YA Corner: Interview and Review with Gena Showalter and her book Through the Zombie Glass

Ok everyone today is the day you and I have been waiting for.  Today I have the great privilege to have Gena Showalter and I got the awesome chance to read her sequel to her book Alice in Zombieland, Through the Zombie Glass.  I’m a huge fan of Gena’s and feel very privileged that she granted me this interview.  I love a lot of her Adult works, but today I am focusing on her newer Young Adult works with the second book in her White Rabbit Chronicles series.  I didn’t get a chance to put up a review of Alice in Zombieland but for those who haven’t read it I am going to post the book blurb for both books.  Through the Zombie Glass is a fantastic follow-up in this series.  It answers some of our already numerous questions and leaves us with some new ones.  Be sure to check out my review (may contain spoilers) after the book blurb.  But, first enjoy my interview with Gena Showalter.  Through the Zombie Glass hits shelves on September 24th. 

Thank you for stopping by today.  I have to say I’m having a big fangirl moment right now with the chance to interview you.  I love your books, especially Lords of the Underworld and The White Rabbit Chronicles.

GS: “Stop, please, you’re embarrassing me,” Gena says as she waves you on to continue. LOL 

1.    What inspired Alice in Zombieland, the first book in the White Rabbit Chronicles? 

GS:  The title.  No, seriously. I was on the phone with the gorgeous and talented Kresley Cole and we were talking about titles for my next adult romance.  I said, “We’re going to call it Alice in Zombieland.”  There was a pause.  Then she told me I had to write that book, and since my darling Kresley is never wrong, I knew she was right!

2.      I love Kat.  Is she or any of other characters based on people you know or even yourself? And if there is a Cole out there can you point him in my direction?  

GS:  You know, pieces of my family and me do seep into my characters.  In fact, after my younger sister read Alice in Zombieland, she called me and told me she laughed when she read a snippet from a certain conversation—because years ago she had said the same thing to our mother. 

3.      I noticed in both Alice in Zombieland and Through the Zombie Glass that there were visions that have yet to come true.  Will we be seeing those in future books?   

GS:  Absolutely!  I should tie up all the lose ends in book three (no title as of yet).  

4.      In Through the Zombie Glass, there are many parts that have you wanting to strangle Cole and a few other characters *cough* Veronica *cough* and Alice seems to have to prove herself over and over.  Will there ever be a time when Alice is truly part of the team and not questioned? 

GS:  I sooooo want to spill details about book three right now.  But I can’t.  Well, maybe… No, no.  Bad Gena!  I can’t.  I’ve just started writing the book, and too many details could change, but oh, man, wait till you see what Ali does!!  And Cole in book three…seriously, I should not be talking about this LOL But I will leave you with a single word to describe him in the book: shiver.

5.      I know that the majority of books you write are geared toward adult audiences. But, you do have several young adult series’.   Does your writing process change between the two genres?    

GS:  Nope.  No matter what type of book I’m writing, my process is the same.  Get up, and write until I’ve met my word/page count for the day, no matter how long that takes.  Plus, it’s kind of safe to say that my adult characters are a bit immature—we all know it’s true LOL—so whether I’m writing adults or young adults, my mind set is the same: write the best book I possibly can!

6.      Of the books I have read of yours I have a few characters that I love and stick with me.  Strider, Kat and Corbin Blue are among my faves.  Out of the many books you have written do you have favorite characters and/or not so favorite characters?   

GS:  I do!  William from the Lords of the Underworld series has always been my favorite.  He is powerful, sexy, and irreverent.  He kills his enemies without batting an eye, and stabs his friends (literally) for grins and giggs.  He is a mystery.  He is a he-slut, and he’s never been in love.  But oh, when finally he falls…he’s going to get what’s coming to him.  A swift kick between the legs, and a happily ever after.  

But I also have a huge cougar crush on Cole from Through the Zombie Glass.  I could seriously eat him up.

7.      Ok…now I am gonna ask you just a couple fun/silly questions.  Do you have any guilty pleasures? 

GS: I broke my addiction to coffee, so it’s been two years since I’ve had a cup. A week ago, I could have said, “two years since I’ve had a sip,” but, well, the other day…Anyway.  Moving on.  I adore homemade chocolate chip cookies. And brownies.  And vanilla ores.  Wait.  I’m sensing a pattern. Let’s just say my guilty pleasure is food.

