Giveaway and Interview: The Art of Disappearing by Elena Perez

Delia can see the future . . . but can she change it?
All Delia wants is to be popular. She has the perfect plan: join the cheerleading squad with her best friend, Ava, and rule the school from the coolest table in the cafeteria. But everything changes the day she watches a boy die—before it actually happens.
After dreaming about a classmate’s demise, she’s shocked when she witnesses his last breath—just like she dreamt it. Ava insists Delia stop acting so strange, but Delia worries her abilities are beyond her control.
Torn between who she is and who she wants to be, Delia wishes she could simply disappear. She doesn’t get her wish, but when someone close to her vanishes, Delia must use her gift to solve the mystery, before it’s too late.

The Art of Disappearing, now available on Kindle, Nook, iTunes, Kobo
Elena's site

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

The Art of Disappearing ; 14yrold Delia Dark is on track to be the 2nd most popular girl until a seemingly psychic event changes everything.

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

The main character of The Art of Disappearing, Delia Dark, came to me first in one of those flashes of inspiration people talk about. I knew instantly she was a young artist, I knew she was following the wrong path because she didn’t really know who she was yet. My next step was to figure out what dramatic event might kick off that inevitable self-discovery. (Sorry, Gary Chang!)

Of course, theprocess of becoming your true self is never, ever without a fair amount of agony. And so, The Art of Disappearing takes us through Delia’s journey – the confusion, angst and mystery of it all.

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

Besides Delia, I’d love to have dinner with Delia’s cousin Zach visits from California. He’s got such a strong sense of self, is really smart and has a creative, edgy sensibility. I feel like we’d have a great discussion about music and science and hair dye. I bet I could learn a few things from him, just like Delia does.

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

I’m currently deep into my second novel, a creepy story with a slightly older protagonist and a very different storyline. It’s too soon to talk release dates, but keep an eye out!

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

Oh, I wish I had more time to read! There’s so much amazing work out to devour. My most recent read was Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I’m really keen on her writing style – sparse yet so emotive. I also loved Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein, gripping narrative and characters. I still think about Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, riveting…. I keep adding books to my wishlist on Goodreads, but I can’t seem to get to most of them. It’s an issue of time, sure, but also, when I find books I love, I often want to drop everything and write. That can really get in the way of reading.

--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?

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to fall down the rabbit hole? I’d stay away from the queen in hopes of keeping my head, but what a terrifically bizarre adventure that would be. (I’d postso many pictures.) Along the same lines, I wouldn’t object to a wild rumpus, or a flight over to Neverland. And it might be nice to have some bread and jam with Frances.

--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 quit caffeine last year. I love-love-love coffee but I decided that I was drinking too much of it. So I quit (almost) and then I just missed that delicious flavor too much, so now I sometimes drink decaf black coffees while I write. It’s almost the same – and nice to have a hot beverage on hand while thinking about the next move on the page.

(Did you know a lot of places don’t sell decaf anymore? At least, in NYC cafes. And I want to be disappointed but I can’t really blame them. It is a little bit like filling a car with pretend gas.)

But back to the question - I sometimes listen to music when I write, but I have to choose it wisely so it’s not distracting. I’ve been building a playlist on Spotify to help me through certain sections of my current book. It’s too soon to share any of those, but here’s an old favorite from The Cure’s Disintegration that I listened to while capturing Delia Dark’s alienation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J10S1bn1WeM

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

Oh, flying would be pretty amazing. I’ve got a healthy fear of heights, but it’s mostly rooted in the fear of falling over a cliff or off a roof – if I could fly, that wouldn’t be such an issue anymore. I’d hang out on roofs and cliffs more, I bet. And in the tops of trees.Definitely in the tops of trees.

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

Well, we’ve already talked about reading. And I love TV. Cooking. Walking around the streets of NYC. Biking in the new Citibikes. Dining out with friends somewhere delicious. Shopping – clothes and grocery.  I’m oddly obsessed with grocery stores, I don’t know why but I find them really soothing. Travel! In fact, wish I could see more of the world right now. No, really, right this minute! But I’m probably going to put American Horror Story on instead.

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

Like so many, I remember feeling stuck in my fifteen year old world. No, it wasn’t a terrible place–it was just suburban and therefore kind of dull. My friends and I would often take the train into New York and wander around, shop, exist.  I loved those trips – I always felt more real in the city. And now I live there. So I suppose I’d tell my 15 year old self, “You’re going to get to spend a lot more time where you want to be, trust me...”

Lightning round: this or that?

Vanilla or chocolate?Vanilla for sure. Vanilla ice cream is divine. French vanilla yogurt, too.

Video or Board Games? Board Games – I’m feeling nostalgic right now.

Summer or Winter? Summer – it’s so much easier to get dressed when socks aren’t required.

Edward or Jacob? Jacob. Edward’s creepy, isn’t he?

Hockey or soccer? Soccer

Ebook or paper?Ebook

Salty or sweet? Salty, though I’m about to eat a cupcake so…

Beach or mountains?It used to be beach without a doubt. Now it might be mountains… but there needs to be a lake involved.

Phone call or email? Email. I’m a writer.

Early bird or night owl? Early bird, I’m all about the hushed morning hours..

Dog or cat? Dog, Boo is my infinitely lovable Chihuahua/Jack Russell with ears like satellite dishes.

Messy or neat? Messy. (Shhh, don’t tell Mom)

Ninjas or pirates? Pirates, because I like the ocean that much. 

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