How To Date Dead Guys by Ann Noser Blog Tour

How to Date Dead Guys

by Ann Noser

Series: Under The Blood Moon
Genre: new-adult, urban-fantasy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Date of Publication: July 15th, 2014
Cover Reveal: June 2nd, 2014
Cover Artist: Alexandria Thompson
(http://alexandriadior.deviantart.com/)

Description:

College sophomore Emma Roberts remembers her mother’s sage advice: “don’t sleep around, don’t burp in public, and don’t tell anyone you see ghosts”. But when charming Mike Carlson drowns in the campus river under her watch, Emma’s sheltered life shatters.

Blamed for Mike’s death and haunted by nightmares, Emma turns to witchcraft and a mysterious Book of Shadows to bring him back. Under a Blood Moon, she lights candles, draws a pentacle on the campus bridge, and casts a spell. The invoked river rages up against her, but she escapes its fury. As she stumbles back to the dorm, a stranger drags himself from the water and follows her home. And he isn't the only one.

Instead of raising Mike, Emma assists the others she stole back from the dead—a pre-med student who jumped off the bridge, a desperate victim determined to solve his own murder, and a frat boy Emma can’t stand…at first. More comfortable with the dead than the living, Emma delves deeper into the seductive Book of Shadows. Her powers grow, but witchcraft may not be enough to protect her against the vengeful river and the killers that feed it their victims.

Inspired by the controversial Smiley Face Murders, HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will ignite the secret powers hidden deep within each of us.

How to Date Dead Guys on Goodreads 

How To Date Dead Guys Purchase Links:

• Amazon US: Forthcoming
• Amazon UK: Forthcoming
• Barnes & Noble: Forthcoming
• Kobo: Forthcoming

About the Author:

My to-do list dictates that I try to cram 48 hours of living into a day instead of the usual 24. I’ve chosen a life filled with animals. I train for marathons with my dog, then go to work as a small animal veterinarian, and finish the day by tripping over my pets as I attempt to convince my two unruly children that YES, it really IS time for bed. But I can’t wait until the house is quiet to write; I have to steal moments throughout the day. Ten minutes here, a half hour there, I live within my imagination.

Like all busy American mothers, I multi-task. I work out plot holes during runs. Instead of meditating, I type madly during yoga stretches. I find inspiration in everyday things: a beautiful smile, a heartbreaking song, or a newspaper article on a political theory. For example, a long drive in the dark listening to an NPR program on the SMILEY FACE MURDERS theory made me ask so many questions that I wrote HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS to answer them to my satisfaction.

I’d love to have more time to write (and run, read, and sleep), but until I find Hermione Granger’s time turner, I will juggle real life with the half-written stories in my head. Main characters and plot lines intertwine in my cranium, and I need to let my writing weave the tales on paper so I can find out what happens next

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Social Links:

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

• Website: http://annandersonnoser.blogspot.co.uk/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnMNoser
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnMNoser
• Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8124757.Ann_M_Noser)

FINDING COMFORT IN DISCOMFORT

For those of you who haven't discovered the physical and mental benefits of yoga, don't tune out just yet. I'm not here to convert you.

I'd rather discuss how a fundamental yoga principal applies to Emma Roberts, the main character in HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS. Emma could really use a lesson in this theory. She's uncomfortable basically all the time when the book begins.

I learned the phrase "finding comfort in discomfort" from Sandra Carson of Ekhart yoga. She explained that practicing yoga frees the individual to find the space, both physically and mentally, to become more comfortable in poses you don't naturally find a body in when not performing yoga (hello, downward dog).

I'd like to take this idea further. We all have something in our lives we find difficult. Good examples might be public speaking, going to the doctor, or dating. The energy we spend fretting is simply a waste. Instead of worrying about something, and getting nothing accomplished in the meantime, why not address the issue head on and resolve our fears?

"Even though I probably have the highest GPA at this party, I sometimes have trouble forming complete sentences in front of attractive men."

~Emma Roberts, from the book HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS

1)     Are you shy? Then force yourself to work or volunteer somewhere where you have to talk to people. Does it make you uncomfortable? Yes, it will…but only at first. Granted, it will take time, but eventually it will become natural to talk to strangers. When this happens, congratulate yourself, because you've removed a barrier to your own happiness.

"How can I be a doctor if I can't handle vomit or nudity?"
~Emma, who really shouldn’t be a doctor

2)     Are you scared to go to the doctor? Lots of people are, whether it's fear of needles or blood or just the discomfort of the exam. I play a game with myself every year when I have to have my "womanly physical" (ladies, you know what I mean). I tell myself, "This can't hurt as much as childbirth." And it doesn't. It's no big deal. Everybody does it, and then gets on with their day. I'm not saying having a mammogram is a joyous experience, but I don't worry about it anymore. Fretting is a waste of time and spirit.

"I don't want a love spell. I don't believe in chanting, potions, and candle lighting anyway."
~Emma, who soon changes her mind

3)     Does the thought of dating make you cringe? Actually, I probably can't help you with that. Dating really isn't that much fun, probably because it involves dating the wrong person much of the time. Here's what I think. Don't settle. Don't sympathy date. And if you're uncomfortable, just leave. Be polite about it, but don't waste your life, your evening, or your heart. Respect your own feelings and set high standards. Treat others as you wish to be treated, but also don't accept any less in return.

By the end of the book, Emma is much more comfortable with many things, but since this is only the first book in a trilogy, I'm afraid she'll suffer through a whole lot more discomfort before I'm done with her. I can be such a meanie sometimes.

For the rest of you, please take this advice to heart:  address your fears head on, or they'll grow bigger and damage you.