Giveaway, Book Review, and Author Interview: 27 Days to Midnight

3:00 AM Sarah Koves 0 Comments


27 Days to Midnight
by Kristine Kruppa

Everyone in Dahlia's world knows when they're going to die. Except her.

Her father has never shown her the pocket watch counting down the days she has left to live. When he sacrifices himself to save her from her scheduled death, Dahlia abandons her comfortable home and sets off after his murderer to uncover the secrets her father died to protect…and the time research that could bring him back to life.

Then she meets Farren Reed. She should hate him. He’s an enemy soldier, a cowardly deserter, and the most insufferable man Dahlia’s ever met. Still, she needs all the help she can get, and Farren is the only chance she has to find the man who murdered her father. But Farren has only twenty-seven days left on his watch.

In that time, Dahlia must recover her father’s time research, foil a psychotic general’s plot, and learn to survive in a world that will never be the same. But the research holds secrets more dangerous than she had ever imagined. She will have to choose what is most important: revenge, Farren's life, or her own. And time is running out.
 I have received a complimentary copy of this book to review. The opinions here are 100% mine!  This post contains affiliate links.

This book had me at the very first line- "The sky was bright and clear on the day of Dahlia Walker's death."  What a way to start a book!  And the hits just keep on coming.  The first chapter alone had five or six moments with me on the edge of my seat.

Watches that tell the amount of time you have left on Earth?  

The steampunk genre was new to me with this book, but I will continue to explore this unique genre.  The mix of a period piece (my favorite books and movies) and technology (another love of mine) made me happy right until the end.

I would certainly recommend this book to students.  It is a unique story with a strong female heroine, which I believe we always need more of in literature.




As a teacher of reading and writing, I am always interested in what authors have to say about the writing process and what their favorite books are.  I sat down with Kristine to discuss just this.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Who is your favorite author?  Why?
It varies. At the moment, my favorite writer is Victoria Schwab, author of A Darker Shade of Magic, Vicious, and a variety of other incredible books. Her writing style is amazing; sometimes I have to stop while I’m reading and marvel over a beautiful passage. But the characters are what really set her books apart. Victor Vale from Vicious and Lila Bard from A Darker Shade of Magic are so unique, so realistic, that I never want their stories to end! Victoria Schwab’s next book, This Savage Song, is due out in July.

Who is your favorite or least favorite character in your book?  Why?
Farren would have to be my number one. He tries to be fun and lighthearted, but he never stops thinking about the time on his watch. It’s always lurking in the back of his mind. I loved exploring both of those parts of his character while I was writing him. Keet, my second favorite, is very similar to Farren in that way. She’s fun and dark at the same time.

How do you handle writer’s block?
I take a walk. It seems like such a simple thing, but half an hour of strolling around the neighborhood with a notebook gets my mind moving every time. It helps me to take a step back from what I’m writing (or not writing) and think about things in a new way. I’ve had so many ideas while out for a walk!

What advice do you have for young/student writers?
Don’t write because you want to be published. Write because you love it, and because you can’t leave your characters or your story. A book can take years to finish. By the time you write it, revise it, and edit it again and again, you’ll know almost every word by heart. You have to love your story. If you do, you’ll make it the best it can possibly be, and publication will follow.
Explain your revision process.
I write my first draft straight through from beginning to end. Sometimes plot points, characters, or settings change as I write, and I note those throughout the story. When I finish the first draft, I immediately go back and fix all the things I noted. I let the story sit for two or three weeks to give myself some distance from it. Then I read the entire thing, editing and revising as I go. When I finish, I read it through again out loud to identify any places where the words don’t seem to flow. After that, I hand it off to a few trusted readers for feedback. I compile all their suggestions and use the ones I think will improve the story. Then I repeat the process with additional readers, edit the story again a few more times, and start sending it out to literary agents/publishers.


About the Author



Kristine Kruppa is a mechanical engineer, writer, and world traveler. Her days are spent designing cool new car parts, but her evenings are filled with writing and cats. She has traveled solo to seventeen countries on five continents. Her other hobbies include hunting for the perfect cup of coffee, exploring used book stores, and accidentally climbing mountains. To keep up with her adventures, follow Kristine on Twitter @kskruppa.


(Author photo credit: Sunny Wong)


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