About How to Date Dead Guys:
Series: Under The Blood MoonGenre: urban-fantasy, paranormalCategory: new-adultPublisher: Curiosity Quills PressDate of Publication: July 15th, 2014Cover Artist: Alexandria ThompsonDescription:
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.
Add How to Date Dead Guys to your Goodreads ‘to-be-read’ list.
Purchase links
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/1620075199
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/1620075199 w/how-to-date-dead-guys-ann-m- noser/1119938862?ean= 9781620075197
About Ann Noser:
I got a lion in my pocket and, baby, he's ready to roar! - Prince, 1999My 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.Find Ann Online:
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.Becoming a mother changed me. I transformed from a perfectly rational human being to a hormonal, overprotective, and scary creature. These overpowering feelings caused me to reflect on the strength of the mother-child bond. And even though I hadn’t written much since high school and college, I began to pen a fairy tale. I’m not sure I recommend taking up such a time-consuming hobby at the exact moment children take over your life, but that was my starting point.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.When my masterpiece was finished, I hired an editor, who suggested I join a writing group. She said I needed alpha and beta readers to look my story over, line by line.I asked: “What the heck are alpha and beta readers? And how do I join a writing group?”That’s right. I’d been writing in a vacuum. I’m sure all the more experienced writers realize what a silly girl I was to think I was ready to publish when I was actually just getting started.Unfortunately, it took me another year to join the Rochester Minnesota Writing Group. The fear of what others might say about what I’d written held me back. If you’re looking for life advice, it comes down to this: don’t give in to your fears. It’s so much better to just forge ahead, and take what comes, than to cower in the dark.By the time I finally joined the writing group, I’d written what is now known as HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS. I remember one of the first group meetings I attended, when another writer (who shall remain nameless, because I never saw him again after this) told me, “There’s more to this story than what you’ve written, and if you’re brave enough to write it as it should be, I really think it could be something.” This is paraphrased, of course, but the words still ring true.
It takes bravery to write books. Honesty requires inner strength. I had to ask myself if I was ready to expose my own feelings to strangers. It isn’t easy to handle rejection and keep going, but that’s what it takes to be a writer.I spent the next few years editing HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS, along with pursuing publication opportunities in newspapers, magazines, and veterinary journals. I’ve got a long list of people on my acknowledgment page to thank for helping me become a better writer. After my novel was ready to query, that ulcer-inducing process made me sick to my stomach pretty much every single day.I won’t debate whether or not an aspiring writer should query agents and publishers at the same time, but it happened to work well for me.In June, 2013, I entered Pitcharama, sponsored by Aussie Owned and Read. The wonderful K.A. Last picked me for her team and helped revise my query. Within the same week, I was lucky enough to receive team support, several publisher requests, and a very encouraging revise-and-resubmit request from a literary agent. The positive experience of Pitcharama improved my query and (perhaps even more importantly) boosted my flagging self-esteem.Then I came in contact with my publisher, Curiosity Quills, via #pitmad. I’ve really enjoyed working with Curiosity Quills. They don’t laugh at my newbie questions and they’re super supportive. I can’t wait for July 15th, when HOW TO DATE DEAD GUYS will be launched into the real world.
If there were to be a film of your life, who would play you in the lead role?
Ann: Someone short and dorky. Hopefully they’d have better behaved hair than I do.
Following the same line of thought, if there were to be a film made of any of your work, who would you cast in the roles of the main characters?
Ann: Call me crazy, but I’d be way more excited about Christopher Plummer playing “Bernard” and Julie Andrews playing “Claire”. (Yes, I adored SOUND OF MUSIC as a kid and would love to see them on screen together again in something I wrote). As for “Emma”, I loved Claire Foy in LITTLE DORRIT, and she would’ve been perfect a few years ago. She’s not the right age now, I suppose. So I’d say anyone who reminded me of her.What are you reading at the moment?
Ann: This interview page. Just kidding. I just finished THE FAULT IN OUR STARS (wonderful) and A LONG WAY DOWN (hilarious). Next up is the THE GIVER (heard really good things about this one—looking forward to it).What are you listening to at the moment?
Ann: The ROOM WITH A VIEW soundtrack. Beautiful classical and opera music. Very calming. Perhaps I have trouble staying calm and need outside help.
This is stolen directly from James Lipton, but what the heck. If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
Ann:”Well, Ann, you did a lot better down there than I expected you would.”What strategies did you use to try to capture the characters’ voices convincingly?
Ann: Emma was easy for me to write. I just knew her. Bernard was a character I cut from another book, but I loved him too much to let him just disappear. Steve and Jake basically took over any scene they were in. Mike was the hardest for me to understand. I spent a lot of time trying to decide what he would or would not do or say. The best thing I can do as a writer is to get out of the way of both the story and the characters.One strategy I use when I’m stuck on a scene is to take my dogs for a walk. It helps me to just step away from the computer and let the rhythmic movement of my steps bring me to a solution. But I have to remember to bring my iPhone so I can email myself and not forget anything before I get back home.What’s the greatest challenge of writing a younger voice?
