latest comments

2nd Annual: Authors are Rock Stars Tour

Thursday, August 22, 2013


Hi Everyone!

Welcome to my stop on the 2nd Annual- Authors are Rock Stars Tour! I am so excited to be a part of the tour this year, featuring one of my all time favorite YA Authors, Michelle Gagnon! Eeeek!!! You guys may remember that last year I read Don't Look Now and couldn't stop gushing about it. It turned out to be one of my favorite books of 2012 and I've been obsessed with Michelle's work ever since! I am so addicted to the Persefone series, it's unreal! Michelle has a brilliant way of writing epic stories full of heart racing action, adventure, heart stopping romance, and chilling suspense, which is why she is a ROCK STAR in my book!


Michelle Gagnon

Today Michelle has graciously answered a few questions so let's get right to it!

The Princess of Storyland: I was absolutely blown away by Don't Turn Around. Computer hackers in a YA suspense/thriller. Heck yes! It was amaze-balls! How did you come up with such a unique idea for this series?


Michelle Gagnon: Oh, yay!!! Thanks so much, I’m beyond thrilled to hear that you enjoyed it! An editor and I actually brainstormed the initial idea together. At the outset, we knew that Noa would wake up on an operating table with no memory of how she got there, and that Peter would have his house broken into after hacking a website. But from there, it really progressed in fits and starts. I’m not an outliner, so one idea just led to the next. When I sat down to write every day, I rarely knew how Noa was going to get out of her latest predicament unscathed—for me, that’s always the fun part (and also the most terrifying!) 


The Princess of Storyland: You are quite an accomplished author in adult fiction. Were you nervous about crossing over into the YA world?


Michelle Gagnon: I was a little nervous, but one day when I was having lunch with a friend of mine (who also happens to be a book editor), she pointed out that nearly all of my adult novels feature a teenager who has a POV and a major role to play in the story (in fact, THE GATEKEEPER kicks off with the kidnapping of a fifteen year-old girl who ended up becoming one of my all-time favorite characters). She urged me to go for it, and I’m so glad I did; I swear, DON’T TURN AROUND practically wrote itself, I finished the rough draft in less than eight weeks.


The Princess of Storyland: In the series, Noa and Peter are very talented hackers! Are you a bit of a hacker yourself or has that always been a fantasy of yours?

Michelle Gagnon: I wish! I’m actually pretty computer illiterate (I’m still trying to figure out tumblr!) It’s such a fantasy of mine, though: I want to be a hacker AND a pool shark, that would be super cool. The irony is that I suffered a total computer meltdown during the writing of EACH book in the trilogy. I’m calling it the PERSEF0NE curse!


The Princess of Storyland:  Are there any future projects in the works?

Yes! First of all, the next book in the trilogy comes out on August 28th (next week!) DON’T LOOK NOW picks up a couple of months after the end of DTA, and shows how Noa and Peter have taken their fight against Project Persephone to the next level.
And I’m just finishing up the final book in the trilogy (DON’T LET GO); it’ll be released next summer.


Plus, I’m about to pitch another YA book idea, but at the moment we’re keeping that hush-hush (so shhh!)


The Princess of Storyland:  Don't Turn Around is one of my all time favorite books!!! What are some of your favorites?

Michelle Gagnon: Let’s see…definitely THE BOOK THIEF and EVERY DAY. But I’m such a huge YA fan, I just devour series: Divergent, Under the Never Sky, the Knife of Never Letting Go, anything by Cassandra Clare, Dust Lands, Shadow and Bone, Delirium, Maze Runner…I really could go on and on. I’m always interested in series recommendations, so if you have any let me know!


A huge thank you to Michelle for stopping by and answering our questions! 

Michelle has generously offered a paperback copy of Don't Turn Around for one lucky winner! Eeek! I hope you will love this book as much as I did!

One lucky winner will be chosen at random. The winner has 48 hours to respond or another winner will be selected. Prizes can only be shipped to a US address.

Comment below with your email address or twitter handle (this is how I will contact you about the prize) for one entry. Follow Michelle on twitter @Michelle_Gagnon for an additional entry. 

For more information about Michelle Gagnon, as well as her current books and upcoming projects, check out her website HERE

20 comments :

  1. Great interview! :) My e-mail is bookcrookliza at gmail dot com! Thank you for the giveaway! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the giveaway! My twitter is @fangirlbyme. I'm also following @Michelle_Gagnon! :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks, PoS! This was a fun interview!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This was such a fun interview, and thank you Michelle! I also follow her on twitter! @peachandblue
    my email is peachandblue2 (at) aol.com. :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Great interview! Thanks for the post and giveaway!
    Erika
    emai: saltsnmore at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the giveaway

    videoclimber(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great interview! Thanks so much for being a tour host!

    Hugs,
    Jaime

    ReplyDelete
  8. Great interview. My Twitter handle is @Buffywnabe, and I follow the author as well!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Fun interview

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  10. Great interview!
    Thanks for the chance to win!
    natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. Love the interview, this is my first time hearing of this series and it sounds so good! Thanks for the giveaway!

    Email: Shortnsweetreviews(at)gmail(dot)com
    twitter: @vanpham88

    ReplyDelete
  12. I've been wanting to read this book, and seeing Michelle mention so many of my favorite books/authors has me convinced I will love hers.

    Thanks for the giveaway!
    1) My handle: @InsomniaBooks
    2) I'm also following Michelle

    ReplyDelete
  13. I'm looking forward to reading her books, thanks for the giveaway.
    ksarah26(at)aol(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Wonderful interview. I'm a fan of this lovely lady :)

    new follower via gfc & twitter

    ReplyDelete
  15. Awesome interview! Authors really are rockstars, they're amazing!

    My email address: asian2417(at)hotmail(dot)com
    I also followed Michelle on twitter. (@arielsmith24)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Awesome interview! Thanks for the giveaway!

    brookea_2006 at yahoodotcom

    ReplyDelete
  17. Nice giveaway!

    bookaholicholly at gmail dot com
    Following Michelle as @KinomiyaMichiru on Twitter.

    ReplyDelete
  18. I have got to read this! I love The Tudors! Aaahhhhhh! I love historical fiction in general!

    ReplyDelete
  19. This book sounds incredible!!! It has been on my TBR list for a while, but since Don't Look Now just released, now I really want to read it!! Fingers crossed :) And by the way, I still don't understand tumblr at all!

    email: centerstagegirly AT yahoo DOT com
    Twitter: @centerstagemom

    And I am following Michelle on twitter for an extra entry. Thanks so much!!

    ReplyDelete
  20. The giveaway is closed and the winner has been contacted! Thank you everyone who stopped by to support Michelle and her awesome series!

    ReplyDelete

Total Pageviews

About me

  • This blog is a little bit of everything!
  • Hi! My name is Cristina, I am 29 years old and from Texas! I love my bunnies, books and blogging about my favorite things!
My favorite scarf in the whole wide world! :) photo 10363858_10152526761926237_5252620513132971013_n.jpg

Cristina

Founder of the website