Curling Up With A Good Book: Blog Tour & Interview: Last Academy (Anna Applegate)

Thursday, May 2, 2013

Blog Tour & Interview: Last Academy (Anna Applegate)

Curtis Sittenfeld's PREP meets THE SIXTH SENSE in this spine-tingling, unforgettable debut.
Camden Fisher arrives at boarding school haunted by a falling-out with her best friend back home. But the manicured grounds of Lethe Academy are like nothing Cam has ever known. There are gorgeous, preppy boys wielding tennis rackets, and circles of girls with secrets to spare. Only . . . something is not quite right. One of Cam's new friends mysteriously disappears, but the teachers don't seem too concerned. Cam wakes up to strangers in her room, who then melt into the night. She is suddenly plagued by odd memories, and senses there might be something dark and terrible brewing. But what? The answer will leave Cam--and readers--stunned and breathless, in this thrilling debut novel.

Release date: May 1st 2013

Publisher: Point

Purchase: Amazon

Anne Applegate was born in Chico, California. Most of her childhood was spent moving across America with her family, nomad style.When Anne was fourteen, her parents sent her to boarding school so she could spend four years in a single educational system. As it turned out, her family then promptly settled into a small mid-western town and lived there for the next sixteen years. Anne still hasn’t figured out if this means something. After graduation, she went on to Tufts University in Medford, MA, where she had a wicked good time. Eventually, she wound up back on the west coast, where she married a fantastic Californian guy. Together, they have three children.For the last twelve years, Anne has lived in San Luis Obispo County. This is by far the longest time she has stayed in any one place her whole life. She immensely enjoys living where 1) the sun always shines and 2) she isn’t the weirdest person in town.

.www.anneapplegate.com | twitter.com/AnneApplegate

What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

I’ve always loved to write, but also had the writer’s equivalent of stage fright. Finally, I realized if I kept putting off my dreams until I was braver, I might end up dead before I ended up an author.

Who is your favorite character in the book?

All love to Camden, but I gotta say Brynn. She comes from a pretty dark place, and is still able to pull off courage and great honesty.

Which came first, the title or the novel?

Oh man, novel. Titles take this sophisticated ability to condense thematic ideas down into a few catchy words. THE LAST ACADEMY was limping around with the title PREP SCHOOL until the near end, when some clever person took pity on me and helped me out.

What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?

The scene in the beginning, when Camden says goodbye to her mother. It’s the one I wrote for my first writing group. I handed those three pages in and they let me join. At least, on a trial basis.

Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

Trust yourself. That sounds like a fortune cookie message, but I guess the best true things usually do.

What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2013?

Oh, come on! I gotta say THE LAST ACADEMY or they take away my author card.

What was your favorite book in 2012?

GONE GIRL by Gillian Flynn and REBECCA by Daphne du Maurier were the two I read in 2012 that stuck with me weeks later, making me roll the storylines around in my head.

What do you like most about the cover of the book?

I adore everything about the book cover. Yaffa Jaskoll did a beautiful job. I especially love that the silhouettes can be interpreted as passing through the gates.

Is there anything that you would like to add?

Thank you for hosting, Beth! For special details on THE LAST ACADEMY, go to www.anneapplegate.com/secret