Interview and Giveaway: Welcome Author Lauren Appelhans @lenoreva @simonteen

Today I am super excite to welcome author Lenore Appelhans to The Cover Contessa for an interview!

You may know Lenore's first book as this:

However, the cover and name were recently changed. So now you'll be seeing this:

Previously published as Level 2.

In this gripping exploration of a futuristic afterlife, a teen discovers that death is just the beginning.

Since her untimely death the day before her eighteenth birthday, Felicia Ward has been trapped in Level 2, a stark white afterlife located between our world and the next. Along with her fellow drones, Felicia passes the endless hours reliving memories of her time on Earth and mourning what she’s lost—family, friends, and Neil, the boy she loved.

Then a girl in a neighboring chamber is found dead, and nobody but Felicia recalls that she existed in the first place. When Julian—a dangerously charming guy Felicia knew in life—comes to offer Felicia a way out, Felicia learns the truth: If she joins the rebellion to overthrow the Morati, the angel guardians of Level 2, she can be with Neil again.

Suspended between Heaven and Earth, Felicia finds herself at the center of an age-old struggle between good and evil. As memories from her life come back to haunt her, and as the Morati hunt her down, Felicia will discover it’s not just her own redemption at stake… but the salvation of all mankind.

Both totally gorgeous!

And, yesterday the cover to the second book, Chasing Before (The Memory Chronicles #2) was revealed...take a look!

I LOVE IT!
Expected Publication is August 26, 2014, so far away!
So, are you ready to hear what Lenore has to say?

Welcome Lenore!

How do you come up with themes for your stories?

For me, it starts with the concept and the themes and character grow out of that.  With THE MEMORY OF AFTER, the idea was memories as currency in the afterlife.  You can do so much with the exploration of memory and I’ve loved the chance to dig really deep into how memory shapes identity and what that means for how we see ourselves and what we project to others.

I’m currently revising the sequel CHASING BEFORE and I’m exploring that conflict between whether it is your past that defines you or your current choices.

What elements do you think make a great story line? 

I’m always drawn to high concept novels, and I love it when a story has twists that surprise me.  I admire authors who are willing to take risks with structure and point of view and such.  These innovations are what keeps fiction fresh.

How are you able to balance other aspects of your life with your writing?

The truth? Not that well.  Sometimes it seems the deadlines take over and I’ll spend all my time in lockdown. At least I have a balcony where I can sit in the sun while I write and revise.  

Even so, I do still try to go out and be social at least once a week. And I have to read!  You have to have ideas flowing in if you expect any ideas to flow out.

What was the hardest thing about writing a book?

Sometimes it seems like everything about writing a book is hard. I usually have the most trouble with the first draft, because I’ll want to revise while I go along, and that can be paralyzing. I keep having to tell myself that it’s okay for the first draft to suck.

Have you gotten feedback from family about your book(s)? What do they think?

I love this question because it just made me realize how incredibly supportive my family is of my books.  On my side of the family, nearly everyone has read THE MEMORY OF AFTER and told me they enjoyed it. My husband’s family is German, so not all of them are able to read it, but those who can read English have read it.  Recently at a family reunion, I got into a discussion about plot points with two of my brothers-in-law (who are Team Julian FWIW) and it was so surreal!

Do you have any go to people when writing a book that help you with your story lines as well as editing, beta reading and such? 

When I am drafting, I have a friend (a fellow writer) I like to send chapters to as I complete them.  She’s like an enthusiastic cheerleader, and that’s what I need to keep going.  Once I get to the revision stage, I need beta readers who will rip the thing apart.

Are you working on anything now? 

In the middle of my revision process for CHASING BEFORE, I got a new editor when my acquiring editor moved to a different publisher. I got his edit letter a few weeks ago, and I’m working on revising again based on his notes. It’s a fairly major revamping, and I’ve finally gotten my head around some of the logic quandaries, so it’s full steam ahead!

Thanks so much for stopping by today, Lenore! It was so great to have you here!
Lenore has offered a copy of The Memory of After (The Memory Chronicles #1) paperback for giveaway (US/Canada only). So scroll down to enter via the Rafflecopter!

 

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a Rafflecopter giveaway