Interview with Tonya Hurley (and a prize pack giveaway!)

Photo by Kevin Mazur

Tonya Hurley is the author of PRECIOUS BLOOD, the first book in The Blessed series.  It was originally published as THE BLESSED in September 2012.  I called it, "a fever dream of a book, jumbling rock and roll, celebrity, and religious iconography together with abandon.  But I know I'll be back for the second book.  Hurley's created an intoxicating version of Brooklyn, one populated by saints and prophets, and I can't wait to see where she's taking this crazed thrill ride of faith and violence next."  She also wrote the ghostgirl series and writes and directs independent films.

The second book, PASSIONARIES, will be published January 7, 2014.
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1.  On this tour, you've written about the main characters of The Blessed series as well as their Saint namesakes. I found the religious aspects of the novel intriguing, even though I'm not familiar with Catholicism. How much research did you have to do?

I’ve always been fascinated with Catholic iconography and art. I remember sitting in church as a little girl and literally staring at statues of the Blessed Mother stepping on the head of a serpent. It terrified me, it was the stuff of nightmares, but also, in a strange way, it comforted me. She was strong. Heroic. Fearless. Literally stamping out evil in one fell swoop.

Being raised Catholic, I was vaguely familiar with most of the saints but I was surprised at how little I knew about their legends. The thing about these stories that struck me the most, particularly about the female saints like Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes, was how young they were when they were executed and how bravely they faced their deaths. We tend to think of these figures as being very peaceful and passive but the more you read about them, the more their sense of defiance and empowerment comes through. And this sense of undying love they had. As I read, I realized that these were pretty much the first Young Adult superstars on record and the their influence on Western Civilization has been felt for nearly two thousand years since.

As a young adult writer, these sorts of characters and circumstances felt familiar to me. I thought it would make for an exciting and original series to reimagine these people and their legends in a modern context. I couldn’t wait to put all the gruesomeness and the glory onto paper.

2. PRECIOUS BLOOD is not very similar to the ghostgirl series, although both share a morbid sensibility and an interest in life after death. What themes do you feel you're most drawn to?

I think I’m both drawn to and frightened by the unknown, particularly death and the afterlife. Most people have a strong belief regarding what happens to us when we die, but no one really knows for sure. One thing that is for sure – none of us are getting out of here alive. Spoiler alert – we all die. So, it’s really fertile ground from a creative standpoint. I love exploring these themes in unconventional ways. For example, in ghostgirl I approached it as a “life sucks and then you die and then it sucks again,” kind of way. In The Blessed, it’s more of the idea of becoming infamous in death. You become more powerful, your love is stronger. It’s the whole “mythologizing” someone after they’re gone. You tend to remember the good stuff. In a more worldly vein, I like writing about characters who are trying to be accepted and fit in with the people and world around and the lengths they are willing to go to in that effort. Finally, I’d say fame fascinates me. It is a sort of immortality that plays a role in both the ghostgirl and The Blessed series.

3. The UK, US hardcover, and US paperback covers of THE BLESSED/PRECIOUS BLOOD are all very different. Which do you feel represents the story best and why?

I love them both. The Blessed UK was actually an interpretation of art I had done for the original book proposal and it really brings out the gritty and street aspects of the book. The Blessed US hardcover sleeve with the image of the Lucy character by artist Natalie Shau was so evocative. The whole journey of the characters is summed up in that image of the crying girl with the praying hands. ‘Why is this girl crying’ sort of vibe. It is creepy, but the color palette is not dark but bright – gold, white and light blue. Which, I think, makes it even more eerie. Likewise, the paperback cover of PRECIOUS BLOOD with the Abbey Watkins art with all the iconography captures perfectly the kind obtuse, trippy mystery that I tried write into the narrative. This book is not a religious book – it is a gritty, dark thriller and I think Abbey conveyed that beautifully.

4. One of my favorite aspects of PRECIOUS BLOOD was that it didn't stick to one interpretation of events, but allowed each of the girls to perceive things in their own ways. As the author, do you have one true perspective? Is it challenging to switch between several points of view?

It is challenging but that was the whole point of the book. Each of these characters was experiencing events through their own filter, from their own point of view, particularly their individual relationships with Sebastian and the unbelievable message he has for them. I like that it is disorienting and it was meant to be that way. I understand that it’s unusual, but its what I felt the story called for. I want the reader to feel each girl’s struggle on a personal level. Feel the way they feel. Relate to each of them. See through their eyes, which is a recurring metaphor, particularly regarding Lucy.

5.  Can you share a little about what is coming next in the Blessed trilogy?  (Warning: some spoilers follow.)





PASSIONARIES is the second book in the trilogy. “Passionaries” were actually medieval saint stories collected by monks and other clerics throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The second novel pretty much follows Lucy, Cecilia and Agnes as they try to work out what they are meant to do with what has been revealed to them. It is much more action-packed and plot heavy, whereas the first book was mostly set up and origin story to use a standard comic book term -- which I felt was needed if you’re going to be willing to go on this particular journey. We see the girls trying to live their lives, trying to survive. Trying to find their way, to make it, and to find themselves. We see their saintly powers, how their lives are threatened, and how they are changing the world by their missions. Also, and most importantly, we see how their relationship with Sebastian grows stronger after his death.

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Check out the other eight tour stops:

Meet Agnes the girl at Confessions of a Bookaholic and Agnes the Saint at Candace’s Book Blog.
Meet Cecilia the girl at Bewitched Bookworms and Cecilia the Saint at A Life Bound by Books.

