Sunday, August 14, 2011

WIN ARC OF COLD KISS BY AMY GARVEY!!








I’ve just finished reading the amazing ARC Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey. Cold Kiss is a riveting story about a paranormally gifted teen, Wren, who brings her beloved boyfriend Danny back to life only to realize that he is forever changed and that she must keep him hidden from the rest of the world.


Cold Kiss will be available from Harper Teen on September 20th, but for the chance to win an autographed ARC, post a comment to this blog entry by Saturday at 10pm Eastern (U.S. residents only).


Here are ideas for your comments:


If you could bring anyone back to life, who would it be?
If you had to hide your boyfriend who was supposed to be dead, where would you hide him?
Or you can simply write: I’d love to read Cold Kiss!




Amy Garvey is a wife and mom who likes both cats and dogs. She’s worked as a book editor and has previously written in the romance and romance/mystery genres. You can learn more about her at http://amygarveywrites.blogspot.com/




Amy was gracious enough to answer some questions about her book and writing in general:




1) I love the title: Cold Kiss—it works perfect with both the essence of the book and the amazing cover! Was this the original title?


It actually was! I can’t start writing without a working title, and this was the one I finally settled on with the help of friends. I was amazed that it stayed, to be honest – I think it’s a good title, but having worked in publishing as an editor for years, I know how often titles get changed due to marketing or sales concerns. It was a thrill to get to keep it.


2) What inspired you to write this book?


I was taking part in an online writing chat and people were discussing where you go when vampires and werewolves are getting tired. Someone said something about zombies, and it hit me – what about non-brain-eating, non-Romero zombies? What about the kind of zombie found in voodoo, where the dead are brought back and then tied to the person who raised them, compelled to do their bidding? From there, I thought about what would happen to someone who raised a loved one from the dead. I knew it wasn’t going to be a happy story necessarily, but grief and loss is a huge part of life, and within a few days I had Wren’s voice in my head, and Danny’s death.


3) What’s your favorite piece of writing advice?


There’s so much good advice out there (with a lot of bad, sadly). But I think the advice that has always kept me focused is a) to always keep reading as well as writing, and b) that you can’t revise a blank page. Even if you know you’re writing crap that day (or that week, or that month), if you get it on the page, you have a shot at making it better.


4) Could you tell us about your path to publication?


This isn’t actually my first published book. It’s my debut young adult novel, though (and my debut hardcover, which is a total dream). I used to write romance, and I was an editor as well, focusing mostly on romance, so I definitely had connections when it came to finding an agent. That said, writing a young adult novel was something I hadn’t done before, and despite the romances I’d written, my agent wasn’t convinced I could sell a YA on proposal. I wanted to take the chance, though, and it certainly paid off. It really was an amazing feeling to put something out there to a whole new group of editors and publishers I had no history with, in a genre I had no experience in, and get such a great reaction.


5) Do you have any promotional or marketing tips for other writers?


That’s something I’m still learning! The romances I wrote came out a couple of years before Twitter and Facebook really hit, and I didn’t have much time or budget for anything else. That said, I think the best thing to do is to be creative and involve your readers or fans. I love to see author blogs where actual conversations are taking place, and contests that ask the participants to be creative and really engage with the book. It’s more fun, for one, and it’s something fresh.


6) What can you tell us about the sequel to Cold Kiss?


I’m not sure! My editor is reading the first draft as I write this, so a lot of things could change. I will say this – some questions that were left unanswered in Cold Kiss will be addressed, and Wren will face a new challenge in terms of using her power. She and Gabriel also emerge from that first glowy blush of a new relationship and really face what they mean to each other.














39 comments:

Amie@Mom Reads My Books! said...

I read Cold Kiss in ebook form from NetGalley and honestly, I would not want to bring anyone back to life after reading it! Too scary! But I would love to win an ARC of Cold Kiss so I could share it with my daughters.

Amie

Gianne said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss! :)

babygeebookreviews[at]gmail[dot]com

Sheila (Bookjourney) said...

Awesome giveaway and a chance to say where I would hide a body? LOL...

lets see... I would hide him under the garden...

LOL thanks for the giveaway

journeythroughbooks@gmail.com

Minas said...

I would love to read Cold Kiss. It sounds very good. Thanks for the giveaway!

minas_1989(at)hotmail(dot)com

Laura @thereadingnook said...

I've heard nothing but amazing things about this book and dying to read it. Thanks for the giveaway!!

Thereadingnook123@gmail.com

Laura@thereadingnook

Tracy Bilen said...

Amie- so cool that you and your daughters share books - looking forward to my daughter being at that age!
Sheila - thanks for playing along!
And thanks for entering - Gee, Minas, and Laura!

Chen Yan Chang said...

Cold Kiss sounds like an awesome book! I’d love to read Cold Kiss!

jadedlittlegirlx [at] gmail [dot] com

Natalie Aguirre said...

