It feels like just yesterday we hosted a blog tour with author Amy Sampson-Cutler. Now, she's back with us again for a book that's perfect for the spooky season. Join us as we celebrate the launch of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill. We're interviewing the author about her chilling new novel and giving you a chance to win a copy for yourself.
First, here's more about this novel:
In her past life, after causing the death of a little boy, Nikki was so devastated that her soul mate promised to murder her in their next life, to make her pay for what she had done. With no knowledge of this, Nikki lives for years as an addict, down on her luck, until she is rescued by Ken, who helps her with all aspects of her recovery. With the help of a few new friends and a cat named Destiny, Nikki turns her life around. What she doesn’t know is that someone out there is destined to kill her, and he is watching, his passion for killing her growing stronger each day.
The question is: Can an agreement made between two souls be broken, and how far will one soul go to keep a promise made in a desperate attempt to save the other?
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN-10: 1685133428
ISBN-13: 978-1685133429
Print length: 195 pages
Purchase a copy of To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill on Amazon and Bookshop.org. You can also add this to your GoodReads reading list.
About the Author, Amy Sampson-Cutler
Amy Sampson-Cutler, author of To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill: An Agreement of Souls and A Shadow of Love, is a writer who earned her master's degree in creative writing from Goddard College. Her work can be found in Slut Vomit: An Anthology of Sex Work, Tales to Terrify, WOW! Women on Writing, The Pitkin Review and more. She is the Executive Manager at Mount Peter Ski Area, where she grew up skiing in the winter and dreaming up stories in the summer. Her favorite days are spent knocking around story ideas with her husband. She lives in the Hudson Valley with her husband, son, and a ridiculous amount of furry family members.
She can be contacted through AmysHippieHut.com. Also follow her on:
Facebook: https://facebook.com/AmysHippieHut
Instagram: https://instagram.com/amyshippiehut
--- Interview by Nicole Pyles
WOW: Welcome back to WOW, Amy! And congratulations on your new book! What inspired this novel?
Amy: Thank you so much! A friend of mine is an amazing energist - an energy healer - and I was talking with her about life's struggles. During a session with her, she suggested to me that perhaps my troubles weren't just about my current life, that maybe they had something to do with a past life. We starting talking about contracts and karma, and during that session, when she was working on me and I was half-conked on an energy high, this entire story came together in my mind.
WOW: That's absolutely fascinating. During our last blog tour together (can you believe it's been three years?), you mentioned that you based your last book on your parents' haunted house. Did you base this novel on any actual people or locations?
Amy: Purposefully, this book does not represent any actual people or locations. Besides a few street names, I did not set this book in any particular location. I didn't want the location to matter; it could be any place, happening to any people.
WOW: A great approach! How did you decide upon your novel's title?
Amy: The title is long. I've always thought it was too long, and it's a mouthful to say! It is, however, an exact description of the book. The title started as, "To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill," which is a good start, but I didn't think it was enough. Then it was, "An Agreement of Souls," which fit but needed more. Thus, "To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill: An Agreement of Souls" was born and will likely be my longest title ever.
WOW: Well, it's a wonderful, catching title! How do you balance writing with your day job?
Amy: My writing life and my career are in a never-ending battle for my time. My mind is the clearest and most productive in the morning, and when I make my coffee and sit down at my desk, it's like I have an angel on each shoulder. My writing angel whispers that I should write while I have the chance, and my work-minded angel (is it an angel though? Hmm, not sure) whispers that I should check my email and get an early start on the day. It's more of an internal battle than a balance, but sometimes the writing angel wins, and almost always, I'm glad it does.
WOW: I can completely relate to that struggle for balance. What advice can you share with writers who want to share their stories with the world?
Amy: Do it! I can't tell you how many people say to me, "I've always wanted to write a book," and then they go on to tell me some of their ideas. Do it, I tell them. What can it hurt? In the process of writing a book - any book - we learn and grow, and go through a grueling process that always leaves us better. If the book is published, great. Terrific, really! But even if it is not published, you will be left with this amazing piece of work that you produced, containing a piece of your heart, your soul, your time. If you want to grow as a person, write a book - you will pull things out of yourself that you never knew were there.
WOW: I completely agree! What are you working on now that you can tell us about?
Amy: You know the friend I mentioned, the amazing energist? She has several extraordinary gifts, and the story of how she realized these gifts - through a traumatic and confusing childhood, through loss and struggle - is not only outstanding but inspiring. I am so happy to say that I am writing the story of her life. It is my first non-fiction book, and it in I am weaving a mythological tale of the phoenix, rising from ashes, because that is exactly what her story is.
WOW: I can't wait for your next novel. Thank you so much for chatting with us today!
-- Blog Tour Calendar
October 6 @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of To Have and to Hold, to Love and to Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler. We interview the author and give you a chance to win a copy of the book.
October 6 @ Tracey Lampley's blog
Visit Tracey's blog for a guest post by author Amy Sampson-Cutler on why she writes scary stories even though she's afraid of the dark.
October 7 @ All Things Writing
Visit Caitrin's blog for a guest post by author Amy Sampson-Cutler on finding time to write on a busy schedule.
October 12 @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog for his review of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 15 @ Chapter Break
Visit Julie's blog for a guest post by author Amy Sampson-Cutler on how to turn everyday encounters into spooky stories.
October 18 @ Boots, Shoes, and Fashion
Linda interviews author Amy Sampson-Cutler about her book To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill.
October 20 @ A Storybook World
Visit Deirdra's blog for her spotlight of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 22 @ Guatemala Paula Loves to Read
Visit Karen's blog for her review of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 23 @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy's blog for her review of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 23 @ The Faerie Review
Visit Lily's blog for her spotlight of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 24 @ Author Anthony Avina's Blog
Visit Anthony's blog for an excerpt from To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 25 @ Word Magic
Visit Fiona's blog for a guest post by Amy Sampson-Cutler on creating the perfect ambiance to write paranormal tales.
October 27 @ Lit World Interviews
Visit Ronovan's blog for his review of To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill by Amy Sampson-Cutler.
October 28 @ Kaecey McCormick's blog
Visit Kaecey's blog for a guest post by author Amy Sampson-Cutler on tips on writing for your favorite genre.
October 29 @ Sarandipity
Sara interviews author Amy Sampson-Cutler about her book To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill.
October 30 @ Words by Webb
Stop by Jodi's blog for Amy Sampson-Cutler's guest post on her favorite books to read on Halloween.
October 31 @ Sarandipity
Visit Sara's blog for a guest post by author Amy Sampson-Cutler on creating the perfect ambiance to write paranormal tales.
November 2 @ Jill Sheets' Blog
Visit Jill's blog for her interview with author Amy Sampson-Cutler about her book To Have and To Hold, To Love and To Kill.
***** BOOK GIVEAWAY *****
The giveaway is open to US residents for a print copy. Enter to win a print copy of To Have and to Hold, To Love and to Kill by Amy S. Cutler! Fill out the Gleam form below for a chance to win. The giveaway ends October 19th at 11:59 pm CT. We will randomly draw a winner the next day via Gleam and follow up via email. Good luck!
5 comments:
Oooo! Sounds intriguing and a little scary, elements of a great read.
Wonderful interview! I loved hearing about your inspiration for your novel, and that's so great when an entire story just appears as a gift. :) I'm adding your book to my list! Good luck on your tour! <3
Sounds like a great read! I enjoy paranormal fiction. Thanks for the opportunity. -Sandy
I love this concept in a story. Looking forward to reading it
Loved the interview, it was informative and interesting. It always adds another layer to the book when you know how it’s conception.
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