Book Blitz: Always Kiss Me Goodnight by Megan Gaudino

Blurb

Sophia Destino is supposed to die.

All seventeen-year-old Sophia wants is to coast through her junior year. But with her parents obsessed with her Olympic-swimming-hopeful brother, a psychic best friend with a penchant for reading tarot cards, and prophetic dreams that predict her death—that won’t be easy. As her nightmares begin to come true, Sophia finds herself dodging death and longing for the time when getting over her ex-boyfriend was her biggest problem. Until she meets Leo Knight. The mysterious stranger seems determined to keep her alive—and steal her heart. But Leo has a secret that is about to change everything and Sophia is about to learn that sometimes…your number is up

Excerpt

When we made it to the living room Hercules began lapping up the puddles of water we left behind us. Leo yanked the gray blanket off of the armchair and wrapped it around me because I was suddenly shaking.

He moved a salt stone lamp out of his way and sat on top of the coffee table, motionlessly taking in my expression. Before he even spoke I just knew he was reading me all wrong. I felt like I could read him already too.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry, Sophia,” he groaned.

“For what? My idiotic carelessness or that you saved my life once again? You shouldn’t be sorry about either of those things.”

“I shouldn’t have let that happen. I shouldn’t have been sleeping still. I promised you I’d protect you and look what happened. Do you have any idea how close you were to dying? Even closer than you were last night. If I was just one second later I would’ve been too late.”

“I know. I was there. But you weren’t too late. It’s all over now—I’m fine.” He put his head in his hands and scrunched his hair in his palms. “Leo.” I reached forward and placed my hand on his arm. He was still so hot to the touch. “Why’s your skin so hot again?”

He flinched away from my hand, stood up, folded his arms across his chest and turned his back to me. His reaction made me question my gesture.

“It’ll go away.”

“Yeah but why does it happen at all?”

He hesitated for just a moment before he answered. “Because I keep saving your life.”

“I thought angels are supposed to save lives.”

“I already told you. I’m not an angel. I’m not supposed to save lives.”

Getting to know Megan Gaudino: An Interview

What's your next project?

Always Kiss Me Goodnight is the first book in a trilogy so I'm currently working on editing the next two books. I also have an NA manuscript I've been working on that I'm just in love with about an aspiring tattoo artist and all the toxic relationships in her life.

What's your favorite love story?

I adore the relationship between Tiger Lily and Peter Pan in Jodi Lynn Anderson's novel Tiger Lily. The whole story is amazing and it's a new take on the story of Peter Pan complete with Lost Boys and Tinkerbell.

What’s your favorite line from any movie?
"She doesn't even go here." I say the line from Mean Girls more often than anyone should.

You were just given a yacht. What would you name it?
It’s totally my dream to own a yacht. I’d probably name it something punny like In Deep Ship.

If you could tell your your teenage self one thing what would it be?

Anything is possible. I think a lot of times when you're younger it feels like you'll never be where you want to be in life but in your teens is the best time pursue your passion or even figure out what it is.

If you were attending a Halloween party, what would your costume be and why?
I'm a huge Halloween fan and I love dressing up. I’d probably go as a mermaid. I have an out of control mermaid obsession so any chance to dress up as one is a chance I’m going to take.

Are you a morning or night person?
Night! I do my best writing at night because I am truly a nocturnal creature. I love staying up late.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

I’m torn on this one. My immediate answer is no, because it’s never happened to me. But, I want to say yes. It’s so romantic and makes me believe in true love. Plus, it makes for a great book!

Does Prince Charming exist?

Yes. If my answer was no how sad would that be? I think he’s definitely out there for everyone but he may not find you the way you expected him to and he might not even be who you expected him to be.  Everyone deserves to find love and truly believe it exists.

If I could be anybody besides myself, I would be…

Britney Spears. I think she’s amazing and talented and wonderful and so dedicated. I can’t even imagine how surreal it must be to have your own residency in Vegas. I really hope to see her show soon.

Have you ever had the feeling you were being watched?

Yes. But only after I’ve been watching horror movies. I watch scary movies all the time and if it’s a really good one I can’t sleep that night because I’m so scared. Obviously whatever happened in the movie is going to happen to me, right?

