It’s the day after Valentine’s day and I’m still in the mood to spread the love. You know what that means? It’s time for a give-away!

And you know what I have Poe Fans? An ARC of Bethany Griffin’s upcoming novel, Masque of the Red Death.  LOOKIT!!!

 Isn’t the cover fabulously beautiful??

For those of you who have been sequestered (Poe vocab word of the day) beneath a cozy rock or perhaps buried prematurely, Bethany Griffin’s novel is due to hit shelves April 24^th

I had the privilege of reading this incredible Poe inspired story before its release and, today, I’m announcing a contest so that you can too! Plus it’s signed. Yes. You read that right, I said signed.

I also got to interview Bethany (pictured below: darn her and her fabulous hair…) about the novel and her writing process.  Check it out!

Me: When I was a teenager, I found myself very drawn to Poe’s works. Of course, I studied Poe in English class but, for me, my interest in his works went beyond what we studied in school. I found myself reading his stories for fun.  As an artist and a storyteller, Poe seems to resonate strongly with young readers. Do you have any thoughts on why that is?  

Bethany: Teenagers have a fascination with mortality and death, so Poe’s work is perfect for them. There’s also a huge theme of being trapped, (or, you know, buried alive) and that’s a huge issue for teens, they have a natural need to break free from childhood, while at the same time realizing that at least some of the constraints on them are for their own good/safety. It’s a tough time. I love thinking about adolescence, but I’m glad I’m done with it! Another huge theme in Poe’s work is loss, and teens are constantly having to deal with loss. Also, Poe just resonates! Because his work is awesome.  

Me: Both of our novels incorporate Poe’s famous short story, The Masque of the Red Death, albeit in two very unique ways. In your novel, you place your readers in the world of Poe’s story itself, where sickness and disease rule over the human population. Along with the threat of mysterious plagues, there is political intrigue and talk of an uprising against Prince Prospero. While reading, it was fascinating to see how you were influenced by Poe’s original tale, but also how you used the story build a world that is entirely of your own imagining. Can you tell us a little about the world in which Araby, your heroine, lives and what day to day life is like?

Bethany: It’s a very dark world, and a world divided by social classes (or at least haves vs. have-nots). The Plague has decimated the population and the city where my characters live is completely isolated in that they don’t know if anyone else has survived the plague. People with money can buy protective masks. People without have to risk their lives everyday, and can’t go to school, get jobs, or get into the upper city where the rich people live. Children of the rich, like my main characters, go to bars and clubs, like the Debauchery Club to forget the hopelessness that is inherent in their world. For Araby, my main character, day to day life is about forgetting and diverting herself, so she spends her mornings hungover, her afternoons placating her parents, and her evenings getting ready to go out. Going out sometimes means passing body collectors on her way to the club in her friend April’s steam carriage. 

Me: Okay. It’s no secret to Bethany that one of my favorite characters in her tale is a side character named Kent. I find him incredibly dreamy and I even doodle him on my notebook sometimes. He’s a bit mysterious and very brainy. And this question is obviously all about me since I’m about to ask you: Where did you get your idea for Kent??? <3<3<3

Bethany: That’s actually a difficult question. I think Kent was sort of supposed to represent innovation and intellectual curiosity, that it still exists in the city, even if my main characters are busy sedating themselves (at the beginning). He’s also a part of Will and Elliott’s lives (totally separately- he’s childhood friends with Will and has worked with Elliott on inventions) so he’s a part of their lives that isn’t onscreen in either book. I’ve written a Kent short story, that I plan to share at some point in the future. 

Me: Squee and a half!!! I can’t wait to read the short story! Speaking of hot guys, there are two additional supremely drool-worthy guys in The Masque of the Red Death. I seriously drooled over both (but not on the actual ARC, I promise) and I’m STILL torn. I’m not going to ask you too much about these guys because I know you wouldn’t want to give too much away. But, if you could give us three words that describe Will and three words that describe Elliot, what would they be?

Bethany: Will would be handsome, mysterious (in the beginning) and caring. Elliott would be arrogant, driven, maybe passionate? 

Me: What is your favorite story by Edgar Allan Poe?

Bethany: The Fall of the House of Usher. 

Me: Did you have any weird experiences or odd dreams while writing The Masque of the Red Death?

Bethany: I’m sure I did/do…I have weird sleep patterns where I spend too much time going to sleep and waking up, so any weird dreams were probably incorporated. Unlike you I don’t think I had any weird Poe experiences, as weird as it got was adding details and then realizing that they were directly from Poe’s work and I hadn’t even realized it. Like the stained glass windows in Prospero’s throne room. I wasn’t actually thinking of the story when I added that detail. 

Me: Do you listen to music while you write? If so, what are some of the songs that influenced The Masque of the Red Death?

Bethany: I actually don’t listen to music when I write, but I do while I brainstorm/plan/exercise (not much exercising going on lately, I’m ashamed to admit) but I often listen to Portishead when brainstorming Masque. And NIN and Tool, and the Cure, and well, that’s what I listen to all the time, I guess. 

Me: Can you tell us anything about what you’re working on right now and what’s to come after Masque?

Bethany: I’m hard at work putting the finishing touches on Masque Part II and also brainstorming titles! After that I have a couple of older manuscripts I want to revamp a bit, and then some ideas I’m really excited about, I just wish I had more time! (not trying to be cryptic, I just…probably won’t get to work on anything besides Masque II until March). 

Me: Last question! If YOU were a courtier going to go to Prince Prospero’s Masquerade ball tomorrow, what would be your ideal costume?

Bethany: Something that made me look skinny? There’s a description in Masque of Araby wearing a long dress that made her look impossibly thin, I love dresses that are cut like that. So a dress that makes me disappear when I turn sideways and fabulous jewelry and an awesome mask that would make me completely anonymous…I just wrote the Masquerade ball scene, it was so fun! 

Me: Awesome! Thanks so much for the interview Bethany.

Now here are the contest rules:

E-mail ME at kellycreagh@kellycreagh.com with the words “Masque contest” in the subject line. All I need in the body of the message is your mailing address. I’m going to limit this particular contest to the U.S. Entries must be in my inbox by midnight on February 29^th. I will pool all entries, draw one at random and announce the winner and mail off the prize on Thursday March first. The prize will include a signed ARC of The Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin and a signed paperback copy of Nevermore (which includes the prologue for the upcoming sequel, Enshadowed.) A veritable smorgasbord of Poe inspired reading!

Good luck!!

For those of you who feel moved to post a comment, tell me, what would YOU wear to Prince Prospero’s Masquerade ball?