Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Blog Tour: Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly is one of those books that I just know people are going to love. It has a lot of awesome elements like necromancers and zombies and steampunk.

So, YES, I’m super excited to share this interview with Susan Dennard! I love how enthusiastic and honest her answers are :)

Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website | Author Twitter | My ReviewThe year is 1876, and there’s something strange and deadly loose in Philadelphia…

Eleanor Fitt has a lot to worry about. Her brother has gone missing, her family has fallen on hard times, and her mother is determined to marry her off to any rich young man who walks by. But this is nothing compared to what she’s just read in the newspaper—

The Dead are rising in Philadelphia.

And then, in a frightening attack, a zombie delivers a letter to Eleanor…from her brother.

Whoever is controlling the Dead army has taken her brother as well. If Eleanor is going to find him, she’ll have to venture into the lab of the notorious Spirit-Hunters, who protect the city from supernatural forces. But as Eleanor spends more time with the Spirit-Hunters, including their maddeningly stubborn yet handsome inventor, Daniel, the situation becomes dire. And now, not only is her reputation on the line, but her very life may hang in the balance. – Goodreads

Susan Dennard, author of Something Strange and Deadly

1) First thought that pops into your mind when you hear “You’re a debut author!” (and no cheating!)

AAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!! THIS IS SO SCARY!!!!!!

How much input did you have into your titles – “Something Strange and Deadly” and “A Darkness Strange and Lovely“? Are they based on anything actually said in the books? (FYI I love them!)

Fun question! The Harper team knew they wanted something that wasn’t one word so it would stand out on the shelves. With that in mind, my agents, editor, and I set to brainstorming…around mojitos and cupcakes. Sara Kendall said, “What about…something…then strange and deadly? So something strange and deadly?” Then we all oooooohed. She actually meant the “something” as filler—like ____ Strange & Deadly—but it had such a good rhythm that we stuck with it!

Then, with that basic start, I made a GIGANTIC list of similar titles. For weeks, my agents and editor would email back and forth with more ideas until the list was pages long. Ultimately, the Harper team settled on our first idea, and then they picked A DARKNESS STRANGE AND LOVELY from the list as our title for book 2.

You’ll notice, though, that those phrases ARE in the book. I actually added it in to book 1, but for book 2, it came about quite naturally. I won’t give away how or why, though. ;)

How much research went into Something Strange and Deadly? Was there anything in particular that was difficult to research?

So. Much. Research. I actually forgot how much time I’d spent until I sat down to write book 2 and had to research 1876 Paris. I read so many primary documents–original guidebooks from Philadelphia and the Centennial Exhibition, books on etiquette, diaries from the time, and books written in the same year.

The hardest to research was the Exhibition (which was the first American’s World Fair). There is only one building left from it, so getting a feel for the scope and scale—not to mention the actual lay out of buildings and exhibits—was quite hard. But, at the end of the day, I think I managed to pull it off. ;)

If you could be the author of any already published work, which would it be and why?

The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner. That book is just…sigh. So, so, so well-written and so, so, SO clever. I wish I had crafted it.

What’s next for you after the Something Strange and Deadly Series? Do you see yourself writing another paranormal series or do you want to try something different?

I have several other works in progress, but my love right now lies in an epic fantasy called SCREECHERS. It’s set in a 1920s-ish desert world, and I adore it sooooo much. Of course, when I say “epic”, I mean epic. It’ll take multiple gigantic books to get that whole story and all its characters on the page!!

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