Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Blog Tour: Interview with Shadow Hills author Anastasia Hopcus!


Synopsis via Goodreads:

His love captivated her... his secrets might kill her. 



Since her sister’s mysterious death, Persephone “Phe” Archer has been plagued by a series of disturbing dreams. Determined to find out what happened to her sister, Phe enrolls at Devenish Prep in Shadow Hills, Massachusetts—the subject of her sister’s final diary entry. 

After stepping on campus, Phe immediately realizes that there’s something different about this place—an unexplained epidemic that decimated the town in the 1700s, an ancient and creepy cemetery, and gorgeous boy Zach—and somehow she’s connected to it all. 

But the more questions she asks and the deeper she digs, the more entangled Phe becomes in the haunting past of Shadow Hills. Finding what links her to this town…might cost her her life.


                                                                                                       


Let me start by saying how excited I was to be offered the chance to interview the lovely Anastasia Hopcus. Her debut novel, Shadow Hills, is one of my favorite reads of 2010. Check out my review here. Now lets get to the interview questions!




Did you do anything special to celebrate on the day Shadow Hills was released?

AH: I went with Brent and my best friend Jessica to Barnes and Noble and took pictures of Shadow Hills on the shelf and of me holding it and standing beside it and all that kind of thing. Then, on the following Sunday, when I did my first autographing at a local Borders, I had a big party for family and friends.  

Which characters from Shadow Hills were the most fun to write? Most difficult?

AH: I enjoyed writing all the characters, really.  I always find it fun to put myself in each character's 'persona.'  (I guess it's the actor in me.)  Sometimes scenes are difficult to write, but I don't really think the characters are difficult.  Adriana and Brody are probably the most fun to write, simply because they're more likely to say or do things no one else would. 

What do you enjoy doing when not writing?

AH: I enjoy reading.  I love mysteries, but mostly all I read these days is paranormal YA because I don't have time for anything else.  I love to watch TV series on DVD.  Lately, I've been hooked on The Office and 30 Rock.  I also love The Vampire Diaries, and I'm really excited that it's started again!

Can you share what projects you’re currently working on?

AH: I have a lot of ideas for future books about Shadow Hills, but that's all still kind of up in the air.  So I'm working on a YA paranormal series set in 1830's London.  Right now I'm doing research for it, and I'm really enjoying reading all about the way London was at that time.

Is there an author or book that you credit for sparking your desire to become an author?

AH: The authors that I can remember really making me want to write were Francesca Lia Block, Poppy Z. Brite, and Donna Tartt.  My writing is not like any of theirs, and I didn't really try to write like them.  But I just found their writing styles so beautiful, with such wonderful descriptions, that it made me want to put words on paper, too.


Anastasia Hopcus on the web:


Stop by her blog or website to see the other stops on the Shadow Hills blog tour.



Anastasia, thank you so much for stopping by. Shadow Hills is available now. I highly recommend that those of you who haven’t read it do!


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