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Interview with Just a Few Inches Author Tara St Pierre

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Tara St. Pierre, author of Just a Few Inches joines me today to talk about inspiration and some behind-the-scenes information about her book.

Hi Tara. Thanks for taking time to answer my questions about Just a Few Inches. 🙂
You’re welcome! It’s a pleasure to be here, Kasey.

I find that a story was often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write Just a Few Inches?
What if one of those checkout-counter magazine headlines that claimed a diet could “shrink inches from your waist” caused a person to shrink in height instead? I realize that it’s a somewhat odd question to pose, but it’s the one that crossed my mind while I stood in line at a drugstore when I first came up with the idea for this story. The usage of the word “shrink” in that context is what really jumped out at me, and my imagination went to movies like The Incredible Shrinking Woman and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids. I figured I could make this into a story about body image but in a much different way than had been done before. Rather than Carrie (my protagonist) battle with an existing eating disorder—and risk the book being too heavy-handed or worse, inaccurate or insensitive—I chose to show weight loss in the most outlandish way possible with this sci-fi/fantasy twist. There are claims that fashion dolls cause young girls to develop body image insecurity, and though I don’t know if that’s true, it became a much more interesting question to posit while Carrie was literally the size of a fashion doll. By employing the speculative element of Carrie shrinking, I could still tackle the issues I wanted but integrate them into a unique, gripping, entertaining plot.

Very cool stuff. As I was reading, I definitely had a few moments where I thought about those movies, too. I liked that you had that moment about fashion dolls, too. I think you’re right– the way you chose to tell the story did explore the issue in a really unique way.

Do you have a favorite character? Were there things about your favorite character which couldn’t be included in the novel?
I think my favorite character would have to be Carrie’s mother. Imagine watching your own daughter shrink smaller and smaller with possibly no end in sight. A chilling thought, isn’t it? She’s brave and supportive because she has to maintain that face for her daughter, but inside, she’s terrified and angry and trying her hardest no to be completely devastated. Because the story is told from Carrie’s point of view, I can’t just tell the reader how her mother feels; I can only show her mother’s emotions during her interactions with Carrie. There’s an entire perspective there that I couldn’t include as much as I would’ve liked. Also, in the first draft, I went into more detail about the legal matters between Carrie’s parents and the manufacturers of the diet pills, but my advance readers, which included some teens, didn’t respond to these scenes as positively as other parts of the book. They would have shown Carrie’s mother fighting the external conflict for her daughter. But no matter how much of her mother’s story that I had to keep out of the book, Carrie is extremely grateful for all the love and support her mother provided—and I have what I think is a neat way of symbolizing that in the final chapter.

As a mom myself, I totally identified with Carrie’s mom, so I hear you. Kudos to you for trusting those advance readers. I’m sure it wasn’t easy to make some of those changes.

Is there a scene or moment in your novel that really sticks with you? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
There’s a chapter about halfway through the book where Carrie and her younger stepsister Amy have a significant confrontation. I don’t want to spoil it with details, but their relationship had been bubbling to this point, and it was exhilarating and frightening and draining to write about when it reached its boiling point. I had a handful of advance readers who were reading chapters every few days after I’d draft them, and I vividly remember their reactions to this chapter above all others. The consensus was that in the first few paragraphs, they dreaded what could conceivably happen in the chapter. Then that dread developed into full-scale panic. But in the end, they were surprised with where I went with it, and it was the confirmation I needed to know that I had achieved what I set out to do in that chapter. I’d love to tell more, but I want readers to really feel that chapter—and they’ll surely know which one it is when they get there.

I remember the scene you’re talking about. Yes! It’s really intense. What a great scene. 🙂

What do you most hope that readers take away from your novel?
We should not be a hostage to our shape and/or size because what’s inside is what really makes each of us incredible. Carrie wanted to be smaller, and she got smaller in ways she could never have imagined, but did she really need to be smaller? Even as she shrinks, she never lets it fully stop her from doing what she wants, and her family, friends, and school find ways to accommodate her growing disability. In the end, I would like readers to think about their own inner strength and confidence, about respecting and helping out others, and about being true to themselves.

That’s a great message. I liked that her changing size made her reevaluate those things and challenged her to see herself in a different way. It also challenged her friends in some unexpected ways, too.

What is one question about your novel you are often asked by readers?
A question I’m often asked is: “How did you make Carrie’s experience seem so real?” It all starts with the decision to tell the story from her first-person point of view. Doing so allows the reader to always be inside her head and see through her eyes, especially as her perspective changes—the world seemingly grows around her. To make it seem real, I measured everything in my house—countertops, windowsills, doorknobs, pillows, phones, you name it. Then I’d walk around the house on my knees or lie down on the floor and look up, trying to imagine myself at Carrie’s varying size. To an outside observer, I’m sure I would have looked a little strange, but hey, it was all research necessary to make the journey believable!

