Author Interview: Carrie Jones

A Q&A with the amazing Carrie Jones!

Zara collects phobias the way other high school girls collect lipsticks. Little wonder, since life’s been pretty rough so far. Her father left, her stepfather just died, and her mother’s pretty much checked out. Now Zara’s living with her grandmother in sleepy, cold Maine so that she stays “safe.” Zara doesn’t think she’s in danger; she thinks her mother can’t deal.

Wrong. Turns out that guy she sees everywhere, the one leaving trails of gold glitter, isn’t a figment of her imagination. He’s a pixie—and not the cute, lovable kind with wings. He’s the kind who has dreadful, uncontrollable needs. And he’s trailing Zara.

From Ramblings to Interviews: When and why did you begin writing?

Carrie Jones: Well, I first started writing in nursery school. The teachers insisted. I didn't feel as if I had much choice. I had a hard time with the letters "P" and "D" and "Q" and "B" I was always flipping them upside down and the opposite ways so "P" would become "d."

 

RI: The magical beings in Need you've created are so unique. What inspired you to write them, seeing as the genre is different than your previous novels?

 

CJ: I really thought of it as a big experiment. I get bored terribly easily, and I had this strange experience that sort of pushed me to write.

 

I was at the Common Ground Fair, which is this huge, cool fair in Maine that’s sponsored by Maine Organic Farmers and Growers Association (MOFGA). To get to the main part of the fair you have to walk through this sweet trail that curves through these tall spruce trees.

Right in front of me was this guy. He had a weird vibe. He was wearing all corduroy – blazer, pants. And sticking out from his blazer was this long tail-like appendage that was wrapped in different colored earth-toned cloth. I guess he could tell I was checking him out because he turned his head and looked at me. His eye was this startling silver color. How startling? So startling that I actually gasped and got creeped out. Then when we were in line to pay we made eye contact again and his eyes were brown.

I know! I know! I probably imagined the silver eye color.

It doesn’t matter. That was one of the main things that got me started. Then, I just had this image of a man standing outside an airport pointing at an airplane this girl was on.

It also creeped me out.

So, I started writing.

 

RI: Captivate, Need's sequel, will be finally be released on January 5th, and we've all read the summary on Amazon (sounds great btw!). But, can you tell us any more about it?

 

CJ: Um.... My editor made me cut out a lot of the love scenes, but there are still some in there....

 

I'm actually not supposed to talk about it. It is SO hard to not talk about it.

RI: When it comes to writing, do you outline, write blind, or have a mix between the two?

 

CJ: It depends on the project but usually I start out blind, get to about 50,000 words and then go back over it and create a chapter outline from what I have. Then I tend to cry, throw my hands up in frustration, and ignore my outline.

 

RI: Is there anything particularly challenging in your writing?

CJ: I tend to be a minimalist, and I tend to like love scenes and dialogue, so I'd say description and structure (see that last question about the outlines) are my biggest challenges.

 

 

RI: Any weird writing quirks?

 

CJ: I don't write naked.

I don't write upside down.

I don't write in a bathtub of strudel.

So, I think I'm a pretty boring writer, actually. 

I am one of those writers who writes better when they are happy. If someone is cranky at me or I watch the news before I write then I am pretty much blown for the day. Pathetic, I know.

RI: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

 

CJ: Everything I could say seems like a cliche.

I mean it's cool if you:

1. Write every day (At least 100 words)

2. Read every day (At least 100 words)

3. Believe in yourself and your character and your story.

4. Have fun

5. Study the craft

6. Eat strudel

7. Don't get hung up on being the most awesome writer in the universe because once that happens you get writers' block.

 

But all the rules can be broken and everyone works in a different way

RI: Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?

 

CJ: Thank you for reading! It is so nice of you! And thank you for not ripping the books in half and trying to flush them down the toilet. I really REALLY appreciate that.

RI: What's one question that no one ever asks, but you wish they would? (And answer please!)

CJ: Q. Carrie, why do you like puppies so much?