Meet Lucy the girl at The Reading Date and Lucy the Saint at All Things Urban Fantasy.
Meet Sebastian the boy at Vampire Book Club and Sebastian the Saint at The Book Cellar.

And find out more about The Blessed through these links:

Learn more at http://theblessed.com
Like The Blessed on Facebook
Follow The Blessed and Tonya Hurley on Twitter and join the conversation using #PreciousBlood
Follow The Blessed on Pinterest 

One winner will receive a prize pack, courtesy of Simon & Schuster, containing earbuds, sunglasses, nail polish, PRECIOUS BLOOD, and an Agnes, Cecilia, or Lucy t-shirt.  More details on the rafflecopter below.
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Review: The Blessed

First in a trilogy
By Tonya Hurley
Available now from Simon & Schuster
Review copy
Read my reviews of GHOSTGIRL and GHOSTGIRL: HOMECOMING

I heard mixed reviews of THE BLESSED before reading the book, but I never quite understood what it was about.  But there's something intriguing about books that people either love or hate.  And based on my experiences with Tonya Hurley's debut series, there was still a 50-50 chance for me.

But, y'know, I didn't love or hate THE BLESSED.

(And I'm still not entirely sure what it's about.)

One fateful night in Brooklyn, three young women - Agnes, CeCe, and Lucy - end up in the hospital.  They have little in common.  Agnes is a typical teen who attempted suicide.  CeCe is a musician who drowned in a pothole.  Lucy is a celebutante who overdosed.  But by the time they leave, they all have something in common.  The three girls each leave with an expensive antique chaplet.  (All of them know what a chaplet is, despite the fact that only one of them is a Catholic school girl.  I had to look it up.)  Only CeCe saw Sebastian, the boy who left them behind.  But soon enough all four of them are drawn to Our Lady of Perpetual Blood during a fierce three-day storm.  That's when things get weird.

I liked that THE BLESSED doesn't stick to one interpretation of events.  It gets inside the head of many of the characters, including the possibly villainous psychiatrist Dr. Frey and the paparazzo Jesse, who is sometimes Lucy's ally.  All of the characters have their own agendas and their own ways of seeing the world, and the truth lies somewhere between how the individuals present it.  That doesn't mean I've figured out the truth.

I don't know what I think.  THE BLESSED is a fever dream of a book, jumbling rock and roll, celebrity, and religious iconography together with abandon.  But I know I'll be back for the second book.  Hurley's created an intoxicating version of Brooklyn, one populated by saints and prophets, and I can't wait to see where she's taking this crazed thrill ride of faith and violence next.  I don't think THE BLESSED is for everyone, but I appreciate that.  I like that a book this strange is getting a big marketing push.  Like Lucy says, you gotta go big.

Review: ghostgirl and ghostgirl: Homecoming

By Tonya Hurley
Visit the ghostgirl website
Visit Tonya Hurley Productions



Charlotte Usher only feels invisible. That is, until she chokes on a gummi bear just after becoming her crush's science partner. But she doesn't move on - the Afterlife is just more classes. And Charlotte's sure her unfinished business is her relationship with Damen. (Some of the other ghosts are fed up with her clearly deluded behaviour.)

Charlotte discovers a way to get what she wants with the help of independent Scarlet, the younger sister of Petula - Damen's girlfriend. Of course, Scarlet may decide she has different goals. Who wouldn't, when Charlotte is such a whiny brat? I really had trouble identifying with her.

I don't mind books that show teenagers as self-obsessed. That's accurate, in my opinion. But all the kids in Dead Ed have one track minds. The end implies this may be a consequence of the lessons they need to learn, but throughout the book it's resented as one of the satirical elements. I don't think teenagers are that shallow. None of them (and this is pointed out) even think about their parents! Charlotte's entire focus in the book is popularity and Damen. She's a total stalker.

GHOSTGIRL was fun, but Charlotte really bothered me. The end did give me hope for the next book. It is about Charlotte's growth; I just wished it started earlier. It felt like it came on suddenly at the end in order to finish the story nicely. I did like most of the supporting characters, especially Scarlet.

And I can't ignore the design. This is a gorgeous book. Normally I buy paperbacks, but this hardcover is hard to resist. For those who haven't seen it in person, the interior design is quite lovely as well.



GHOSTGIRL: HOMECOMING picks up a little while after GHOSTGIRL, when Charlotte has had some time to get used to the next phase of her afterlife. Not that there's much for her to get used to. She's supposed to be counseling troubled teens, but her phone never rings. The one day it does, her frenemy roommate answers it.

Scarlet has her own troubles: Petula developed a staph infection from a pedicure. (Why this causes other girls to go to that salon, I don't know. Even if you want to show tragically romantic solidarity you wouldn't go somewhere known to be contaminated with a fatal infection.) Scarlet knows Charlotte is the only person who can help her sister. What she doesn't know is how to contact her now that she's moved on.

I enjoyed this one more than GHOSTGIRL. Charlotte did develop as a character, though it takes awhile to realize how much. I like that Tonya Hurley avoids writing big misunderstandings between Damen and Scarlet. Scarlet knows what it means to him to see his ex-girlfriend in a coma, but she can also know what she means to him.

I was kind of afraid that this one would be a slog after feeling iffy about GHOSTGIRL, but I really did enjoy it. The characterization could be more subtle, even considering the books are supposed to be satire. They do have more depth in GHOSTGIRL: HOMECOMING, which goes so far is to reveal the (somewhat) softer side of Petula. If I had the choice, I might even skip the first book and go straight to the second.