Welcome to the kickoff of the 15 Days of Christmas
Giveaways. I’m your host, Avery Olive. Please hang up your jacket and stay
awhile. I’ve cooked up a fun first post with a prize package that is truly
amazing! I like to go big or go home!
Firstly you must know that Today’s task is rather simple. At
the bottom, you’ll find Mr. Rafflecopter. He and I are great friends. What he
needs from you is a simple comment left on this post.
Easy Peasy!
If you’d missed yesterdays posts with the rules and
regulations and feel you must read them before entering, you can check those
out here.
The Prize Package, you’re entering to
win?
1 E-Copy of A Stiff Kiss
1 Special one of a kind canvas tote
1 Mouse Pad
And some A Stiff Kiss SWAG
Now, to start things off, I thought hard about my post,
trying to come up with something a little different. And since we’re doing the
15 Days of Christmas, well, I thought I’d do...
15 Things About A Stiff
Kiss You Might Not Know...
It’s simple, really. I’ve come up with 15 little facts to
get you thinking about A Stiff Kiss, my debut novel.
1. Though
the morgue scene in A Stiff Kiss was the first thing I thought about and gave
me the main idea for the novel, it actually wasn’t the first scene I wrote. I
started from the beginning and didn’t jump ahead.
2. Some
very cool people close to my heart have characters named after them. Even Mr.
Olive has a character named after him, but no, I won’t tell you who it is!
3. The
first draft of A Stiff Kiss was written in a little less than 3 months. In fact
the novels that I have started and completed consecutively have all been
written in 3 months or less.
4. Silversprings
is a mythical town I created. Since I needed to pick a State as a point of
reference, I chose Oregon, USA. Though I am Canadian, it made sense to set my
novel in the USA since we Canadians do a great deal of things differently. I
wanted to make sure I was as consistent as possible, without confusing anyone.
5. Had
I ever had another boy, their name might have been Landon. It was always on the
top of my baby name chart! Xylia on the other hand, was just a name with a
meaning that worked well with the novel. I pulled it from a baby name book.
6. A
Stiff Kiss was the first title I came up with... but given the fact that the title can be interpreted
more than one way (if you don’t know what I’m talking about J Sorry, I won’t spell
it out) I was desperate to find another title. Here are a few examples of
titles that never made the cut because no matter how I looked at it, A Stiff
Kiss just suited the novel better, even if it has a double meaning: Kissing
Corpses, A Corpse Kiss, A date with a Corpse...
7. Tons
of books have that hidden message thing going on. A Stiff Kiss is no different.
One of the things I want readers to take away from A Stiff Kiss is the simple
act of forgiveness. A person’s life can change undeniably once they’re able to
forgive what they cannot change.
8. Though
Silversprings is mythical, and the other city/town names mentioned are too,
each of them are named after a Cemetery. In fact, a little bit of extra
knowledge: every city/town I’ve ever created has been named after a Cemetery.
9. Before
A Stiff Kiss got multiple publishing contract offers it was rejected over 54
times. A true sign that in this industry, if you want to make it, you never
give up.
10.
The first person to read A Stiff Kiss was my
super awesome friend and critique partner Steven W. The kicker: We’ve been
friends going on six years, talk most every day, and share the journey towards
publication together, yet, we’ve never actually met in person. One day, sooner
rather than later, I hope to change that.
11.
I had to gain permission from Bryant H.
McGill to use his quote at the beginning of A Stiff Kiss. The quote fits the
book perfectly, and even things in my own life. I didn’t have a backup plan if
he said no. I wanted so strongly to use the quote I worried if I had a Plan B I’d
never get the permission I needed to use it. The Quote: There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness
without love—Bryant H. McGill
12.
The novel and its theme about death allows
me to understand it just that much more. If I write about it, maybe one day I
will come to terms with my own fears about dying and death. I am terrified when
it comes to the idea that one day I will no longer walk this earth.
13.
The cover artist, Taria Reed, came up with
two mock-up covers. I chose the one I thought suited the novel the best,
however, they were both great. Do they show the darker side of the novel, yes,
was I worried it might be too creepy, yes, but when I look back now I couldn’t
have asked for anything better. It suits the novel perfectly.
14.
Though I’ve been writing for many years, I
was in the closet. When I signed the contract for A Stiff Kiss I came out of
that closet and told my friends and family that I was, in fact, a writer, soon
to be published. Some were very surprised to say the least.
15.
Some have stated the obviousness of Landon’s
last name in relation to the book as being a tad cliché. Phoenix, as it were, is
the symbol for rebirth. I did it on purpose, sort of throwing it in your face
because I wanted readers to understand, right away, when reading the blurb that
the rebirth plot-string was important to the novel. Morana, Xylia’s last name,
though not as obvious, really does me death. Which is another throwback to the
theme of the novel.
16.
And because I’m all about one more for good
measure, I’ll do a 16. I know a lot of you have asked whether or not A Stiff
Kiss will have a sequel, or a prequel or a short story or something else
attached to it. My answer: You never know. I will not discount the idea of
adding to A Stiff Kiss, it may or may not happen. I’m just not sure when yet.
And that’s all I have to say about that!
Please take a moment to enter the giveaway below and DO NOT
FORGET to come back tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that
(and so on and so on) until December 24th to enter to win even more
great prizes!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
10 December 2012 at 00:58
My favorite Christmas memory was when I was 8 years old and my parents didn't have a lot of money. That night I went to sleep there was nothing under the tree, but when I woke up Christmas morning the tree was overflowing with the best presents every. Barbie Malibu Dream house and The barbie R.V. that's what I remember. My favorite Christmas memory.
sexyliltinkerbell20@yahoo.com
10 December 2012 at 04:27
My favorite Christmas memory is coming upstairs as a little kid 7 or 8 and seeing these homemade dolls that were as big as me at the time that my grandmother made for me and my sister. I played with those dolls so often of the next 5 years. I still have mine to this day! Though she lost her hair :) lol
10 December 2012 at 07:37
My favorite Christmas memory is watching my grandchildrens' eyes as they see the tree with presents underneath on Christmas morning.
10 December 2012 at 09:06
Thanks for the 16 facts about "A Stiff Kiss", I always like more about you! :)
10 December 2012 at 19:56
Thanks for the great facts! :) My favorite Christmas memory is the year I got my Hug-A-Bunch...I think I was 3 or so, but I remember that day clearly!!
Ashley A
ash_app@hotmail.com
10 December 2012 at 23:33
It would be pretty cool to have a town called Silver Springs :)
24 December 2012 at 09:23
I actually think there is a town in Maryland called Silver Spring (s) or else it is the township name, but I think it's the city.
25 December 2012 at 16:13
Thanks for the 16 facts about "A Stiff Kiss", I always like more about you! :)
25 December 2012 at 16:42
Great idea! Joining late!
26 December 2012 at 07:16
My favorite Christmas memory is of my father dressing up as Santa for all of our cousins at a family party to give out presents and one of my cousins yelled "that's Uncle Har not Santa but I still want my present"