Blog Tour: Gone by Nightfall by Dee Garretson (Interview + Giveaway!)

Happy Friday and welcome to my stop on the Gone by Nightfall blog tour!! Today I have an interview with Dee Garretson to share with you! Read on to discover Dee’s favorite scenes from her book, which YA characters Charlotte and Dmitri would hang out with if they could, plus find out more about the book, author, and tour, and enter to win a print copy of Gone by Nightfall!

A young woman is torn between her home and her dreams during the Russian Revolution.
It’s 1917, and Charlotte Mason is determined to make a life for herself in czarist Russia. When her mother dies, Charlotte is forced to put her plans to go to medical school aside to care for her unruly siblings. Then a handsome new tutor arrives. Charlotte has high hopes that he’ll stay, freeing her up to follow her dreams of becoming a doctor. But there’s more to Dmitri that meets the eye.
Just when she thinks she can get her life back, Russia descends into revolution and chaos. Now, not only does Charlotte need to leave Russia, she needs to get her siblings out too--and fast.
Can Charlotte flee Russia, keep her siblings safe, and uncover Dmitri’s many secrets before she runs out of time?

Do you have a favorite scene, quote, or moment from Gone by Nightfall?

I loved writing the scene where Dmitri and Charlotte are finally really alone together, in Dmitri’s house during a snowstorm. Before that, they are surrounded by Charlotte’s family and had no good excuse to be alone. I wanted to convey the awkwardness and tenderness of a couple who don’t know much about each other but are drawn together.

If Charlotte and Dmitri were to hang out with characters from other YA books, who would they be and why?

Definitely the young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler from the Alex and Eliza series by Melissa de la Cruz. They all were caught up in something much bigger than themselves and that changes a person. And I’d add in my own characters from my other YA historical, ALL IS FAIR, because it’s also about two people caught up in World War I facing dangerous times. I think Charlotte and Mina would be great friends. 

What was your favorite bit of research you ended up not using?

I researched life at dachas, the Russian version of country houses, because I originally planned to have Charlotte stay at one for a bit, but in the end it didn’t fit with the plot. From the research, dachas sounded like a little bit of paradise for those few who could afford them. I also researched Russian folktales and superstitions but was only able to use a few of them.

What books would you recommend to Charlotte and Dmitri and why?

I think they’d both need some moments of escape from the harsh reality they’re living through, so I’d pick some fantasy books with a bit of humor in them. Being brought up in Russia and hearing Russian folktales would make them appreciate fantasy. THESE REBEL WAVES by Sara Raasch would appeal to both of them. Since Charlotte has to deal with the aggravations of being the eldest of a large family, she might like to read other books that have large families in them, like MY LIFE NEXT DOOR by Huntley Fitzpatrick

What are your current favorite books?

I just finished a couple of great books, Jennifer Donnelly’s A NORTHERN LIGHT, a historical, and LA BELLE SAUVAGE, the first book of Phillip Pullman’s new series, The Book of Dust. I’m currently reading a middle grade that is a lot of fun, THE CHANGELINGS by Christina Soontornvat.

Dee Garretson spent her childhood helping her father build his offbeat inventions and playing adventure games in the woods. After working as a landscape designer and teaching landscape horticulture classes for several years, Dee returned to writing. Her debut novel, Wildfire Run, has been praised for its suspense and its hero, Luke, who “with his companions, displays generous measures of courage and ingenuity in rising to the occasion” (ALA Booklist). She lives with her family in Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Enter here to win a print copy of Gone by Nightfall by Dee Garretson!

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