Guest Post: Stacey Kade (Author of Queen of the Dead)

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:: AUTHOR'S INFO ::

As an award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead. From her first childhood scribbles about a magical necklace that would turn people into cats, Stacey has long been fascinated with what happens when the “ordinary” bumps up against “out of this world.” What if aliens landed on Earth? What if the afterlife is really just another dimension? She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their three retired racing greyhounds, Joezooka (Joe), Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy). When she’s not reading or writing, you’ll likely find her parked in front of the television with her Roswell DVDs, staring rapturously at Jason Behr.

For more info on Stacey, visit her sites:

-Website

-MySpace

-Twitter

-GoodReads

-Facebook

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Queen of The Dead (The Ghost and the Goth, #2) by Stacey Kade

Reading Level: Young Adult

Release Date: May 31, 2011

Publisher: Hyperion Book CH

Pages: 288

Summary: After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare - former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead - finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this - ugh - “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello! She’s only been dead for two months!

Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess. Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately puts a check mark in the “clearly not” column. But Will is - ahem - willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

Did you miss my review? Check it out here!

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:: GUEST POST ::

1) Thank you Stacey for gracing my blog yet again. I am so excited for Queen of the Dead. As a reader, what can we expect from the sequel?

SK: The short answer? More kissing, more fighting, more ghosts. The story picks up a few weeks after the end of The Ghost and the Goth with Will and Alona working to help a ghost address her unresolved issues before the home where she spent most of her life is destroyed. But, of course, it doesn’t go quite as they expect, and while they are trying to keep events from spiraling out of control, they meet Mina, who seems to be another ghost-talker. Sort of.

2) Do you feel you've grown as a writer since your debut with The Ghost & The Goth?

SK: I hope so. It is my goal as a writer to continue growing and improving with every book. Queen of the Dead, in particular, was tricky for me. I had to find the balance between creating a new story and being consistent with the world and characters from the first book. It was tough. But I’m really pleased with how it turned out and hope everyone else is too!

3) If you could cast movie roles for Will and Alona, which actress and actor would you choose? And why?

SK: One of the best things about writing books is that you have the freedom to say oh, I want this character to look like so-and-so but ten years younger. Or, a blend of this actor and that actor. But when it comes to casting real people? Yikes. I suspect that is a much tougher gig because you have to go beyond what someone looks like, whether they physically resemble the character, and determine if they have the spirit/presence of that character as well. I think the models on the cover look pretty much exactly as I imagined Will and Alona, and I would love it if that were the case for the hypothetical movie version as well. In terms of specific actors, though…I have no idea!

4) If your book had a theme song, what would it be?

SK: Hmm. I don’t know if there is a single theme song. But there are songs that make me think of different parts of the book, most definitely.

-Breathe Me by Sia (This song, if anything, is probably closest to a theme song for the book.)

-Haunted by Taylor Swift

-If I Die Young by The Band Perry (Thanks to my sister, Susan, who pointed me to this song)

-Tell Me I’m a Wreck by Every Avenue Teenagers by My Chemical Romance

-Pieces by Sum 41 Only One by Yellowcard

-Make You Smile by +44

And I owe a HUGE thank you to Magan Vernon who suggested the second half of this list, everything from “Teenagers” to “Make You Smile.” I was desperate for new music when writing Queen of the Dead, and she sent me a list of so many amazing songs!

5) Will there be a third book in the series?

SK: If so, have you decided on a title yet? Yes, there is definitely a third book in the series. It’s in editing now. We have a possible title, but the timing isn’t quite right for announcing it yet.

Thank you Stacey and The Teen Book Scene for the tour!