10(ish) Questions With Author Kendare Blake!

Okay, so excuse me as I come down from a major case of fangirl overload. Kendare Blake recently became one of my favorite authors of all-time with her witty mannerisms, laced with some pretty dark tales. She's become the master of YA horror, some comparing her to the genius of Stephen King with her phenomenal novel Anna Dressed in Blood, and most recently Antigoddess. I was beyond honored when she recently agreed to answer a few questions for my blog, and can't stop laughing from her response to my last question. If you haven't heard of Kendare until now, do yourself a huge favor and buy her books. Seriously.

Was there something in particular that inspired you to write scary stories for a living, or did you just know you were destined for awesomeness?

Scary stories ARE awesomeness, aren't they? I don't understand folks who hate scary entertainment. As for what inspired me, I think I'm morbid and disgusting by nature. I don't find a lot of what I write terribly scary, but it's all fairly dark, and hopefully, disturbing. Stephen King was the first real novelist I read, along with Anne Rice and Bret Easton Ellis, so...let's just say I never had any desire to read a Babysitter's Club book.

Who was your favorite character to write so far? (And if your answer isn’t Cas, why not? You did an amazing job of getting inside a teenage boy’s head!)

I'm so glad you thought so! Though Cas is sort of a special case: a teen who hasn't hung around many other teens. Most of his interactions have been with adults, his mom, twenty-somethings and Gideon. I'm dodging this question, because I don't know who's my favorite to write. I love Cas and Thomas and Carmel and Morfran, just like I love Athena, Cassandra, Hermes, and weirdly enough, Ares. They've all surprised me at some point, and that's what makes it fun.

You’ve been compared to Stephen King, and as a life long fan of his, I think it’s well justified. What elements do you think make a best selling horror story?

I don't know. People are pretty easily scared, for the most part, so maybe the scares aren't as important as compelling concept. I know that my faves are the particularly clever ones, or the particularly twisted ones. Gore is optional, and it can be so easy to do poorly. Also, thank you! I don't think it's justified, but I'll take it.

Other than Sleepwalk Society, I believe your books have all been YA paranormal. Do you see yourself writing outside of the genre again anytime in the future? What's your favorite part about writing YA?
I'm sure I'll write outside the genre. What I'm working on now is outside the genre, and I don't know if it's adult or YA. You have to write the stories that want writing, you know? It's never a real decision. I'm not one of the writers who has three or four fantastic ideas to choose from. One at a time, it demands attention, and then on to the next.

My favorite thing about writing YA is that I don't think of it as YA. I think of it as writing. Same when I'm reading it. YA is just a label, a way of categorizing something that's way too broad and varied, but I understand why it needs to be categorized. Things need organization, right? 

When you’re not busy writing the next best seller, what are some of your favorite guilty pleasures?

Guilty pleasures, eh? I love going to restaurants. Love it. And I guess I still DVR General Hospital, the soap opera, because I heard it was going off the air and I used to watch it as a kid so I wanted to watch the end, and then the damn thing didn't die. So now I'm stuck watching until it finally does.

 

Although you grew up in the great state of Minnesota, and went to college in London, your bio says you currently live in the beautiful state of Washington. Please tell me you know Isaac Marion, and the two of you meet on a regular basis over beers!

I do not know Isaac Marion, though I would love to meet him on a regular basis over beers. I'd actually like to meet anyone on a regular basis over beers. That sounds nice.

What authors do you admire, and what would you crown your favorite book of all-time?

That's an impossible crown. The answer is always going to change. From day to day. Hour to hour. In the time it takes to reply to this question. The Mists of Avalon? Jane Eyre? The Stand? IT? NOS4A2? The Red Tree? The Unbearable Lightness of Being? His Dark Materials? The Iliad?

I admire Holly Black, Caitlin R Kiernan, Joe Hill, Milan Kundera, Bret Easton Ellis, and loads of others. Anyone who writes, really. There's always something to admire.

Is the sequel to Antigoddess your next release, and will there be a third Anna Dressed in Blood (there must be a way to make Anna permanently corporeal so she can run off into the sunset with Cas!)?
Yes, the formerly titled ARISTEIA is my next release. No word yet on what it's new name is. The Goddess War Book Two. I'm doing edits now, and I'm pretty excited about it actually. No plans for a third Anna, but I'm never taking it off the table. I miss them. You never know when Cas will show up and demand the attention again. He loves the attention.

You must watch horror movies considering how much you love writing horror. What are some of your favorites?
Hmm. I just watched Insidious: Chapter 2, and if you put both together, it's a pretty decent experience. Not scary, but not dull. I also like SINISTER, so James Wan is on my current sweetlist. The Descent about the girl-eaters in the caves was pretty scary, but I didn't ENJOY watching it. And I'll always love Freddy Krueger. Scream is great, too, but they should've left it alone after 2, or even the first one. And I'm pretty pleased that the slew of Japanese horror remakes has ebbed. The Ring was okay. The Ring 2 was stupid. The Grudge was silly, thank god it had Buffy in it.

