Anna, Book One
by Kendare Blake
Tor Teen, 978-0765328656, 316 pgs.
Available Now!
"Anna Dressed in Blood is easily one of my favorite books of all time and is exactly what I'd hoped it would be: Gorgeous, brutal, heart-breaking, merciless, and cool as Hell. This is the kind of book I've been dying to read!"
--Courtney Allison Moulton Author of ANGELFIRE
Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.
But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.
"It's the old boy meets girl story, if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost-hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she's ever murdered. Needless to say, Cas and Anna are my new favorite twosome. When I got to the last page, I flipped back to the first."--Holly Black NYT Bestselling Author of RED GLOVEIB Teenie Reviews Anna Dressed In Blood:
Anna Dressed In Blood seemed to come fully installed with atmosphere. I felt the menacing dark, suffocating dust, I felt I could hear the moans and cries of the ghosts in the story. And Anna herself did not disappoint. Anna is the terror in the dark. She is terrifying and brutal, compelling, murderous, and sweetly tragic. Living in her house of horrors, Anna isn't just the ghost that will rip your lungs out, she's also tortured by her victims.
There's only one person she's not compelled to kill, our other hero, Cas Lowood. A smart, tough, badass ghost hunter who is just as enamored with death and danger as he is single-minded about exterminating his prey. He is driven to hunt down murderous ghosts because of his tragic family history. Fate most certainly has a hand in bringing these two unforgettable characters together. He is the light to her dark, the reason to her madness, the strength to her vulnerability, her reason to fight. For Cas, Anna is someone to protect, someone who could understand him, someone to love and to be loved by. Watching him become enthralled by Anna, and knowing that nothing but him could stop her killing spree was heartbreaking.
These two broken characters need each other, it feels as though they are fated to save each other. And more importantly, to love each other. In the end Cas will have to face his nightmares. And Anna may just go from legendary blood thirsty specter, to an unforgettable heroine. All I can say is that I would die for book two, Girl Of Nightmares.
IB Teenie Interviews Author Kendare Blake:
IBT: Did Anna's legend come from your imagination, or was she inspired by a specific story or event?
KB: As far as I know, it came out of nowhere. Although I'm sure there are a ton of houses said to be haunted by the ghosts of murdered girls. Off the top of my head, I can't name any. And seriously, even though no one in their right mind would believe me, Anna's name was in no way inspired by the character on Supernatural. Neither was Cas' name. I had never watched the show, and had no idea of the similar names. Scout's honor. When I happened to read an episode description for Supernatural (my editor is a big fan) and I saw that there was a character named Cas, I shouted, "What are you fricking kidding me?" Okay, I didn't shout it. But I said it. Loudly. Now I actually think it's a pretty cool cosmic joke.
IBT: Why Canada?
KB: Why not Canada. It's a pretty cool neighborhood up there in Thunder Bay, and moving it out of country (but just barely) made Cas feel like just that much more of a foreign object. A stranger in a strange land.
IBT: Cas is the ultimate teenage ghost slayer- does ghost hunter sound like the
TV show?.
KB: Destiny is a funny thing. But Anna definitely thinks so. And yes, ghost hunter is too like the tv show. Ghost slayer is a little like Buffy. Ghost killer sounds like the guy from Wu Tang Clan. Ghost murderer sounds mean, and ghost assassin sounds like a Navy Seal code name. Maybe Cas would like Ghost Ninja. Nah, let's go with ghost slayer.
IBT: Cas is such a strong character who has a very tragic and horrific history
and a seemingly bleak self-imposed future as a ghost slayer. Can you tell us
how Cas came to be?
KB: Cas came out of one simple question: Who could take on Anna? He was very obliging. He just said, Yo, I can. and then he came to be pretty quickly. Everything filled in.
IBT: What makes a good hero?
KB: A good hero is the kind of human we would like to be. They're a little bit braver than we are, a little more noble, a little more put-upon. A good hero is extremely human (or inhuman, but with flawed, human characteristics) and when pressed, they press back. Or they just stand up. Whatever the situation calls for.
IBT: After so many murders taking place in Anna's house, what would have happened if locals had set it on fire? Would Anna have been set free?
KB: You know, maybe. I'm not sure.
IBT: What do you think makes a real indelible heroine?
KB: The same things that make a hero. I'm all about equality.
IBT: Anna has spent the last 50 odd years as a crazy bloodthirsty killer ghost who is also being tormented by her fate. Do you think Anna believes she had to go to hell for redemption?
KB: I don't know if Anna thinks it's possible for her to be redeemed. Cas woke something up in her that she wasn't sure still existed. She saw for the first time since she was alive, the chance to do something good. He was the first thing she'd cared about in 50 years.
IBT: Anna is incredibly sympathetic, she could be tearing a teenager in half, and I'm thinking Cas should think about a relationship with her. How difficult was it creating a lovable monster?
KB: That was a prickly part. I couldn't hold her back, but I knew she was my heroine. But, sympathy for evil things is easy, once they show a spark of humanity. We always believe that people can change. Humans are funny that way. Just look at all those love letters that serial killers get in prison. Yucko.
IBT: What is the best kind of villain?
KB: I like the ones that are scary without reason. Anything lacking in reason, that makes me tear my hair out and scream, "WHY? WHY? For the love of Jeff, WHY?!!" And then the villain just shrugs, says, "Who's Jeff?" and eats my eyeballs.
IBT: What three ghosts would you let yourself be locked in an old house
overnight with?
