Blog Tour & Interview: Melissa de la Cruz

Today WinterHaven Books is excited to participate in the Gates of Paradise Blog Tour!  We have Melissa de la Cruz visiting us, and she was gracious enough to answer some of our questions, so thank you Melissa!! But that's not all, we also have a very special giveaway to share with you! 
So take a look!

First off, welcome Melissa de la Cruz to WinterHaven Books and thank you for answering our questions!

1. I am beyond excited to start Gates of Paradise after reading Lost in Time that was one major cliff hanger! Can you give us a sneak peak into what we might expect from Gates of Paradise?

Everything! I tried to answer all the lingering questions from the seven years and eight books (six novels, one novella and one encyclopedia) that have been published. I really wanted the fans to get a very satisfying conclusion, not just from the story but also from their questions about the mythology, Schuyler's background, etc.
In that way, it was a difficult book to write, but since I knew the ending of this story since 2005, it wasn't that hard, I still remember the night my husband and I sketched out the main arc of the series—the song "Lost in Time" by Stellastarr* was playing and we figured it out. It's such a blessing to realize it to its conclusion. It was an amazing journey for us as well, learning as storytellers and writers.

2. In the beginning, I wasn't a Mimi fan but over time I have really grown to appreciate her. Did you have a hard time writing her character?
No! Mimi is the easiest to write. :) She is probably the closest to my mindset. I really sympathize with characters who never ever get what they want. She "loses" and she has to survive that. I totally understand what it is to be stymied and frustrated and annoyed, it's how I feel most of the time, how a lot of us feel I think, that the world never bends to our desires. She's the most beautiful girl in the world, and yet her soulmate won't have her – so to me she's always been likable.

3. I really appreciate the world you have created. Do you remember the exact moment when you came up with it?
Yes pretty much. Right after a phone call with Brenda Bowen (then the publisher at Hyperion) and my agent Richard Abate. They suggested I write a dark fantasy book, and I immediately thought "I want to write about vampires!" This was way before Twilight had been published, and I was a huge Anne Rice and Stephen King fan, and also a Harry Potter fan. I loved the wizarding world and thought "it would be cool to create a secret world where vampires exist." Everything fell into place then. I still have my original outline notes from 2004.

4. Will this last book be your final adventure into the Blue Blood world?
Can I let the cat out of the bag? It's not. :) There will be an announcement soon about this exact subject. But let's enjoy the finale first, okay? (Excuse me while I squee and have a huge fangirl momet!  *SQUEE*!)

5. The big question who would you choose Oliver, Jack, or Kingsley?
Oh dear. That is really, really difficult as I love them all in very different ways. I loved Jack from the moment I wrote him on the page, I just loved how angry he was, how beautiful he was, and how remote and then how passionate. Kingsley is just that guy at the party you want to go home with, he's just so devilishly good-looking and so much fun. I actually think I based him on a guy I did go home with after a party! Ha! Oliver I think is the most like me, actually next to Mimi, he has my voice. I love his loyalty, his quirky sense of humor, his style. I love Ollie. Yeah, I can't choose!

LOL Melissa you are awesome!! Thank you so much for stopping by, and I can't wait to see how this series ends!

If you haven't read the Blue Blood series yet then what are you waiting for??!!  Trust me when I say it is phenomenal and definitely one of the best out on the shelves today.  They are action packed, snark heavy, romance filled and created beautifully.  I am very sad to see these characters go, but at the same time I can't wait to see what happens to Schuyler Jack, Oliver, Mimi, and Kingsley. They make up an awesome cast of characters and I really hope everyone gets there happy ever after!  Gates of Paradise is the final book in the Blue Blood series and it is a race against time for Schuyler to find the gate that she needs and I won't give away spoilers but the end of Lost In Time was a doozy and I am dying to read what happens next! 

Now for that awesome giveaway I told you about earlier!  We have been given the go ahead to giveaway 1 ebook copy of Gates of Paradise AND 1 ebook copy of Wolf Pact!  There will be 2 winners, the first winner selected will get to choose which ebook they want which will give the other winner the remaining ebook.  All you have to do is fill out the rafflecopter form below!  Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

You won't want to miss out on the rest of this amazing blog tour!  Check out all the stops below!

Wed., January 16: USA Today’s Happy Ever After
Thursday, January 17: The Y.A. Bookworm Blogger
Friday, January 18: Books N’ Brownies
Monday, January 21: Girls in the Stacks
Tuesday, January 22; Two Women and a Book Review
Wednesday, January 23: Fire & Ice
Thursday, January 24: Blue Bloods Tumblr board
Friday, January 25: Adventures in YA Publishing
Monday, January 28: The Bookshelves
Tuesday, January 29: The Book Scout

Melissa started her book tour today!  Check out the cities she will be stopping by and if they are near you keep in mind that I am insanely jealous!

LOS ANGELES
Tuesday, January 15, 7:00 PM
Barnes & Noble
1201 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401

Wednesday, January 16, 6: 00 PM
Mrs. Nelson’s Toy and Book Shop
1030 Bonita Avenue
La Verne, CA 91750

HOUSTON
Thursday, January 17, 7:00 PM
Blue Willow Bookshop
14532 Memorial Dr
Houston TX 77079

SEATTLE
Friday, January 18, 6:30 PM
Third Place Books
17171 Bothell Way NE
Lake Forest Park, WA 98155

TORONTO
Sunday, January 20, 1:00 PM
Indigo - Yorkdale Shopping Centre
3401 Dufferin Street Unit #29
Toronto, Ontario

NEW YORK
Tuesday, January 22, 6:00 PM
Books of Wonder
18 W 18th St
New York, NY 10011
www.booksofwonder.com

ATLANTA
Wednesday, January 23, 7:00 PM
Little Shop of Stories
133A East Court Sq
Decatur, GA 30030

CHICAGO
Thursday, January 24, 7:00 PM
Anderson's Bookshop
123 W. Jefferson Ave
Naperville, IL 60540