What's in the Snow? Scavenger Hunt with Bethany Neal!

Hey guys, it's Allison, and I'm SO excited to be part of this scavenger hunt! This is my first scavenger hunt EVER (so bare with me here). Before we get to the awesome interview with the fabulous Bethany Neal (author of My Last Kiss), here are some facts about myself so we can get acquainted!

• I started this blog on August 22nd, 2013
• I celebrated my three month blogaversary on the Catching Fire release date- November 22nd, 2013.
• I got my laptop taken away from me; it had a huge virus. And clumsy (15) year old me dropped it down the stairs. Oops.
• I run the Canadian Vampire Academy account on twitter (@VACanadaNews) 
• I am currently a junior in high school
• I live in Canada. And yes, it is cold. Only in the winter. Our summers are oddly humid.

WHEW! So with that over, let's move onto that interview with Bethany? (eh?). Bethany Neal is a new and upcoming author who's debut book, My Last Kiss, will be released on June 10th, 2014! Here's the lovely cover and synopsis for the book:



What if your last kiss was with the wrong boy?

Cassidy Haines remembers her first kiss vividly. It was on the old covered bridge the summer before her freshman year with her boyfriend of three years, Ethan Keys. But her last kiss—the one she shared with someone at her seventeenth birthday party the night she died—is a blur. Cassidy is trapped in the living world, not only mourning the loss of her human body, but left with the grim suspicion that her untimely death wasn’t a suicide as everyone assumes. She can’t remember anything from the weeks leading up to her birthday and she’s worried that she may have betrayed her boyfriend.

If Cassidy is to uncover the truth about that fateful night and make amends with the only boy she’ll ever love, she must face her past and all the decisions she made—good and bad—that led to her last kiss.

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What's in the Snow? Author Interview:

with Bethany Neal!

1. Hey Bethany! I'm so happy to get the chance to interview you! Can you tell everyone a little about yourself in two sentences or less?

Oh man, only two sentences? (That one doesn’t count!) My favorite stories are ones that romanticize the dark and creepy…and involve generous amounts of kissing. I used to have a pot-bellied pig named Mozart as a pet. (Somehow that felt relevant to share here. This sentence doesn’t count either.)

2. Do you have any hidden talents?

I’m crazy good at Name That Tune and reciting song lyrics.

3. When did you know you wanted to become an author?

People sometimes cringe when I tell them this because the series has blown up so hugely since the first book came out, but my initial motivation to start writing came after I read Twilight. I own my Twihardness though. BTW, I'm totally Team Edward!

4. Who influenced/influences you in your writing? And what made you want to write My Last Kiss?

I don’t know if I have any specific writing influences, but I admire Shirley Jackson's work, especially her novel We Have Always Lived in the Castle. Also, the poet Edna St. Vincent Millay. She lived such a ravishing life and it shined through in her work.

I came up with the idea for My Last Kisswhile listening to the song ‘Help, I’m Alive’ by Metric. Fun behind-the-scenes fact, if you’re a Metric fan you’ll notice some hidden Easter eggs in My Last Kiss that relate back to the band.

 

In fact, most of the inspiration for my writing comes from music. I’m a song lyrics junkie (re: question 2), so I tend to read a lot between the lines of the stories told in songs. Artists that are atmospheric and poetic like Florence + The Machine, Eisley, The Joy Formidable, and Stars speak to me the most.

5. Can you describe Cassidy's character in three words?

Ghost(ish), in love, fractured. (I know that’s four words, but in love had to be in there.)

6. Cassidy dies after her last kiss and is stuck in the human world without her human body. What do you think you would do if you were ever stuck in that situation?

I'd probably be a lot like Cassidy and stay near my loved ones, but I'd also take advantage of the whole invisible thing and sneak into all kinds of places I'm not supposed to be. Cut to TMZ reporting Robert Pattinson's house is haunted.

7. What kind of trouble can we expect Cassidy to get into while she's half-dead?

Well, Cassidy is lucky in that she gets a second chance to make up for the mistakes she made in her life. The trouble comes in that she can’t remember what those mistakes were or who she made them with. Nobody can hear or see her and some freaky stuff happens when she tries to touch anyone. So, that complicates things while she’s trying to solve the mystery surrounding her own death. Cassidy does get a little help along the way, but I’m not telling from what…or who.

8. Boys. We have to talk boys. What are some Fangirl worthy qualities that the guys in the story have?

I should open with a disclaimer that all the boys in my book are salty morsels—even the villainous I-might-have-caused-your-death ones. I just can’t help myself when it comes to fictional hotties.

The two main boys in Cassidy’s (after)life are her boyfriend Ethan and her childhood friend Caleb. Both have their Fangirl-worthy qualities, which are listed below.

Ethan is loyal and charming and has rich umber eyes. He learned how to dance to woo Cassidy (who is a ballerina). He knows she lied (not telling about what!), but can’t help still loving her. Forgiveness is sosexy!

Caleb is the kind of guy you can be yourself around no matter what. He's laid back and always ready with a joke to make you laugh and chocolate to make you happy when all you want to do is cry.

9. Since we ARE talking about kissing: who was the last person YOU kissed?

My longtime boyfriend. It may or may not have been a result of watching a particularly swoon-worthy episode of The Carrie Diaries…

SPEED ROUND QUESTIONS: This or That? Christmas Edition :)

Hot Chocolate or Tea?

Depends on the flavor of tea, but usually tea.

Ebook or Book?

Real live books.

Being Santa or being an Elf?

Elf. Santa has to work too hard, and red isn’t my best color.

Candy-canes or peppermint candy?

Candy cane technology has come a long way. For instance, do you know Sour Patch Kids-flavored candy canes exist in the world now? Mind. Blown.

Ginger bread cookies or sugar cookies?

Ginger bread. I bite off the heads first. Quick and painless. It’s the only humane way to eat a snack with a face.

Decorating the tree or cooking a Christmas feast?

Decorating the tree, but only because I don’t cook.

Shoveling snow or editing a manuscript?

Editing. No question.

Not remembering your life or not remembering your last kiss?

Because I don’t live in a book and real life pales in comparison to fiction, I’ll say I’d rather not remember my last kiss—unless it ends up being with Ansel Elgort (a.k.a. Gus from the soon-to-be TFiOS movie), in which case I change my vote!

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About the Author

 

 

Bethany Neal writes YA novels with a little dark side and a lot of kissing! She is obsessed with (but not limited to): nail polish, ginormous rings, pigs, dream analysis, memorizing song lyrics, pickles, dessert, predestined love, not growing up, sour gummy candies, music videos, Halloween, and fictional boys who play guitar. You can find her locked in her writertorium for insane amounts of time. But, hey, insanity is fun! My Last Kiss is her first novel. You can connect with her on

Twitter@BethDazzled and Facebook.

 

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Isn't Bethany awesome? And doesn't My Last Kiss sound awesome too? Well don't worry! Bethany is giving you a chance to win an ARC of My Lasy Kiss! Since this is her first giveaway as an author, this contest will only be open to the United States!All you have to do is answer the following in the comment section of the post bellow: What are the top three (3) craziest things on YOUR bucket list?

 

 

Enter your answer now on the COMMENT section bellow (along with your email), and if you want EXTRA PRIZES, visit Reviews Abound to enter the rafflecopter contest! The Scavenger Hunt question:

Rafflecopter clue: In which major world city can you go to to watch the ball drop on New Year’s Eve/Day?

Have a wonderful New Year, and add My Last Kiss on your Goodreads TBR pile! AND make sure to enter my own contests on my blog: I'm giving away a MG and a YA prize pack! It's open to both the CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES! Enter Now!