A. Because they wag their tails and lick you and they let you pet them all day long and they ALWAYS ALWAYS love you.

 

3 Quick Facts:

Book you're currently reading- 

Coffeehouse Angel by Suzanne Selfors

Movie you've fallen in love with-

Dude, I am so easy. I love almost ALL movies. Seriously. It is sad.

Author you've grown to admire- 

I admire pretty much all of them. How about... um... oh! That's so hard. Today it's Rita Williams Garcia, but I've ALWAYS admired her.

RI: Again, thanks so much for taking the time to answer these questions!

CJ: Oh, thank you for asking them!

Author Interview: Nina Malkin

A Q&A with the extremely talented Nina Malkin!

Can I just say this is one of the most attention-grabbing covers I've seen in a while? You know the saying, "Don't judge a book by its cover". . .Well, I do. All the time. My favorite books have some of the most intriguing covers, and Swoon is a perfect example. So, I suggest buying this book if you haven't already.

I know, I know. You want to know what the novel is about, right?

"Swoon, Connecticut, stands proudly on its heritage and the good behavior of its Lilly Pulitzer-clad inhabitants, so semi-psychic New York transplant Candace (Dice) sticks out like a sore thumb. On the autumnal equinox, Dice's sweet and gentle cousin Penelope suddenly changes into a dangerous vixen, and only Dice is able to see that she has been possessed. Dice knows she must exorcise Sinclair, the ghost of a handsome young man from the colonial era, but she has fallen deeply in love with the appropriately nicknamed Sin. Finally, Dice follows Sin's directions for an exorcism, which frees Penelope from his hold and releases Sin into his own physical form. The golem-like Sin finally reveals his goal: to exact revenge on the descendants of those who unjustly hung him for the murder of his fiancee. Since Sin awakens the quaint town's denizens to all of their suppressed urges, this steamy and suspenseful romance with a psychic slant and time-travel twist will pull mature teens. . ." --Booklist

Rambling and Interviews: When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Nina Malkin: When my poetry was published in third grade. Well, not published. Mimeographed. I can still smell the mimeograph chemicals. Mmmm…

RI: What inspired you to write Swoon?

NM: Betrayal. The idea about the spirit of a boy from the past who possesses a contemporary girl had been kicking around awhile, yet I didn’t do anything with it till I’d gotten seriously screwed over by someone I trusted. This wasn’t in a personal relationship, but it was really rough on me. Betrayal became an obsession, and it’s helpful to write out your obsessions. The day I hired a lawyer was the day I started SWOON.

RI: Will there be future books involving Sin and Dice?

NM: Series are compelling to a lot of readers, and I understand why—you get invested with a set of characters and you want to continue the relationship. Yet much as I love Sin and Dice, I’m not that motivated towards series as a writer. The characters in SWOON are free to do what they want without me now, and I’m more drawn toward the embryonic story ideas and fledgling protagonists clamoring for my attention.

RI: Is there a message in Swoon that you want your readers to grasp?

NM: Oh, just the obvious: Love conquers…not everything, but a lot. Nobody’s perfect. Forgiveness is healing. Hypocrisy sucks.

RI: Do you have anything specific you want to say to your loyal readers?

NM: Thank you very much. Writing is a lonely craft—well, not lonely, because you have all your imaginary friends. But you sit there in your sweats battering at a keyboard and you never know if anyone is “getting” it. So if someone does get it, and they write to  tell you so, it’s  fulfilling. Because that’s why you write—to reach people, for them to go, “Yeah, I feel that way too.” 

RI: Do you have any advice for unpublished writers?

NM: I’ve heard some writers don’t love to write—that floors me. Then why do it? For most of us, it’s not glamorous or lucrative. So my advice, if it can be considered advice, is love writing. Love the process, have fun, amuse yourself. I wrote fiction for many years before I had the privilege of publishing, and I had a blast. Plus, for every book I’ve had published there are plenty that never saw print—I loved working on them, too. 

RI: What's the one question people never ask, but you wish they would? (And, answer please!)

