Interview and Scavenger Hunt with Heather Brewer

We're celebrating the relaunch of The YA-5 with Halloween in July week! Together with YALITCHAT we've gathered four spooktakular authors who write about things that go "bump" in the night! Yesterday was Nancy Holder's turn and if you missed the interview and scavenger hunt to win a signed copy of POSSESSIONS or THE EVIL WITHIN, click here! We hope you enjoy the interviews and insights with these fabulous writers as well as the scavenger hunt (see details at end of each interview) throughout the week. On Wednesday, Heather Brewer, Claudia Gray and Nancy Holder will be chatting at Midnight Eastern over on twitter during YALITCHAT's Spooktakular celebration! For now, boo! Up next, Heather Brewer!

1. You could write about anything in the world but you choose to write about things that go bump in the night, why?
ANSWER: Because darkness is in my nature. Ever since I was very young, I’ve been drawn to spooky things, intrigued by them. They say to write what you know, and what I know tends to lurk underneath my bed at night.

2. What do you say to people who think YA books can't be scary and romantic?

ANSWER: I say that they don’t truly understand what YA is. YA is such a broad spectrum of topics that there’s room for anything and everything. And when you think about it, there’s not much difference between a cute boy giving you goose bumps and the hair on the back of your neck standing on end because of the skeery thing behind you. In both cases, your heart rate increases and your adrenaline rushes. The emotions are strangely similar.

3. Vampires or werewolves? Or is that a dumb question?

ANSWER: Without a doubt, Vampires. I’m not a dog person. And I could never make out with anybody that needed to wax that much.

4. What are you working on now?

ANSWER: I’m currently working on the first book in my new series about a vampire slayer. It’s called: THE SLAYER CHRONICLES: BEGINNING. Fans of THE CHRONICLES OF VLADIMIR TOD will know exactly who this series is about. BEGINNING will hit stores Fall 2011.

ANSWER: I’m also working on BLOODBOUND, a series about a strong girl, swords, and giant, drooling monsters. That series will begin Spring 2012.

5. What are you afraid of?

ANSWER: Clowns. And water. But mostly clowns.

6. What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

ANSWER: I still haven’t decided yet! But considering the insane amount of costumes I own, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. Last year I was a zombie. This year I may be a vampiric squirrel. It depends on my mood.

7. Would you rather read a book that was suspenseful or scary?

ANSWER: I have to choose?! I think these things go hand in hand. In a perfect world, anyway.

That being said, I’m still looking for the book that will really scare me. Hopefully I’ll find it someday.



8. Ok, admit it, you watched Blair Witch with one eye open, right?

ANSWER: Nah. Blair Witch was funny! And now, every time I’m in a wooded area, I wander around shouting, “Josh! Joooosh!”

9. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? Were you scared to death or did you not even bat an eyelash?

ANSWER: Haven’t seen it. After the disappointment of Quarantine (which turned out not to be horror, but just a two hour screamer video), I’m hesitant to see Paranormal Activity. The previews look like it’ll be a similar deal. But please, if I’m wrong, someone correct me!

10. What's next for you now that Vlad is going to be out of high school?

ANSWER: A lot of fangtastic travel and tons of writing, as I finish up BEGINNING and the first book of BLOODBOUND. And, as always, reigning over the Minion Horde. :)

Thanks for stopping by, Heather. You are truly one of a kind! xoxo

---ENF OF INTERVIEW---



And now for the first few clues in the Heather Brewer portion of the scavenger hunt.

1. In Bloodblound, what is Kaya's power?
2. What grade is Vladimir Tod in?
3. What is "minion bling?"
4. Does Heather own a dog? (hint: answer can be found in THIS interview)

Visit Heather's website for the answers!

Prize: A signed copy of ELEVENTH GRADE BURNS or a Bathory Bats T-shirt (2 winners, one prize each).

Purchase Heather's books!

Visit Michelle Zink's or Nancy Holder's interview and scavenger hunt pages!

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

The scavenger hunt lasts all week! You must answer all the questions CORRECTLY to win the prize from THAT author! You may enter more than once to better your chances of winning at least ONE prize. But you may only win ONE prize for the week. Each day a new author interview will be posted along with new questions. You must visit the author's website to learn the answers to the questions posted here then post your answers in the comments section on The YA-5's site in order to win a prize. Contest ends July 23 at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced the week of August 2, 2010.

Interview and Scavenger Hunt with Nancy Holder

We're celebrating the relaunch of The YA-5 with Halloween in July week! Together with YALITCHAT we've gathered four spooktakular authors who write about things that go "bump" in the night! Yesterday was Michelle Zink's turn and if you missed the interview and scavenger hunt to win a signed copy of either PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS or GUARDIAN OF THE GATE, click here! We hope you enjoy the interviews and insights with these fabulous writers as well as the scavenger hunt (see details at end of each interview) throughout the week. On Wednesday, Heather Brewer, Claudia Gray and Nancy Holder will be chatting at Midnight Eastern over on twitter during YALITCHAT's Spooktakular celebration! For now, boo! Up next, Nancy Holder!



Nancy Holder is the author of the YA horror series, POSSESSIONS. Her newest book, Evil Within, is the second in the series. The third is named The Screaming Season.

1. You could write about anything in the world but you choose to write about things that go bump in the night, why?

ANSWER: I honestly do not know. Whenever I write something scary, I watch tons of horror movies and write to horror movie soundtracks.
I'm in a constant state of fear for months on end. I have to sleep with the lights on. When I was little, I was terrified to get into my bed. I was sure there was a monster under it, waiting to grab me. I would have to make a running leap into bed. thought there was a skeleton inside my mattress, ready to stab me through the shoulderblades. I had to go down a long hall to use the bathroom, and one night I was so tired of being scared that I whirled around and whispered, "I'm the queen of it!" So maybe somehow I decided that if I write about it, I'll use up some of all that fear. But I really have no idea.

2. A short synopsis of one of your new books scared me! I'm a big softie. What do you say to people who think YA books can't be scary and romantic?

ANSWER: I think they're wrong. Look at Buffy and Angel, and Bella and her guys. The Phantom of the Opera. What is more romantic than a demon lover? What is scarier?

3. Vampires or werewolves?

ANSWER: BOTH!!!! Love 'em both.

4. What are you working on now?

ANSWER: I recently turned in the 3rd Possessions novel, titled THE SCREAMING SEASON. Debbie Viguie and I are hard at work on a new ya dark fantasy series called CRUSADE. It comes out on September 7th and we'll be going on tour for it.

5. What are you afraid of?

ANSWER: Permanent consequences. Loss. Premature burial. The usual.

6. What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

ANSWER: Malificent. I have the most awesome costume that my daughter bought me at Disneyland.

7. Would you rather read a book that was suspenseful or scary?

ANSWER: Both, but I would go for scary. I just finished reading LET THE RIGHT ONE IN and it was both. Very intense book.

8. Ok, admit it, you watched Blair Witch with one eye open, right?

ANSWER: RIGHT! And one hand gripping the forearm of a handsome guy.

9. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? Were you scared to death or did you not even bat an eyelash?

ANSWER: I'm too afraid to see it. Have you seen it?

Emily: Haven't seen it yet. But I LOOOOVE seeing scary movies. When I lived in NYC I would watch them alone in the dark without a second thought. But I tried to watch one by myself recently and all I could think was, "why isn't my boyfriend here to save me from the bad guys?" I clearly am getting more terrifyable with age.
Kari Anne: I haven't see it. The only time I have to watch movies is by myself in the middle of the night. I'm waaay too wimpy to manage PARANORMAL ACTIVITY alone in the dark. One day, though, in a lighted area full of people...I'm in.
Georgia: I did. I was kinda of OK while watching it. I found it a little predictable, maybe even hokey. But then I couldn't sleep and begged my husband to let me sleep with the lights on. How's that for effective film-making?
Justina: No. I prefer to NOT pee my pants. I'm funny like that.

10. Tell us about your next book.

CRUSADE will out next. I'm so happy to be working with Debbie Viguie, my WICKED coauthor. Our story is about the war we lost--the war with the vampires. Our vampire hunters are the Resistance. Jenn Leitner and Antonio de la Cruz are our main characters, but it's really an ensemble story, like WICKED. We have witches, werewolves, and vampires...and possibly the spirit of St. John of the Cross as their guiding force. We love working together. We'll be on tour together in September. We haven't seen each other in a year.

Thanks for stopping by, Nancy!

---END OF INTERVIEW---

And now for the first few clues in the Nancy Holder portion of the scavenger hunt.

1. What is the name of Nancy's CRUSADE co-author? (hint: answer is in this interview)
2. What symbol is on the cover of the CRUSADE novel?
3. Where was Nancy born?

Visit Nancy's website for the answers!

Prize: A signed copy of POSSESSIONS or THE EVIL WITHIN (2 winners, one book each).

Purchase a copy of Possessions or The Evil Within

Visit Michelle Zink's interview and scavenger hunt page!

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

The scavenger hunt lasts all week! You must answer all the questions CORRECTLY to win the prize from THAT author! You may enter more than once to better your chances of winning at least ONE prize. But you may only win ONE prize for the week. Each day a new author interview will be posted along with new questions. You must visit the author's website to learn the answers to the questions posted here then post your answers in the comments section on The YA-5's site in order to win a prize. Contest ends July 23 at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced the week of August 2, 2010.

Interview and Scavenger Hunt with Michelle Zink

We're celebrating the relaunch of The YA-5 with Halloween in July week! Together with YALITCHAT we've gathered four spooktakular authors who write about things that go "bump" in the night! We hope you enjoy the interviews and insights with these fabulous writers as well as the scavenger hunt (see details at end of each interview) throughout the week. On Wednesday, Heather Brewer, Claudia Gray and Nancy Holder will be chatting at Midnight Eastern over on twitter during YALITCHAT's Spooktakular celebration! For now, boo! Up first, Michelle Zink!

