Blog Tour/Interview/Giveaway: Dreamology by Lucy Keating
I received and read and eARC of Dreamology by Lucy Keating so when the chance to sign up for her blog tour presented itself I jumped at the opportunity. I read Dreamology in December and I am still telling people about it and how amazing it was! It was whimsical perfection, I honestly don’t even understand how this is possible a debut author because the story was positively captivating. If that doesn’t sell you on the book, check out my full review and the interview below, its a must read!
SYNOPSIS:
For as long as Alice can remember, she has dreamed of Max. Together they have traveled the world and fallen deliriously, hopelessly in love. Max is the boy of her dreams—and only her dreams. Because he doesn’t exist.
But when Alice walks into class on her first day at a new school, there he is. It turns out, though, that Real Max is nothing like Dream Max, and getting to know each other in reality isn’t as perfect as Alice always hoped.
When their dreams start to bleed dangerously into their waking hours, the pair realize that they might have to put an end to a lifetime of dreaming about each other. But when you fall in love in your dreams, can reality ever be enough?
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookDepository | iTunes | Kobo
INTERVIEW:
1.Where did you get your inspiration for such a unique and captivating story?
I’ve always had wild sleep habits – walking, talking, night terrors, dreams with really strong narratives. As I got older, it didn’t go away, and I began to be interested in why this happened to me. I did a little research into dreaming, the brain, and how scientists are able to “map” our dreams at a very rudimentary level.
I also read a book that compared the loss of control/odd behavior we experience while dreaming to a kind of mental illness. This reminded me of how people always say that love make you feel like you’re going crazy. I realized, then, that there was an interesting metaphor between dreaming and being in love. In both cases we can behave in ways we wouldn’t normally, and in both cases, when a dream or relationship ends, it can almost feel like it never happened.
I kept picturing a girl whose dreams, or who she met in said dreams, actually really meant something in real life. That those dreams somehow made her “special.” And the concept took off from there.
2.What parts of your personality did you write in for Max or Alice?
Alice is definitely a very personal character for me. Her active imagination, her tendency to overthink things, and to be a bit sassy when backed into a corner!
Like Max, I was really always trying to be a “good kid.” I was really afraid of messing up, or getting in trouble, and I wish someone had told me that it wouldn’t be the end of the world if I did. I am still sort of learning this as an adult – to be less hard on myself!
3. Have you traveled to any of the exotic locations from the book, if so what would be your favorite? If you haven’t, which one do you definitely want to go to?
I think I’ve been to every “real” place that is mentioned, and to the real versions of the fake things that are mentioned (sorry if that makes your head hurt). I grew up in Boston, where the book takes place, so it was really fun to write about some of my favorite locations (The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, the Public Garden) and also invent new ones, like the Center for Dream Discovery or Bennett Academy. Bennett doesn’t exist, but I know exactly where it would be if it did. Wells College is based partially on Williams College, where I went to undergrad. I’ve been to the impressionist gallery at The Met more times than I can count, back when I lived in New York. And the final dream, which takes place in Africa, was inspired by a trip I took with my family on Safari as a teenager. It was the most amazing experience of my life.
4. Was there anything edited out of the book that you wished would have made it to print?
It’s so hard to remember things like this!! Here’s a small one: I really wanted to quote a song by The Cure called Pictures of You as part of the forward, but it was going to be too expensive. The song was a big inspiration for the book. The lyrics are:
“I’ve been looking so long at these pictures of you, that I almost believe that they’re real.
I’ve been living so long with my pictures of you that I almost believe that the pictures are all I can feel.”
5. Any chance there might be a sequel featuring Oliver and Sophie? If not, what do you have in store for us next?
A sequel to DREAMOLOGY is not in my future plans YET, but I am working on a few other projects I’m excited about. I can’t wait to share them with everyone soon! Rest assured that most things I plan to do in the future, like DREAMOLOGY, will be contemporary but with a twist of strangeness to them.
6.What is your all time favorite book boyfriend?
A great question, but a hard one!! I think there is a difference between book CRUSH, and book boyfriend. In terms of a book crush, I have always loved Fitzwilliam Darcy. I’m drawn to how he always seems just out of reach, but actually loves Elizabeth fiercely, and how he is always trying to do the most honorable thing.
At the same time, Darcy is a terrible communicator. And (like Max!) he isn’t always very nice. For book boyfriend, I really loved Asher in Probability of Miracles. He was his own person, but he was sweet, and kind. Kindness is a big one for me.
ABOUT LUCY KEATING:
Lucy lives in Los Angeles, California. She grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, attended Williams College in the Berkshires, and still misses the East Coast very much.
When she’s not writing, Lucy can usually be found obsessing over the latest music, inventing new flavors of ice cream, or having what she feels are perfectly acceptable conversations with her dog, Ernie.
You can follow Lucy on Instagram @lucy.keating, and Ernie The Dog @ernsboberns.
CONNECT TO THE AUTHOR:
Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Instagram
