Today we're visiting with author Marianne Morea on her tour with Bewitching Book Tours for the paranormal YA, "Hollow's End". Thanks to the author for taking the time to answer our questions!
Why YA fiction? What draws you to it?
Hollow’s End was my debut novel into teen fiction. I’ve always loved the genre, and have read and reread Harry Potter, Twilight, Possession and The Evil Within at least three times each. I have Beautiful Creatures on my night stand permanently, just for fun. There were two reasons I decided to try writing for teens: 1) because both my daughters asked me to write something they could read, and 2) because the genre is fun. Yeah, yeah…people (adults mostly) complain that teens are angsty and whining…and they usually cite Bella Swan from Twilight as the poster child for those qualities. BUT, in my eyes, with teens what you see is what you get. They wear their emotions on their sleeves and they FEEL everything. It’s all new to them…love and hate, jealousy and attraction, dealing with friends and the choices that they face…it’s all there to be learned. It’s exciting, and as an adult reading and writing in the genre, it allows me to look back and remember.
What did you want to be when you grew up? Why?
When I was younger I was in love with history. It was my favorite class, and I romanticized it in daydreams and doodles as I listened to my teachers talk about the American Revolution or Ancient Greece and Rome. If I could have built a time machine to go back and visit the places I learned about in class I would have done so in a heartbeat…so much so that I wanted to be an archeologist. I took that passion with me straight into college and actually studied archeology and anthropology. But art and English Lit ended up taking the reins, and I became a journalism major, instead. I still love history and how it still speaks to us. My love of all things past is what spurred me to write Hollow’s End…to find the historic core on which I could build my story.
What would you write in a letter to your teen self?
I would tell teenage Marianne to lighten up. To not be so focused on the end result that you forget to enjoy the journey. High School is hard, there’s no question about that, but it can also be wonderful if you take the time to count your blessings and focus more on the positive. The other thing I would tell teenage me is to talk more to my mother. This is going to sound stuffy and really, really old, but the truth is, once I became an adult I realized just how smart my mom was. I even joked with her once, saying, “Hey mom, how come the older I get the smarter you get?”
What candy do you give out at Halloween?
Everything! I LOVE candy and sweets, so I give out all my favorites… the ooey, goey chewy ones that are bad for your teeth…caramels and toffees and lots and lots of chocolate. It’s why my house never gets egged!
What superpower would you love to have? Why?
I love all things paranormal, in fact all my adult books to date are urban fantasy and paranormal romances, so I would either be a witch with powers that could allow me to be whatever I wanted or change whatever I wanted OR I would be a shape-shifter. I think it would be cool to be able to shift into any form I chose. But, if I have to pick only one, I would pick witch.
The dark water of the Hudson River isn’t the only blackness looming in the distance of the quaint river town of Sleepy Hollow. Two hundred years of secrets and lies are bleeding into the present, and high school seniors, Hunter Morrissey and Rowen Corbett, find themselves linked with unseen forces shrouded in mystery and violence.
Truths, buried and long forgotten, have risen at a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Only Hunter and Rowen hold the key to locking the past in the past, and setting old wrongs to right. Can justice be served? Can the two find a way to straddle both worlds and solve the mystery when they don’t understand the clues?
Inspired by historical events that surround the village of Sleepy Hollow and the famous legend that shares its name, this Young Adult Horror takes you on a journey full of history and suspense with a splash of romance and the paranormal.
About the Author:
I'm a New Yorker, born and bred, and for the most part my stories and my characters embody the grit and complexity of the city. An avid traveler, I use my experiences from around the world in all my books. There isn't a place my characters live or travel to that I haven't been myself.
Like most authors, my love affair with the written word started as a child with the books I read. Even today, I love to read almost as much as I love to write. My favorite stories are the ones that transport me, that bring me to places and introduce me to characters that leave me breathless...the ones that spark the fire of my imagination, allowing me to dream in the world of 'what if?'
I've always been a scribbler, and from the time I could write my name I've been making up stories. So it was no surprise when I earned degrees in both Journalism and Fine Art, but after working in the trenches of Madison Avenue as a Graphic Artist, I decided to do what I love most full time. Write.
In the meantime I am also a founding member and former President of The Paranormal Romance Guild, a not-for-profit organization for readers and authors of the genre...and when I'm not 'bichok' (but in a chair hands on keyboard), I'm spending time with my husband and our three kids, traveling to exciting, romantic places ...for inspiration, of course!
Find me online at: http://www.mariannemorea.com/
https://www.facebook.com/mariannemoreaauthor
https://twitter.com/MarianneMorea
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4228374.Marianne_Morea
Thank you for visiting with us today!
ReplyDeleteThank you for having me!!!
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