Ann: College life was a long time ago for me now. The distance gives me perspective, but I have to remember that no matter how smart you may think you are, or no matter how high your GPA is, everyone makes stupid decisions in college. What’s important is how you deal with them afterwards.How much sensuality or sexual content do you think acceptable in new adult writing? Where’s that line for you and your characters?
Ann: It seems to me that the sky is the limit in regards to sexual content in the current New Adult genre. Everyone should chose for themselves what they want to read and what they want to write (except my children, who will do everything I tell them, haha). My choice is to minimize the sexual content. I don’t pretend sex doesn’t exist in college, but it is not my focus. I enjoy the phrase “non-smutty New Adult”. This is my personal choice. This is what I like to write and read.How did you use a paranormal storyline to help develop character as Emma gradually came into her own as a young woman and as someone with special abilities?
Ann: Years before I sat down to write this story, I worked as a relief veterinarian. This meant I spent a great deal of time in my car. During one dark and lonely evening ride, I heard a fascinating radio story discussing the problem of male college students drowning in the rivers in the Midwest. Questions filled my head.
That was the night I “met” Emma, and I knew, right from the start, she wouldn’t run away. She would feel guilty as hell, and she would do anything to try to make things right. And although a part of her might wonder if she was going crazy, Emma would even try witchcraft to raise Mike back from the dead.
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 GUYS1) 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 doctor2) 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 mind3) 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.
Tour Schedule
Week One:
7/14/2014: Diane Riggins at A Creative Mind with a Review
7/14/2014: Mallory Anne-Marie Forbes at Mallory Heart Reviews with Guest Post “I Know What You Read Last Summer.”
7/14/2014: Erika at Wonderful Monster with an Interview
7/15/201: Tammy Dewhirst at Rabid Readers Reviews with a Review
7/15/2014: Rae Quigley at Drunk On Pop with a Guest Post on the Smiley Face Murders
7/16/2014: Kathy at Ordinary Girlz Book Reviews with a Guest Post about Ghost Busters
7/16/2014: Sandra “Jeanz” at JeanzBookReadNReview with an Interview
7/16/2014: Elsie Elmore at Elsie Elmore with an Interview
7/17/2014: Dana Wright at Dana’s YA book Pile with a Guest Post about the Book of Shadows
7/17/2014: Stephanie Ward at A Dream Within A Dream with a Book Spotlight
7/18/2014: Ali at My Guilty Obsession with a Review
7/18/2014: Sarit at Coffee, Books & Art with a Guest Post aboutFinding Comfort In Discomfort
7/18/2014: Cassandra McCann at Cassandra M’s Place with a Book Spotlight
7/18/2014: Gina at Behind the Pages with an Interview
Week Two:
7/21/2014: Christina Torretta at Creating Serenity with Review
7/21/2014: Ivy at Manic Readers Guest Author Blog with a Guest Post about Six Degrees Of Inspiration
7/21/2014: Yzabel at The Y Logs with Review
7/22/2014: Mary Bernse at Read It Write with a Review
7/22/2014: Jessica Miller at I Read to Relax with a Guest Post titled Thank U
7/22/2014: Ashley Finnegan at Love, Laugh, and Read with a Book Spotlight
7/23/2014: Chelsea at To Each Their Own Reviews with a Review
7/23/2014: Danielle Young at Consuming Worlds with a Guest Post about how Editing Requires A “Green Thumb.”
7/24/2014: Siobhán at Totally Bookalicious with a Review
7/24/2014: Donna & Melanie at Book Passion for Life with a Guest Post about how You Are What You Eat
7/24/2014: Vicki Trask at Writer of Wrongs with an Interview
7/25/2014: Babel at Tower of Babel with a Guest Post about How to juggle witchcraft, murderous rivers and ghosts, and still look good to date
7/25/2014: Lexi at Book Bliss with a Guest Post about Lines From The Master
7/25/2014: K.A. Last at K.A. Last with a Book Spotlight
Week Three:
7/28/2014: Shandy at Mama Knows Books with a Review
7/28/2014: Trisha Ratliff at Reader life with Trisha Ratliff with Guest Post Take Me To The River
7/28/2014: Katie Teller at Katie’s Stories with an Interview
7/29/2014: Debbie Arellano at The Book Eater with a Book Spotlight
7/29/2014: Elle Klass at The Troubled Oyster with a Review
7/30/2014: Rachel Smith at Bitten by Books with a Interview
7/31/2014: Amberr Meadows at Like a Bump on a Blog with a Guest Post about Writing Tips
7/31/2014: Meradeth Houston at Write Stuff with a Book Spotlight
7/31/2014: Merisha Abbott at Blissful Book Reviews with a Guest Post about Emma’s Life In Movie Quotes
8/1/2014: Amy Noland at Home Is Where the Wine Is Book Blog with a Book Spotlight
8/1/2014: Tiffany at A TiffyFit’s Reading Corner with a Book Spotlight
Week Four:
8/4/2014: Julie Whiteley at The Book Review with a Review
8/4/2014: Charlie Anderson at Girl of 1000 Wonders with a Guest Post about how Google Image Might Be My Favorite Thing On The Internet
8/4/2014: Michael Anthony at Writer’s Outworld with an Interview
8/5/2014: Mike Kalmbach at Reading Minnesota with a Book Spotlight
8/5/2014: Danielle Allen at Celiac Sanctuary and Words Behind Moments with an Interview
8/6/2014: Clare Dooley at Mousehead & Tales with a Review
8/6/2014: DJ Westerfield at The CurvyWriter Blog with Guest Post So You Want To Play With Magic?
