Author Interview–Meradeth Houston

I’m thrilled to have young adult author, Meradeth Houston, on the blog today! Meradeth is the author of COLORS LIKE MEMORIES, a young adult novel published by MuseItUp Publishing.

Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of.

Blurb: 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.

Check out the tantalizing book trailer preview here:

You can find COLORS LIKE MEMORIES at

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

MuseItUp Publishing

COLORS LIKE MEMORIES is also at Goodreads and on Facebook.

When I asked Meradeth to tell me a little bit about herself, she said:

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.

Find out more about Meradeth at her website, blog, twitter, or Pinterest.

Welcome Meradeth!

Can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write Colors Like Memories?

COLORS LIKE MEMORIES was built on a world I’d been playing with in my writing for quite a while, but this story itself came from listening to the radio. I was driving home listening to Linkin Park’s Shadow of the Day and the story just kind of hit me! I got home and started drafting it right after J.

Colors Like Memories is such a fabulous title. How did you come up with the title?

Thanks! I kind of like the title, too. Honestly, this book went through like ten titles, but this final one came to me when reading an essay by Jorge Borges called “The History of Angels” and the last lines were just so amazing that I had to use them (slightly modified) as my title.

What did you find the most challenging about writing your story? How did you work through that challenge?

Revisions were totally the most challenging thing! I swear I revised this thing, re-wrote lots of it/all of it, and went over it a hundred different times. I’m not a huge fan of revisions (drafting is my favorite part), but I kept at it because I loved the story, the people in it, and just couldn’t leave it alone.

Your cover is gorgeous! Can you tell us a little bit about your cover and the cover art process at MuseItUp?

I’m pretty partial to my cover—I love the colors! When I first signed with MIU, I was really happy that I’d have some say in my cover art. I know most people don’t, and that can be really hard! It was great being to have at least a say in what I would like, and what to avoid. My cover artist and I went through lots of photos and other covers, picking out what worked best, until we came up with the cover as it stands. Out of all the editing and everything, working on the cover was the most fun!

What authors and/or books inspire you?

So many authors have inspired me over the years! I love to read and am never without some book (almost always YA). One of my biggest inspirations has been Madeline L’Engle—I adore A Wrinkle in Time and almost all of her books. Also, the Harry Potter series will always have a special place in my heart. And, yes, I’ll admit it, but Twilight, too, because I think every writer wants their fans to adore their characters as much as that series has been loved J.

 What advice would you give to a teen who loves to write?

To write! And never to give up, no matter what people say! Also, to read. Lots! And then read more. Both of these things will help you get to the point you want to be, even if it might take time.

Thanks so much, Meradeth!

Thanks for having me!

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