I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to befriend new and
amazing Authors, and today’s guest is no exception. L.S Murphy and I met
through Goodreads, but I can tell already she’s going to be a great friend to
have around. We’ve decided to do a blog swap. She’s on my blog today for an
interview, and talking about her upcoming debut novel, Reaper and I’m over on
her blog where she’s graciously taken the time to read A Stiff Kiss and post a
review (GAH! I hope she loved it!) So without further adieu...
Now why don’t you tell us a bit about Reaper? In five words or less, of course J
Death shows up inconveniently.
There's no way sixteen year old Quincy Amarante will become the fifth grim reaper. None. Not over her shiny blue Mustang. Her Jimmy Choos. Or her dead body.
She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.
It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.
Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.
Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.
Maybe ... just maybe ... that’s okay.
It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.
Now, let's learn just a hint more about the author behind Reaper! Here's her bio and a link to her website.
Welcome L.S. Murphy!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself? How about in five words or less.
Writer, Mother, bordering on insanity. JNow why don’t you tell us a bit about Reaper? In five words or less, of course J
Death shows up inconveniently.
So many interviews
tend to have the same questions, let’s shake things up a bit, shall we?
Your wish is my command. J
What is your favorite
kind of Pie?
Apple. I’m an All-American girl.
Let’s say you are
forced to live in a tree house, for the rest of your life and you can only
bring two novels with you. What would they be and why?
Can’t I just bring my Kindle & my phone? That’s two
things. I’d have electricity, right? .... Okay, okay... Pride and Prejudice by
Jane Austen and (wow this is really tough) Catch 22 by Joseph Heller
But wait, you can
also take one more important item with you (for fun let’s say it can’t be any
bigger than a loaf of bread) what would it be?
My laptop. J I
would have access to the internet, right? And electricity? If not, I’d bring LOTS
of paper to write on.
Congrats on Reaper
being your debut novel, can you tell us what inspired you to write the novel?
Revenge.
LOL Just kidding, well sort of. *shifty eyes* Actually, I wondered what it
would be like for a mean girl to find out she was going to become a reaper.
That was the initial concept. The novel’s evolved somewhat from that idea.
Where do you see
yourself as an Author in five years?
Still writing and, hopefully, still publishing. Ultimately,
I’d like to be able to support myself, and my family, by writing.
How did you get your
start in writing, was it always your dream?
When I was a kid, I was always telling stories. I’d spend
hours on the farm talking to the cows and the horses. Seriously. (I’d sing to
them too, but that’s another story. Thankfully cows are tone deaf.) According
to my parents, I taught myself to read at a very young age. I don’t remember
that though. J
It was really in eighth grade when I decided to be a writer.
My teacher, Greg Wirsig, had us read “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut and I
fell in love. That’s when I really started writing.
Finally, do you have
any words of wisdom for aspiring authors? Maybe a lesson that you’ve learned
that you’d like to share.
For a while, I let someone tell me I wasn’t good enough to
be a writer and I quit trying. It took me a long time to recover from that.
Don’t give up. Don’t ever quit. Don’t let someone else tell you that you can’t
do it. Believe in yourself and your abilities. You’ll get there in time.
Now lets check out her novel, Reaper! Here's the cover and blurb and my god! 2013 isn't going to come fast enough, I cannot wait to ready this one!
She’s supposed to enjoy her sophomore year, not learn about some freaky future Destiny says she has no choice but to fulfill.
It doesn’t take long for Quincy to realize the only way out of the game is to play along especially since Death can find her anyway, anywhere, anytime. And does.
Like when she’s reassuring her friends she wants nothing to do with former best friend Ben Moorland, who’s returned from god-knows-where, and fails. Miserably.
Instead of maintaining her coveted popularity status, Quincy’s goes down like the Titanic.
Maybe ... just maybe ... that’s okay.
It seems, perhaps, becoming a grim reaper isn’t just about the dead but more about a much needed shift in Quincy’s priorities—from who she thinks she wants to be to who she really is.
L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she
watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for
teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to her daughter,
The Bean, her husband, and a menagerie of pets.
She is a member of SCBWI and St. Louis Writer’s Guild.
You can check out L.S. Murphy on the web at Banshees, Books, & Baseball!
Thank you so much L.S. Murphy for stopping by, I wish you all the success in the world with your upcoming novel, Reaper, and I hope that when it's out, you'll find the time to stop by again!!
15 May 2012 at 11:47
Thanks for having me stop by. Love, love, love A Stiff Kiss. :)
15 May 2012 at 17:55
Love your blog & the post of my fellow JTP author. I'll be stalking you. ;) Hope you don't mind.
15 May 2012 at 19:41
Thanks so much for stopping by Terri!!