The time it was about angels

I fell in serious cover love when I saw Illuminate by Aimee Agresti. I got my hands on an arc and was instantly transported.  The setting is lush, the story is fascinating and the characters are interesting.  Not to mention there are two swoony boys!

When the sequel, Infatuate, came out, I devoured it.  I needed more Lance of the story and I couldn't wait to delve back into the world Aimee created.  And it didn't disappoint...

Haven Terra is still recovering from an internshp that brought her literally to the brink of hell when a trip to New Orleans leads to more trouble.  Graduating early from high school leaves the spring semester free, so Haven and her friends Dante and Lance head to the Big Easy to vounteer with community service projects.  But their true mission becomes clear when they run across an enclave of devils known as the Krewe.

New Orleans is a free-for-all for these shape-shifting devils, who are more reckless and vicious than any Haven, Lance, and Dante have encountered.  And they soon discover their French Quarter housemates are also angels-in-training, and together they must face off with the Krewe in their quest for wings. 

But Haven's resolve is tested when Lucian, the repentant devil with whom she was infatuated, resurfaces and asks for her help escapting the underworld.  Can he be trusted? Or will aiding him cost Haven her angel wings--and her life? Thrilling, romantic, and full of surprises, this gripping sequel to Illuminate takes the battle of good and evil to the next level.

 

Sounds good, right?

Now, I've been bugging Aimee about coming to the west coast so I could meet her since her first book came out.  Alas, it hasn't happened.  Yet.  However, she did agree to do an interview with me!!

1. Where did you get the idea for the series?
 

The very first spark came from the idea of updating one of my favorites, The Picture of Dorian Gray. High school is such a tumultuous time, I kept thinking: what would you have sold your soul for to make those days go a little more smoothly? And I decided if folks were selling their souls to a pack of devils, then we certainly needed some angels. That's when I hit on the notion that these angels were still earning their wings: what could be a better metaphor for growing up?
 

2. You're killing me with Lance and Lucien: two swoony boys who are total opposites. Who is easier for you to write?
 

Oooh, such a good question! They're both just so much fun. In the topsy-turvy world of Infatuate, they're both really evolving and in that process there are these moments where they almost swap personalities--that was tricky. Lucian gets to be unusually sweet and vulnerable at times, and Lance shows flashes of, well, unsteadiness and unpredictability. Drama!

3. When you started writing, did you know the overall ending right away?
 

I knew the answers to the major questions from the very start. But the thrilling part for me as a writer has been discovering how to get there. There are always those twists and turns that don't start flying at me until I'm writing. I love when that happens!

4. And speaking of endings, after that ending in Infatuate, did you sit back and laugh at all of the flails your readers would have?
 

It's pretty wild, isn't it?! I really wanted to raise the stakes heading into Book Three. I was hoping that it would be so surprising and exciting that readers couldn't resist wanting to see how it all gets resolved...and that they would forgive me if I gave them all heart attacks.
 

5. Will there be kissing in book 3?
 

Haha! Of course, always! That's the best part, right? Stay tuned to see who's doing the smooching!

Speed [ish] round:
 

1. What's your go to guilty pleasure thing to eat?
 

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate! I'm seriously addicted to M&Ms.

2. What are you reading right now?

Vampires in the Lemon Grove by Karen Russell. She's a stunning talent, her writing is just otherworldly and so original. And I also happen to love that she's a fellow Northwestern alum--go 'Cats!
 

3. Who are your favorite swoony boys?
 

I go for the classics: Holden Caulfield and Mr. Darcy. Sigh!

4. Are there any authors that you fangirl over?
 

Back in my previous life as a celeb reporter, I had a MAJOR fangirl moment with Helen Fielding. I adore Bridget Jones's Diary, so I just had to totally gush! She was very sweet.

 

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A huge thanks to Aimee for putting up with answering my questions.  And major props for spelling her name with 2 e's!! [All of the cool kids are doing it :D]  Infatuate is out now, so go get it!

 

Haven't had a chance to read Illuminate? Well, enter below to win a signed copy!!

FYI: I ordered the copy of Illuminate from Aimee's launch party in Virginia today [3/9/13], so there is a chance that the giveaway will be over before I actually have my hands on the book. As soon as I have it, it'll be sent out.  :)

 

Rules for the giveaway are on the "terms and conditions" section of the Rafflecopter widget.

 

Good luck!!

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The time all of the books had pretty covers

So obviously, a book cover is important when marketing a book. I don't remember there being such a big deal about cover pictures being released until I started reading YA books.  But, those marketing people are doing something right, because I've bought several books just from the cover alone...

The upside to living in SoCal is that LA is really close and a lot of authors come through LA eventually. However, the idea of "eventually" is one that I'm not too familiar with, I really don't like to wait.  Such is the case for all of the books to follow. :D

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti sucked me in right away. The dress, the shadow of the wings, and the model are all gorgeous. I especially love the script of the title.  I was able to get my hands on an ARC and read it in one night.  After reading it, I contacted Aimee and we started talking about tour dates.  She's always been so so so sweet about my incessant nagging.  Once I saw that she posted her first date at Fountain Bookstore, I wanted to support her, so I ordered the book. If/when I get to meet her, I'll ask her to sign my ARC.

I had seen the cover for The Selection and was absolutely hooked.  I love the colors and the dress and the everything... I had asked Kiera if she was going to be touring when the book was released and because she was pregnant at the time, she didn't think there would be too many events.  I was also able to get my hands on an ARC [thanks, Kassiah], so when I saw Kiera's events start to post, I just picked a date and ordered away...

I read The Sky is Everywhere after a swoony book reccommendation that Lo from Swoontini made about it.  These ladies have never let me down before, so I was all over that book ASAP.  As always, they didn't disappoint, it was amazing...

Anyhoo.

Since I was a bit late to the party on this story, it was already in paperback by the time I read it, so Jandy wasn't doing any sort of touring for it.  And then, one day when I was stalking Jay Asher's website, I noticed that he was going to be at an event that Jandy Nelson was going to be at.  The problem is that it was going to be nearly impossible to get to Palo Alto on a Friday...

I don't even know where I heard about Amy Plum's books.  All I do know is that the cover for Die For Me is amazing, I read that book in one sitting and immediately went on a search for her tour dates.  After seeing that none of her dates were remotely near me [sobsobsob], I picked Parnassus Books to buy from.  I ordered Amy's books and Jandy's book on the same day and then tweeted about needing a private plate or helicopter so I could get around to all of the events. 

And Amy's response was epic:

I really hope I get to meet her one day.  And both covers are just so gorgeous. I'm so in love with Paris that it's a little scary.

If only book covers would get ugly.  I bet it would save me some money.