May 16, 2012

Guest Host Meradeth Houston on Colors Like Memories

Today I am happy to be hosting Meradeth Houston, the author of the new release, Colors Like Memories.

Over to you, Meradeth!

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Thanks so much for hosting me today, Gwen! Also, before I forget, I have a contest running for my blog tour—all commenter’s are entered into a drawing for two copies of my book, and one person will win a $25 giftcard to Amazon or Barnes & Noble. There are more details on my home blog, if you want to check it out!



Today, I thought I’d have a little fun and introduce the main characters in my debut novel, Colors Like Memories. The story itself is told from the point of view of Julia, who has been assigned to help Marcy. Julia has two guys to deal with, but not in a love-triangle kind of way. There’s Derek, her previous boyfriend, and Edison, who she feels like she knows but can’t seem to remember why. Here goes nothing:


Julia: the first thing you should know about Julia is that she’s a Sary. That means she’s kind of like a guardian angel, only for mortals that are thinking about taking their own life. She gets assigned to people she’s supposed to help, and it’s her job to get them healthy again. It’s kind of like a cosmic counseling service. Only it’s a secret. No one knows what she is, or what she’s trying to do, least of all Marcy.


Marcy: she’s Julia’s assignment. Her mom died a while ago, and she totally blames herself. So does her dad. Her home life’s fallen apart, and lately it’s just all been too much. She studies a whole lot just to keep her mind off of real life, and she’s addicted to chapstick. Her only friend is Julia, that is until Edison shows up and everything starts to get a little strange.


Edison: he picked his name because of the famous inventor—something he doesn’t tell many people :) Who he really is, and what he’s doing hanging around Julia is something she’ll just have to figure out. Until she does, he’ll have fun turning her world upside down. Or, at least reminding Julia of all she’s lost.


Derek (AKA Frederick): is the Sary companion/boyfriend Julia had and lost. He died quite some time ago. Julia’s never really gotten over him, which doesn’t make helping Marcy all that easy. He lives in Julia’s memories, and their story is as much a part of Julia’s present as it is her past.


These are the main players in Colors Like Memories. Just for some added fun, I have a few famous lookalikes for each of them (I mean, what author doesn’t like to find actors that they think would fit the role of their MC?). Julia would be best played by a younger Anne Hathaway (my husband votes for Mila Kunis, but I don’t think so). Marcy could be played by Dakota Fanning (her role in Push was so fun, which is what I’m drawing on here). Edison reminds me a lot of a younger Jason Behr, and Derek could be a non-sparkly Kellan Lutz.




Inquiring minds want to know: what actor would best portray your main character?


A bit about the Colors Like Memories:
Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.
Julia is a Sary, the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath. Without this 'breath of life' she and others like her must help those on the verge of suicide. It's a job Julia used to enjoy, until the accident that claimed her boyfriend’s life—an accident she knows was her fault. If living with the guilt weren't enough, she's now assigned to help a girl dealing with the loss of her mother, something Julia's not exactly the best role model for. If she can't figure out a way to help her, Julia's going to lose her position in the Sary, something she swore to her boyfriend would never happen.




Release date: May 11th 2012 from MuseItUp Publishing.



A bit about Meradeth Houston:


Meradeth’s never been a big fan of talking about herself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about her:



  • She’s a Northern California girl. This generally means she talks too fast and use "like" a lot.
  • When she’s not writing, she’s sequencing dead people’s DNA. For fun!
  • She’s been writing since she was 11 years old. It's her hobby, her passion, and she’s so happy to get to share her work!
  • If she could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because she’s terrified of heights.


http://www.meradethhouston.com/


http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/MeradethHouston

 www.goodreads.com/book/show/13030422-colors-like-memories

http://www.facebook.com/ColorsLikeMemories


http://pinterest.com/merbear95695/

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Thank you so much Meradeth for coming by and sharing with us today!

12 comments:

Stephanie said...

What great ideas. There's something so haunting about that, the soul of a child that never took a breath. I love it, and the characters sound really engaging.

Meradeth Houston said...

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Gwen! This was a fun post to write :) (Also, I'm sharing links to your new blog digs!)

Gwen Gardner said...

Stephanie, it does give you chills, doesn't it?

Meradeth, you're welcome, I love helping promote authors. And thanks for helping me spread the word on my new blog!

Libby said...

I sometimes do the "what famous person does my character look like" game as well. :) Also, is it me or is the print here a touch faded?

Gwen Gardner said...

Libby, I've already decided who's going to play my MC in the movie, LOL! And you're right, the print on my blog seems faded - I'll have to go check out the color setting :)

Jaye Robin Brown said...

I'd be so bad at this game - I have no idea who the hot actors and actresses are these days.

Gwen Gardner said...

Jaye, there are so many I've never heard of!

Angela Brown said...

I couldn't help wondering if suicide is going to be a trending topic for novels given my little blog opera involved a suicide survivor and I even have another idea that involves suicide and bullying.

Hmmm...

As for characters, I'm not sure I've got their pictures in my head, but I think a little searching may be in order :-)

This novel, Colors Like Memories, sounds very much so up my alley. Have to update my TBR.

Unknown said...

I like to put faces to names and characters. Sounds like a fabulous book.

Jessica Salyer said...

I can total see those actresses as those characters. Great picks Meradeth.

Gwen Gardner said...

Angela, suicide is so sad and hard to deal with. It might just be an up and coming topic in YA.

Clarissa, I seem to recall one of your posts that did just that :)

Jessica, I agree. Meradeth did a great job of casting!

Unknown said...

Fascinating characters, and some great actor/actress picks!