Teen Reads and TEN by Gretchen McNeil

Yesterday I posted about the Crossroads Blog Tour, coming October 21st – October 28th.  Well, guess what?  Just before that comes Teen Read Week!  It would be fabulous for you to choose one (or more!) of the authors from the tour so that it’s that much more meaningful when you follow us and maybe win that Kindle pre-loaded with great reads!  Other fabulous choices: The Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine, BRIMSTONE, HIGHWAY TO HELL, THE SPENDOR FALLS or TEXAS GOTHIC by Rosemary Clement-Moore, LEGACY by Molly Cochran, THE DARK ELITE and CHARMFALL by Chloe Neill, FOR DARKNESS SHOWS THE STARS by Diana Peterfreund, RADIATE by Marley Gibson, the Vamped series by, well, me…or any of my Girlfriends Cyber Circuit sisters, like Gretchen McNeil, interviewed below about her new release, TEN, a modern teen take on Agatha Christie’s classic TEN LITTLE INDIANS.

Synopsis:

It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives – three days on Henry Island at an exclusive house party. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their own reasons for wanting to be there, both of which involve Kamiak High’s most eligible bachelor, T.J. Fletcher. But what starts out as a fun-filled weekend turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly, people are dying and the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine?

Interview with Gretchen McNeil:

What is your writing process like?  Are you a plotter or a pantser?  Do you schedule time to write each day or are you a spree writer?

I’m like a plotpantser.  Basically, I outline the first act, and then I know what the end will basically be, but what happens between the beginning of Act II and the end of Act III is malleable!  When I’m on deadline, I try to write 1k words a day, 5 days a week.  That’s a comfortable pace for me.

What is the hardest part about the publishing process for you and how do you get through it? (For me, it’s copyediting and sour cream and onion chips.)

The waiting.  I’m not a particularly patient person, and so waiting for everything from notes to cover reveals to reviews to sales figures is so difficult for me!  I cope with champagne.  😉

We drop your hero or heroine on a deserted island.  Quick, what are the three things he or she can’t live without?

Meg can’t possibly live without her notebook, a pen, and T.J. Fletcher.

If your story were a film, who would you cast?

Funnily enough, someone tweeted last week how Michael B. Jordan (Friday Night Lights)  would be perfect as T.J. Fletcher.  I’m in total agreement.  And the only other character I’d definitely want the chance to cast would be Minnie – Elle Fanning would be perfect.

Are there any contests or upcoming appearances/interviews/etc. you’d like to plug?

Definitely check out the appearances page on my blog for all my upcoming events: http://gretchenmcneil.blogspot.com/p/appearances.html

And if you want be in the loop for exclusive meet and greets with me, sign up to join the Army of Ten!  http://armyoften.blogspot.com/

Congratulations on your fabulous new release!