Are you spring, summer, fall, or winter? Why.

Fall! This one is so easy. My birthday is in October so I was born in the fall. I’m a Halloween fanatic, and I love everything pumpkin flavored. Not to mention wearing cozy sweaters and boots in the fall. It is the perfect season in my opinion.

What would you do if you were the last person on this earth?

See everything! Going to museums and touristy places is always fun but I tend to get overwhelmed in big crowds so as lonely as it would be to be the last person on earth it would be a great opportunity to see all the sights this earth has to offer.

What do you see in your future?

A lot more writing. Like I mentioned before I have the rest of the Always Kiss Me Goodnight series to look forward to but I also have a lot of other stories up my sleeve. I love reading NA so I decided to try my hand at writing it but I’m also working on an upper YA/younger Na story that I’m also really passionate about. The best way to keep up with me is probably following me on Wattpad or Instagram. I go by mkgaud on both!

Not Your Average Interview with Megan Gaudino

If a genie granted you three wishes, what would they be? And you can’t ask for more wishes, that’s cheating!

-Well, right now my dream is to own a tiny house. So, I’d probably wish for a really cool, really modern tiny house that would have everything I need in it for my first wish. For my second, I’d wish for an all expenses paid trip around the world so I could hit the hot spots in every country and stay at the best hotels. And for my third and final wish I’d wish for all my books to bes best sellers, of course. Maybe throw in a movie deal or too while we’re at it.

If you could go to the past or future, where would you stay and why?

-I’d go in the past to anytime there were dinosaurs. I wouldn’t want to stay in that time because I need wifi and air conditioning to survive but wouldn’t it be incredible to see dinosaurs in the flesh? If I could take people with me I’d act out Jurassic Park and then that would truly be amazing.

If you could eliminate one thing from your daily schedule, what would it be and why?

-Driving. I hate to drive. If I could I would hire a chauffeur to take me everywhere I need to go. It’s funny because I like being in the car and going on road trips is my favorite past time, I just don’t like to be the one doing the driving.

If you were to write a book about yourself, what would you name it?

-Great but difficult question. Probably something like Why Does Nail Polish Always Chip? That’s a question I ask myself on a daily basis that a lot of other people can relate to.

Which body part would you choose to get a tattoo done?

-I don’t have any tattoos and I don’t know if I ever would but if I did I would want to get a couple small clusters of mermaid scales on my legs. I’ve seen a few pictures online of other women who have done it and it always looks beautiful.

What's the one thing, you can't live without?

-Wifi. I need wifi at all times and get irritated when I don’t have it. We live in a time where any information we want is at our fingertips so if I suddenly need to know when Britney Spears birthday is or where the nearest pizza shop is I need to be able to look it up.

What takes you out of your comfort zone?

Probably anything forcing me into a big crowd. That’s why I’m not a big fan of amusement parks. I like smaller and more intimate settings so I can get uncomfortable in a huge group of people.

As a child, what did you wish to become when you grew up?

-This is weird but I had this notebook I carried everywhere with me when I was young. I wrote things in it like little rhyming poems and stories but on the first page I wrote my future hopes and dreams. On that page I wrote that I really wanted to be either a cop or a cheerleader. Maybe I could find a way to be a crime fighting cop superhero? Sadly, I don’t have a desire to be either of those things anymore.

What’s the best way to keep in touch with you?

I can be found on all social media as @mkgaud. I’m probably most active on Instagram and Wattpad and I’m always open to messages from everybody so please feel free to drop me a line!

Always Kiss Me Goodnight: A Paranormal Love Story

Your book features some supernatural experiences. Has anything supernatural ever happened to you?

- Kind of. One summer night a few years ago I was driving home from a friend’s house. I was on a dark back road that is seldom used but it was after midnight so it was completely deserted. All of the sudden I see a ring of blue lights in the sky above my car. Everything happened so quickly but I was so freaked out by the light I actually stopped my car to get a better look. There in the sky was an unidentified hovering aircraft. I reached to the passenger seat to get my cell and snap a picture but in the two seconds it took me to look away the aircraft vanished. After that I was so scared I turned my car around in the middle of the road and backtracked to the more populated maine road. I think of that night any time I’m on that road.

Would you date your heroine’s love interest?