KB: The kind that are not corporeal and therefore couldn't actually touch me. Or if they could touch me, they'd have to be really bumbling and inept. Like, any one of the monsters from Scooby Doo. I could handle that. Or honestly, the little girl from the Exorcist, as long as she was securely fastened to the bed. Oh, the banter we could have.
IBT: Please please please give those of us hungering for Girl Of Nightmares some kind of hint or teaser!
KB: A little hint? Expect travel. Also, those who would like to learn a little bit more about the athame and where it came from, shouldn't be disappointed. At least I hope you won't be disappointed. Seriously, please don't be disappointed!
MY FAVORITE THINGS CONTEST DETAILS
There's only one person she's not compelled to kill, our other hero, Cas Lowood. A smart, tough, badass ghost hunter who is just as enamored with death and danger as he is single-minded about exterminating his prey. He is driven to hunt down murderous ghosts because of his tragic family history. Fate most certainly has a hand in bringing these two unforgettable characters together. He is the light to her dark, the reason to her madness, the strength to her vulnerability, her reason to fight. For Cas, Anna is someone to protect, someone who could understand him, someone to love and to be loved by. Watching him become enthralled by Anna, and knowing that nothing but him could stop her killing spree was heartbreaking.
 |
| Book 2, Coming 8/7/12 |
IB Teenie Interviews Author Kendare Blake:
IBT: Did Anna's legend come from your imagination, or was she inspired by a specific story or event?
KB: As far as I know, it came out of nowhere. Although I'm sure there are a ton of houses said to be haunted by the ghosts of murdered girls. Off the top of my head, I can't name any. And seriously, even though no one in their right mind would believe me, Anna's name was in no way inspired by the character on Supernatural. Neither was Cas' name. I had never watched the show, and had no idea of the similar names. Scout's honor. When I happened to read an episode description for Supernatural (my editor is a big fan) and I saw that there was a character named Cas, I shouted, "What are you fricking kidding me?" Okay, I didn't shout it. But I said it. Loudly. Now I actually think it's a pretty cool cosmic joke.
IBT: Why Canada?
KB: Why not Canada. It's a pretty cool neighborhood up there in Thunder Bay, and moving it out of country (but just barely) made Cas feel like just that much more of a foreign object. A stranger in a strange land.
IBT: Cas is the ultimate teenage ghost slayer- does ghost hunter sound like the
TV show?.
KB: Destiny is a funny thing. But Anna definitely thinks so. And yes, ghost hunter is too like the tv show. Ghost slayer is a little like Buffy. Ghost killer sounds like the guy from Wu Tang Clan. Ghost murderer sounds mean, and ghost assassin sounds like a Navy Seal code name. Maybe Cas would like Ghost Ninja. Nah, let's go with ghost slayer.
IBT: Cas is such a strong character who has a very tragic and horrific history
and a seemingly bleak self-imposed future as a ghost slayer. Can you tell us
how Cas came to be?
KB: Cas came out of one simple question: Who could take on Anna? He was very obliging. He just said, Yo, I can. and then he came to be pretty quickly. Everything filled in.
IBT: What makes a good hero?
KB: A good hero is the kind of human we would like to be. They're a little bit braver than we are, a little more noble, a little more put-upon. A good hero is extremely human (or inhuman, but with flawed, human characteristics) and when pressed, they press back. Or they just stand up. Whatever the situation calls for.
IBT: After so many murders taking place in Anna's house, what would have happened if locals had set it on fire? Would Anna have been set free?
KB: You know, maybe. I'm not sure.
IBT: What do you think makes a real indelible heroine?
KB: The same things that make a hero. I'm all about equality.
IBT: Anna has spent the last 50 odd years as a crazy bloodthirsty killer ghost who is also being tormented by her fate. Do you think Anna believes she had to go to hell for redemption?
KB: I don't know if Anna thinks it's possible for her to be redeemed. Cas woke something up in her that she wasn't sure still existed. She saw for the first time since she was alive, the chance to do something good. He was the first thing she'd cared about in 50 years.
IBT: Anna is incredibly sympathetic, she could be tearing a teenager in half, and I'm thinking Cas should think about a relationship with her. How difficult was it creating a lovable monster?
KB: That was a prickly part. I couldn't hold her back, but I knew she was my heroine. But, sympathy for evil things is easy, once they show a spark of humanity. We always believe that people can change. Humans are funny that way. Just look at all those love letters that serial killers get in prison. Yucko.
IBT: What is the best kind of villain?
KB: I like the ones that are scary without reason. Anything lacking in reason, that makes me tear my hair out and scream, "WHY? WHY? For the love of Jeff, WHY?!!" And then the villain just shrugs, says, "Who's Jeff?" and eats my eyeballs.
IBT: What three ghosts would you let yourself be locked in an old house
overnight with?
KB: The kind that are not corporeal and therefore couldn't actually touch me. Or if they could touch me, they'd have to be really bumbling and inept. Like, any one of the monsters from Scooby Doo. I could handle that. Or honestly, the little girl from the Exorcist, as long as she was securely fastened to the bed. Oh, the banter we could have.
IBT: Please please please give those of us hungering for Girl Of Nightmares some kind of hint or teaser!
KB: A little hint? Expect travel. Also, those who would like to learn a little bit more about the athame and where it came from, shouldn't be disappointed. At least I hope you won't be disappointed. Seriously, please don't be disappointed!
- Win a copy of Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake
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