Interview: Cheryl S Mackey

Author of  

The Unknown Sun  

#YAFantasy 

Calista: Who are you writing for?

C S Mackey: I am writing for anyone and everyone who loves young adult and fantasy books.

Calista: What instructions do you give to your editor?

C S Mackey: Kill the adverbs. Please, just murder them.

Calista: The YA genre has so many sub-genres. Which is your favorite?

C S Mackey: I love all subgenres, but I really like paranormal romance, fantasy, and urban fantasy.

Calista: Can you tell us a little bit about the plot of your book?

C S Mackey: Moira is a lonely, scarred, human girl who wants nothing better than to hide from the world. Guilt and regret are her only friends. Everything changes when a fallen god wants her dead and twins from another planet rescue her. She inherits their dead mother's powerful gifts in order to stop a revolution and free the gods known as The Unknown Sun . She grows as a person, learns to trust, too be brave, to be open minded, to believe in herself.

Calista: Is your protagonist going to morph during the story?

C S Mackey: Moira grows as a person, learns to trust, to be brave, to be open minded, courageous, and to believe in herself. She will discover than being small doesn't mean she is weak.

Calista: What is the most compelling part of the story arc for your character?

C S Mackey: That courage is found in everyone, that love really does conquer evil.

Calista: Do you meet with a critique group?

C S Mackey: No, there don't appear to be any near me.

Calista: Do you use beta/test readers?

C S Mackey: I do, a select few.

Calista: Please give us a brief description of your writing process.

C S Mackey: I need to have a clear concept in my mind before I can write. If I don't have a beginning, middle, and ending, then I just can't do it. The concept doesn't have to be very detailed, just there. Often this takes weeks.

Calista: Are you a genre jumper, and if so which ones?

C S Mackey: In both reading and writing I tend to stick to a few similar genres. Fantasy, Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy, etc.

Interview: SJ Hermman

Discussing: Book One of the  Morium Trilogy

#Paranormal

 

Artemis: Who is reading your book right now?

S J Hermann:I write for readers who enjoy YA novels. I also try to write to touch an emotional cord to teenagers who may have gone, or are going through, some of the things that I write about.

Artemis: What instructions do you give to your editor?

S J Hermann: I have a tendency to overuse words. It's a naughty habit that I instruct my editor to keep a close eye on.

Artemis: The YA genre has so many sub-genres. Which is your favorite?

S J Hermann: Paranormal. Science Fiction, but I am always open to reading new genres.

Artemis: Can you tell us a little bit about the plot of your book?

S J Hermann: There are two main characters in Morium, Alexandria and Nathan  . They are close High School friends who stick together as they both endure endless bullying. It's not just the bullying these teenagers face, but also home problems as well. Alexandria watches her father struggle to keep a roof over their heads, while  Nathan deals with parents who are always at work and hardly home.

When they both gain supernatural abilities they both take different directions as to what to do with these newfound powers. Knowing their emotional states, Alexandria is aware of the dangers and wants nothing to do with these abilities while Nathan becomes obsessed to the point like it is a drug. These two eighteen year old teenagers have powers to change ones life, for the better or for the worse.

I like the differences between the two characters

Artemis: Is your protagonist going to morph during the story?

SJ Hermann: Yes. They both go through major changes internally. 

Artemis: What is the most compelling part of the story arc for your character?

S J Hermann:  Mentally, it is a challenge for both of them to control their abilities. As Uncle Ben said, "With great powers come great responsibilities." I wanted this series to really put that comment to the test. Throughout the series it will be a constant challenge for Alexandria and Nathan to live with what they have inherited.
Without giving to much away, the next book in the series, MORIUM : DARK HORIZONS, Alexandria and Nathan attempt to repair their once strong friendship. Nathan has a hard time dealing with what he has done, while Alexandria hides her closely guarded secret from someone new in her life.

Artemis: Please give us a brief description of your writing process.

SJ Hermann: I begin with index cards in which I write down chapter ideas. Once I believe I have everything I want to write down, I arrange them to get a good flow to the story. As I am writing, things will come to my mind that I think would be a good fit, so everything on those cards might get tossed, or rearranged.
The most important thing for me before I write are the characters. I want to have a solid foundation from which I can develop and grow these individuals. By the time I am finished with a book, I want to feel like they are part of  the family.

Interview with Kimberly Castillo

The Convenience of Lies: By Kimberly Castillo

#Mystery
#YARomance

Bio: Kimberly Castillo wrote the first version of The Convenience of Lies when she was a teenager. After studying the process of storytelling at California State University Northridge, she revisited this project to complete the story. The Convenience of Lies is her debut novel.

Kimberly is currently a graduate student and lives in Southern California with her husband and three cats.

     Artemis:  Who are you writing for?

     Kimberly: My novel, The Convenience of Lies, is intended for teenagers and young adults. It speaks the most to women.

    Artemis: What instructions do you give to your editor?

    Kimberly: I’ve worked closely with my editor for many years, and so at this point she knows what I am expecting of her.

  Artemis: The YA genre has so many sub-genres. Which is your favorite?

  Kimberly: The Convenience of Lies could be described as women’s issues novel with a hint of mystery.

  Artemis: Can you tell us a little bit about your book?

  Kimberly: Sure! I'd love to share the synopsis with you:

    “It doesn't matter if it's right or wrong. All that matters is if you can. If you can do something, what difference does it make?"

     Based on a true story, The Convenience of Lies is a novel that keeps readers up past midnight with its story of friendship, mystery, crime, sex, and betrayal. Set in a suburban town, this story is told through the eyes of a high school junior, Mackenzie, who describes her crush on a "bad boy," Ramon and her relationship with her best friend, Kira. During the course of the story, Mackenzie does her best to attract the affections of Ramon while her friendship with Kira evolves. Eventually, the different characters' property starts getting vandalized and a mystery develops as Mackenzie and Kira try to get to the bottom of who is behind the vandalism.

Artemis: Is your protagonist going to morph during the story?

Kimberly: Unfortunately, Mackenzie does not morph during the progress of this story, which ends up being her ultimate demise. As the saying goes, ignorance is bliss. But, The Convenience of Lies shows that ignorance is also dangerous. For the main character, Mackenzie, her ignorance leads her down a destructive path. Much like a tragic hero, Mackenzie is doomed to fall into an abusive relationship due to her own fault, which is her naivety.

    Artemis: Is there a message, if so what do you want the reader to come away with?
    Kimberly: Anyone can fall into an abusive relationship. It is easy to fall prey to what social psychology calls “blaming the victim” and thinking it will never happen to you. However, remember that love is blind, and look out for yourself first.

     Artemis: Do you meet with a critique group?

    Kimberly: No, I do not meet with a critique group. However, I have a group of trustworthy readers who give me feedback on my writing.

    Artemis: Are you a genre jumper, and if so which ones?

    Kimberly: At this time, the only genre I’ve written is young adult, though I’ve considered writing fantasy and adult.

     Artemis: Please give us a brief description of your writing process.

     Kimberly: When I write I usually talk over my idea with my friends and family and then create an outline of my story. Once I have the overall outline, I break it down into chapters, and create a more detailed outline for each chapter. Along the way, I’ll do some research if there’s any missing information I need, or if there’s a point where I want to ensure accuracy. Once all of this background work is complete, I’m ready to start writing! I generally start in chronological order with the first chapter. After I complete each draft of my work, I give it to a reader for feedback.

The staff at YAB:

        Kimberly, thank you for being with us this week on Young Adult Books we wish you much success with your book and your future writing endeavors.

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