Welcome to The Cover Contessa's stop on The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall blog tour!
Title: THE DEAD GIRLS OF
HYSTERIA HALL
Author: Katie Alender
Pub. Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Pages: 336
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks
Asylum meets Miss Peregrine's Home for
Peculiar Children, in this riveting tale of ghosts, secrets, and family, from
master of suspense Katie Alender.
Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere.
So the house kills her.
Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?
Kirkus
(starred review): "This superior ghost story keeps the creep factor high…
A really scary and original ghost story, well told. Read it with the lights
on."
School
Library Journal: "Alender has created a chilling tale of forgotten
tragedies and family secrets. A great choice for fans of horror or suspense
novels."
Today we welcome Katie for an interview. Very excited to have you here today! Let's get started!
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
Since I was old enough to want to be
something, “writer” was at the top of the list.
How do you come up with themes for your stories?
I only figure out the theme once the
first draft is written. I usually start to write knowing roughly what sort of
issues my main character has to deal with — issues that would keep her from
solving the main problem of the book unless she changes. But the solution to
that isn’t always what I think it’s going to be, and that’s usually what I
consider the theme of the book. Afterward, it’s usually pretty easy to
pinpoint. But going in, I usually know more about what’s wrong in the book
universe than what’s right.
What elements do you think make a great story line?
Hmm… that’s kind of like asking what
presents make a great birthday. It depends on so many factors. For me, a lot of
it centers on character — but also, in my books, a good ghost with a solid
backstory is a necessity. The plot itself can vary, and the setting can even
change, but to have a strong main character and a ghost who plays off that
character’s worst qualities is a key starting point for me.
What was the hardest thing about writing a book?
The hardest thing about writing is
overcoming the resistance inside you — the little voice that tells you,
whenever you’re feeling vulnerable, that you’re not good enough.
Where do you write?
Mostly in my home office. This means I
spend a lot of time negotiating with my three-year-old for some quiet time!
What kinds of things do you like to do outside of writing?
I love to quilt — to make gifts for my
friends’ and family members’ babies, mostly. I also enjoy reading and just
chilling out with my dogs, watching TV or aimlessly clicking around Pinterest.
What kinds of advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing?
First step: start! Actually sit down and
start getting words out on paper (or a computer!).
What is your favorite book? Favorite author? Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to write?
I love so many books! When I have to
name one favorite, it’s Pride and Prejudice. I think my favorite author is
Anthony Trollope, which is nice for me because he wrote about a billion books.
He wrote in the 1800s, but his portrayals of women are nuanced and thoughtful.
An author who inspired me to write — Stephen King. His book “On Writing”
directly caused me to finish the first draft of the book that would become “Bad
Girls Don’t Die.”
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Katie. So great having you here!
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Katie. So great having you here!
Katie Alender is the author of The Dead
Girls of Hysteria Hall, Famous Last Words, Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer, and
the Bad Girls Don’t Die series. She is a graduate of the Florida State
University Film School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and
two dogs. When she’s not writing novels, she can usually be found quilting,
reading, eating delicious high-calorie foods, and hanging out with her friends
(on very special occasions, she manages to do all of those things at once).a Rafflecopter giveaway
Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/17/2015- The Cover Contessa- Interview
8/18/2015- Twisted Book Junkie- Review
8/19/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
8/20/2015- BITTERSWEET ENCHANTMENT- Review
8/21/2015- Mundie Moms- Guest Post
Week Two:
8/24/2015- The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club- Interview
8/25/2015- Pandora's Books- Review
8/26/2015- bookaholics anonymous- Interview
8/27/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
8/28/2015- Such a Novel Idea- Guest Post
Such a fantastic cover. Love the contrast. This sounds like a fun one!
ReplyDeleteI pove what they've done with the cover! It really adds a thrilling and creepy effect!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad Katie was inspired to write Bad Girls Don't Die- I loved that book, and every other book she's written. There needs to be most YA books in this genre! I love the sound of her new book, I can't wait to read it!
ReplyDeleteHey Katie, I'm ordering your book from my school for a book report! I'm really excited to read it! It looks amazing! :)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this place and you can definitely find me here for more events. I didn't eat anything when on my recent visit to venues San Francisco, but those around me had truffle fries, pizza, and wings all seemed to enjoy.
ReplyDelete