And finally, who in the hell do you think is feeding rats to the zombies on The Walking Dead?

I think it's that creepy little girl who names them. She's trouble. Even her sister knows it. They should probably toss her over the fence, ASAP. Like, post-haste. Slingshot into the woods, the next time the walkers try their leaning and climbing trick. I mean, they're already out of piglets.

Thanks so much for having me by! 

Kendare Blake is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

Where to buy Kendare Blake's amazing books:

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Follow Kendare Blake:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Writer Wednesday: Emma Meade

I met the lovely and talented Emma Meade through Twitter quite some time back. Although separated by a very large pond, we discovered a mutual passion for anything paranormal/supernatural and I quickly became hooked on Emma's books. While busy preparing to release a sequel to her first vampire novel, Under the Desert Moon, she was kind enough to take a minute to answer a few questions. Because that's how awesome she is.

1. Your new release End of the Line was originally a short story that appeared in The Awakening & Other Stories (a collection of short stories). Are there any others that you think you may possibly turn into a full length novel at some point?

End of the Line is probably my favourite of the whole lot, though The Knocking is a close second. That one is about my Grandad and still gets me when I read it. I'd like to go back to Cassie's story (End of the Line) and see if I can figure out where she went from there. One day - hopefully I'll get back to her. I have so many stories, novels and half completed novels lying around the place, I want to get to them in 2013 and see what I can publish from that lot first.

2. Who or what inspires you as an author?

I get my inspiration from other books, TV shows, films and music - music plays a key role. I love to create imaginary worlds. Some of my characters feel like real people to me.

3. What are some of your favorite books?

I know a lot of people will roll their eyes, but I adore the Twilight books, especially the first one. I found Twilight quite randomly back in 2008. I'd been browsing YouTube looking up fan videos for various TV shows (as far as I can remember) and I stumbled upon a fan video based on the first book. I was so intrigued, I went Googling and hopped it to the nearest bookshop to buy Twilight. I fell in love instantly with Forks and the love story. It took me completely in and will probably always be among my favourite books.

Others I love include Dark Angel and Flowers in the Attic by Virginia Andrews, The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith, The Stand by Stephen King, anything written by Marian Keyes, and the Tegan's Blood books by L.H. Cosway. (The latter are both amazing Irish authors).

4. From what you've seen, is the publishing world in Ireland different from the United States?

I don't think it's very different. It's obviously on a much smaller scale over here. Some publishers in Ireland will still accept unsolicited manuscripts, but for the most part it's still better to have a literary agent if you're going the traditional route.

5. How many books have you written at this point in your career and what are you working on now?

Hmm, I need to think about this. I guess one novel published and a couple of short story collections. But I also have half a dozen finished and unfinished novels that have yet to be edited and prepared for publishing. I am trying to get into those later this year. Fingers crossed they can be polished enough to see the light of day.

6. If one of your books could be made into a movie, which one would you like to see it happen to and why?

I'd love to see Under the Desert Moon made into a film. I fell in love with the Arizona setting when I wrote it and the characters feel like a part of me. :)

7. What do you like to do in your "down" time?

I don't get much of that - but I guess I like to catch up on my favourite shows like The Walking Dead and The Vampire Diaries. Chilling out with a few friends on a Friday evening and catching up over wine and nibbles is always a good way of winding down. Then I have my two little nieces who don't know the meaning of giving Auntie Emma 'down time'.

8. What are some of your favorite movies and television shows?

Buffy is still my all time favourite TV show, closely followed by Roswell, Friends, The X-Files, The Vampire Diaries and Dark Angel. Movies would have to include Reality Bites, The Last of the Mohicans, The Lost Boys, The Goonies, Stand By Me, Dirty Dancing and Twilight.

9. Are you the type of author that listens to music while you write? If so, what type of music or what songs?

I have to have a quiet space to write usually but I definitely use music to inspire me to write. If I'm stuck or just not feeling it I just put on my iPod and go to the appropriate playlist. That gets the creative juices flowing. The stories about Alex and Tristan from the Night Sighs collection are all down to Bruce Springsteen. Without him, those characters wouldn't be alive.

10. If you could be a character in any book, who would you choose and why?

Jenny from The Forbidden Game by L.J. Smith. She has a darkly gorgeous Shadow Man in love with her willing to give her the world, in fact all nine of them.

11. If the zombie apocalypse were to happen, who would you choose (real or fictional) for your survival team?

My Dad, Buffy, Willow, Rick and Daryl (The Walking Dead), Max and Alec (Dark Angel) and the aliens from Roswell. :)

To win a digital copy of Emma's collection of short stories, The Awakening & Other Stories, enter Rafflecopter giveaway below!

