Swoontini Interview: GRETCHEN McNEIL
Hey Swoonies!! Welcome back! We are so excited to see you, and you all look ADORABLE. Wednesday suits you quite nicely. AND HEY, we have Gretchen McNeil here today *WILD SCREAMS* and ALSO? We’re giving away an ARC of TEN! WOOT WOOT! So all you need to do is hop on those comments below, leave your name and some love for Gretchen, and you’re entered to win! EASY.
Hi Gretchen! So excited to have you at Swoontini! We both got ARC’s of TEN at WonderCon because we are lucky hoors. And I (Lo) have to admit that there were a few sections where I literally had to close the book and put it down for awhile it scared me so bad. What are some of your favorite scary books & movies?
GM: So I’m a notorious wimp with scary movies. Traditional horror scares the CRAP out of me! I prefer things more on the suspense scale. Hitchcock was a master –Birds, Strangers on a Train, North By Northwest – absolute edge-of-your seat film making. I also love old Victorian ghost stories. There’s nothing creepier than drafty old manor houses and ghosts on the Moor. Sheridan Le Fanu, Algernon Blackwood, Wilkie Collins, Emily Bronte. Deliciously gothic!
(Christina totally agrees. Rear Window is one of her all-time faves)
The movie Burnt Offerings scared my sister so much growing up that I bet she still remembers every detail. Aaanyway. Your background is so fun to hear about because it is so DIFFERENT than ours. I mean, OPERA HELLO. Plus, you have some of the funniest stories about those days. What is one of your favorite stories from working in Opera?
GM: Opera is a crazy business. And ridiculously hard work. I think my best stories are all costume-related: like the time my zipper broke on a dress during a quick change and the costumer accidentally safety pinned the dress TO MY BACK. I had to go on stage and sing while bleeding through the gown. Yeah, it was not awesome.
ACK ACK! That made my skin crawl. You’re a founding vlogger for the YARebels, featured as “Monday.” OH THE PRESSSSSURE. What do you do when you’re not sure what to talk about? Or do you always have some awesome anecdote or info to share?
GM: So I usually plot out my vlogs while I’m blow drying my hair. (Vain much?) [Christina says: She has the best hair, seriously] Most of the time I have an idea what I’m going to talk about but sometimes I just go brain dead and end up rambling for six minutes. Those vlogs usually end with an apology. HAHAHAHA.
Tell us about Teenage Gretchen. What current books would she be devouring? What characters would have her swooning and cheering?
GM: I essentially had two kinds of books I read in high school – Agatha Christie, and pre-20th century British and Irish authors. Victorian, Georgian, even early Edwardian fiction was like all I read. You should see my book collection at home. The complete works of William Ainsworth? Own it! Fanny Burney? The whole set! Obscure early 19th century Irish women authors? You know it, baby.
“There’s only one rule of exorcism: the spirits lie” IT STILL GIVES US GOOSEBUMPS!! What made you decide to write about exorcism, and honestly, did you have to watch a ton of exorcism movies and read actual ACCOUNTS? Because if so, you are a far stronger woman than either of us. ::heebie jeebies::
GM: Basically, I wanted to write a scary novel. I feel like a lot of the things that scared me as a kid – vampires, werewolves, ghosts – have been romanticized. Which is totally fine, but I miss scary stories!
I didn’t watch any exorcisms other than the classic: The Exorcist, aka the scariest movie ever made. But I read dozens of first hand accounts of exorcisms and demonologists. Some of it was impactful, some of it ridiculous. And mostly I just screwed myself out of hours of sleep by reading them before bed.
Yes, The Exorcist is the scariest movie ever. One of Lo’s best friends can’t even hear the title without starting to panic, NO LIE. Anyway, we are so excited for 3:59 we are almost bouncing. SCI-FI HORROR ARE YOU KIDDING US? So, just for the Swoontini readers, here is a link to the teaser you posted. Yep, not a question, just…excited.
GM: Thank you!!!! I’m excited too. Now if I can just FINISH IT!
It was SO SO FUN to meet you at WonderCon this year. What authors would you LOVE to see on a panel in-person?
GM: First off, that WonderCon panel was awesome. I was humbled to be among such fantastic writers. As for writers I’d totally fangirl? Holly Black is near the top of that list, and I just found out I’ll be doing a signing WITH HER at Books of Wonder in New York on June 6th. Holy crap, I’m going to babble like a moron in front of her!!!!
AHHHH!!! SO FUN!
Quickfires:
Favorite mode of transportation: Car (I’m an LA girl)
Your favorite board game: Clue
A movie you’ve watched over and over: Clue (ONE OF MY FAVORITE MOVIES OF ALL TIME!!!!!)
Popcorn Jelly Bellys are delicious or disgusting? Heinous (christina is totally fistpumping right now)
You’d rather (a) wear sneakers (b) wear a turtleneck (trust us, The Girls are awesome): Turtleneck, for sure. [Lo says: idk why but I was cracking up like a maniac writing this question. Something was in the water.]
Thanks so much for joining us!! We love you, but YOU ALREADY KNEW THIS.
GM: *blows kisses*
Have you read Possess? Pre-ordered Ten?? Interested in winning a signed ARC?? Leave the lovely Gretchen some love and it’s yours!