Michelle Zink (michellezink.com) is the author of the popular book, Prophecy of the Sisters (prophecyofthesisters.com (book website) The sequel, Guardian of the Gate will be released August 1st 2010.

1. You could write about anything in the world but you choose to write about things that go bump in the night, why?

It's two-fold, I think. My father was a horror aficionado and an avid reader. His library was full of titles by Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Peter Straub. As a teenager, I could never be without a book to read, so when I blew through the books in my school library, I turned to his. I'm pretty sure I was the only 11-year-old in my town reading The Shining! Those books really shaped me as a reader and a writer. I still love being scared, and writing those kinds of stories gives me the same feeling as reading them. At the same time, I do battle with my own darkness. I feel like I'm always struggling with my darker nature. Sometimes, I feel all alone in it. Like the rest of the world is so GOOD and happy all the time (which, of course, isn't true) and I'm the only one fighting that battle. I guess writing about it is one way to feel like I have power over it.

2. What do you say to people who think YA books can't be scary and romantic?

Oh, my gosh! So not true. Look at books like Wuthering Heights and Rebecca! Such amazing, Gothic, dark, and romantic work. Besides, it's more of a challenge to write in an under-served area. I love having to stretch to accomplish something new and different, and I like challenging readers to read something different, too.

3. Vampires or werewolves?

Werewolves. Unless we're talking Anne Rice's vampires. :D

7. Would you rather read a book that was suspenseful or scary?

Scary! I so love being scared. But suspenseful is a close second. It's difficult for me to truly enjoy anything that doesn't have at least one of those elements.


4. What are you working on now?

I have two potential series lined up. One of them is a contemporary fantasy. Very dark and action-packed. I think of it as The Dark Knight meets Twilight without the vampires. The other is a sort of Gothic Steampunk set in London in the late 1800s. I love them both, but we have to see what the agent says. ;)


5. What are you afraid of?

Losing the people closest to me. Without a doubt.

6. What are you dressing up as this Halloween?

I never get to dress up because I'm always too busy helping my kids with crazy costumes! We have a "no buy" rule when it comes to costumes, which means we can't purchase one. We can purchase pieces, but that's it, and we challenge ourselves to do it as cheaply as possible. My youngest daughter has dressed up as a mad scientist (by borrowing a lab coat, using some old glasses with the lenses popped out, and ratting her hair to high heaven) and Sarah Palin ( with a blazer and a bun, she looked frighteningly like the politician!). My oldest daughter went as a Steampunk Alice in Wonderland last year by modifying an $8 prom dress we found at the thrift store and adding her own boots and accessories.

8. Ok, admit it, you watched Blair Witch with one eye open, right?

Yes, but I cover my eyes when it comes to gore! Ick!


9. Have you seen Paranormal Activity? Were you scared to death or did you not even bat an eyelash?

Oh, God... that movie REALLY got under my skin. While I was watching it, I thought, "Okay, this isn't so bad." But then when I went home to sleep, I was really freaked out. I kept hearing that weird sound you'd hear when, well... YOU KNOW. I think it took about three nights to be able to sleep without my heart beating fast and loud in the dark!

10. Tell us about your next book--Guardian of the Gate.

When I started writing Prophecy, I really wanted to create an epic fantasy series. I didn't want to write a series t hat was a series because it COULD be, but because it HAD to be. I miss those epic, otherworldly stories of old like Lord of the Rings and The Mists of Avalon. Guardian of the Gate is the continuation of Lia's journey to find the missing page of the prophecy and the remaining keys. The story literally cannot be complete without the next two books. In Guardian of the Gate, Lia embarks on a dangerous quest, becomes acquainted with a mysterious new guy, and faces a betrayal of unimaginable proportions. Dun-dun-DUN! :D It's a story you can get totally lost in, and I hope you all enjoy the journey.

Thanks for stopping by, Michelle and good luck with GUARDIAN OF THE GATE!

Click to purchase a copy of Prophecy of the Sisters or Guardian of the Gate.

---END of INTERVIEW---


And now for the first few clues in the Michelle Zink portion of the scavenger hunt.

1. What song is Michelle into (video is posted on her website) this week?
2. What movie is Michelle looking forward to seeing more than any this year so far?
3. What city will Michelle be visiting on September 10, 2010?
4. What is the name of Michelle's new book?

Visit Michelle's website for the answers!

Prize: A signed copy of PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS or GUARDIAN OF THE GATE (2 winners, one book each).

SCAVENGER HUNT RULES

The scavenger hunt lasts all week! You must answer all the questions CORRECTLY to win the prize from THAT author! You may enter more than once to better your chances of winning at least ONE prize. But you may only win ONE prize for the week. Each day a new author interview will be posted along with new questions. You must visit the author's website to learn the answers to the questions posted here then post your answers in the comments section on The YA-5's site in order to win a prize. Contest ends July 23 at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be announced the week of August 2, 2010. Winners must be followers/friends of the The YA-5 site!