The Girl’s Guide to the Apocalypse by Daphne LambPublished by: Booktrope Publishing
Publication date: August 11th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Post-Apocalyptic
Synopsis:
Welcome to the Apocalypse. Your forecast includes acid rain, roving gangs and misplaced priorities, in this comedic take on the end of the world as we know it, from debut author Daphne Lamb. As a self-entitled, self-involved, and ill equipped millennial, Verdell probably wouldn’t have ranked very high on the list of those most likely to survive the end of the world, but here she is anyway. Add in travelling with her work addicted boss, her boyfriend who she has “meh” feelings for, and a handful of others who had no businesses surviving as long as they have, and things aren’t exactly going as planned. But despite threats of cannibalism, infected water supplies, and possibly even mutants, Verdell is willing to put in as little effort as she can get away with to survive.
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Today we welcome Daphne for an interview. Take it away!
Today we welcome Daphne for an interview. Take it away!
Did you always know you wanted
to be a writer or did you want to be something else?
I realized I wanted
to be a writer when I was in second grade I was introduced to a big red dog
named Clifford. I thought my cat was way more interesting. From there I knew
that I could have things to say and writing was the way to go.
How long does it take you to
write a book from start to finish?
Depends. I like to play with ideas, sketch
scenes and put together a map of where to go. The Girls Guide took about a year, but it was the most fun
I’d had ever writing something.
How do you come up with themes
for your stories?
I’m fascinated
with mindset of todays society as I don’t think we’ve ever had this kind of
apathy and coldness to others in history. I’ll say this – Gawker was a fantastic
resource in the building of the universe of The Girls Guide.
Do you have a schedule of when
you write?
Nothing set in stone. If I’m too rigid with a schedule it never
works out the way I want it to and I get less done. Basically, I set myself a
goal and aim to end the day knowing its done.
How are you able to balance
other aspects of your life with your writing?
Its not
easy, I don’t think it is for anyone. Its healthy to make room in your life for
friends, family, other work commitments and hobbies. Sometimes I balk about
doing that when I have a deadline coming, but you’re never sorry you stepped
outside the writing life for just a few minutes.
What elements do you think make
a great story line?
Its all about character. If story is happening to
your character with them absorbing events, its not compelling. If your
character is making story, then that makes a hero who is going to make your
world richer and more engaging.
What was the hardest thing about
writing a book?
The editing by far. Writing is so much fun and you get to go on
this fun journey where you surprise yourself at every turn. Editing is like the
clean up process where you agonize over what would work better. And the worst
thing about it? It’s a job that’s never really finished. You’ll always find
things that need to be improved.
How many books have you written
so far? Do you have a favorite?
I just finished my fifth book! The Girls Guide is definitely my
favorite so far, but I have two books scheduled for release this year which are
still in the editing process, so I may have a new favorite in the near future!
Do you have a favorite
character?
Arthur Dent in Douglas Adams’ The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy is
very near and dear to my heart. He’s this hapless hero who gets thrown into the
ridiculous situations and learns
to just go with the hand he’s been dealt. We’ve all been there.
Where do you write?
A few different places. I’ve gotten a lot done from
covertly writing at my desk at my day job, but there’s also my apartment and a
little table at the Panera closest to home.
When deciding on how to
publish, what directed you to the route you took?
I publish through
Booktrope and I stumbled on them by accident when I saw a post on Twitter
saying they were looking for
Have you gotten feedback from
family about your book(s)? What do they think?
I haven’t gotten a lot of
feedback from my family. Its not really to their taste in reading, but its open
the doors to some debates I never really thought I’d ever have with them.
What kinds of things do you
like to do outside of writing?
I do stand up comedy from time to time and I’ve
been learning aeriels on silks for the past year and a half. Both are
challenging and will transform yourself.
What kinds of advice would you
give to someone who wants to start writing?
A lot of people will say to
write what you know but it goes beyond that. A great writing teacher once told
me that you should always ask yourself why you’re the only person qualified to
tell your story. You’ll be surprised by the answer you give yourself!
What is your favorite book?
favorite author?Do you have an author that inspired/inspires you to
write?
There’s no way I can pick one book or one author, but I love the
works of Margaret Atwood who made me want to be a better writer and made me
really examine the themes in my own work. Douglas Adams really changed my life
with his Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective
Agency. Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World is a long time favorite. My favorite
book that I read last year was Emma Donahue’s Room. It was so engrossing that
once I got to the end I just had to read it again.
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?
I do. Its really important to have people you
trust with your work. One of my best friends is Beth. She’s one where I can
send her something I’ve worked on and she’ll give me honest feedback and ask
really great probing questions that get me thinking.
Are you working on anything
now?
I’m in the editing stages of the second book in the Girls Guide
series. I’ve taken Verdell on a bit more serious journey to find her family but
it comes with its usual backdrop of ridiculousness.
Thanks so much for stopping by today, Daphne. It's been great having you here!
Daphne Lamb was raised in the wilds of Colorado and now resides in a very different wilderness known as Los Angeles. She is a comedian and award winning writer who has worked in television, film and video games. In her spare time, she enjoys collecting comic books, discussing awesomely bad movies and thinks about what it would be like to own a cat.She loves connecting to fans and readers, so feel free to connect!
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This book looks fun! Thanks for the giveaway!
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