Gina Damico: “My Favorite Writing Spot” – Hellhole Blog Tour Guest Post + Contest

I’m so thrilled to be part of the official blog tour for Hellhole by Gina Damico, a HILARIOUS new YA book about one boy and the devil who plunks himself down in his basement and starts demanding snack foods. (Be sure to check out our review here.)

Today, Gina stops by to guest blog about her favorite writing spot. Check it out below, then keep reading for your chance to win a copy of Hellhole!

* * *

For the longest time, I wrote on my couch—the very first piece of furniture that my husband and I bought for our lives as Adults. And proud as we were of this purchase, it wasn’t a particularly comfy couch—it quickly lost its fluffiness, it wasn’t very big, and the cushions tended to migrate over the edge after only a couple of tosses and turns. But since we were living in a tiny box of an apartment in New York City at the time, my desk was too cramped and stuffed into a corner and piled up with stuff, and the idea of having a separate office space was laughable. So I always ended up on the couch in the kitchen (the kitchen was also our living room), banging out word after word, hoping and praying that this would all pay off someday.

Then, we moved to Boston. To a much bigger apartment. I finally got an office! But it was a tiny office. Not that I particularly need that much room to write—it’s not like it involves jumping jacks or anything—but it was also a very cold room, and dark, and wasn’t exactly a welcoming, creative environment. But! We had also recently bought a new couch! So back to the couch I went, this time with no wandering cushions.

My husband (who also works from home) would often come out of his own office to find me hunched over my little beanbag laptop desk, curled up into a ball, pecking away.

“You know,” he said, “you have an office.”

“Shut up,” I replied. “I have creative needs. Pajamas help me think. You’ll never understand the life of an artist and so forth.

Recently, we bought a house. A nice, spacious thing out in the country. I finally have an amazing office, complete with two desks (regular and standing), a giant dry erase board for me to storyboard ideas, colorful walls, plenty of light, and a big comfy beanbag chair. It’s the perfect room to craft a story. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to the couch to write.

Thanks for having me!

* * *

We are giving away a Hardcover copy of HELLHOLE to TWO WINNERS

Giveaway is open to anywhere The Book Depository ships.

Giveaway ends on January 21^st at 11:59 p.m. Pacific.

Fill out the Rafflecopter form here to get started!

More chances to win!

Here’s a quick note from Gina about a contest she’s running, too:

Hey there book fans! I’m running a Follow Frenzy giveaway over the course of this blog tour, and the prize is pretty neato: a signed copy of HELLHOLE wherein each chapter will have a little bit of trivia and/or a doodle handwritten by yours truly. (Gina) (Damico) To enter, all you have to do is follow me on one or more of my various social media outlets (Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, Instagram, Youtube), then fill out this adorable little form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1MbfSsZCiALw_I_C7WpI0d71hPNe0b94Ot89sxFesUzM/viewform . That’s it! The more things you follow, the more chances you will earn to win. Good luck!

Release date: January 6, 2015
Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
Formats: Hardcover, audio, eBook

There was a time when geeky, squeaky-clean Max Kilgore would never lie or steal or even think about murder. Then he accidentally unearths a devil, and Max’s choices are no longer his own. The big red guy has a penchant for couch surfing and junk food—and you should never underestimate evil on a sugar high.

With the help of Lore, a former goth girl who knows a thing or two about the dark side, Max is racing against the clock to get rid of the houseguest from hell before time, and all the Flamin’ Hot Cheetos this side of the fiery abyss, run out.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | THE BOOK DEPOSITORY | GOODREADS

Gina Damico is the author of Croak, Scorch, and Rogue, the grim-reapers-gone-wild books of the Croak trilogy. She has also dabbled as a tour guide, transcriptionist, theater house manager, scenic artist, movie extra, office troll, retail monkey, yarn hawker and breadmonger. A native of Syracuse, New York, she now lives outside Boston with her husband, two cats, and one dog, and while she has never visited hell in person, she has spent countless waking hours at the Albany Regional Bus Terminal, which is pretty darn close. Visit her website at www.ginadami.co.