Funny the things writers do to really get inside those characters, huh? 🙂

What are you most looking forward to reading next?
How to Hang a Witch by Adriana Mather. I grew up close to Salem, Massachusetts, and I was involved with a production of The Crucible when I was in high school. The Witch Trials have always fascinated me, particularly how hysteria prevailing over rational thought can have serious consequences. That theme can be applied to many eras in history as well as the present. The author is a descendant of someone involved with the Trials, and so is the main character of the book. A retelling of sorts with a modern Mean Girls kind of vibe? What’s not to be excited about with that?

Oh man. I remember reading The Crucible in high school, too. I like the idea of marrying that with a Mean Girls vibe. I can totally see that!

Kasey, thank you so much for featuring me and my book in your Sanctuary. It has been an absolute pleasure to answer your questions! As Carrie would blog, I hope you and your readers are always looking up!

Thanks, Tara!

About Tara St Pierre

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Tara St. Pierre has been writing for over two decades, but her muse only sporadically provides inspiration. Her laptop is filled with incomplete manuscripts and other plot outlines, and she feels blessed when one finally pushes its way through to completion–no matter how long it takes!

She enjoys classic science fiction movies and television shows. When driving, she sings along with the radio loudly and off key. She prefers tea over coffee, spring over autumn, vanilla ice cream over chocolate, and caramel over hot fudge. Though she lives by herself, one of her two cats enjoys cuddling with her.

just-a-few-inchesAbout Just a Few Inches

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To fit into the perfect dress for the Valentine’s Day Dance. To look beautiful for her boyfriend, the school’s star basketball player. To keep his jealous ex-girlfriend, a rival cheerleader, away from him. And to be noticed by her classmates. Exercising and dieting don’t work, but an advertisement for weight loss pills promises a quicker solution to her problem. As time runs out, she takes more than the recommended dose until she’s just a few inches slimmer... Getting everything she once wanted has created new problems—problems that are growing more terrifying every day.

Because Carrie Roberts is shrinking.

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Author Interview: Alleece Balts

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One of the books I enjoyed reading lately is The Crowd by Alleece Balts. Today, Alleece joins me to talk more about what inspired her to write The Crowd and what we can look forward to when Ella’s story continues in The Journey.

ME: I find that a story is often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write The Crowd?

ALLEECE BALTS: What if you found yourself the victim of bullying, but not at the hands of just one mean kid – what if an entire school was against you? What could you do on your own? That’s a pretty heavy subject matter, but I didn’t necessarily want to write an angry or brooding book because I feel like there are already a number of dark books out there that deal with bullying. So for The Crowd I really strived to write something entertaining that was a little lighter and more approachable but still got readers thinking about the topic of bullying and what they – as an individual – can do. We also tend to focus only on the victim and the bully in those situations and I wanted to look beyond that to the bystanders and onlookers witnessing bullying who often have more power than they think. There are a lot of young people and even adults who possess the social capital necessary to stand up for another person, or change the subject when faced with gossip, or question a racist, sexist or derogatory “joke” and break the cycle of bullying.

ME: I think you’re right – that’s a really heavy topic, and a really important one. You definitely managed to address issues of bullying without letting the story become dominated by those darker elements. I liked that there was a lot of lighter content. One of my favorite characters was Ella’s Aunt Meg. What inspired you to create her or include her in the story?

ALLEECE BALTS: I think there is a little bit of the writer in every character and Aunt Meg was such a fun character to write for that reason. I am a big tea drinker (with a growing obsession with sweet tea) and Aunt Meg always seems to have a steaming cup of tea in her hand. Also like me, Aunt Meg enjoys a quiet life. It was interesting to imagine how I would react if a teenager showed up unexpectedly on my porch and announced that she had come to live with me! Throughout the story, I really wanted to show how Aunt Meg and Ella’s relationship progressed from that first moment on the porch to them slowly becoming at home with each other. Not only did Ella grow through that experience, but Aunt Meg did as well – at a time in her life when she probably thought she was done developing personally.

ME: That’s a good point, and I think it added a lot of depth to the story to have that relationship between characters develop like it did. Do you have a favorite character? Were there things about your favorite character which couldn’t be included in The Crowd?

ALLEECE BALTS: It is surprisingly difficult to pick a favorite! But in telling the story, I was able to share a lot about each of my main characters. There is more to Ella, Jack, Lucas – and even Aunt Meg – than initially meets the eye when we first see them on the page. Just like in real life, there may be a moment in your past or a certain way you look or place where you’re from that defines you to those around you – fair or not. Whether you’re seen as a criminal or a nerd or a playboy, it can be difficult to scrub those past labels off ourselves and be accepted for who we truly are now. It was an interesting challenge to slowly reveal each character to the reader and adjust the expectation of who that character was. Also, one great thing about writing in a series is that I have the opportunity to continue to grow and expand my characters as they encounter new trials.