8/6/2014: Jessica Walsh at Musings A Character Interview
8/7/2014: Olubukola at Write Eccentric with a Review
8/7/2014: Bella at Paranormal Book Club with a Book Spotlight
8/7/2014: Kristin D. Van Risseghem at My Blogity Blog with a Interview
8/7/2014: Debbie Wentlein at I Heart YA Books with a Book Spotlight
Goodreads Giveaway:
Author Ann M. Noser Interview and Amazon Gift Card Contest LIVE Here!
July 30, 2014
BBB: What is the strangest thing you ever did to research something for a story?AMN: Read creepy books about gang member activities.
BBB: What character was the toughest for you to get onto the page, and why? How did you finally crack it?AMN: Mike was the hardest character. I just didn’t know him like I knew the others. He was the hardest for me to access. I always had to think “what would Mike do?” in any given situation. The other characters just flowed. The breakthrough point was a certain scene I added later on in the development of the book. I don’t want to say any more, because I don’t want to spoil the fun.BBB: Have you ever had second thoughts or regrets after killing off a main character?AMN: It was sad, but I had to do it. No looking back.BBB: How do you keep track of your world building?AMN: A million notes, emails, and post-its to myself. Not the most organized system, but I manage to make it work.BBB: Please tell us more about How To Date Dead Guys and the storyline that drives it.AMN: 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.BBB: Is How To Date Dead Guys a standalone or part of a series, if it is a series, how many more books will there be?AMN: This is the first book in a planned three book series. Book Two is in the polishing stage. Book Three is a few pages stuck in a folder somewhere stage.
BBB: What sets How To Date Dead Guys apart from other books in the same genre?AMN: Let’s just say it’s non-smutty New Adult, for starters. There is more magic than romance, but love on many levels flows throughout the story as well.BBB: What types of creatures/characters can readers expect in your world?AMN: Real people. Some of them are dead, and some of them can do magic.BBB: Did you do any kind of research to determine the details of your characters lives / lifestyles?AMN: I did a great deal of research on witchcraft. I’m sure I don’t have it completely right, or up to the standard of those who actually practice magic, but I did try. The other topic I had to research was gang life. This was much harder for me. How can people live like that? The books I read were both so depressing and repulsive. I actually threw a book across the room after I read what some gang members did to a cat. It makes me sick to think about it. I wish I could erase that from my head, but I’m sure it will stay there forever.BBB: Are you a plotser or a pantser? or a Planster (a combo of both)AMN: I try to be a plotser, but my characters always take over, pulling me by the seat of my pants then, I guess.BBB: What’s the best thing that anyone said to you when you were in a writing low spot?AMN: “If you’re meant to be a writer, you’ll continue writing. If not, you’ll stop.” (paraphrased by the author Catherine Friend)BBB: Do you set a daily word count goal, time limit goal, or just go with the flow?AMN: Daily word counts and time limits drive me batty. I complete tasks, such as getting to such and such point, or finishing a chapter, or just doing what I can until the kids need to eat or have their butts wiped. (haha)BBB: What’s coming up for you for the rest of 2014?AMN: Working on polishing HOW TO DITCH DEAD GUYS and finishing SEE HOW SHE RUNS (current working title of a YA dystopian I began writing in response to an aggravating political column).BBB: What was the BEST book you read in 2013?AMN: The first one that comes to mind is The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. But now I just remembered that I read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn and Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford in 2013. It’s too hard to choose just one!Read a 5 star review of How To Date Dead Guys by clicking here.Buy a print copy of How To Date Dead Guys from Amazon by clicking here. Buy a Kindle copy of How To Date Dead Guys from Amazon by clicking here.Books in the Under the Blood Moon series in the order they should be read: How To Date Dead Guys
CONTEST INFO: Open to readers worldwide.
Prize: $25.00 Amazon Gift Card
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