8.      Can you share with me three things that not many people know about you? 

GS: I wear sweat pants, even in summer. I once stole the Christmas decorations from my parent’s house and put them at my house (as a joke).  And New Girl is currently my favorite sitcom.

9.      Since you are already an accomplished writer.  If you ever had to give that up what other career would you choose? 

GS: Ryan Gossling’s YES girl.  He will say: Should I take off my shirt.  I will say: YES.

10.    Finally, if Alice and the boys were ever made into a movie who would be the ultimate “dream team” cast (Past or Present actors and/or actresses) 

GS: That’s such a tough question.  I haven’t been watching many movies lately (I’ve been working too many hours), so I’m a bit behind on who’s who.  But I’m a big Lily Collins fan.  And I think Alex Pettyfer is gorgeous.  They’d make a very sexy Ali and Cole.

Thank you so much for stopping by.  I loved Through the Zombie Glass and really can’t wait for the next in the series.  I am already re-reading it.  🙂

Alice in Zombieland Book Blurb:

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….

I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I’d tell my sister no.
I’d never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I’d zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I’d hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I’d tell them I love them.
I wish… Yeah, I wish

Through the Zombie Glass Book Blurb:

Inspired by the childhood classic Alice in Wonderland, this harrowing and romantic story features teen zombie slayer Alice Bell who has lost so much—family, friends, her home. After a strange new zombie attack, Alice fears she may be losing her mind as well. A terrible darkness blooms inside her, urging her to do wicked things. The whispers of the dead assault her ears and mirrors seem to come frighteningly to life. She’s never needed her team of zombie slayers more—including her boyfriend, Cole—than she does now. But as Cole strangely withdraws and the zombies gain new strength, Ali knows one false step may doom them all.

Review:

In Gena Showalter’s follow-up to Alice in Zombieland we find ourselves right where we left off.  Ali is recovering and Cole and the gang are out hunting.  The only problem is Ali begins to know that something is wrong.  Ali is beginning to see things in mirrors and hear voices she shouldn’t.  While Ali is dealing with these new problems she is also dealing with her grief over the many losses that have happened to her over the year.  When her and Coles visions disappear and she begins to have them with a newcomer things get really bad for Ali.  She not only has to deal with everything she has been going through but her relationship with both Cole and the rest of the hunters is in serious danger of falling apart.  While Ali continues to fight zombies she also must fight the evil inside her.  Can Ali pull herself together by herself or with she let those around her help her with her struggles?  If Ali can survive this she will have scars she may never recover from unless let’s healing go soul deep. 

Through the Zombie Glass I could not put down.  This is everything you want in a follow-up.  It moves the story along, gives us conflict and answers enough questions to create more questions.  I love this series even more by reading this book.  Many times throughout this book I could feel those old teenage feelings coming back.  Especially with Cole and Ali’s relationship.  There were definitely times I wanted to both strangle and kiss Cole.  There were a lot of times in this book my heart really broke for Ali.  She really goes through a lot of trials in this book.  Just when you think she’s getting accepted by those like her she is kicked out in the cold again.  There are also a lot of surprises in this book both good and bad.  I promise I am not gonna give much away but I can tell you this and enemy becomes a friend again.  Overall, the character and story development was phenomenally strong and really propels everything in a forward direction.  I will warn you all this though after reading this you will want the next book like yesterday.  I know I got an advanced copy and still want the next book now.  That’s just how great a story-teller Gena Showalter is.  She has yet another wonderful edition and if you like me, loved Alice in Zombieland you will LOVE Through the Zombie Glass. 

 

Author Bio:

Gena Showalter is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of over thirty books in paranormal and contemporary romances, as well as young adult novels.  Her series include White Rabbit Chronicles, Angels of the Dark, Otherworld Assassins, Lords of the Underworld, Alien Huntress and Intertwined.

Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, and Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated all over the world.  The critics have called her books “sizzling page-turners” and “utterly spellbinding stories”, while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.