Interview: Amy Garvey, author of Cold Kiss

Amy Garvey was so kind enough to stop by and answer a few of my questions. In case you don't remember, I loved her novel Cold Kiss (my review is here) and was really excited to get the opportunity to pick Amy's brain.


So without further adieu, here's the interview!


1) Describe Cold Kiss in 140 characters or less?

Cold Kiss in 140 characters or less: this was hard! "Wren brings her boyfriend back from the dead. He's not really the boy she loved, though. Love doesn't break easily. But people do."

2) Wren's a totally great heroine. Who would be one or two of her literary best friends? 

Thank you for calling Wren a great heroine! I think her literary friends would be unexpected, actually. Alice would probably be one of them (Wren loves Alice in Wonderland), because she's restless, curious, impatient, and impulsive -- just like Wren, in other words. Her other friend would most likely be Hannah Tupper from The Witch of Blackbird Pond. Hannah is a Quaker, an outsider in Wethersfield, and the accused "witch" of the title. Wren would find Hannah's independence and loyalty really kickass.

Wren loves Alice In Wonderland? Screw literary best friends, I think WE could be best friends!

3) What are the differences between Gabriel and Danny for Wren? How are they similar?

The differences between Danny and Gabriel are pretty easy, I think, although they're a lot alike in some ways, too. (They're both gentle, and very loyal, and not intimidated by Wren's stormier moods.) But Danny is really completely carefree -- he's never had to worry seriously about anything, whereas Gabriel's childhood (as we learn in the next book) is very different, which makes Gabriel more cautious, and not as likely to open up easily. Gabriel's a lot more introverted than Danny, too.

4) Anything that didn't make it into the novel that you'd like to share with us?

So much didn't make it into the novel! Well, not *so* much, but there are always details and scenes and pieces of history that just don't fit. Certainly a lot of Wren and Danny's early days together. I'd also have loved to explore more about Wren's mom and aunt and grandmother.

5) If you had Wren's powers, would you have brought someone back to life at 16?

Would I have brought someone back to life at sixteen? Wow, that's tough. I understand the impulse, certainly -- grief is terrifying and can really be all-consuming in the beginning. I'd like to think I would have been smart enough not to, but depending on who had died, I might have done the same thing. Learning to let go isn't easy.

6) I know you also write for adults. What made you decide to write a YA novel? 

I've always wanted to write YA! In fact, the first book I ever wrote, start to finish, was a YA book. It's never been published, and that's okay, but children's and teen books have been so important to me that it's what I've always wanted to write most.

7) Have you read anything good lately?

I'm reading so many things! I just started Anna Dressed in Blood, by Kendare Blake, and I'm loving that. Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma was gorgeous and heartbreaking and beautifully written. I also picked up The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern, which looks incredible.

8) Anything you can share with us about the second novel?

The second novel! I think I'm allowed to say that the title is Glass Heart, which is exciting (to me, anyway). It picks up shortly after Cold Kiss ends, and it answers the questions left open-ended in Cold Kiss. There's more Gabriel (much more!), as well as some really fun, and sort of wild, new characters, too. I'm so excited about it -- it was so great to revisit them and explore their story further.

The title of the second novel! Yay! I can't wait! I want to thank Amy Garvey for stopping by.