Monday 8 April 2013

Author Interview: Gretchen McNeil

Gretchen McNeil has written Possess, Ten & 3:59.


1. What is your name and where do you call home?
Gretchen McNeil, Los Angeles, CA
               
2. What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or less words, what would you say? 
Ten came out in September 2012. The pitch: Ten teens trapped on an island with a serial killer.

3. Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series? 
My next book is called 3:59 and it hits shelves on September 17, 2013. It's sci fi horror about two girls who are the same girl in parallel universes, who discover that their words connect every twelve hours for exactly one minute at 3:59.  When they decide to switch places, all hell breaks loose. Literally.

4. Which is your favourite cover of all the books you have written?
Definitely Ten. It perfectly reflects the ominous tone of the book.

5. Do you have a book trailer? And what are your thoughts on book trailers? 
I do! HarperCollins did trailers for both Ten and Possess. I think they're a cool way to visually represent your book and get readers interested.

6. Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hardcovers or audiobooks?
Personally? Hardcovers. But I have a healthy collection of both paperbacks and e-books. I find audiobooks problematic, though. I can't concentrate on them.

7. Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? 
I've read several books more than once. Most recently, I reread The Thirty-Nine Steps by John Buchan.

8. Have you ever read a book just based on it’s cover? 
Yep. I picked up The Daughter Of Smoke And Bone specifically because of the cover.  So glad I did. Freaking amazing.

9. Has the quality of the cover of a book ever put you off of reading it? 
I think cover art is so important to hooking a reader. Covers can absolutely make or break your book.

10. What is your favourite film based on a book? 
Pride and Prejudice.

11. What is your favourite book genre at the moment? 
I love spy thrillers. Always have, always will.

12. What books have made it onto your wishlist recently? And why? 
I'm anxiously awaiting the last book in Myra McEntire's Hourglass series!

13. What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format? 
At the moment I'm reading several research books on the early 20th century spiritualist movement, both in paperback and on my Kindle.

14. Do you have any advice for other writers? And what’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? 
The most important piece of advice I can give is that you never "arrive" in this business. When you're starting out you think "If I can just get an agent, I'll be happy." Then "If I can just get a book contract, I'll be happy." But there is no finish line, no stage in your career where you can sit back and relax. There's always the next book, the next series, the next set of deadlines. It's kind of hard to prepare for, to be honest.

15. Where can your readers follow you?









Thankyou so much for taking the time to do this interview and allowing us a glimpse into your writing world!

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