Blog Tour: The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray (Author Interview)

Title: The Dollhouse Asylum
Author: Mary Gray
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Released: October 22nd 2013
Pages: 292 (Paperback)
Buy: Amazon UK / Amazon US
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A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mary Gray has a fascination with all things creepy. That’s why all her favorite stories usually involve panic attacks and hyperventilating. In real life, she prefers to type away on her computer, ogle over her favorite TV shows, and savor fiction. When she’s not immersed in other worlds, she and her husband get their exercise by chasing after their three children. The Dollhouse Asylum is her first novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

INTERVIEW
What inspired you to write The Dollhouse Asylum?

I had this image of a girl trapped in a subdivision in the middle of nowhere by a man she both loves and hates. Also, I had finished reading Carrie Ryan's THE FOREST OF HANDS AND TEETH and wanted to write a book with the same writing style and creepy vibe. Finally, at the time, I was living in Virginia, and desperately wanted to move to Texas, so I knew my subdivision had to be in Texas.

Blog Tour and Author Interview: Megan Curd

Hey Megan, and welcome to the blog! 

Hey there! Thanks so much for having me. It’s an honor to be here!

So how did the idea of Steel Lily come to you? 

Steel Lily first started cropping up in my mind over Christmas of 2011. For some reason, the thought of what our world may be like if we didn’t take care of it. If we continued to abuse our resources, and then a massive war broke out. How would we deal? Could we survive? What would that look like? All of those ideas were swimming around, and Avery’s world is what came out of it.

What character do you relate to the most? 

I think it’s a mix between Avery and Sari. I love Sari’s spunk and moral compass, but I love Avery’s attitude. She says the things I wouldn’t have the guts to say, so maybe that’s why I like her so much.

Blog Tour and Author Interview: J. A. Huss

I've got to ask this first - what is the space opera genre? You've got me curious!

Picture Star Trek or Star Wars.  Those are the classic space operas.  But I don’t really care for either of them, actually. My favorites are Fallen Dragon and The Night’s Dawn Trilogy, both by Peter F. Hamilton.  Space operas are usually sprawling science fiction novels that have some space travel component, and in the case of PFH’s books, hundreds of characters, each with their own interwoven plots.

What initially sparked the idea of Tragic?

TRAGIC was a fluke.  I was looking at stock art, trying to find a smexy picture of lovers to use as a cover for another book, and I started wondering if the passion in some of these images was real or whether or not they were faking it.  I thought I could tell the difference, you know? Like the really passionate ones weren’t faking it, but really feeling it and that’s what made those pictures stand out from the others.  So I decided to write a story based off that premise.

Which character do you think you can relate to the most, and why?

Rook.  I’ve been Rook.  I escaped a very bad relationship by moving to a new city with two kids. I didn’t get a modeling job out of it, but I did get a master’s degree.  

Which character do you have a particularly soft-spot for, and why?

Well, I love Ronin, that’s a given. I wrote him the way he is on purpose.  But the character who is surprising me the most is Billy.  He’s sorta comes off as a bad guy in the first book, but I’m in the middle of writing the second book and I like him. He’s not so bad, he’s just doing his job. ;)

What do you want the reader to take out from reading the book?

That not all people are bad, even if you find a few bad ones, people are generally good.

This isn't the end of Rook. When and what can we next expect from her?

Oh, she’s got a lot going on in the second book.  Lots of consequences for her rash decision at the end of TRAGIC.  But Rook’s a fighter, so I’m not too worried about her.

Thank you for having me on your blog today and I hope you enjoyed the book!  :)

I absolutely devoured Tragic, and I'm now impatiently waiting for Manic, the sequel!

Author Interview: Nikki Rae

I have a massive love for Nikki Rae and the Sunshine series, and I think it is possibly one of the best indie novels I have ever read - if not the best! So how could I pass up an opportunity to pick Nikki's brain?

Nikki Rae is a student and writer who lives in New Jersey. When she is not writing, thinking, or reading, she is most likely hanging out with her gecko, Neil Gaiman, drawing in a quiet corner, or drinking tea by the gallon. Sunshine is her first book. (from Goodreads)

What initially inspired the concept of Sunshine?

Well, it's kind of a funny, painful story. My mom took my sisters and I on a vacation to Aruba when I was in high school. I got sun poisoning the FIRST DAY I was there and was pretty much bed-ridden for the rest of the trip, in too much pain to move. I was only outside for a few hours and I was all blistered and red and god, it hurts just thinking about it. But it got me thinking, what would it be like if this happened every time someone went outside in the sun? And that was the initial seed that Sunshine grew out of.

