Interview+Giveaway: Friends to the End by Cherie Colyer

Interview with Cherie Colyer, author of middle grade action Friends to the End

Twelve-year-old Zach is convinced he’ll never be happy without his best friend Jeremy by his side. But both of their lives changed with a bang five months ago, and as far as Zach’s concerned, it’s his fault Jeremy will never see his twelfth birthday.

When Zach moves with his family to a Chicago suburb, he quickly becomes friends with a group of thrill-seeking kids trying to find a disappearing haunted house. But Zach’s not worried. He doesn’t believe in ghosts, so he follows them into a wild, dangerous encounter that becomes a battle to decide what’s real and what’s not.

Excerpt from Friends to the End

My bewildered gaze slithered from Dom to Josh, finally coming to a stop on Morgan as I tried to decide if they were crazy.

“If the house is invisible, how do you expect to find it?” I asked.

Morgan sat on the stoop next to me. “It’s not always invisible. My brothers saw it once. They said it’s a big house with a long porch. It vanished before they could set foot on the first step, and I’m glad, too.”

“Why? What would have happened if they were on the steps?” I asked. Not because I believed an old ghost story had any truth to it, but I was curious to know what she’d say.

Morgan had to pick her jaw up from the walkway before she could answer, and when she did her voice came out in a high-pitched squeak. “If they had been on the porch or worse—” she swallowed loudly “—inside, they would have disappeared with it.”

Interview with Cherie Colyer

-What inspired you to become a writer?

I’ve always enjoyed writing but hadn’t thought about writing a book until I hit a reading slump. I was having the worst time finding something new to read. I think we’ve all been there. Tons of wonderful options, but I couldn’t find the right book for the mood I was in. You know what I mean, a book that keeps you reading just one more chapter until there are no more chapters to read. A book you can’t put down. But I had ideas for books. This probably added to my trouble finding the perfect book to read. I’d tell my husband about my stories ideas. He started to ask me why I didn’t write them down. The idea sounded crazy and exciting and, best of all, fun. So I did.

-If you could visit your book’s world for a day, what one thing would you do?

I’d join Zach and his friends on their search for the vanishing house. Hopefully, we pass Grimace Grove Cemetery, and I’d get to meet Ghost Girl.

-It’s two in the morning. What does your protagonist reveal in confidence? (Don’t worry, we won’t tell.)

Zach would tell the readers that he really, really doesn’t want to sneak out of the house or search for some spooky old manor that is rumored to have vanished with people inside. People who were never seen again. Zach doesn’t want his friends to think he’s a scaredy cat.

-Which of your characters would you go out for drinks with?

They’d have to be milkshakes or slushies. I’d go with Zach. He’s kind and fun, and he could use a friend. Once he opened up, he’d be the first to tell you about all the fun things he used to do with his best friend Jeremy.

-You’re in a tavern, and a dwarf challenges you to a duel. What do you do?

I’d ask him why he’s so angry, and then offer to buy him a drink. Maybe he just needs some love?

-Is there a genre you could never write? Which and why?

I’d be horrible at writing horror. I have an overactive imagination. Every creak and bang I heard would become something spooky and horrible in my mind. The lights in the house would have to be left on. And there would be no way I’d be able to sleep because my dreams would incorporate the horrors from the book. My husband wouldn’t be happy with me because I wouldn’t want him to leave the house—like ever—without me. I’d pretend I hadn’t scared myself senseless, of course! (Just like Zach, I wouldn’t want to admit I’m scared.). But my husband would catch on when I scrambled out of bed (still asleep), right over him (because this is the quickest way out of the room) to get away from the thing chasing me in my dreams. Sadly (and comically), this has happened. We’ve established I’m not to watch scary shows before bed.

About Cherie Colyer

C.L. Colyer found her love for writing in first grade when her class was sent to the library and asked to find a book for their first book report. While she doesn’t still have this book report, she’s very proud to say she got an A on it. Her favorite thing about the book was that it had no words. That’s right, not one! That gave her the freedom to interpret the pictures in any way she wanted and write her own story.

This sparked her love for writing essays. It wasn’t until she was an adult that she sat down and penned her first novel. This story has a special place in her heart because it’s the story that helped her discover her passion for writing. She has since written several books, many of which may never see the light of day, but all of which helped her learn to combine her passion for writing with her fascination with all things mythical.  You’ll find examples of this in her novels.

She lives in Illinois with her family.

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Giveaway

Cherie Colyer will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway