Vlog Post with Kimberly Derting

Photo Content from Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED (her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

        

THE LAST ECHO QUOTES

“In the end, all that's left is an echo.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“Maybe she'd just say she ran into a door; that seemed infinitely more plausible than the truth.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“As if their actions were synchronized, they both jumped off the swings at the same moment, Jay racing toward the laddered steps as Violet rushed to reach the bottom of the slide.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“Some days the rain just seemed to fit, and today felt like one of those days. The morning sky was dark, layered with the kind of thick black clouds that promised showers.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“At some point, during the early hours of the morning, the dreams found their way in.
they were dark dreams, treacherous, submerging Violet in their murky depths until she incapable of finding her way to the surface. At first the images were harmless, like some sort of crazy kaleidoscope, drifting in and out of focus, colliding and splintering and reforming again.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

Violet grinned. It was just a note—a single line, really—but even his notes made her pulse race. Ridiculous, she thought as she ran her fingertips over his words, committing them to memory.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“Violet could see the fear in his eyes. “I have to tell you, the idea of losing you scares the hell out of me, Vi. You know that, don't you?" He sighed heavily, still holding on to her as he stared back at her. "Promise me, no more gang fights.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

“And then, shrugging, she mused, “I was just thinking about us.” She leaned her cheek against her hand as it clutched the chain.
Jay nudged his swing sideways, so it nearly brushed Violet’s. “What about us?”
“I was just thinking how cute we must have been, when we were their age.” She glanced toward the kids, who were racing up the ladder again.
His arm snaked out, capturing her before the momentum of his swing could drag him away again. When the swing did pull, they both moved in that direction. “We’re still cute,” he said, but his voice was low and filled with unspoken longing.
She lifted her chin, their faces just inches apart now, and Jay’s grip around her waist kept them together. “Yeah?” she breathed. “You think so?”
His other hand moved to rest on the side of her face, covering her bruise . . . not concealing it but cradling it. His thumb shifted, stroking the tender path of skin. “I do, Vi. I think we’re perfect.” ―Kimberly Derting, The Last Echo

In the end, all that's left is an Echo.

Before, Violet's morbid ability to sense the dead led her to uncover dark murders and long-buried secrets in her small town. Now that she's working with a special investigative team, Violet hopes she can help even more people—whether by saving a life or catching a killer.

Although she's relieved to finally be honest about what she can do, her instant connection with her mysterious partner, Rafe, is both confusing and unsettling, and their unique bond creates tension with her boyfriend, Jay. When she discovers the body of a college student murdered by "the collector," Violet refuses to give up on the case. With her own relationship on the line, Violet doesn't realize that the serial killer is looking to add to his collection and that she may have caught his eye. Will the life Violet has to save be her own?

Praise for THE LAST ECHO

"As always, this author writes a gripping tale...With another sequel set up, this intriguing series continues to provide great entertainment for suspense fans." ―Kirkus Reviews

"The suspenseful ending will have readers tucking under blankets and imagining horror-movie scenarios. Tell them not to read this one right before bed." ―School Library Journal

"Derting is a masterful writer, expertly ratcheting up the suspense and creepy quota." ―Romantic Times

"Violet's character is extremely well developed, with the supporting cast also consisting of believable teenagers dealing with their own issues...Fans of Derting will appreciate this third volume." ―VOYA

Kimberly Derting never ceases to amaze me. She has an aptitude for crafting such an array of spine-chilling characters. In The Last Echo, we are introduced to “The Girlfriend Collector”, who is downright very menacing and disturbing. What is even more amazing is that she gives us a glimpse of the killers’ viewpoints. Being able to dive into their minds and get a sense of their sinister planned acts is quite distressing. Her writing etiquette compliments the creepiness factor when she describes these very eerie thoughts and menacing plans.

The main character in The Last Echo is Violet, who is able to see the dead which assists her in finding the killer. She comes to a realization that she’s not alone as she meets others with the same ability. Now she’s able to release some of the stuff that she’s been bottling up. She has confusion with her ability and specifically its intention. But with the others who know what she’s going through, she’s able to accept who she is and appreciates it.

Derting has delivered another heart-racing, plot-twisting in every direction, dazzling romance book. Each page was an edge-of-your-seat situation, not knowing what to expect, just to find out that the next page is creepier. Like the first two installments in The Body Finder Series, The Last Echo is a wonderfully frightening story that cannot be missed.

You can purchase The Last Echo at the following Retailers:

  

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you KIMBERLY DERTING for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a complete The Last Echo Swag by Kimberly Derting.

(1 Copy of The Last Echo, Signed Bookmark, Bracelet, Nail Polish & Sticker).

7 Winners will receive one Bookplate by Kimberly Derting.

3 Winners will receive one Nail Polish by Kimberly Derting.

2 Winners will receive one Signed Bookmark & Bookplates.

In addition, I will donate 2 Copies of The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting.

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Kimberly Derting Author Interview

Photo Content from Kimberly Derting

Kimberly Derting is the author of the award-winning THE BODY FINDER series, THE PLEDGE trilogy, THE TAKING trilogy, and UNDRESSED (her first book in The Men Of West Beach series). Her books have been translated into 15 languages, and both THE BODY FINDER and THE PLEDGE were YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selections. She lives in the Pacific Northwest, where the gloomy weather is ideal for writing anything dark and creepy. Her three beautiful (and often mouthy) children serve as an endless source of inspiration and frequently find the things they say buried in the pages of their mother's books, or on Twitter for the world to see.

        

Tell me a bit about yourself. Where were you born and where do you call home?
I was born and raised in the Seattle area, where I still live today. We moved around a lot when I was little, but my family ended up coming back to the Northwest because my mom (if you can believe this) missed the rain. Me, not so much.But my husband and I both have family and friends here, so it’s kind of hard to move away from that.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in writing The Pledge?
I’m not sure it was really a surprise, but I’ve come to realize that the books I write don’t always fit perfectly into a specific genre. Booksellers and publishers love to classify books with neat little labels, but I find it tough to categorize mine. For example, The Body Finder was kind of a mystery/thriller paranormal with a fair amount of kissing. And The Pledge is more like a fantasy-dystopic with a splash of romance. See what I mean??? Try and find those sections in your local bookstore! :)

What inspired you to write this particular book? Is there a story about the writing of this novel that begs to be told?
The original idea for The Pledge came to me in pieces. The first piece was just a simple question: “What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I spent a lot of time thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and family, before I’d ever written a single word.
What was your favorite chapter to write and why?
For some reason, I just loved writing the scene where the bombings start, probably because there’s so much going on at once: action, inner-turmoil, confusion and chaos. Those are some of my favorite scenes, the ones in which the characters aren’t sure exactly what’s happening, but their lives may be at stake and they have to make fast, possibly life-changing decisions in a split second.

Which author would you love to co-author a book with?
That’s a toss-up. It would be either JK Rowling, during which we would write while sipping tea and eating biscuits (cookies), or Stephen King. That book would be crazy-dark, and we would write it while locked in a windowless room, while depriving ourselves of all creature comforts. Except, of course heat. And toothbrushes. And food. Oh...and chocolate!

In the violent country of Ludania, the language you speak determines what class you are, and there are harsh punishments if you forget your place—looking a member of a higher class in the eye can result in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina (Charlie for short) can understand all languages, a dangerous ability she’s been hiding her whole life. Her only place of release is the drug-filled underground club scene, where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. There, she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy who speaks a language she’s never heard, and her secret is almost exposed. Through a series of violent upheavals, it becomes clear that Charlie herself is the key to forcing out the oppressive power structure of her kingdom….

I have to admit that The Pledge by Kimberly Derling is one of those books that I couldn’t put down. Story gets more interesting at every turn of the page. It offered a uniquely appealing dialogue that strongly interested me before committing to it.

Dystopian appears to be the hot genre lately. It is very easy for the stories to start becoming similar with all of the books out there. On the other hand, Derling succeeded in avoiding the trend with a revitalizing story jam-packed of danger, magic, intrigue, and of course, romance.

The setting that Derling created was extraordinary as she calls Brooklyn & Charlotte as “ancient cities”, although it is never clearly stated what year and what city the characters are living in. Speaking of the characters, I thought Derling’s astonishing creativity helped to create these amazing people and the relationships between them were solid. Most of the characters were extremely important in their own way.

The Pledge is a book that will be difficult to put down. It is very captivating from the first page to the last.

You can purchase The Pledge at these following retailers.

  

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you KIMBERLY DERTING for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive one signed copy of The Pledge + Swag by Kimberly Derting.

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