Great interview. I love Amy's advice that you can't revise a blank page. How true.

I'd love to read Cold Kiss.

Kristin Lenz said...

Interesting that the title came first - that's never happened for me! Thanks for sharing, and congrats to Amy for taking the leap to YA writing.

Colette Ballard said...

Nice interview, Tracy, I love the advice that you can't revise a blank page! Looking forward to reading the book!

Linda said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss! This is a really great interview and the book sounds awesome too.

linda.lea.wiley (at) gmail (dot) com

Lindsay Cummings author said...

If I could bring someone back, I would bring back LK Madigan. She was a wonderful author whose life was deserving of much more time!

Thanks for the contest! Would love to read this book! :)

Americangirlie1991 at yahoo dot com

Andy E. said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss looks like it's a great read. ^_^ Thanks for hosting such an awesome giveaway! (:

AndyE.1989@yahoo.com

Danielle H. said...

I would love to read Cold Kiss and have 2 teen daughters who would fight to read it before me (or each other)!

Danielle

kristina shields said...

I;D LOVE TO READ COLD KISS!!

spicedice45@gmail.com

Perla said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss!

Now let's see.....my closet. I would totes hide him inside my closet. IT'S HUGE.

livingsun211@yahoo.com

thehodgenator said...

If I could bring one person back to life, it would be Marilyn Monroe. I would love to pick her brain about all of the great books she was able to read...and those that she wasn't because of her untimely death. Besides, imagine the dinner conversation!!!

Crys
Wannabe Librarian

Tracy Bilen said...

Great ideas on who to bring back and where to hide people! Keep them coming!

Heather Smith Meloche said...

Sounds like a fabulous book! Looking forward to reading it, and thanks, Tracy, for writing about it and giving us such a great interview to read!

Heather

javajump said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss. I would have to build one of those underground hideaways for my dead boyfriend a la True Blood. I could disguise it as a book case-it would blend in.

Rude Little Pig said...

I'd love to read cold kiss! Ive been waiting for this book for ages! Ive tried so many other giveaways :[ Yay to the fact that you have one too! I'm not sure I'd want to bring anyone back from the dead if it's leave them so different from what they used to be.

Email: aleon@madeira.org

Amy C. said...

I'd LOVE to read Cold Kiss!

ammfc81[at]gmail[dot]com

Angel C @ Mermaid Vision Books said...

I would probably bring my maternal grandmother back to life so I could ask her to tell me stories of all the supernatural stuff she encountered.

Thanks for the contest!

angelidgcruz[at]gmail[dot]com

TinaLynnReads said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss!!

TinaLynnReads said...

I'd love to read Cold Kiss!

Unknown said...

I’d love to read Cold Kiss!

Also, I think I would bring back my bestfriend. I couldn't live without her logic and understanding.

angee1011 at gmail dot com

Aeicha @ Word Spelunking said...

I would LOVE to read this book! It sounds amazing.

If I could bring back someone from the dead, I'd probably bring back 95% of the dead characters on Supernatural ;)

Anonymous said...

i'd love to read cold kiss!
bhvien96@yahoo.com

Anonymous said...

i'd love to read cold kiss.

Neecy said...

There has been too many deaths in my immediate family to answer who I would bring back. My son, dad, niece, sister... I think they are happy right where they are. :) And if they came back, I think I'd join them. :)
But, I would love to read Cold Kiss. My daughter and I share books, and as a good mom I told her I wanted to read Twilight first, (to make sure it was age appropiate.) Little did I know I would get sucked in. We read together now and I think Cold Kiss would be another great series for us to sink our teeth into.
Neecy

Deana said...

I really want to read Cold Kiss!

And if I could bring anyone back from the dead it would be my little sister who died when she was 5 and I was 7. I always wonder what she would be like 25 years later.

deanabarnhart@gmail.com

Kurt Hampe said...

Good interview Tracy, you've given me a new line to use when breaking into conversations--or ending awkward ones.

"What about non-brain-eating, non-Romero zombies?"

poisnivyred said...

Great interview, I've been wanting to read this for.awhile. thanks for the giveaway!

Poisnivyred AT gmail.com

Aubrie said...

Wow, this looks soooo good!

Who'd I bring back to life? Mozart. :)

Paranormal Night Owls said...

I REALLY REALLY REEEEEEEEAAAALLLY WANT TO READ COLD KISS!!!!

Email: akasha_hale@hotmail.com

Sara M said...

This book sounds very interesting and I've seen a lot of good things about it around the blogosphere. Thanks for giveaway!

Sara M
sara_UFblog [at] yahoo [dot] com

Grace Clyde said...

I've been hearing so much about this book! I can't wait to read it!

Read2Read said...

I really want to read this one!

Lena said...

I would love to read this book!
lmarste@yahoo.com