Ways to follow Emma: Twitter, Goodreads, her website

Where to find her book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble 

Emma Meade lives in Ireland and loves vampires, slayers, witches, ghosts, aliens & shadow men (or at least the youngest of the Shadow Men), and regular people who live extraordinary lives (think Slayerettes and you’re on the right track). Writing supernatural short stories, watching marathon re-runs of Buffy and attempting to complete novels are some of her favourite ways of escaping reality.

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I've Been Nominated!

And even more exciting news (what a stellar week)! My blog has been Nominated by April Books and Kelly Anne Blount  for the Liebster Award! Thank you, lovely ladies, for the nominations!

The rules of the Liebster Award are as follows:

1. Thank your Liebster Blog Award presenter on your blog and link back to the blogger who presented this award to you.

2. Answer the 11 questions from the nominator, list 11 random facts about yourself and create 11 questions for your nominees;

3. Present the Liebster Blog Award to 11 blogs of 200 followers or less who you feel deserve to be noticed and leave a comment on their blog letting them know they have been chosen. (No tag backs)

4. Copy and Paste the blog award on your blog.

Random Facts About Me:

1. I'm completely obsessed with music. If there isn't any playing at any point in the day, it makes me anxious. I have over 4,000 songs on my iPod. Three of my six tattoos are music related.  I can't even count all the concerts I've been to. Is there such a thing as a music intervention?

2. I literally live in the middle of nowhere. Our road is the last to be plowed in the whole county. We live an hour from the nearest mall. I've never been much of a country girl, so at times it gets pretty lonely. A lot of times it's just me and the two dogs and they're not much for conversation.

3. I was bullied as a kid for having protruding ears (called "Dumbo" etc) so my parents decided I should have plastic surgery when I was only 8. Having older girls corner me in the bathroom and make fun of me when I was in second grade is one of the clearest memories from my childhood. Because of this, I'm totally like some kind of bully police.

4. When it comes to books, I'm probably considered a borderline hoarder. For over a decade at my house there were books in random closets, under beds and even in the laundry room. I just recently sorted through them and bought an actual bookshelf. I dream of having an actual library one day with a comfortable lounging chair...my family would probably never see me again.

5. I'm a serious dog lover - big, small, it doesn't matter. But cats really freak me out. I swear they have this sixth sense about it, too. When I go over to a friend's house, their cats will either stare at me or come brush up against me. There was even a cat that was obsessed with my ponytail and wouldn't leave it alone. I was pretty traumatized after that.

6. My husband owns a Harley, although we don't get to ride it as often as we would like. Still, I think I make for a really awkward Harley momma and a lot of people do a double-take when they see me on back of the bike. But I've actually come up with some great story ideas while riding on the back of it, so I love it even more!

7. While I'm the shortest of three children at almost 6' and my husband is 6'2", both of our children are pretty short for their ages. I blame the synthetic hormones in the milk.

8. Whenever we go on vacation, I buy a paperback or hardcover book months ahead of time and put it in my suitcase. It takes a lot of self-control not to read it before we leave, but having the opportunity to read a good book from cover to cover is the mark of an excellent vacation.

9. Even though I'm terrified of heights (I once had a panic attack at the top of the Empire State Building), I love roller coasters. Sadly, my stomach seems less tolerable of them the older I get.

10. I'm really freaky about keeping my books in perfect condition. If I loan one out (which is pretty rare), it's only with the promise that they will not crease the spine. Don't even get me started on a messed up spine!

11. I've been to the Disney parks close to a dozen times in my lifetime, but The Wizarding World of Harry Potter only once. It's my goal to visit TWWHP more times than Disney. I should probably just get a job there.

Questions from My Nominator:


1. What got you into blogging? I always have so much to say and there's not enough room on Twitter. The blogging community is a total blast and it's fun to support my fellow authors.

2. Favorite TV show and why? Hands down, that would have to be The Walking Dead. It's such an original show with excellent writing that keeps you on the edge of your seat. Sometimes it's like a really good soap opera, only with excellent acting. And zombies.

3. When writing books are there any reoccurring themes in your work, or if you’re not an author are there any reoccurring themes in the books you like to review? I definitely like anything paranormal, whether reading or writing. In my books you'll always find some level of a love story, too. No matter how hard I try to keep platonic relationships between my characters, the little buggars always end up having a crush and can't seem to keep their hormones in check.

4. What were you like as a teenager? Up through my junior year, I was pretty decent. I stayed out of trouble for the most part and got decent grades. I had so many different friends that arranging my weekends and slumber parties was a nightmare (not everyone got along). My senior year, however, I discovered alcohol and got pretty wild. I think I was still a good daughter...for the most part.

