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Tuesday, September 12, 2017

Blog Tour- ODD & TRUE by Cat Winters An Interview & Giveaway!


Hey everyone! I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the blog tour for ODD & TRUE by Cat Winters! I adore Cat and her books!!!

I have an interview with Cat to share with you today! And make sure to enter the giveaway below!


Haven't heard of ODD & TRUE? Check it out!



Title: ODD & TRUE
Author: Cat Winters
Pub. Date: September 12, 2017
Publisher:  Amulet Books
Pages: 368
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Find it: AmazonB&NiBooksTBDGoodreads
Trudchen grew up hearing Odette’s stories of their monster-slaying mother and a magician’s curse. But now that Tru’s older, she’s starting to wonder if her older sister’s tales were just comforting lies, especially because there’s nothing fantastic about her own life—permanently disabled and in constant pain from childhood polio.

In 1909, after a two-year absence, Od reappears with a suitcase supposedly full of weapons and a promise to rescue Tru from the monsters on their way to attack her. But it’s Od who seems haunted by something. And when the sisters’ search for their mother leads them to a face-off with the Leeds Devil, a nightmarish beast that’s wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic states, Tru discovers the peculiar possibility that she and her sister—despite their dark pasts and ordinary appearances—might, indeed, have magic after all. 
Now on to the interview!

Hey Cat!! First I want to say welcome back to Two Chicks on Books I’m glad you could stop by for a chat! ODD & TRUE was awesome and I can’t wait for everyone to read it!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Jaime!

For the readers: can you tell us a little bit about ODD & TRUE and the characters?

ODD & TRUE is the story of two sisters, Odette and Trudchen Grey, known as Od and Tru. Older sister Od has always told younger sister Tru fairytales and legends to hide the pain of their family’s history and to bolster Tru’s spirits after a debilitating battle with polio. Now that Tru is older, she no longer believes in magic and wants to learn the truth about their past. Od reemerges after a mysterious two-year absence and claims they’re destined to embark on a hunt for monsters across America. Tru finds herself doing whatever it takes to uncover Od’s secrets, even if it means following her sister on her strange and fantastical quest to slay a mythical beast.  

The novel was inspired by a real-life monster hunt in 1909 America.

So what’s up next for you? What are you working on?

I’m hard at work on a new YA novel, but I can’t yet say what it’s about. I’ll drop a little hint, though: this one involves the teenage years of a real-life historical figure.

Were any of the characters in the book inspired by people from your real life?

The bond that Od and Tru share was inspired by my relationship with my own sister. Their childhood was far more tragic than what my sister and I experienced, but some of our traits definitely made their way into these fictional girls.  

Who was your favorite character to write? What about your least favorite?

I loved writing from the alternating viewpoints of my two leads, who are near and dear to my heart, but Uncle Magnus also became a favorite. His character evolved into something far more complex than what I originally envisioned for him.

My least favorite? Hmm, that’s a hard one to say, because I enjoyed writing them all. I suppose Aunt Viktoria was probably the most difficult to write because I wanted to make sure she wasn’t a carbon copy of Aunt Eva from In the Shadow of Blackbirds.

(A special bonus for those of you following this blog tour: I realized Od and Tru’s mother and her siblings grew up during the same time and in the same region as Mary Shelley Black’s mother in In the Shadow of Blackbirds. Look for a mention of Mary Shelley’s mom, Amelia, in Chapter Two.)

What is your favorite passage/scene in ODD & TRUE?

Od’s first POV chapter, when we see the day of Tru’s birth and the way Od views the world.

What kind of research did you have to do for the story?

This book involved nonstop research. I started with 1909 newspaper articles that detailed the sightings of a creature called the Leeds Devil (more popularly known today as the Jersey Devil), and I amassed a collection of books with topics ranging from American monster legends to domestic service in the early 1900s. Newspaper articles about numerous other topics from the era, as well as historical medical journal articles, also helped immensely. My sister happens to know a woman who’s descended from the Leeds family behind the Jersey Devil legend, so I got a chance to speak with her, and a school located in the heart of Jersey Devil country invited me to speak when I was in the middle of writing the novel, which proved to be extremely helpful.

Who is your ultimate book boyfriend?

Severus Snape, the ultimate romantic, loyal Goth boy.

What inspired you to write YA?

Originally, I tried to break into publishing by writing adult fiction, but I could never manage to sell a book to a publisher, although I managed to sign with my agent. When I told her my ideas for In the Shadow of Blackbirds, she said it sounded like a YA novel and encouraged me to go in that direction. It happened to be my very first book to sell, so I’m thankful I followed her advice!

Lightening Round Questions

What are you reading right now? Or what do you have on your TBR that you’re dying to read?

I’m reading a few books I can’t name because they’re part of my research for the secret project, but when I have a moment to steal, I’m reading AUMA’S LONG RUN, an excellent new MG novel by debut author Eucabeth Odhiambo. Please put it on your radar if you haven’t already.

What Hogwarts House would the Sorting Hat place you in?

Ravenclaw

Twitter or Facebook?

I tend to hang out more on Twitter.

Favorite Superhero?

Wonder Woman

Favorite TV show?

Currently, People of Earth

Sweet or Salty?

Sweet

Any Phobias?

Ophidiophobia (the fear of snakes!)

Song you can’t get enough of right now?

I’m still loving Portugal. The Man’s “Feel It Still,” even though it’s played all the time.

2017 Movie you’re most looking forward to?

The movie adaptation of Brian Selznick’s WONDERSTRUCK


Thanks so much Cat for answering my questions! I can’t wait for everyone to read ODD & TRUE!


About Cat:

Cat Winters’s critically acclaimed debut novel, In the Shadow of Blackbirds, was named a 2014 Morris Award Finalist, a 2014 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick, a 2013 Bram Stoker Award Nominee, and a School Library Journal Best Book of 2013. Her upcoming novels include The Cure for Dreaming (Amulet Books/Oct. 2014) and The Uninvited (William Morrow/2015), and she’s a contributor to the 2015 YA horror anthology Slasher Girls & Monster Boys. She lives in Portland, Oregon. Visit her online at www.catwinters.com.
Photo by Tara Kelly

Find Cat Online:



Giveaway Details:

(3) winners will receive a finished copy of ODD & TRUE, US & Canada.


a Rafflecopter giveaway




Tour Schedule:
Week One:
9/4/2017- Adventures of a Book JunkieInterview
9/5/2017- Here's to Happy EndingsReview
9/6/2017- YA and WineGuest Post
9/7/2017- Ex LibrisReview
9/8/2017- Novel NoviceGuest Post


Week Two:
9/11/2017- Take Me Away To A Great ReadReview
9/12/2017-Two Chicks on BooksInterview 
9/13/2017- Falling For YAReview
9/14/2017- Stories & SweetiesGuest Post
9/15/2017- Lisa Loves LiteratureReview

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