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.Interview with LS Murphy:
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.
Q: What
made you decide to become a writer?
I
love telling stories. Even as a child, I would share my misadventures with my
family and friends. If I was really bored, I’d often tell the stories to the
cows. J
Q: Was
there anyone in particular that reminds you of Quincy? or Was Quincy's
character influence by anyone you know?
Quincy
is an accumulation of the popular girl stereotype. She’s a mixture of attitudes
I witnessed in high school and see now with my nieces and nephews, but she is
not based upon anybody in particular.
Q: What
inspired you to write about Reapers?
I
chose reapers because of what they represent. Typical grim reaper images are
gruesome and meant to terrify. It makes death scary, when it is simply a part
of life.
Q: How
long did it take for you to write and then publish Reaper?
From
initial concept to actual publication… about six years. Take into consideration
that I didn’t actual work on it for six years though. I’ll get an idea, throw
it in the file, and come back to it when its ready. After I write it, I will
put it away for a month or two. In the case of Reaper, I wrote the outline
about two years after the initial concept. A year later I wrote the first draft
longhand, etc. It took me another two years before I actually typed it out and
started revising. By that time, I had wisely joined a critique group. Reaper
wouldn’t have happened without them.
Q: Are
there any plans for a sequel?
Hehehehe. No comment. J
Review:
Reaper and me got off on a rocky start at times I was a little bit confused about what was going on and I had a hard time relating to
Quincy Amarante is the quintessential mean popular girl she also happens to come from a long line of Reapers. At first I couldn’t stand
I also really liked the relationship between Ben and Quincy. Ben was the sweet boy next door type and it was obvious how much he cared about
Overall, Reaper started off a little bit slow but by the end I was totally rooting for the characters and really wanted them all to get a happy ending. I fully admit to having tears in my eyes as I finished this novel. The story became so much then what it started as and really surprised me in the best ways possible.
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 The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets.
She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the St. Louis Writer’s Guild.
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That was a fun interview to read.. I cannot wait to read reaper, I'm so excited! Thanks for the review.. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a stop on the Reaper blog tour. :)
ReplyDeleteI have had those instances where I start off not getting into the book, but with time I get so caught up in it I cannot put it down! Great review! I am really excited to read this!
ReplyDeleteGreat review and interview the book looks and sound great thanks
ReplyDelete