Blog Tour and Interview: The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Title: THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL
Author: Katie Alender
Pub. Date: August 25, 2015
Publisher:  Scholastic Press
Pages: 336
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Synopsis:
Asylum meets Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, in this riveting tale of ghosts, secrets, and family, from master of suspense Katie Alender. Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere. So the house kills her. Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?

Kirkus (starred review): "This superior ghost story keeps the creep factor high… A really scary and original ghost story, well told. Read it with the lights on."   School Library Journal: "Alender has created a chilling tale of forgotten tragedies and family secrets. A great choice for fans of horror or 
suspense novels." 


INTERVIEW

1. You seem to write a lot about ghosts. Do you believe in ghosts and have you ever had an experience you can't explain? 
I don’t necessarily believe in ghosts, but I can’t count them out, as I know numerous people who are confident that they exist. Who am I to say they don’t? I did have one experience that I can’t explain — a night I could have sworn I heard my husband come home and sit down to watch TV, but when I went upstairs there was nobody home. We had just bought a pair of lounge chairs from an estate sale at the home of a writer who had passed away, so I sometimes say that his ghost followed the trail of writing energy (and chairs) to have a little walk around my living room. 

2. Out of all your books which was your favorite to write and which did you have a harder time on? 
Oh, man. They’re all hard! They all hit a certain point where you think, “Okay, this is the one I’m not going to be able to do. This is the book that will ruin me.” But the process being so scheduled is enormously helpful in terms of pushing you past those thoughts and back to work. I think the one I enjoyed writing the most was probably the second Bad Girls Don’t Die book, From Bad to Cursed. Because I understood the characters’ journeys so much, and I was fascinated by the things they were doing under the influence of a not-so-nice spirit. 

3. If you could have been the original author of any book, what would it have been and why? 
I don’t actually want to have written anyone else’s book, but I’ll say Harry Potter because then I would have a castle and a theme park. 

4. If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it? 
Probably “Honestly.” I feel myself saying that a lot. I used to think that if I ever wrote a memoir about my childhood, it would be called “Alligator Dreaming,” because I grew up in South Florida, where there are alligators. And for many years I would have random dreams about alligators. 

5. If you had your own talk show, who would your first three guests be? 
Stephen Colbert (because he’s hilarious), Jim Gaffigan (because he’s hilarious), and my daughter (because she’s hilarious).  

 About Katie: Katie Alender is the author of The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall, Famous Last Words, Marie Antoinette: Serial Killer, and the Bad Girls Don’t Die series. She is a graduate of the Florida State University Film School and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, daughter, and two dogs. When she’s not writing novels, she can usually be found quilting, reading, eating delicious high-calorie foods, and hanging out with her friends (on very special occasions, she manages to do all of those things at once).
Find Katie on the web:  |Website|Twitter|Facebook|Instagram|Tumblr|Wattpad



 Giveaway Details: 3 winners will receive a finished copy of THE DEAD GIRLS OF HYSTERIA HALL. US Only.

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Tour Schedule:
Week One:
8/17/2015- The Cover Contessa- Interview
8/18/2015- Twisted Book Junkie- Review
8/19/2015- Fiktshun- Guest Post
8/20/2015- BITTERSWEET ENCHANTMENT- Review
8/21/2015- Mundie Moms- Guest Post

Week Two:
8/24/2015- The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club- Interview
8/25/2015- Pandora's Books- Review
8/26/2015- bookaholics anonymous- Interview (YOU ARE HERE)
8/27/2015- A Dream Within A Dream- Review
8/28/2015- Such a Novel Idea- Guest Post

Waiting on Wed:The Dead Girls of Hysteria Hall by Katie Alender

Author: Katie Alender

Expected publication: August 25th 2015 by Point

Delia's new house isn't just a house. It used to be an insane asylum, a place to lock up "troubled" young women long ago. And a restless, wicked spirit is still at play--and it doesn't want defiant girls like Delia to go anywhere.

So the house kills her.

Now Delia is a ghost, trapped in her creepy home forever. As she meets the other ghost girls who haunt the narrow hallways, as well as the handsome ghost boy on the grounds, she learns shocking truths about the house's history. Delia also realizes that her alive and grieving sister might be the house's next target. Can Delia unlock the mystery of the old asylum, save her sister, and free herself?

Why I'm waiting on this?

OMG! I saw this last week on someones WOW and I think I screeched a little. I love Katie Alender's Bad GIrls Don't Die series (and the covers) so when I saw this I knew I needed it now! 

(On another note I'm thinking about doing a giveaway for when I reach 1000 followers on here. So if you're not a follower go ahead and click follow. I will follow back if I don't already.) 

Book Review: From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender

AUTHOR: Katie Alender
PUBLISHER: Hyperion

SERIES/STANDALONE: Series (Bad Girls Don't Die, As dead as it gets)
PAGES: 442

SOURCE: Bought

Outline:

Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul. She already has everything she needs--an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a little sister who's finally recovering after being possessed by an evil spirit, then institutionalized. 
Alexis is thrilled when her sister joins a club; new friends are just what Kasey needs. It's strange, though, to see how fast the girls in The Sunshine Club go from dorky and antisocial to gorgeous and popular. Soon Alexis learns that the girls have pledged an oath to a seemingly benevolent spirit named Aralt. Worried that Kasey's in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the club themselves. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis trades in her pink hair and punky clothes for a mainstream look, and quickly finds herself reveling in her newfound elegance and success. 
Instead of fighting off the supernatural, Alexis can hardly remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

Quick Thought (or not)

When I first read BGDD, I knew I was going to enjoy it because I love the supernatural, and ghosts are always fun to read for me. I get some kind of thrill reading books about them (Anna Dressed in Blood, Through Her Eyes). As much as I loved the first one this one didn't quite have that punch and "ahhh hell" moments. Instead of being a spooky, possessive ghost it was a demonish thing that whispered in their heads. It just wasn't a "villain" I cared to much about. Maybe, if it was more of a physical demon then yes. Whispers in the head some more like she was just sick. Does that make sense?

Pacing

It was  little slow getting to some of the major plot points, and sometimes I found myself wanting to skip ahead, and that just doesn't seem right. Shouldn't I want to read each and every word to get to the plot so I have the details on how the characters ended up there?

Characters

Ending 

Cliffhangers can either leave you content, and okay until the next book comes out (assuming there's more than one) or leave you banging your head on the table. (Just don't give yourself a concussion doing that)

The ending for this one was actually pretty good. It tied up most the loose ends, but left just a little for As dead as it gets. I'm interested to see how the next book plays out. 

Bad Girls Don't Die Review

AUTHOR: Katie Alender (last name like Calendar)
PUBLISHER: Disney Hyperion

PAGES: 352

SERIES/STAND ALONE: Series

WEBSITE: http://katiealender.com/

OUTLINE: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude. When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in. Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

STARTED: 10-25-10

FINISHED: 10-29-10

MY THOUGHTS:

Ok I started 10-25-10 and just finished it tonight, OMG! This is one of my new favorite books seriously. I loved loved it. I haven't read many books as of right now, but this by far was the scariest one. I know that sounds a little crazy seeing as how it doesn't look or seem that way from the excerpt it tells. How can dolls be scarey right? Just you wait and read. I guarentee you I won't look at dolls the same way (especially if they have green eyes)
I kid you not while I was reading this I stayed with my mom and she would go to bed and I'd be sitting on the bed reading and not wanting to get up to go in the kitchen or anything with the lights off.

At the beginning of the story everything seemed as normal as it could be for Alexis. As she stood outside her creepy old Victorian house taking pictures at 3am. Then she heard noises
what could it have been?  Oh, it was just her sister, or was it?

I loved the MC, Alexis she wasn't the typical pretty girl or whatnot, and she definitely has an attitude that says she doesn't give a rat's butt (yes that's what I said). Through out most the book she was kind of a loner (she did have the "doom squad" every once in awhile) Then BAM a hit in the head with a door by Carter and her feelings toward the popular kids went down a notch...sorta.. She tried to make him go away, but he just kept coming back (Why turn down a hot guy?) That is one friendship that began to blossom. Then somehwere down the line she became friends with some others. I liked how Alexis could finally look past who they were and give them a chance.

In the end things will suprise you. I can say that at one part in the book I was like are you kidding me? Don't do it damn it! Don't! It all worked out though. :)

(I'm seriously creeped out by it as I sit here and read it (kinda in the dark)
I don't think I've had a book that's done that to me. Yet, I sit here and continue to read.)This was as I was reading the book)
Awesome job keeping me pulled into the story. I can not wait for the second book! From bad to cursed to come out

MEMORABLE QUOTES: - And that meant that Kasey was maybe only slightly nutso instead of down right padded-room-worthy (Alexis)

-When I say pink, I mean Pepto-Bismol pink, easy-bake-oven pink, Beauty-pageant pink. I took an involuntary step back, as if she were holding a snake. "Uh-uh. No way." (Alexis)

Come on, it would be adorable. You'd look like a punk-rock Barbie doll." (Megan)  

-I could not let my horrible life leak inky black misery all over what he'd managed to rebuild for himself. (Alexis)

-I trudged up the walk, feeling as if there were a dark veil hanging over me that would never go away (Alexis) (I liked this sentence because it reminded of the bookcover for some reason. Perhaps because the girls shrouded in a veil)

-And Luke Birmingham-Megan's trophy date---strictly eye candy to quote her. (Alexis)

This took me awhile to think about how I wanted to do this review, and I'm still not quite happy with it because I don't think it does it justice (also I'm not to good on the whole review thing yet) it might end up getting changed, but I just wanted to go ahead and put up the review for people.


So tell what do you think? Have you read this book? Did you like it?