it and saying she wanted that line on a shirt. We might have to make this happen.

Heather Marie's The Gateway Through Which They Came Love List Top 3 

• I love the relationship between Aiden and his mother. At first, their relationship was really awful. I don’t know why I made her so angry in the first draft, but I’m so glad I reconsidered. Their relationship, I feel, is what makes Gateway.
• Aiden’s best friends, Evan and Trevor, are absolutely hilarious together. They’re like two peas in a pod. There were several times during the drafting process that I found myself laughing out loud to their bickering. But, also, the three of them together are fantastic. Lots of love and loyalty going on there.
• Gateway would be nothing without the Bleeders! Ooh, those poor people. I really made them grotesque and they must hate me for it. haha

Gateway is the first book in a series. How many books will there be, and what can you tell us about the series as a whole?

Hmm… I can’t say much only because nothing has been finalized. It’s no secret that I wrote book two, but there are a lot of deciding factors still in the works. I can say that book two will bring some new hilarious characters, and, of course, some Bleeder mischief. I think that people will enjoy the new twists and turns I put Aiden through. I just hope they get a chance to read about it! 

And that's it! My thanks to Ms. Marie for the awesome interview! :)