Blog Tour: Dead Over Heels by Alison Kemper

I am super excited to be helping to kick off the Dead Over Heels blog tour! I'm partially through the book right now and loving it! I'm ecstatic to share a special excerpt with you AND a special giveaway! Here's some details on the book.

Title: Dead Over Heels
Author: Alison Kemper
Release: September 9, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Pages: 269

Excerpt:

Cole is still staring at me. “Sleet,” he says simply and moves in my direction.

I nod dumbly, my face too numb for talking. If I open my mouth, I’m sure I’ll start weeping. Cole somehow manages to wedge himself closer on the narrow rock ledge. Without a word, we wrap our arms around each other. He drops his face into the top of my hood, while I tuck my head in his shoulder. We do all this wordlessly, instinctively, knowing there’s no time for awkwardness or polite gestures. We simply need to minimize the parts of our bodies exposed to the freezing rain.

“It’s like a monsoon,” he says in my ear. “A sleet monsoon.” The freezing rain blows sideways. Cole shifts, repositioning his face somewhere between my ear and shoulder, trying to protect his face.

“I’m sorry I made you lose your hat!” I say over the spatter of a billion flecks of falling ice.

He shrugs. “This is more fun than wearing a hat. It would’ve taken me another two days to work up the nerve to touch you again.”

I can’t decide whether to laugh or cry. “You make the best of every situation, don’t you? I can’t believe you’re flirting with me in a zombie-apocalypse sleet storm.”

“God almighty,” he says, “I don’t think I’ve ever been this cold. I’d give anything for a decent coat.”
“I hear you. If I ever get out of this mess, I’m buying nothing but fleece-lined clothing for the rest of my life.” I shiver in the semidarkness. “Fleece-lined pants, fleece socks…”

“Fleece underwear?”

Is he thinking about my underwear? Embarrassed, I try to change the subject. “And I’ll eat soup all day long.”

“Mmmm…soup…what kind?”

“Something hearty. Potato and bacon.”

“Oh, yeah,” he agrees. “Bacon.”

Bacon usually distracts boys from thoughts of underwear. “And hot cocoa,” I tell him. “I’ll drink the hell out of some hot cocoa. Like a gallon of it.”

We sit in silence for a full minute.

“Those things are all gone, aren’t they?” My voice breaks. “S-soup and hot cocoa and showers and TV? And even more important things. My friends back home. My relatives. Hell, maybe we’ll get to Glenview and my parents will be dead also.”

Soon, Cole will be gone, too. Alone. On his own in this crazy forest.

This time, the tears come and I can’t fight them any longer. I’m tired of fighting them. I’m scared and hungry and completely exhausted.

“I’m so sorry,” I whimper. “I don’t mean to cry.”

 His lips move against my temple. “Shh. Go on. I got you.”

***

Wasn't that awesome? I know I loved it! Wanna see what this book is all about? Read on!

Synopsis:

The end of the world just might be their perfect beginning…

Glenview, North Carolina. Also known―at least to sixteen-year-old Ava Pegg―as the Land of Incredibly Boring Vacations. What exactly were her parents thinking when they bought a summer home here? Then the cute-but-really-annoying boy next door shows up at her place in a panic…hollering something about flesh-eating zombies attacking the town.

At first, Ava’s certain that Cole spent a little too much time with his head in the moonshine barrel. But when someone―or something―rotted and terrifying emerges from behind the woodpile, Ava realizes this is no hooch hallucination. The undead are walking in Glenview, and they are hungry. Panicked, Ava and Cole flee into the national forest. No supplies, no weapons. Just two teenagers who don’t even like each other fighting for their lives. But that’s the funny thing about the Zombpocalypse. You never know when you’ll meet your undead end. Or when you’ll fall dead over heels for a boy…

You Can Find it At:

Goodreads

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo Books

Author Bio:

Alison Kemper grew up in South Florida, the only girl on a street with eleven boys. She spent most of her childhood paddling a canoe through neighborhood canals and looking for adventure. She usually found it. Sometimes the police were involved. And large dogs. And one time, a very territorial snake. Now that she’s grown up, she lives in North Carolina and writes books. The books often include girls having adventures. With boys. Cute boys. And cute dogs too. But no cute snakes. Never cute snakes.

Her debut novel, Donna of the Dead, will be published by Entangled Teen in 2014 and followed by two companion books in the series. She loves to meet new people and talk books, so send her a friend request or connect with her on Twitter and Instagram.

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

Giveaway:

Special Giveaway:

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Tour Giveaway:

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Blogoversary Day Three: Guest Post With Alison Kemper + Giveaway

Hello everyone! I have decided to do something a little different this year for the blog's second blogoversary! This year, each day I will have a post or two from authors and bloggers that I ADORE! Many of them will have giveaways specific to the post, as well as the overall giveaway! The big giveaway has tons of prizes, from swag to signed copies of books!

Please welcome the zombie-licious, Alison Kemper!

Guest Post:

My writing journey began with the stupidest move ever. I’d been working on a novel for about six months. It was only half-finished, but I decided to send out a query. Just one little query. To see what would happen.

You know what happened? The agent requested the full manuscript.

That sounds like a stroke of luck, right? Wrong. Because here’s where I made an even stupider move. My brief one-page letter sparked some interest, so I thought I might get to take a shortcut. That maybe I wouldn’t have to put in all the time or effort—pay my dues like other writers. I actually hoped I could mail off the novel, the agent would love it, and by the next year, I’d be on the bestseller list. Can we say “clueless”?