NM: I wish people would ask me if they could come over and clean my house. The answer would be yes.

3 Quick Questions:

Favorite Desert—

Ice cream, because it is so easy to procure…

Favorite Book—

The Dictionary

Favorite Quote—

“I’d rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy.” Not because I prescribe heavy drinking or have no faith in primeval brain surgery, but because I think it’s the cleverest thing ever expressed. If I ever came up with anything nearly that smart I’d have to retire, since I’d never be able to better it.

RI: Again, I can't thank you enough for answering these! Tons of my fellow writers love your work and will appreciate the interview.

NM: You’re welcome, Ash. I love that you’re nurturing a community of writers. I hope to be seeing your stuff soon!

Author Interview: Aprilynne Pike

A Q&A with NYT bestselling author Aprilynne Pike!

"Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that's not at all like those of other kids. One clear sign is winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her she is a faerie. She also learns it's up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family. . ."

--Booklist

Rambling to Interviews: When and how did you decide that you wanted to write this book?

Aprilynne Pike: In the summer of 2007, I was in kind of sticky position. I had an agent, but the book she had been shopping was going nowhere. So I knew that if I wanted to continue with my dream of being a writer, I needed to write another book, and basically start the process over again. So I was trolling agency sites one day, and I found an agent's blog who had reported that Barnes and Noble was expecting faeries to be one of the new trends in YA lit. I felt like I had been hit by lightning. I have always loved faeries, for as long as I could remember, and I love YA. I don't know why I had to get thunked on the head with the idea of putting those two loves together before I made the connection. But I remember sitting there staring at the computer screne thinking, "Faeries? Oh my gosh! *I* want to write a book about faeries!!!" and something in me knew that I had to do it Right. Now. I turned the first draft of Wings into my agent six weeks later.

RI: This wasn't you first novel. Your website states you had written three novels before Wings, which were all rejected by agents. Was the second round of agency rejections easier or more difficult?

AP: *laugh* No this certainly was not my first novel. But honestly? By the time I started querying my second novel, I had racked up over 100 rejections, so I think I was actually used to it by then. It did help, however, that I had a much higher request rate with my second book. Mostly, I think, because I learned how to write queries better.:D

RI: Many authors assume it's easy to land an agent. Could you share with us how many rejections (queries, partials, fulls) you faced before finding yours?

AP: Wow, those are some dusty numbers! Let's see, on my first book I sent out about 140 queries (I queried *everyone*), I had probably 20 requests for the partial and 7 or 8 requests for the full. For the second book I sent out about 40 queries and had about 25 requests for the partial and I think four requests for the full. Eventually, I signed with my agent with my first book. 

RI: Are any of your characters based on real people?

AP: Only one, and I didn't mean for him to be more than a two or three line character. There is a character in the first book named Ryan who is based on my brother-in-law, Jared. Mostly because I picture him and very tall with dark hair, just like my brother-in-law. However, now that Ryan figures pretty heavily in the second and third books, I still sometimes have to pause and think, "Ryan, not Jared." In fact, even into the second round of revisions my editor found a place where I had typed the wrong name. 

RI: Did you have a favorite book growing up?

AP: It's really hard for me to pick just one, because I read so much as a kid, but when I read the question, the first book that popped into my head was Avi's The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle. I still read that book about once a year. 

RI: Do you plan on working on more books in the future?

AP: Oh, absolutely! I have simmering idea for my next series as well as two stand-alones, and I have a non-Wings book that is currently in negotiations at Harper, which is really exciting to me! I'm a fairly prolific writer, so I am always working on something new!

RI: Do you have any advice for young writers?

AP: Read! You will learn more about writing from reading than any other single thing. Also, finish a book. As in, finish writing a book. Being able to say, "I finished a book!" is such a huge thing. Because if you can do it once, you can do it twice, and three times, and that--ultimately--is what it takes to be an author. Finishing books. 

RI: What’s the one question no one ever asks you, but you wish they would? (Plus the answer!)

