25 Days of Christmas Extravganza: Author Interview & Giveaway: Elizabeth Richards

Its day 25 of out Christmas Extravaganza and with us today is Elizabeth Richards!

About the author: Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness.

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel. (Her Website)

About the book: A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.(Goodreads)

Hot cocoa or eggnog?
Hot cocoa! I don’t drink tea or coffee, so hot chocolate has always been my drink of choice. I love it
with a shot of banana or mint syrup, whipped cream and tiny marshmallows.

Favorite Christmas/Holiday song or carol?
‘Merry Christmas Everybody’ by Slade! It’s very cheesy, but I love it. A close second is the
carol, ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. Every time I hear that song, I think of my family, all gathered in
the living room, chatting happily to each other while we prepare the chestnuts.

Favorite Christmas/Holiday meal?
On Christmas Eve my mom always makes this delicious gammon joint, complete with mashed
potatoes, veggies and parsley sauce. Om noms! Any leftover meat is used for cold cuts on Boxing
Day, and served with my mom’s famous Bubble and Squeak. Her Christmas dinner is also top notch.
I love all the different types of stuffing she makes (sage and onion, sausage stuffing, and mushrooms
with roasted almonds). Mmmm, I’m getting hungry just thinking about it.

Real Christmas tree or Fake?
I prefer real Christmas trees, as I adore the smell of them. It instantly brings me back to my
childhood, and being super excited as I raced downstairs on Christmas morning to open my presents.

What is your favorite part of the Holiday season?
It has to be Christmas dinner, when the whole family is gathered around the table. My mom always
decorates it so beautifully, and we all make an effort to dress up and look glam for the meal. Plus, by
this point everyone has been hitting the champagne, so are very merry and in good spirits.

Are you a late or early Christmas shopper? Do you enjoy it? Why or why not?
Late shopper. Every year I tell myself to start buying gifts in November, but it never happens. I HATE Christmas shopping. Not only am I dreadful at picking gifts, but the lack of parking and crowded shops really stress me out. I much prefer buying stuff online, but then you run the risk of it not turning up on time (well, you do when you buy everything at the last minute, like I do).

When and how did you learn the truth about Santa?
I was about six years old. My sisters and I used to share a bedroom, and I just remember waking
up and seeing my dad putting the filled stockings at the end of our beds. I was a little annoyed
my parents lied to me, but equally I couldn’t be that upset when they were giving me awesome
presents. So I let it slide, and played along, as I was worried if I let on that I knew the truth, they’d
stop giving me presents!

Do you have a favorite novel?
It has to be Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. It’s thrilling, heartbreaking, romantic (Harry and Ginny 4 EVA!), funny, full of action and adventure—it’s simply everything you could ask for in a book. Plus, I loved learning all about Voldemort’s past, and the Horcruxes.

Favorite scene to write?
The Tracker training scene! It’s so steamy.

What do your book sheleves look like?
I currently don’t have any bookshelves, as they all broke under the weight of so many books! So at
the moment my books are just packed in boxes or piled up on desks, nightstands, and in wardrobes
until I can get some heavy-duty bookshelves to replace the old ones.


Connect with the author:
Goodreads
Website
Twitter

Elizabeth is giving away some bookmarks to celebrate the holiday with us!

 To enter fill out the rafflecopter form below.

• There will be One winners for this giveaway.
• The giveaway is open US & International.
• We are not responsible for any lost or damaged packages.
• Giveaway ends Dec. 31, 2012 at midnight EST.
• All entrants need to be at least 13 years of age.  If you are a minor you MUST have parent permission to enter.
• Winners will have 48 hours to respond once notified or another winner will be chosen.
• By entering the giveaway you agree to all of the terms and conditions found HERE.

a Rafflecopter giveaway




We want to thank Elizabeth Richards for joining us today and celebrating with us!