Friday, May 18, 2012

Interview With Amanda Stevens and Giveaway!


Welcome to my Birthday Bash!
This is day #5!

Today we are visited by author Amanda Stevens, who writes the wonderfully eerie Graveyard Queen series!

(Click picture to be taken to Goodreads)

The Restorer (Graveyard Queen #1)  The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen #2)  The Prophet (Graveyard Queen #3)

Amanda's series is about graveyard restorer Amelia, who possesses the ability to see ghosts. In this series, if you acknowledge the dead they will haunt you, slowly and constantly sucking the life out of you. Amelia's entire existence and all her 'rules' are turned upside down when a murder takes place at the cemetery she is currently restoring and she meets, and totally falls for, police detective John Devlin - who is being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife and daughter. 

Check out my reviews of the first two books in the series here:



Now read on to learn some more about Amanda, how she became inspired to write such an original series, and how she compares love interests Devlin and Thane!

Then enter to win a copy of any of the first three Graveyard Queen book below!

Goldilox: Hello Amanda! Thank you for being here with me today! 

Amanda: My pleasure!  Thank you for having me. :)


Goldilox: First, tell us a little about what inspired The Graveyard Queen series.

Amanda: I’d been reading a lot of mysteries with a paranormal element, particularly Charlaine Harris’s Harper Connelly series.  I wanted to do a continuing character series of my own with a protagonist that had a unique occupation and/or secret power.  So I Googled strange jobs and up popped cemetery restorer.  I immediately fell in love with the notion of using cemeteries as settings in a sort of modern Southern Gothic series.



Goldilox: Ghosts have been portrayed many different ways. How did you come to create your ghosts?

Amanda: I didn’t want to do a version of Ghost Whisperer or Medium so I decided to make my ghosts almost vampire-like in their hunger for human warmth and energy.  In other words, entities to be avoided at all costs.  Of course, this then set up a doomed love scenario with Devlin, a haunted man.



Goldilox: How does the southern setting of the series contribute to the stories?

Amanda: Amelia is a Southern woman through and through.  She and Devlin both are products of their environment and upbringing.  I can’t really visualize them in any other setting.  It probably helps that I’m from the South, too.   


Goldilox: In book two, The Kingdom, Amelia finds herself in a completely different setting. What made you decide to switch it up?

Amanda: In an ongoing series, the goal is to keep the characters fresh, keep challenging them in different ways so as not to tell the same story over and over.  To this end, I decided to take Amelia out of Charleston and away from Devlin to give both characters a chance to grow.  Plus, I didn’t want to trivialize the issues that had torn them apart in The Restorer by having them immediately get back together in The Kingdom.


Goldilox: Throughout the series we see Amelia with two different love interests. Can you compare Devlin and Thane for us?

Amanda: Amelia probably says it best:  They were nothing alike, in looks or personality.  Devlin still owned my heart.  He always would.  But I couldn’t deny I was drawn to Thane, maybe because I sensed something in him that I recognized in myself—that feeling of not belonging.  Devlin had turned his back on the privileges accorded to him by his birthright.  Thane was still trying to prove himself, still trying to eke out a position for himself that his uncle—and Devlin—would have taken for granted.


Goldilox: Can we expect more books in The Graveyard Queen series? Are you working on any other projects?

Amanda: I just recently signed on for three more books.  I’m working on the fourth one now, tentatively called The Keeper, which picks up where The Prophet left off.  Also, I’m super excited about my new young adult series.  I’ll be alternating writing those stories with The Graveyard Queen books.




Fast Five:

Best book you've read lately

The Hunger Games


Yummiest munchie

Popcorn


Scariest scary movie

Event Horizon

Favorite guilty pleasure

Dance Moms

Most awesome place to visit

Key West



Amanda Stevens was born and raised in the foothills of the Ozarks, an area known for its folklore and superstition. She learned from an early age to fear black cats, ladders, and broken mirrors. A risk taker, she now resides with all three. She is also the mother of twins, a wannabe taphophile, and a collector of all things Alfred Hitchcock. When she’s not writing from her home in Houston, she likes taking road trips to Austin. And to Marfa. And to old cemeteries.

Thank you SO much to Amanda for taking the time to visit! 


And now for a chance to win! 
Enter on the Rafflecoptor form below to win a copy of any one of the first three books in the Graveyard Queen series (pictured above).
You must be 13 or older to enter. Amanda will be sending the winner the book if U.S. or Canada, otherwise the book will be coming from the Book Depository - so this is international baby!
(As long as TBD ships to you)

Enter on the Rafflecoptor form below!

Missed any of the other features this week for my Birthday Bash?





a Rafflecopter giveaway

16 comments:

  1. thanks for this great interview and the giveaway. Now I'm very curious about the YA series.

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    1. Melliane, you can read a little more about here if you'd like. http://www.amandastevens.com/book/soul-jumper-series/

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  2. Loved this post!! I currently have The Abandoned (her prequel) on a post as a possible read for next week from my Kindle Shelf! Stop by and let me know your thoughts! A Date with a Book

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  3. Thank you for having me today! I'll check back periodically in case anyone has questions. Ask me anything! :)

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  4. Great post! I've been wanting to read this series for awhile now. I've heard great things about it! I would love to enter for the first book :-)

    Amanda, I just looked up your YA book Chrysalis on your website. Definitely want to read that one when it comes out! How many books are you planning for that series?

    Thank you very much for the giveaway!

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    Replies
    1. Amber, I have a three-book story arc for the Young Adult, but it could definitely go longer if well-received, fingers crossed. :)

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    2. Cool!! Will be adding to my TBR :-)

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  5. I loved this series too!!! Amanda Stevens follows me on twitter because she rocks!!! LOL :)

    I'm happy to see that she loves Devlin as much as I do!!! Btw!! I couldn't even go to bed when I read the first book it was so scary!! I stayed awake all night with the lights on in my bedroom until the sun came up and then I went to sleep. HAHA!! That's still my favorite book in the series btw. Yay for 3 more book deals. ;)

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY Christen!!! :)

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    1. Miss Vain, fancy seeing you here. :) I'm a little bit in love with Devlin so count on seeing a lot more of him. I'm doing an online novella in between books where I'll be using more of his back story. That boy has secrets.

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    2. Hi Amanda :)
      Thank you for replying to me. :) I'm so happy to hear that! Devlin is just so sexy in a mysterious way. I love that.:) I can't wait to hear his secrets!!! I can only imagine he has plenty. You know I liked Thane too, but I was so devoted to Devlin that I just couldn't fall in love with him as a love interest for Amelia, however I did enjoy his character. It just felt like I would be cheating on Devlin, and I didn't want that! LOL. Looking forward to your YA series as well. YAY! Good luck! I wish you all the best success with it.;)

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  6. Amber, I have a three-book story arc for the Young Adult, but it could definitely go longer if well-received, fingers crossed. :)

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  7. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  8. wouww!! great post ^^

    thanks for a chance to win this book, and thanks for making it international ^^

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