AP: I always want someone to ask me about Orick (the town where Laurel's cabin is.) It's a fascinating little town that literally is in this pocket of land just off the road in the middle of Redwood National Forest. It's a neat little place and no one ever asks about it. 

3 Quick Facts:

3 things that make you feel better-

Hot baths, chocolate, working out.

2 things that are considered weird-

I love vinegar. Rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar, Balsamic vinegar. Love it!!! I also love broccoli.

1 thing that you can't go a day without doing-

This may sound sappy, but kissing my husband. I have a really special relationship with my husband and even after being together for almost ten years, I still miss him when he leaves the room. 

Author Interview: Janni Lee Simner

"The war between humanity and Faerie devastated both sides. Or so fifteen-year-old Liza has been told. Nothing has been seen or heard from Faerie since, and Liza's world bears the scars of its encounter with magic. Corn resists being harvested; dandelions have thorns. Trees move with sinister intention, and the town Liza calls home is surrounded by a forest that threatens to harm all those who wander into it. Still Liza feels safe. Her father is strong and has protected their town by laying down strict rules. Among them: Any trace of magic must be destroyed, no matter where it is found. 

Then Liza's sister is born with faerie-pale hair, clear as glass, and Liza's father leaves the baby on a hillside to die. When her mother disappears into the forest and Liza herself discovers she has the faerie ability to see--into the past, into the future--she has no choice but to flee. Liza's quest will take her into Faerie and back again, and what she finds along the way may be the key to healing both worlds."

First off, I want to thank Ms. Simner for answering a few questions today. And, for those of you who've read the book, the awaited interview is finally here! If you're visiting my blog and haven't read this book, well, you'll have to leave. Seriously. Shoo. Just kidding, but seriously I suggest you go to your nearest B&N and grab a copy. 

Anyway, I'm exited to bring you a Q&A with Janni Lee Simner!

Rambling to Interviews: Did you always want to be a writer?

 

Janni Lee Simner: I always wanted to write (and always did write), but I don't think I realized that maybe I could write for publication until around the time I graduated from college. I didn't know if I would ever sell my work, but I spent the last of my student loan money on my first computer and told myself that I would write something -- even if it was only a few words -- every single day. The thought of writing a whole book was overwhelming, but the thought of those few words wasn't as scary -- I knew I could do that. (I didn't yet know how much work it would be to revise those words into something others would want to read, but there was time for that later!)

 

RI: What is your goal as a writer?

 

JLS: To keep getting a little better with every book I write -- there's always something new to learn, which is part of what I love about writing. It always challenges me, and I never get bored with or tired of it.

 

And of course, I also hope to keep selling those books, so that they can make their way out into the world where others can read them!

 

RI: What is your writing style? Outline or no outline?

 

JLS: No outline!

 

If I have a choice, anyway. I'm happy to write an outline when I need to present one as a sales tool, but it's not the way I prefer to write. I prefer to jump in and find the story by writing it. The first draft, I often tell the entirely wrong story, actually. Then the next draft gets closer to the right story, and then I spend several drafts after making that story compelling and readable. It's sort of like the first draft is the exploratory draft (where I'm finding out what characters and tensions are available to me), the second draft is the incoherent draft (where I tell the right story, mostly, but it's pretty rough and rambly), and the third draft (and the several drafts after that) are where it begins to come together. By the fourth draft or so, I'm compressing the story and adding details; by maybe the fifth I'm polishing the language.

 

I do think whether or not to outline is a really individual call, though. Writers all think and work so differently--the important thing is for each writer to find a process that works for us, and then to make the most of it.

 

RI: Faeries have been a major trend lately, yet your book manages to take a fresh spin on the subject. What made you come up with such an interesting post apocalyptic world? Was it the main character whispering to you as you've mentioned on your website?

 

JLS: The whole story really did come from that opening scene. I wrote it fifteen years ago now, and I still don't entirely know where it came from! I was already fascinated with faeries, and had been reading lots of early urban fantasy, and the opening ... just happened, with its image of Liza (I wasn't even sure of her name yet) describing how her baby sister was set out on a hillside for the faeries to take. I loved that opening, but it terrified me, too, because I didn't know what came next, or how to write a book worthy of those first few pages. So I went off and wrote other things, and worked on becoming a better and better writer until I was finally ready to tell the rest of the story.

