Colors Like Memories, Meradeth Houston Spotlight & Interview

I'm thrilled to welcome Meradeth Houston, author of Colors Like Memories, today.

Welcome, Meradeth! So glad you could join us.

I noticed in your bio that you've been writing since you were 11. What made you love writing?

MH: What makes me love writing so much is that I love reading :) I love getting lost in another world and getting to live there for a little while. Writing is even better because I can create the world myself, with all the little bits and pieces that I like most!

I agree! In Colors Like Memories, the main character is a Sary (she has the soul of a child who died before taking her first breath). Where did you come up with this concept?

MH: The Sary have their roots in all kinds of different places. Ever since I was a kid visiting the cemetery with my friend (she lived around the corner and we used to sneak in through a hole in the fence), I was struck by the tragedy of those headstones with a single date. That, mingled with reading books that dealt with the "breath of life" all kind of mixed together with my long time wish of flying, and viola, the Sary came together. (This may be a bit of a gloss to hide my slightly morbid slant on the world, but don't tell anyone!)

Your secret is safe with me (and with my blog readers, too, I'm sure).

If you could have any author (or other reader) review this book and love it, who would it be and why?

MH: Oh wow, what a question! Hmm, that's a toss up between two of my favorites: Madeline L'Engle is a huge inspiration to me, and I adore A Wrinkle in Time beyond words . Unfortunately she's passed away, so that might make it a little hard to get a review (though you did say *any* author :). The other, living author that I would probably pee if I were to get a favorable review from (and probably just as unlikely as Madeline) would be Maggie Stiefvater. What I wouldn't give to be able to write like her!

 

I love that answer. A Wrinkle in Time was one of the first books I shared with my preteen daughter from "the olden days" (her words, not mine). She loved it, as did I. I have a couple of Maggie Stiefvater books in my to be read pile, sounds like I need to start reading them.

Thanks again for stopping by!

*****

Now I want to share some information on Colors Like Memories...

Summary: Julia has a secret: she killed the guy she loved. It was an accident—sort of. In order to save her best friend's life, she's going to have to face her past, but her ghosts won't make it easy. Especially his.

"I greeted his tombstone the way I always did—with a swift kick. The release of frustration was more than worth the sharp pain in my toes. The polished marble tilted to the left because of all my visits; a crooked tooth in the rows of pearly white graves."

So starts Colors Like Memories. For more information, check out the website.

 

More About the Author

 

 

From her website: I've never been a big fan of talking about myself, but if you really want to know, here are some random tidbits about me:

• I'm a California girl. This generally means I talk too fast and use "like" a lot.
• I have my doctorate in molecular anthropology. Translation: I sequence dead people's DNA and spend a whole lot of time in a lab, which I love.
• I've been writing since I was 11 years old. It's my hobby, my passion, and I'm so happy to get to share my work!
• My other passion is teaching. There's nothing more fun than getting a classroom of college kids fired up about anthropology!
• If I could have a super-power, it would totally be flying. Which is a little strange, because I'm terrified of heights.

You can find out more about Meradeth at her blog and on Twitter.

 The Book Trailer

Buy Colors Like Memories

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Smashwords

Muse It Up Publishing

Confession: I just bought the Kindle version (for $1.99), and I'm so excited to read it! My review schedule is intense through the end of the year, so I couldn't commit to reviewing. But then I read the summary, watched the trailer, and enjoyed Meradeth's interview... I was hooked. I can't wait to read it and share my thoughts here. I'm hoping I can manage to squeeze it in soon!