I had to send the novel quickly, so I wrote the other half in six days. Yep, half a novel in six days. You can guess what happened next. It took a few months, but the rejection came. I felt like the world’s biggest dummy. But I also woke up a little. Okay, maybe a lot.

Writing is hard. Everyone says that, but so many of us still hope we can somehow skip the hard part. That’s what I tried to do. I jumped the gun, queried before I was ready—even though all the writers’ websites warned me not to—and then tried to write 40,000 words in six days. Of course my novel sucked.

But here’s where I was lucky—probably luckier than I deserved to be. The agent took an extra two minutes to tell me what she thought worked (the premise, the romance between the two main characters) and what didn’t work (the entire plot after page 75).

The rejection came on Memorial Day weekend as I was driving to visit friends in DC. I spent the entire road trip thinking about the choice before me. Should I give up writing? Quit while I was ahead? Or keep forging onward—put in the time, do the work, learn the craft, make this right?

When I got back home, I opened my manuscript file, highlighted the entire block of text after page 75 and hit the delete key.

Then I went on Absolute Write and looked for a beta reader. A real one. Parents and friends are great for encouragement, but they’re not writing experts. My new, more experienced beta tore apart what was left of my novel.

I re-wrote the entire manuscript. Then I did a round of revisions. And another. Then another. I worked with five different beta readers. I proofed my novel so many times I practically had it memorized.

Eleven months passed before I sent out my next query. This time, I researched agents. I took my time. I was careful. I met my wonder-agent Kristin Vincent (who asked for even more revisions) and then sold my novel in a three-book deal with EntangledTeen (even more revisions).

Don’t kid yourself. The road to publication is a tough one. There aren’t any shortcuts. And there aren’t any tricks. If you want to be a writer, be prepared to put in the time and effort. A LOT of time and effort. Put away your ego and learn from those who know what they’re doing. The day I saw my name on a cover was one of the proudest of my life. And I knew the novel wasn’t some slapdash effort, but a product of years of hard work. Be smarter than I was. And remember there are no shortcuts.

Synopsis:

When most people hear creepy, disembodied voices, they think they're going crazy. But when fifteen-year-old Donna Pierce hears them, she knows she's in danger. Thanks to their warnings, Donna and her dorky best friend Deke narrowly escape when a zombie virus hits their cruise ship--but they have to leave their parents behind.

Back on land, the worldwide Zompocalypse is in full swing. The teens find refuge in their high school with thirty other survivors--including Liam, the mysterious boy Donna's been crushing on since fifth grade.

The next few days are a nightmare: the food supply dwindles, the water is shut off, and an army of undead waits outside the doors. The battle-torn school seems like the last place to start a romance, but Donna and Liam can't fight their attraction.

If Deke-the-Geek would stop acting like a jealous freak, the end of the world might just be perfect.

You Can Find it At:

Amazon

Goodreads

Barnes & Noble

Author Bio:

Alison Kemper is the author of Donna of the Dead—a fun, snarky romance set during a zombie apocalypse—now available from EntangledTeen. Look for the companion novel, Dwight of the Living Dead, in 2015.

You Can Find Her At:

Website

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Giveaway:

Zombie Swag Bag includes $5 Amazon card, Donna of the Dead mints (don’t get caught with zombie breath) and exploding eye gumballs (they squirt red goo when you bite into them, but are surprisingly delicious)!

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Interview: Alison Kemper Author of Donna of the Dead

Please welcome Alison Kemper, author of the new release, Donna of the Dead! I'm reading the book now and am loving it! Read on for an exclusive interview with the author!

1. What are some things that served as inspiration for Donna of the Dead?

I had this crazy dream where I was stuck in a bank surrounded by zombies. Some of the stuff from that dream ended up in the novel. The boy from the dream turned into Liam. I probably shouldn't say more than that--don't want to give anything away!

2. What would you do if faced with the zombie apocalypse?

Ack. I'd probably run around my house frantically looking for something to use as a weapon. I'd end up battling zombies with shish kebab skewers and an umbrella.

3. What are some of your favorite zombie movies/TV shows, books?

Oh, wow! I like this question. You ask good questions! I've watched Walking Dead since it first started and love it. I'm also a big Game of Thrones fan--which I think is ramping up for some zombie action with the White Walkers. 28 Days Later, Zombieland and Shaun of the Dead are probably my favorite zombie movies. Forest of Hands and Teeth is such a classic YA zombie novel. I really enjoyed that one. Oh, and World War Z! Great book and movie--even though they are nothing alike.

4. What is one thing that you can't write without?

My dog. I got him from a shelter a few years back and he follows me around like a shadow. When I write he has to sit beside me. Or in my lap. Which makes writing difficult since he's rather large and usually falls asleep and snores.

5. What do you like to do when not writing?

I love to travel. And hike. And hike wherever I travel.

6. What inspired you to be a writer and when did you start writing?

A couple years back, I'd been doing a lot of hiking and injured my foot. The doctor told me to stay off it for two months. I knew I'd go crazy if I didn't have something to keep me occupied, so I decided to try writing a novel. The novel turned into Donna of the Dead!

7. What do you feel is the most important aspect of a story?

Excitement. I want people to keep turning pages to find out what happens.

8. What would you do if you were hearing voices like Donna is in the book?

Another great question. I'd probably have the same reaction she does; I'd think I was having some sort of mental issue. I'd be scared to tell anyone, even though that's probably the best course of action.

9. Describe Donna of the Dead in five words.

Fun, nerdy romance plus zombies!

10. What advice do you have for aspiring authors?

You have to spend a lot of time in the world you create, so make sure you write something you enjoy.

Even if other people tell you that the genre is too crowded and your book will never sell. There's a chance they might be wrong. :)