Blog Tour and Author Interview: Liesel Hill

Are you as excited as I am? I hope so! Today, I'm bringing to you an author interview with Liesel Hill, the amazing author to Persistence of Vision. Check it out to discover the secrets behind some of her fabulous ideas!

Where did the idea of the Arachnimen originate from?

The Arachnimen came when I was trying to figure out bad guys. I took some small inspiration from the Death Squads in Terry Goodkind’s Sword of Truth series, but I tried to focus on what scares people. Some of the most universal fears include spiders and clowns. Clowns wouldn't have worked very well in this story and I already have something else that involves killer clowns, so I went with spiders. From there, they developed to fit the story.

Did you base the main character, Maggie, on any of your own personal traits?

Somewhat. She’s not me, exactly, but she does have a lot of me in her. In truth, all characters have at least something of their creators in them, and perhaps main characters more than others. As I said, she’s not entirely me, but many of her thought processes are mine. She’s definitely cooler than I am—who I want to be in that situation, perhaps.

How did you decide what the seven different prophetical jobs and abilities would be?

Blog Tour and Author Interview: Laura DeLuca

As soon as I heard about this blog tour, I had to sign up. Needless to say that I am a major fan of Phantom of the Opera, so a modern-day book following the same events that unfolded during the actual play/book is pretty much my idea of heaven. Here is an interview with the author herself, Lauren DeLuca, and the link to an awesome giveaway!

Author Interview


What inspired you to write a book based around Phantom of the Opera, aside from the musical?

It was kind of a spur of the moment decision to start writing Phantom. I was cleaning my house and listening to the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack when I suddenly thought to myself that my gothic friend Justyn, who is an actor, would make a great Phantom. Then I thought, hey, that would make a great book…six months later it was done!

Who is your favourite character in your novel, and why?

Lord Justyn is my favorite character. He is actually based of a very real friend of mine.  The real Lord Justyn has the same way of speaking, and is just as talented. He is an actor and a musician, and also just a really sweet guy.  The fictional Lord Justyn developed some of his own unique traits as the story progressed, but I still believe I captured the essence of the real Justyn.  I will always be grateful to him for inspiring one of my favorite characters and books.

Author Interview: Jennifer Donnelly

When I found out that my first author interview would be with Jennifer Donnelly, I was absolutely ecstatic! Jennifer is the author of five novels; two of which I have read (Revolution and A Gathering Light), and a series I really need to read (The Tea Rose). She currently lives in New York with her husband, two daughters, and two rats.


Hello Jennifer, and welcome to the blog! Now, I've read both of Revolution and A Gathering Light, and I have to say I adored both of them, as well as the lead characters of Mattie, Andi and Alexandrine. But I was wondering - who is your favourite?

Thank you, Nina! I honestly don't have a favorite. They're paper children to me. I love them all equally, but in different ways as they're such different people.

Ah yes, I can completely understand that. Personally, I really liked Alexandrine, and found her story quite intruiging. What inspired you to write her into the French revolution?

Alex herself inspired me. She walked out of the mists of my imagination as I was struggling with the telling of this story. She was hurrying down a night street in late 18th century Paris, carrying a bundle in her arms. She stopped suddenly, turned and looked at me -- as if she was taking my measure. After a minute or so, she beckoned. And I followed her. And bit by bit, she told me her story.

So, in a way, Andi is a bit like you? In the fact that she was drawn into the story by Alex and her letters?

Not exactly. I was drawn into the story by an article I read years ago in The New York Times titles "Geneticists Latest Probe: The Heart of the Dauphin." It told the story of a tiny heart in a glass urn in the Basilica of St. Denis in Paris. I was hooked from the first line.

And it proved for an interesting story, too! Do you think that in the future, you will continue to write books that are based around letters from the past?

They've certainly been inspiring so far! I'm always attracted to words coming from people who've gone before us, but I think each story is different and requires its own unique forms and structures. 

Yes, I agree; a story usually makes itself, huh? On that topic, are you currently writing a new novel? And if so, can we sneak a bit of information about it from you?

I am indeed working on a new novel -- two, actually. Both are for teens, but that's all I can say at the moment!

Really? Okay, now I am stupidly excited. Thank you so much for this interview, and I wish you the best of luck in your writing career; as of now, I am eagerly awaiting for those two new books!

Thanks so much, Nina! All best wishes to you!


Are you excited as I am? I should hope so! Jennifer is such a lovely person and a brilliant author, and I genuinely can't wait until her new releases. If you haven't already read one of her books, I definitely recommend it - they are literally life-changing. So watch this space, people - watch this space.