- Yes! Leo is the total package. In the beginning he has that whole handsome mysterious stranger vibe going on, which who doesn’t like that? Then we get to know him and we find out he’s not only good looking but he is beautifully flawed. Leo is brave, maybe to a fault, loyal, smart, and even a little mischievous. But my favorite thing about Leo is how he loves Sophia. It takes Leo a long time to fall for someone but when he does, he falls hard. Dating him would make any girl feel special.

If you could have any of the superpowers from your book what would you pick?

-That is a tough question because there are some pretty unique talents (as I call them) in this story. I’m tempted to say Mya’s talent for altering the weather. It could come in really handy to be able to wipe away a storm with the flick of the wrist or create a snow day without even getting out of bed. But, despite the usefulness of Mya’s powers, I would want Tera’s talent. Tera can manipulate nature meaning she can make flowers grow, rip tree roots right out of the ground, and even create caverns. I think that would be the most impressive and beautiful thing and you’d always have the best looking garden on the block.

If you could live in any book/movie with a world different from our own, which would you choose and why?

- In Panem from the Hunger Games. Just kidding! I’d never survive. I love the YA novel Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson. The story follows Tiger Lily and her life in Neverland with Peter Pan. Neverland is a place of magic and wonderment around every corner, not to mention no one ages there. I think it’d be so fun to live in a world where mermaids exist, people can fly, and fairies zip by all day. The whole novel is beautiful and paints such a vivid picture I can really see myself there.

Will we get to see more of the Always Kiss Me Goodnight world?

-Yes! There are two more books in the series so you will definitely get to see plenty more of the world of Guardians of Fate. The next book really dives deeper into what is happening to Sophia and why she is seemingly singled out. We learn a lot about guardian politics how their secret society is ruled. I’m really really really excited about the upcoming titles because there is so much more action and romance to come that I just know the readers will love! Not to mention we get to see a lot more of Felix, who is a fan favorite, and the romance between Sophia and Leo heats up.

Plotting VS Pantsing: Pantsers of the World Unite

            We all know there are only two types of writers. You’re either a planner or a pantser. The planners have their notecards, outlines for days, and lists as long as the eye can see. Everything about a planner screams organization and editing is made that much easier because of it. That can be fantastic and probably makes actually writing the story at least a little less difficult which is all we really want anyway, but I am a full-fledged member of the pantser team.

            Why? There are a lot of reasons and factors that sort all writers into one team or another as far as I’m concerned such as being Type A or Type B (I’m totally Type B) or the kind of story being written and I don’t think one way is better than the other but I do think it’s important to know your style.

            When I was writing Always Kiss Me Goodnight I had all these ideas floating around my head. I’d sit down in my comfy chair in my favorite writing spot and get to work on the scene with only a general idea of how things would play out. Next thing I knew Sophia would do something so unexpected or Leo would say a line out of nowhere and everything would change. A minor character suddenly becomes vital to a major plot point or a trusted friend becomes an enemy and blindsides you—these are perks of being a pantser.

There were many times I found myself surprised at how the story was unfolding and I was supposed to be the one writing it. You hear the line about the characters taking on lives of their own all the time and I’m here to tell you they really will if you let them.

            I know how crazy that probably makes me sound to some people but it’s the truth. I also know there are a lot of writers who totally get what I’m saying and couldn’t agree more. My story most likely wouldn’t be published today if it weren’t for my ability to be a pantser because Always Kiss Me Goodnight has turned into one twisty tale full of secrets and excitement. This story has ended in such a different place than I originally thought it would and I couldn’t be happier with the way things turned out.

            That’s not to say that it’s an easy method to use. When you’re a pantser it’s really hard work and editing becomes even more important. Because the whole story isn’t planned out in advance things can change quickly often forcing the writer to constantly go back to the previous pages and make sure everything is lining up correctly.  

            Any way you look at it writing is hard work that takes practice, patience, and passion and the best method for writing is whatever works for you. All that really matters at the end of the story is if you love what you wrote. The how you got there part doesn’t really matter as much. If there is anyone out there who claims to be on both teams please message me and tell me how you do it!

