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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