Part I Interview with Scott Cramer and International Giveaway of 1 Signed Copy of Night of The Purple Moon AND Fear: a Gone Novel

Dear All: Just pretend this is Monday. I just wanted to make sure to promote this giveaway/interview as much as I could and it's hard to do that on a busy Monday morning!

I love new authors and love to support them whenever I can. That's why I still hang around librarything and pick up random books from time to time to see if I'll hit a jackpot once in a while. And once in a while I do. I recently read and reviewed Scott Cramer's book Night of the Purple Moon, which may not count as Young Adult, since all of the characters haven't hit puberty (if they have, they're dead), but is fascinating in setup and character interaction.

I'm excited to host this giveaway because this book deserves more buzz.

My Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars


Amazon Book Description:

Space germs wipe out virtually everyone who has passed through puberty...

For months, astronomers have been predicting that Earth will pass through the tail of a comet. They say that people will see colorful sunsets and, best of all, a purple moon.

But nobody has predicted the lightning-fast epidemic that sweeps across the planet on the night of the purple moon. The comet brings space dust with it that contains germs that attack human hormones. Older teens and adults die within hours of exposure.

On a small island off the coast of Maine, a group of teens and children struggle to survive in this new world, but all the while they have inside them a ticking time bomb -- adolescence.

Amazon Review of  Night of the Purple Moon: Night of the Purple Moon Review

Blurb about Scott Cramer:
Scott has written poetry and published many feature magazine articles and optioned a screenplay. He figures he has tackled every type of writing project except a stage play. He and his wife reside outside Boston in a soon-to-be empty nest/zoo/suburban farm/art studio with too many surfboards in the garage.

Scott Cramer Interview Part I.

1) How did you first get into writing?
I was a senior in college. It’s a long story, but I was a chemistry major who had no interest in chemistry. I had taken all my required courses and so I signed up for a literature seminar. It was four grad students and me, and by far I enjoyed the class the most. Meanwhile, some friends and I were planning to drive to New Orleans for Mardi Gras from the Boston area--classic roadtrip. But I got sick at the last minute and didn’t go. I had a really high fever and was delirious for several days. During that period of delirium I started writing poetry. I showed the poems to a well-known poet at my college and she encouraged me to join her poetry seminar. Ever since I have been writing and writing and writing.

2) What inspired you to write this book?
Two things came together…
I had written two quiet, coming-of-age, character-driven YA novels. They both had agency representation, but nobody picked them up. So I wanted to try writing something bigger, more expansive, the elusive high-concept story. (Along the way I learned that to tell a big story you need more than ever to focus on your characters and their strengths, weaknesses, needs, arcs, etc.)

And the second influence… 
Two YA novels always stayed with me: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry and Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt. Each novel features kids facing incredible odds. In Night of the Purple Moon, I wanted to create a situation where the odds were greater and the stakes higher. The virtual elimination of the adult population, I think, accomplished both.

Come back tomorrow for the second half of this great author interview!
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Don't forget to enter to win a signed copy of Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake!
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