 

It's funny -- when I started writing Bones of Faerie, no one was writing about faeries anymore, and I kind of worried there'd be no place for a book about them. I had no idea lots of other people were writing faerie books too, and that by the time Bones of Faerie sold, they would be a trend! Sometimes I wonder what it is that makes many writers decide to write about the same things at the same time without realizing it. And what's really fascinating is how when we do that, we all still wind up telling very different sorts of stories -- I love how that happens!

 

RI: The romance is intriguing and subtle. (Sorry, don't want to contain spoilers) Did you draw from some of your own experiences when it came to the characters?

 

JLS: Interesting question! I think not directly ... but I am very much a fan of relationships that begin as friendships (I'm also lucky enough to be married to my best friend), so that probably did have some influence. I figure if you're not friends, what's the point? And I also think romance doesn't always begin with sparks flying the moment your eyes meet -- sometimes it sneaks up on you while you're busy doing other things, and I like seeing that in fiction, too.

 

RI: For those of us wanting to learn more about Tara, Caleb, Kate, and Matthew, can you tell us anything about a sequel? (Due out in 2011)

 

JLS: I can't say much mostly because I don't know much yet! I'm still in the middle of one of my early "incoherent" drafts, so even the things I think I know are likely to change. I can say that we'll be back in Liza's point of view, probably during the winter after the end of Bones of Faerie. I want to know more about all the characters, too, which is one reason I'm thrilled to be writing a sequel -- writing is a process of discovery for me, and I'm learning things right along with Liza.

 

RI: The querying process generally deals with loads of rejection. Was your first novel picked up quickly or did you face a lot of,  "While your story sounds interesting, I'm afraid it isn't right for me"?

 

JLS: I've definitely gotten letters like this for most of my books, and for many of my short stories, too. The book I sold before Bones of Faerie (Secret of the Three Treasures, which is aimed at kid rather than teen readers) received a large collection of rejection letters that mostly said, "I love this book, it's perfect, but I don't think I can sell it" before I received an offer. Bones of Faerie is the first book I sold with an agent, so it found a home a little more quickly, but there were still publishers who liked the writing but thought the book wasn't right for them. (But given how much I love working with my editor, I really don't regret those rejections at all -- his enthusiasm and concrete suggestions for how to make the book better have both made a huge difference.) 

 

RI: Any advice for those looking to land an agent?

 

JLS: Be persistent. Do your research, and try to find out both what various agents are looking for and what sorts of books they tend to represent -- www.agentquery.com is a good resource, and many writers also acknowledge their agents in their books as well. Query agents who genuinely seem a good fit, and don't give up if the first few tries you get turned down.

 

Also, start working on your next book even while you're querying the first one. If the book you're working on turns out not to be right for anyone, possibly the next book (which, because we're all always improving as writers, will probably be a better book) will fare better.

 

RI: What's the one question no one ever asks you, but you wish they would?  (Plus the answer please!)

 

JLS: Q: What's your favorite apocalyptic poem?

 

A: Richard Wilbur's "Advice to a Prophet" ( www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15485) -- I was reciting bits of it aloud long before I knew I'd be writing a post-apocalyptic novel. I'm also fond of the eerie imagery of W.B. Yeats' "The Second Coming" ( www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15527)

 

3 Quick Facts:

 

Favorite author-

Madeleine L'Engle (started reading her as a teen and still turn to her books for comfort now)

Books you're reading at the moment-

Kathleen Duey's Sacred Scars, Kate Messner's The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z, and The Illiad

Bad movie you secretly love-

Do old (70s and 80s) Doctor Who episodes count?

 

RI: Yes, it does! Again, thanks so much for the wonderful interview!

 

JLS: Thanks for having me here, and for your good words about Bones of Faerie!