5. Paperbacks or e-books and why? I still use both. I totally love the convenience of my kindle when at home or when on vacation. And it's nice that I don't have all these physical books to have to find a home for. But there will never be anything as awesome as opening a brand new book and feeling it in your hands - I even love the smell of them. I still collect the hard copies written by my favorite authors.

6. Do you have a funny vacation story? I have lots. But last time we were in Cabo, my husband somehow talked me into zip lining (there may have been alcohol involved at the time we signed up). For the most part, it was actually a lot of fun. The view was breathtaking and we got to see the rugged part of Mexico. The guides taught us how to slow down and break by pulling on the cable. At one point, I got a little freaked out by how fast I was going and basically braked right in the middle of a line. This skinny little kid had to come rescue me by wrapping his legs around my waist and pulling me back with our faces only inches apart. At the time I was mortified, but later on agreed that it was pretty funny.

7. Have you ever been out of the country and where did you go? I've been to many different places in Mexico (Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Cabo), the Virgin Islands, Jamaica and Canada. But none of those places will ever beat Hawaii.

8. Book you’re most looking forward to reading this year? The second book in Jolene Perry's Insight series called Manipulation. That woman really knows how to write a good story and I was so excited that she delved into the paranormal genre!

9. Biggest turn off in a book? A really complicated world, especially one that's really political in nature. So many dystopian books are like that. It's one of the reasons I wrote Shymers - I just wanted an interesting futuristic story that was focused more on the people in it.

10. What are you doing when you’re not reading or writing? Getting paid to take pictures, hanging out with my siblings and parents, going out with friends, catching a movie or a concert. But really there's not a lot of time for that stuff because we're just trying to follow the madness of our children's lives. Seriously - we have dance (2x/week), tae kwon do (2x week), basketball (both kids play), confirmation and occasional wrestling. This has been a crazy year. The only thing keeping me going is my husband's promise that we will winter somewhere warm as soon as these last two kids graduate!

11. Favorite holiday and why? It's always been the Fourth of July. My family always gets together at our lake home and we usually have a seafood boil with lots of beer and lots of boating. My husband and I were even married on the Fourth of July, with professional fireworks and everything! The bonus to this is that my husband won't ever forget our anniversary.


My Nominees:

Sarah, Chelsea, Anissa, Megan - Forever YA Fiction
Emma Meade - Emma's Ramblings on Supernatural Fiction
Crystal D Spears - Lives and Breathes Books
Deanna Lynn Sletten - Deanna Lynn Sletten, Author
Danielle Sibarium - For Always
Kelly Valentine - It's All Relative
Maria Monteiro - Writing, Reading & Dancing
Amber, Satin, Sarah & Shannon - The Mortal Institute
Sabrina - Sabrina's Library
London Cole - London Cole (YA and NA paranormal author)
Erika Stroup - Moonlight Book Reviews

My Questions for Nominees:

1. If you could live the life of any character in a book, who would that be and why?

2. What do you like to do to relax?

3. What's your favorite vacation memory?

4. Do you have any strange quirks?

5. What are some of your favorite movies?

6. What do you and your best friend like to do together?

7. If you could see anyone in concert, alive or dead, who would that be?

8. Favorite childhood memory?

9. Is there any book in particular that's really had some kind of impact on your life? How so?

10. You just won the lottery. What would you do with the money?

11. What do you enjoy most about blogging?

MORE exciting news!

This has been an exciting week! Not only is my zombie book now available in the Kindle lending library, but a blog I've been working on with eleven other very fun and spirited ladies is about to go live this Saturday! Being an author can be a lonely road to travel, so we joined together to document our unique journeys as well as bring you other news from the writing world. To get to know my fellow authors that will be blogging along with me, you can check out their profiles here.

Here's a preview of what you can expect from this brand-spanking new blog! 

	The Tuesday Topic: On Tuesdays, each of us will chime with our perspective on a popular writing topic. We'll ask for your point of view in the comments!
	Writers' Review: On Wednesday, one of us will suggest a new book that we're sure you'll love!
	Write Now: On Thursdays, we'll all come together to give you a short insight into what we're doing for our craft at that single point in time.
	Song for a Scene Saturday: On Saturday, one of us will share with you a specific song that inspired or influenced a scene in our writing.
	Dear Diary: A look into the milestones and pitfalls of our journey. We aim for an honest and pull-no-punches view into our minds as we navigate our path to publication.
	Fact and Fiction: We will tell you about one of our personal experiences that differed from our expectations.
	What's New: We'll highlight book releases, contests, other fabulous blogs, and other happenings in our community.
	Who to Watch for: Interviews with up-and-comers as well as industry vets!

Oh, and we're everywhere on the web, so be sure to follow us on the sites below for all the exciting new we will have to offer!

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