Take the Good with the Bad: Dealing with Criticism

           

            Always Kiss Me Goodnight is my debut novel and it was just recently published but that doesn’t mean I haven’t dealt with my fair share of criticism. Before my story was a book with its very own ISBN it was posted on Wattpad.com. The site is an amazing place for newbie and veteran writers to gain fans, make friends, and most notably acquire honest feedback from an extremely diverse group of readers all for free. But, just like everything else in life all the good of the site comes with some bad.

            I couldn’t be more grateful for all the feedback I received while Always Kiss Me Goodnight was posted on the site and honestly I don’t know if it would be published with all the Wattpad exposure. On a bad day when I felt like my writing was the worst, I’d read comments from people telling me how they fell in love with Leo and Sophia and I’d have inspiration to keep going or how my story made someone love reading again, those comments will always stay with me but not all comments were nice. People, especially people on the internet, can be mean. It’s a fact.

            It’s also a fact that someone will despise your writing. I know my story isn’t for everyone and I know there will be negative comments and reviews but you can’t let that keep you down. Dealing with criticism is just another part or being a writer and sometimes that criticism can push you to be a better writer. Now, if the comment is a plain and simple “this story sucks” well there isn’t much for you to work with there. Those are the kinds of comments you have to just shrug off and not take personally. I like to think that person just had a really terrible day and needed to vent off some frustration leaving my story the target. It happens.

            The in between comments were actually my favorite because they’d give me the most to work with. If i get a “I love this story so much” comment, it’s fantastic  to hear but doesn’t tell me what to improve, but if someone says “I like the idea but there was a lot of head hopping” or “I love the action in this scene but there were a lot of boring parts,” I have concrete things to work with. In between comments are even useful after the story is published because then I know what readers want as I’m working on my next project.

            After all that is said and done though the mean-for-no-reason comments will sting. Your writing is a piece of you so it’s really difficult not to internalize the comments, but I just so happen to have a foolproof cure for dealing it. Go straight to GoodReads, search for your all time favorite book, select to read one star reviews, and laugh. Seriously it’s that easy. If someone can say such horrible things about one of your most loved books, well, of course there are going to be negative feelings toward your work. Everyone has different opinions, everyone has different tastes, and that’s okay.

That Fine Line: The Art of Balancing Life and Writing Time

           Balancing my personal life with writing time is not something I’m good at. It seems a bit odd to sit down and write about this topic, when I’ve failed so miserably at it, but I’ve decided even a bad example can be a good example of what not to do.

           Right before I sent out Always Kiss Me Goodnight to Evernight for consideration to be published I fell off the face of the earth. I received multiple texts from multiple friends asking me if I was still alive. Then when I’d respond with a yes the next text would read “are you mad at me?”

That’s how horrible I am at balancing writing time with everything else in life. I’m not exactly sure where my imbalance stems from but I guess it’s this sense of urgency I always seem to be carrying around with me. It’s a hurry up and type this out while I’m thinking of it or I’ll feel better about my progress after five thousand more words kind of feeling that I’m working on calming.

           For the most part, I just want to be locked away in a tower in the middle of the forest with nothing more than my laptop, ideas, and an incredibly strong Wi-Fi signal, but that’s no way to be a writer.  I’m a firm believer in using real life experiences and observations to form a story and you need to be living life for that to happen.

           I can remember back when I very first started writing Always Kiss Me Goodnight. I used everything I did for inspiration and carried a notebook with me at all times so I wouldn’t forget all my ideas. Reading my story really is like a trip down Memory Lane because there are certain parts where I know exactly where I was and what I was doing when I thought of them, but that was back when I had a life.

           When it came time for editing I hardly saw the light of day and that was really sad because this was during summer. But, things are changing. There are two more books after Always Kiss Me Goodnight  that follow Sophia and Leo so I know I have plenty more editing to do but this time around I’m going to live my life. I have a few works in progress that I am so excited about and I want to be able to look back one day and remember a fond evening spent with friends that was inspiration for a scene in my next book.

           Writing should always be viewed as part of your life but not your whole life.  Go out, meet people, get your face out there, network, learn, study, and have fun.  Finding that balance is something I know I struggle with but it is the most important thing you can do. If not you’ll find yourself with a mean case of writer’s block. Bottom line I think you have to look at taking time for friends, family, and fun as research so then really