Interview with Michelle Veil, author of Undeadly (Blog Tour & Giveaway)

Hey everyone! Welcome to this stop in the Blog Tour for Undeadly hosted by the awesome Shane @ Itching for books.

About the book

 

 The day I turned 16, my boyfriend-to-be died. I brought him back to life. Then things got a little weird...

Molly Bartolucci wants to blend in, date hottie Rick and keep her zombie-raising abilities on the down-low. Then the god Anubis chooses her to become a reaper-and she accidentally undoes the work of another reaper, Rath. Within days, she’s shipped off to the Nekyia Academy, an elite school that trains the best necromancers in the world. And her personal reaping tutor? Rath. Who seems to hate her guts.

Rath will be watching closely to be sure she completes her first assignment-reaping Rick, the boy who should have died. The boy she still wants to be with. To make matters worse, students at the academy start turning up catatonic, and accusations fly-against Molly. The only way out of this mess? To go through hell. Literally.

Release date: November 20, 2012

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Purchase: Amazon

 

Hi, Michelle! Welcome to The Reader Lines. I really want to know about you, and about your life behind the pages. So, here we go.

What kind of girl were you, when you were in school?

I didn’t fit into any particular group. I was nomadic when it came to social circles. I was also a cross between a wild child and a nerd. I loved school and I loved learning. I was in Honors courses, on the school newspaper and yearbook staffs, but I also like going out on the weekends—dancing, hanging out with friends, or “cruising” the downtown area of our small town in Oklahoma.

Did you have any crush when you were younger? I mean the actor, book character or musician kind.

I was in love with Simon Le Bon from Duran Duran. My friends claimed the other members of the band, but I Simon was mine—and I had the Tiger Beat posters to prove it. Is it sad to admit that I follow Simon on Twitter?

How do you feel when you’re writing?

Writing is a strange combination of wonderment and frustration. I love creating the world, the characters, the story, but writing is hard work. Writing the book the first time doesn’t mean I’m done, either. There are revisions, and revisions, and revisions, then copy edits and galley read-throughs, and all the elements that come after the book is “done.” All the same, I love writing.

Do you write with a playlist?

I have what I think of as my fallback music, playlists of songs I loved when I was a teenager that help me remember what it felt like when I was in those stages of exploring who I was and who I wanted to be. (Honestly? I think I’m still figuring that out!) Then I have music I’ll listen to as inspiration—not necessarily related to the book, but for the creative ju-ju. I also have certain bands I like to play because they sound so angry (and somehow all that angsty screaming makes me feel better).

What’s your favorite movie?

Wow. I don’t think I can narrow it to just one. A couple of my favorites are “While You Were Sleeping” and “The Princess Bride.” I also loved “Darjeeling Limited.” I really love action movies and I’ve seen “The Matrix” too many times to count.

What about your favorite band or solo-singer?

Currently, I’m in love with Mumford & Sons and Florence + the Machine. But, you know, my heart will always belong to Duran Duran.

Do you believe that the zombies and vampires really exist? (I said vampires, because you know, you can kill a vampire if you inject it with zombie blood.)

Never say never! I think the world is full of mystery and wonder and possibilities. I’ve never met a vampire (that I know about), and I haven’t had the opportunity to see a zombie (but I don’t hang out in graveyards at night).

I am a freaky, obsessive, perfectionist, cover lover. And I really like the cover of Undeadly. Do you think it matches with the history?

Thank you! I’m in love with the cover, too. I think the cover is a great match for the book, not only for the look and “feel” of who Molly is, but also the tone. The background is much how I envision the Shallows, the place between worlds that reapers use to escort souls into the underworld.

If you could put 2 of your characters in a scene with 2 characters from another book, which characters would they be?

I think I would put Molly and Rath in a scene with Alice and the Red Queen from Alice in Wonderland. That would be fun!

Who’s your favorite author?

I love reading, and I have a lot of favorites. In the YA genre, that includes Richelle Mead, Daniel Marks, Michelle Rowen, Lauren Kate, and Veronica Roth. Other favorites include Neil Gaiman, Christopher Moore, Terry Pratchett, Charlaine Harris, and MaryJanice Davidson.

Can you tell your readers a little more about you, please?

I’ve known that I wanted to be a writer since the age of 12 and worked toward that goal every day since then. I have three children, I’m marrying my Viking in December (woo-hoo), and I think chocolate should be consumed EVERY SINGLE DAY. I also like animals, which explains why I have six of them (three cats and three dogs). 

Why would you recommend Undeadly?

It’s a different take on zombies and ghosts and death. Molly has a snarky, fun attitude, Rath is super hot, and reapers are real. It’s a fun place to visit—and you might even want to live there!

The Gossip 5…

Do you like Robert Pattinson?

Yes. I think he’s a great actor, and I enjoyed watching him in Twilight and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.

Have you seen all the Harry Potter movies?

Yes. I’m a huge fan of the Harry Potter series. I’ve read all the books and I’ve seen all the movies, both are wonderful experiences.

Are you (as well) in love with Christian Gray?

I haven’t read any of the E.L James’ books, so I don’t really have an opinion about him.

Did you have imaginary friends as a child?

No, but I had a big imagination. I was always telling stories.

Who’s your favorite fictional character?

It’s difficult to pick just one, but I think Alice from Alice in Wonderland is one of my all-time favorite fictional characters. 

Wow! how awesome! 

This was Michelle Vail guys! Thanks a lot for stopping by!

 

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