Cold as Marble Author's Playlist

With Lyrics:
1. New Order- Temptation
2. The Cure- If Only Tonight We Could Sleep
3. Cat Power- I Found a Reason

Non-lyrical music:
4. Maschine 1.0 by Eelke Kliejne
According to the author, "This sounds like a super awesome soundtrack to a futuristic action movie."
5. Only Lovers Left Alive soundtrack
"Technically this is about vampires, but it serves to inspire stories about ghosts, too!" says Zoe Aarsen
6. Sometimes Zoe listens to a non-verbal ASMR to block out noises. Her favorite is ItsBlitzzz.

Cold as Marble Dream Cast

Light as a Feather series Dream Cast

I know that the tv show is out on Hulu for Light as a Feather but this is my own dream cast that I have been thinking about while reading. I don't have any problems with the ones who are acting because they are amazing. Comment your dream cast below!

McKenna Brady (Shelby Bain)

Violet Simmons (Maisie Smith)

Mischa Portnoy (Devyn Nekoda)

Olivia Richmond (Sidney Fullmer)

Candace Preston (Yara Shahidi)

Henry Richmond (William Brent)

Trey Emory (Booboo Stewart)

Cold as Marble Interview

Cold as Marble interview with Zoe Aarsen

Questions

1.      How did you come up with the story of Light as a Feather?

I spent part of my childhood in Danvers, MA, which was originally part of Salem (during the years of the witch trials). Kids, there were really fascinated with ghost stories and witchy activities, and I played the game of Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board at a friend’s birthday party. It worked! I’d always been toying around with the idea of writing a story about a game gone wrong, and that particular game seemed perfect as a basis.

2.    How did you decide that Light as a Feather should be a series? Did you know from the beginning or until the end?

I had originally written the first book intending it to be a standalone book, letting it end on a cliffhanger. My reasoning was that I’d written the first book imagining what it might be like to play a game in real life and get yourself into serious trouble with paranormal elements. How would that resolve if it happened to you? Chances are good you’d never figure out how to undo it. But then, when there was some interest from Hollywood, it was suggested that I continue writing to build more engagement to keep studios interested… so the sequel was born!

3.     What character are you most like?

I think I’m most like McKenna in that I’m usually pretty responsible. There’s no reason for McKenna to involve herself in trying to save Mischa’s life. But once she suspects her friend is in serious trouble, she’s too compassionate to turn the other way. But I probably have a fair amount of Mischa’s stubbornness in me, too! 

4.      Which scene was the hardest to write in Cold as Marble?

Probably the New Years party (in the new version being released by Simon & Schuster on 10/8/2019). I originally began writing for film and television, and not by authoring novels, so describing details of action sequences in prose rather than in camera directions is always a challenge for me.

5.    How long did it take to write Cold as Marble?

The draft that I posted to Wattpad several years ago probably took me about six or seven months, and that’s because it’s significantly longer than a typical YA book. The updated version that’s being published took me about two months, writing for several hours every single day!

5.      What is the message that you are trying to send out to the readers from Cold as Marble?

As was the case with Light as a Feather, I think the underlying theme is the strength of female friendship. McKenna lost her sister when they were kids, and there’s a part of her that is burdened by survivor’s guilt. She really risks her own life, or at least the possibility of ever having a normal life, to save Mischa’s. And in the published version, we learn a little more about Violet and that McKenna is unintentionally saving Violet’s life by trying to break the curse, too. And of course, another message is: don’t mess with evil.

6.      Where can readers purchase Cold as Marble?

It’s available for pre-order on Amazon and BN.com, and it can be ordered directly from Simon & Schuster on their website. Several indie bookstores are carrying it, too!

7.    Are you writing any more books? If so can you tell us?

I’m in the middle of writing the third book in the Light as a Feather trilogy right now, and I have three YA screenplays that are circulating Hollywood at the moment!

About You:

1.       What was your dream job when you were younger?

Veterinarian. That was the big plan until I accepted that I suck at math.

2.     What is your favorite spot to visit in your country?

The city where I lived the longest: New York. In my heart, that’s home.

3.     If you could have 3 fictional characters over for dinner, who would they be?

Oh, great question! Probably Jo March (Little Women), Eleanor from Eleanor and Park, and Boris from The Goldfinch.

4.     What has been your favorite book/story when you were a kid?

My all-time favorite was “Autumn Street,” by Lois Lowry. It’s not really a children’s book, but was marketed as one. It’s about the author’s life as a child during WWII when her family moved from NYC to Pennsylvania because her father was away, fighting the war, and it’s just a beautiful, heartbreaking story. I was also a huge dork in high school, and my favorite non-fiction book was The Last Tzar by Edvard Radzinsky. It’s about the Russian revolution (and the legend of Anastasia). I was really fascinated by that topic.

5.     Which author do you admire the most and why?

Lois Lowry. I was very obsessed with the Anastasia books when I was a kid, and got to meet her when I won a drawing contest at school. Once I got a little older and read other titles she’d written, including “A Summer to Die,” “The Giver,” and “Autumn Street,” I realized the enormity of her talent.

Cold as Marble review

*This is an honest review and in my own words.*

Both Books Rating: 5 stars
Review for Cold as Marble:
THIS BOOK WAS REALLY GOOD! I really enjoyed this book and loved how the story kept on going. This book literally played a movie in my head and I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The sentences were really detailed which makes it easy for the reader to imagine it. I love the authors writing as you can tell because she makes the story come to life. The characters in this book developed and throughout the book, I was shipping Henry and McKenna. The ending left be hanging with the cliffhanger and I just want more! I didn’t have any problems with this book and I totally recommend it. I think there will be a book 3 because of the cliffhanger.

Review for Light as a Feather: 
THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! I don’t usually like horror but this book made me fall in love with the genre. I loved the story and the characters. The ending was super good but to be honest, the whole book was good. I loved the idea of spirits and Ouija Board plus a character who can see someone’s story of how they will die. The book played a movie in my mind and I didn’t have any problems of being bored throughout the story. McKenna (the main character) was strong and brave. She knew something was going on. I would say more but I don’t want to spoil. It was also nice to know that her friends and boyfriend believed in her. Usually, in books, the other character thinks they are crazy and they are left alone to deal with it. I feel like there is more going on to Violet (antagonist) and I guess we will see what happens to her in the 2nd book. I totally recommend this book!

Cold as Marble Welcome Post

Cold as Marble by Zoe Aarsen2nd book of the Light as a Feather series

Genre: YA Thriller & Mystery
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age: 14+

The game continues, and it's even more deadly....
Upon McKenna's return to Willow, she is sure of three things:
     1. She failed. After everything- losing Olivia and Candance to Violet's fatal game of Light as a Feather, giving up everything to end Violet's power- Violet is still predicting deaths.
     2. She is being haunted. At least, spirits are contacting her through her mind, and seemingly with good intentions. But can they be trusted?
     3. More people will die. Including Mischa, unless McKenna can find a way to end the curse once and for all...
       Yet there are still so many questions needing answers. Armed with a mysterious package containing clues, and help from Trey and Henry, McKenna's on a hunt to find the true key to stopping Violet, as well as the meaning behind her own newfound powers. But with secrets and buried truths coming to light, only one thing is clear: Loyalties will be tested in this race against time. And not everyone will make it out alive.

Zoe Aarsen is a graphic designer and copywriter originally from the Midwest. She is pretty convinced that her apartment is haunted by the ghosts of every cat and hamster she's ever owned. Visit Zoe Aarsen's blog at zoeaarsen.com. Follow Zoe on Twitter and Instagram @ZoeAarsen.

*All information came from the arc that the author provided including summary, author info, etc.*