Blog Tour Stop: A Stiff Kiss by Avery Olive

Well! I'm the Blog Tour Stop for today. I had a blast reading this book!

Who knew kissing a corpse would change everything? Death always hits Xylia Morana too close to home, but she likes it that way. She hangs out with the terminally ill, attends random funerals, and every so often, when the weather is right, she sleeps in open graves. But after Landon Phoenix, the high school hottie, dies in Xylia's hands, she sneaks into the morgue to say goodbye. How could she know stealing a kiss from his corpse would wake him up? With Landon returned to the living and suddenly interested in Xylia, life has new meaning. But what Xylia doesn't realize is that by kissing Landon back to life, she's thrown Life and Death off balance. The underworld demands a body, and it might just have to be Xylia's this time.

Below I have an interview with Avery Olive, author of A Stiff Kiss!

Q: How did you have the idea for this book?

The idea for A Stiff Kiss came to me through a dream. I know lots of authors say that, but it's true. I just woke up one day and had this idea. The first scene I had down was of a girl standing in a morgue leaning over a corpse as if to kiss him. I thought it was weird, and something I wanted to expand on more, so I started asking myself questions like, who was the corpse, who was the girl, why did she want to kiss a dead guy and what would happen if she did.

Q: How did you go about the idea of the balance between Life and Death?

I think it's a common idea, a balance that needs to be in place, sort of like for every new life and old one needs to be taken away. I didn't want to create something confusing, I wanted it to be believable. And the balance was something I could wrap my own head around, so I thought other's would to. Then I had the fun of coming up with a few ideas of what would happen if someone cheated death. Which is also a fairly common theme, but I really believe I put a unique spin on it.

Q: What character do you identify the most with?

This one's easy. I would say I identify most with Xylia Morana, the main character. I can see bits of myself in her, like her fascination with death. I tend to have a theme when it comes to most of the novels I write, and well, they all seem to center around the dead.

I'm also terrified of death, in a way, because I don't fully understand it. I don't know what happens next, and I don't know why we all have to age and die in the first place--life just seems like such a better option. I think helping Xylia (and my other characters) understand death, has also helped me understand it a bit more.

Q: What was your writing process like?

For this novel, hmmm, there wasn't much of a process. I got the idea, I asked myself a few questions to begin to see the plot unfold, but before I really had any definite plot points, characters, or even an ending, I just sat down and wrote. It took me a little less than three months to get the first draft done.

This was definitely a moment where I was a pantser, just writing without much idea of what was going to happen next. In the case of this novel, that process worked and I was able to actually string together enough words and sentences to form a coherent novel! But I've learned since then sometimes it helps to have just a hint more knowledge about what you are writing

Q: Are you ready for the fandom that this book could have?

Wow. No one has ever asked me that, or even eluded to the possibility that this novel could have anything remotely fandom like! I hope that means you really liked it! But, at any rate, I would love and would totally be ready if A Stiff Kiss sort of spread its wings and took the world by storm. Do I honestly believe that will happen? One can only hope, right? Either way, I love the novel, it's close to my heart and I hope that other's love it just as much as I do. It's got, in my opinion, something for everyone in it--a little romance, some tension, some angst, a little mystery, a lot of character growth... The list goes on! 

REVIEW: Ok, so now that you have heard from the author, you know about some of the book. This book was gift from the gods. Guys, this plot was new and fresh and just epic. There were no slow spots, and I loved it. I liked how piece by piece, we would hear the past of Xylia and Landon. It was complex but the reader could understand what was happening. The ending was like, let me phrase it like this. "OMG, WTH, CRUD, CRUD, CRUD" So yes, I won't say anymore in fear of SPOILERS, SWEETIE. But go read this book!! Now!!

So, down here I have tourwide rafflecopter giveaway!!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Avery Olive is Canadian. She is married and has one child. When she’s not helping raise her very energetic and inquisitive son, she can be found working on her latest novel--where she devilishly adds U’s into every word she can.

When she is looking for a break Avery enjoys cake decorating, losing herself in a good book, or heading out to the lake to go camping. 

The release of Avery’s first novel proves to her it won’t be the last. As long as her family continues to be supportive, she can find the time, and people want to read, Avery vows to keep on writing.

Buy her book on:  Amazon

Find A STIFF KISS on: Goodreads

Her Blog: averyolive.blogspot.com 

Her Twitter: twitter.com/AveryOlive

Peace, Love and Fangirl,

Alex