Happy Friday!
Today I'm happy to GCC sister Kelley Hall to the blog. Megan is the acclaimed author of SISTERS OF MISERY, here to talk up the sequel, THE LOST SISTER. Megan has generously offered a signed copy of THE LOST SISTER for today's freebie.
Here's the official back cover blurb:
THE LOST SISTER takes a chilling look at what happens when hazing pushes someone too far. Sisters are born, not chosen…
Maddie Crane is grappling with the disappearance of Cordelia LeClaire, and trying to escape the grasp of The Sisters of Misery—an insidious clique of the school’s most powerful girls, whose pranks have set off a chain of horrific events, and who have Maddie in their sights… Beware the sister betrayed…Now in a prestigious boarding school far away from her mysterious hometown of Hawthorne, Massachusetts , Maddie feels free from danger. But when an unmarked envelope arrives at her dorm containing a single ominous tarot card, Maddie realizes with terror that some secrets won’t stay buried. Knowing she must return to Hawthorne—a town still scarred by the evil of the Salem witch trials—Maddie prepares to face the fears of her past...and the wrath of the sister she wronged.
Here's what people are saying about THE LOST SISTER:
Hall maintains suspense until the very end. This story's dark, sinister edge, coupled with the clever use of runes to frame each chapter, will satisfy those fascinated by witchcraft and premonitions.
--Publishers Weekly Review
There’s no doubt Hall knows how to write one heck of a creepy Gothic novel. She pushes the limits with disturbing plot points in this scary, fast-paced story. --Romantic Times Book Reviews
Shivery... Hall hits one over the fence with her debut novel -- a true Gothic. - NY Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard
"Original,insightful, and scary. Hall writes with an intense, frightening gracethat will have you turning pages long into the night."
--NY Times bestselling author Michael Palmer
And now, for the interview:
What inspired you to write THE LOST SISTER?
The Lost Sister picks up where Sisters of Misery left off. It shows what happens when someone is pushed too far and when hazing pranks go wrong. It’s a continuation of Sisters of Misery, in that it’s a modern-day retelling of the Salem Witch hunts. It has a sort of fairytale-esque Gothic appeal and it will keep you up at night due the spooky, supernatural events that take place.
Are any of your characters based on real people that you know?
It’s funny because every guy I’ve ever known seems to think that they are the love interest in my books, whereas no girls ever see themselves as the mean girls. I’ll simply say that the boys are purely fictional. The girls? Well, Kate Endicott and her crew are a mixture of every mean girl I’ve had the pleasure of coming across in my life. I’ll leave it at that.
What excites you?
Bookstores, my daughter, free samples of skin care products, bargain shopping (I don’t think I’ve ever paid full price for anything), television shows and movies that scare me (many nights my husband will wake up in the middle of the night to find me watching shows about true crime and serial killers. How he can fall back asleep so easily, I’ll never know), spa trips, really nice hotel soaps and lotions, a really delicious chocolate dessert.
What turns you off?
People who are full of themselves and think they are better than others. Guess what? You’re not.
What's the biggest lie you ever told, and what happened as a result of the telling?
I never lie. That’s the biggest one right there. J
What's the most suspenseful thing that's happened to you in real life?
I had a really weird experience with a Ouija board. I kept it under my bed in college and I’d wake up with the feeling of something sitting on my chest. I removed it from my dorm room and the next night the same thing happened. Turns out my roommate put it back under my bed as a joke. Not funny. I ended up bringing it home from school, but I purposely left it in a box in my car—I was going to give it to a friend who wanted it. The first night home from school, I felt that same feeling of having something sitting on my chest. I woke up my parents and asked if someone had brought the box into the house. They had!! After that night, I threw away the Ouija board and will NEVER allow one into my house again.
Another weird thing that happened to me was I went to this old building in Salem, MA that used to be a real estate agency and now is a printing company. Anyway, it’s supposed to be haunted, but everything in Salem is supposedly haunted, so I never really believed it. My boyfriend at the time was in a band, and he and his friends were practicing in the basement of the building and he told me to come meet him during his break. So, it was around 11 pm, luckily I had my sister with me. We noticed that the doors were open in the back so we went inside, but the lights were off. We heard voices in the distance and we kept calling my boyfriend’s name, as well as the other guys in the band. Well, turns out they did take their break—at a bar across the street! They left the door open so they could get back in. NO ONE was in the building. Yet, we definitely heard voices. SOOOOOO creepy!
If you could invite anyone you wanted - living or dead - to hang out with you at a weekend retreat, who would you invite and why?
Okay, obviously Johnny Depp – that’s a given – Oscar Wilde and Kathy Griffin to make me laugh, Joan Didion and Alice Hoffman for writing inspiration, Brangelina just to figure out what it’s like to be in their world (and what all the hoopla is about) and Julia Roberts and George Clooney, because after watching that Oprah special, they seemed pretty fun to hang out with. Oh, yeah, Oprah too. My sister got to meet her via Skype on a book club webcast and I’m super jealous. Here’s the picture as proof. She made Oprah laugh! So jealous.
What's one thing most people don't know about you?
I’m not really a people person. I hate public speaking. Absolutely detest being the center of attention (which makes book signings and writer’s panels interesting). Plus, I do not like chick flicks. If there’s a movie or TV show about serial killers or ghosts, I’m watching. I’d rather watch America’s Most Wanted than America’s Got Talent.
What's your favorite quote?
Life is what happens while you’re making other plans.
Milk Chocolate or Dark?
Dark – no question
You can read more about THE LOST SISTER on Megan's website, on her blog, follow her on twitterand check out the SISTERS OF MISERY myspace page..
To be entered to win a copy of THE LOST SISTER, leave a comment below, telling about the freakiest thing that's ever happened to you. This drawing will remain open until Tuesday, August 18th.
Hi, guys! Sorry about not posting the winner yesterday - Blogger has been off and on for me this past week and yesterday was one of the off days. Thanks for sharing your freaky experiences. By random drawing, the winner of THE LOST SISTER is:
And now for what's up... Friday I had a great author visit with The Learned Owl Book Shop up in Hudson, OH. This event was special because it was arranged due to a request from Chelsea, known online to many of us as The Page Flipper. (Shameless self-promotion - you can read about the event and Chelsea's review of DEATH BY DENIM here.) It was great meeting Chelsea and her friend and hanging out with everyone at Cali Juice (they held the event at a smoothie shop. Loud, but too fun!)
*Margaret Peterson Haddix's SENT hits the shelves on Tuesday. I'll be going to her signing at Cover to Cover right here in Columbus, so be watching for that one as part of a Freebie Friday coming up!
House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, until a childhood friend appears and makes her question her faith." Congratulations, Melissa!
