Giveaway: Blink Once and Interview with Cylin Busby

Blink Once by Cylin Busby

West is a high school senior who has everything going for him until an accident leaves him paralyzed. Strapped down in his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, West is terrified and alone. Until he meets Olivia. She's the girl next door-sort of. A patient in the room next to his, only Olivia can tell what West is thinking, and only Olivia seems to know that the terrible dreams he's been having are not just a result of his medication. Yet as West comes to rely on Olivia-to love her, even-certain questions pull at him: Why has Olivia been in the hospital for so long? And what does it mean that she is at the center of his nightmares? But the biggest question of all comes when West begins to recover and learns that the mysterious girl he's fallen in love with has a secret he could never have seen coming.

Publishes Sept 4th 2012


- 3 paper copies, open to US only
-Fill out Rafflecopter to enter
-Ends on 9/4 11:59pm EST
-Make sure to check out and comment on our interview below for an extra entry
-If you win a review on your blog and/or amazon is appreciated but not required.

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Giveaway provided by Cylin Busby

--The Twitter version: tell us about your book in 140 characters or less.

A haunting YA novel about love, soul mates and believing in the impossible.

--How did you get the idea for the story?

In the memoir that I co-wrote with my dad, THE YEAR WE DISAPPEARED, he tells the story of his near-death experience and how it felt to be technically “dead” for a few moments. His story started me thinking about what happens when you are not on this Earth, or in your physical body anymore…especially when your body is being kept alive for you. What if you were a teenager, confused about life anyhow, not fully formed as person, and found yourself in that place where Dad was—somewhere between Here and There. And what if you weren’t alone….

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

I would love to have dinner with Nurse Norris—I based her on my mom (a retired nurse and midwife) and a few other family members who are nurses (my cousin, two of my aunts). Based on the job Nurse Norris does, and how she does it, she is an amazing lady.

--Do you have any other works in progress? Any teasers or release dates?

Yes, I can’t say too much about my next project right now, but it’s a Southern Gothic horror series that will be published by HarperCollins in 2014.

--What book(s) is your book’s “cousin”? (Similar set-up or style)

When I was a teen, I read a book called THE KEEPER OF THE ISIS LIGHT by Monica Hughes—it’s a sci-fi YA novel with a big twist in the middle. I think the twist in BLINK ONCE is similar, although the stories are very different, they both involve teens falling in love in unusual circumstances.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I just finished reading Gillian Flynn’s GONE GIRL on vacation—it was a great page-turner. One of my favorite books is WUTHERING HEIGHTS and I think I usually re-read it about once a year. I love the format and the love story.

--If a fairy godmother told you could be put into the world of your favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY—I’ve always wanted to try all those treats, but I know I would mess up and be sent to the Oompa Loompas, so after 24 hours I would want to come home.

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on your playlist- songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I do need coffee or tea in the morning to get going—my son gets up really early for school and I’m a bit of a night owl reader, so waking up is never easy.

I can’t listen to music when I write, but I will say that the Radiohead song “High & Dry” inspired the character of West in BLINK ONCE.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I wish I needed less sleep! I know that sounds lame, but I really need about 8 or 9 hours a night—I would rather stay up late reading, then get about 2 or 3 hours of sleep, but be able to function like a human being the next day.

--What is one thing you would tell your 15 year old self?

I would tell myself not to be so concerned about the looks and fashion of the time—it seems to important when you’re in it, but then when you grow up and get your own style, you realize that all that worrying about having the “right” clothes and shoes and jewelry amounted to nothing but a waste of time.

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all of my readers! I love to hear from readers, so many teens have read BLINK ONCE and reached out to me with their amazingly well written reviews and their thoughts on Olivia and West, it seriously makes my day every time I hear from a reader or see a review that someone has written for one of my books.

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate

Edward or Jacob? Edward

Hockey or soccer? Hockey (I’m from Maine!)

Ebook or paper? Paper

Salty or sweet? Sweet

Beach or mountains? Beach

Phone call or email? Phone call

Early bird or night owl? Night owl

Dog or cat? Cat

Messy or neat? Neat

Ninjas or pirates? Pirates (but only if they look like Johnny Depp)

My question to you, my lovely readers:
Have you ever been unable to speak?

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