Today, Olivia is chatting with author Kate Evangelista about her latest novel TIL DEATH. Check it out!

Sixteen-year old Selena Fallon is a dreamer. Not a day-dreamer, but an I-see-the-future kind of dreamer. Normally this is not a problem as she has gotten pretty good at keeping her weird card hidden from everyone in her small town. Except from her best friend Kyle and her grandparents, of course. But when Selena dreams of her own rather bloody death, things get a little too freaky even for her.

Enter Dillan Sloan. Selena has seen the new guy in a different dream, and he is even more droolworthy in person. Beyond the piercing blue eyes and tousled dark hair, there is something else that draws her to him. Something…electric. Unfortunately, Dillan makes it more than clear that he does not feel the same. They just met, so why would he act like he hates her?

When Dillan and Selena are forced together one weekend to work on a school project, Selena prepares to be ignored as usual. But when she stumbles across a few undead in the backyard, Dillan comes to her rescue and reveals a whole lot more. Not only is he part of a society that hunts otherworldly creatures…she is too. And she is being targeted by a force bigger and darker than anything she ever imagined. Despite her death dream, Selena is not going to give up easy, especially when she discovers that Dillan might not actually hate her after all.

Olivia with YA-Mag: Kate, welcome to the Young Adult Magazine!  It’s great to have a chance to discuss TIL DEATH!

YA: Let’s talk about Selena.  How did you two first meet?  What makes her the perfect character to tell this story?

Kate Evangelista: Selena came to me after I woke up from dreaming my own death. I don’t remember the details, which always happens after dreaming something so intense. But instead of freaking out, I did what any writer would do. I decided to write. That’s when Selena introduced herself. She carries the same anxiety that comes with dreaming of your death. Unfortunately for her, she remembers the details. And to think, all she really wants is to live a normal life. 

YA: What sets Selena’s story apart from other YA paranormal romances, like SWEET EVIL by Wendy Higgins or Cassandra Clare’s THE MORTAL INSTRUMENTS series?  What will readers find that they can’t anywhere else?

KE: Dillan’s point of view. With him we see the world beyond what Selena thinks is normal. He’s the perfect counterbalance for her naïveté. Plus, the sparks that fly between them is quite literal. 

YA:   What non-book influences (films, television shows, music, plays, etc) helped spark this story?

KE: At the time (and still to this day) I was obsessed with the Gilmore Girls. It totally blew my mind when Jared Padalecki, who played Dean (Rory’s boyfriend), eventually became Sam Winchester, kick ass monster hunter and professional world saver. Til Death has that small town dynamic mixed in with the supernatural world. Imagine if Dean really was a hunter while he was dating Rory, but never told her, and Rory dreams of the future, but never told him. That’s Til Death. 

YA: When you were a teen, what was your favorite book (YA or otherwise)?  Now that you’re an author for teens, what is your favorite contemporary YA?

KE: When I was a teen, I was really into Neil Gaiman and Raymond E. Feist. I still am, to be honest. I devoured the Sandman series and Good Omens is the best book about the apocalypse out there. Feist became an insta-buy for me. I hunted down his books from here to kingdom come.

Today, I’m really into Rainbow Rowell. I like the cadence of her writing. It’s like listening to classical music. 

YA:  What is the story behind the title TIL DEATH?

KE: Til Death actually started out as Hunter’s Moon. The story used to be so different way back when. It didn’t even have Dillan’s POV. But, through the magic of editing, the story changed and so did the title. I was fascinated by the part in the marriage vows where the groom and bride say “Til death do us part.” Since Selena dreams of her death and it becomes an important part of the storyline, I thought using Til Death as the title works better than Hunter’s Moon. The latter fits a werewolf story better, don’t you think? 

YA: This is the first in the FRACTURED SOULS series.  What can fans look forward to in the second installment?

KE: A crazier ride. Totally the unexpected. When you reach the end of Til Death and begin thinking what happens next, it won’t even come close. *evil laugh*

YA: If you could cast the Dream Film of TIL DEATH, who would you cast?

KE: Is it wrong that I never really thought about it? When I’m writing, I’m so immersed that it’s difficult to see beyond the story. At the same time, when I cast the film today the actors will be too old to actually play the characters when the film rights do get picked up. Like, I’d seriously want Emma Stone to play Selena, but she is indeed too old and I’m probably just too obsessed with her right now to think of anyone else. She already has the freckles. 

YA: What’s up next for you in YA land?  Any pet projects you can tease us about?

KE: I just finished writing a YA Contemporary called Chasing Heartbeats. It’s hilarious. I can’t wait for everyone to read about what happens to Knox. 

YA: All right, last one!  If you could spend one day with Selena and Dillan, what would you do together? What would advice would you give to Selena about her past or future?

KE: We’d watch a movie. These two need a proper date considering the things that happen in Til Death to the both of them. I’d willingly be the third wheel sitting several rows behind them. And advice for Selena? Don’t hold grudges. They are exhausting. 

YA: Thank you very much, Kate!  And again, from YA Mag, congratulations on TIL DEATH!  We’ll be waiting on the next Fractured Souls tale.

KE: Thank you so much for having me. It’s been a pleasure answering all your awesome questions.  

~*~

Readers, be sure to check out Kate Evangelista at her website www.KateEvangelista.com. Or follow her on Twitter @KateEvangelista.

TIL DEATH, published by Entangled Teen, is now available at your favorite retailers and local independent bookstores!

Olivia Hennis is a transplanted New England girl dropped by a tornado into the magical Land of Jersey.  For more info, follow her on Twitter.