ME: Very true. I’m interested to see where the story takes the characters next! Do you have a favorite scene or moment from The Crowd? What makes it special to you?

ALLEECE BALTS: Although it isn’t an especially intense or dramatic scene, one of my favorites is a chapter towards the middle of book where two characters are making Christmas cookies together. As they cut and frost the cookies, they each describe some of their yearly family traditions like singing carols or reading A Christmas Carol. It is a really sweet moment of openness between the two of them, and it’s special to me because I share some of those same experiences with my own family. I know that many of those traditions may not mean a lot when you’re young, but as you get older, those memories will become very precious – particularly if you have lost someone associated with those memories.

ME: Yes, definitely. Sometimes those heartfelt moments are just as important as the big conflicts. Are you working on the sequel to The Crowd at this point? Can you tell us a little bit about that?

ALLEECE BALTS: Yes, I am about 230 pages into the sequel, The Journey, which I’m hoping to release in December 2016. The original story for The Crowd was actually what will be the plotline for the first two books. When I began writing The Crowd, it became clear that it was just too much for one book. Then, as I was working on the second book, the idea for the third came to me, making it a trilogy. The series may end up being longer, depending on where the characters take it. We’ll see!

ME: Yay! It’s always fun to read more about characters we fall in love with. I’m excited to see where you take the second and even possibly third book. A lot of your readers probably have questions, too. What is one question about your novel you are often asked by your readers?

ALLEECE BALTS: The question I get the most from people who have read the teaser at the end of The Crowd is “When can I read the sequel???” But, beyond that, music is a big part of the book and I’ve had lots of inquiries about song lyrics from the band Wicked Youth, and readers have been especially curious about the lyrics to Songbird. I will say that there are some lyrics in the manuscript of The Journey so a few of those questions will be answered in the next book.

ME: Yes! I wondered about the lyrics, too. I loved the way the song was used in the story. It will be great to see those in the next book.

About Alleece Balts

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Alleece Balts is an American YA fiction author best known for her debut novel, The Crowd, the first in a trilogy she is currently penning.

When she’s not writing, you can find her studying the Bible, reading a novel with a strong heroine, or drinking (another) chai tea.

Alleece lives in Minneapolis with her cheesehead husband, three sticky children, a spoiled cat, and a shamelessly flatulent dog.

Find out More About The Crowd by Alleece Balts

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Whitfield Preparatory Academy ought to be the perfect school…

Not only does the Academy boast a distinguished faculty and lavish campus, it is also home to the privileged youth of the upper class. They will one day hold the reins of power in the business world and political arena – but for now, they exercise absolute authority at the Academy.

For seventeen-year-old Ella Parker, acceptance into the prestigious Academy is a dream come true. But her delight quickly turns to dread when she finds herself in the crosshairs of an elite group of ruthless students dubbed “the Crowd.” Ella’s been at the center of unwanted attention before – but never like this – and she’ll do anything to make them stop. Anything, that is, apart from accepting the advances of popular and wealthy playboy Jackson Montgomery, the leader of the Crowd.

Will Ella be humiliated, or triumph over her tormentors?

An irresistible story of faith, friendship, betrayal, and romance, The Crowd will immerse readers in Ella’s tumultuous struggle from the very first page.

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Author Interview with Jeff Wheeler

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Author Jeff Wheeler joins us today to talk about his new Kingfountain Series. If you missed my review of The Queen’s Poisoner, the first book in the series, you can check it out here.

About Jeff Wheeler

Jeff took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to become a full-time author. He is, most importantly, a husband and father, a devout member of his church, and is occasionally spotted roaming hills with oak trees and granite boulders in California or in any number of the state’s majestic redwood groves. He is also one of the founders of Deep Magic: the E-zine of Clean Fantasy and Science Fiction.

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Author Interview with Jeff Wheeler

A story is often inspired by a question. What question inspired you to write The Queen’s Poisoner?

If a parent had to choose one of their children to die, who would they pick? I know it’s an awful-sounding question and being a parent of five kids myself, it would certainly be an anguishing experience. But it was also a thought that I believed would instantly help my readers connect with Owen Kiskaddon and his family. Even though they are from a different world full of magic and secrets, at its heart this is a story about families and how it can tug at your heart strings.

It’s definitely a tough question, but I think you’re right – it does help connect us to the story and to Owen. The best stories wrestle with hard questions. Was there anything about The Queen’s Poisoner that came as a surprise to you as you were writing it? Something that emerged unexpectedly?

Absolutely and the surprise was an eight year-old girl named Elysabeth Victoria Mortimer. When I had originally dreamed up this story several years ago, she wasn’t part of the cast. Normally I get to learn about my characters over time as they stew inside my brain and are slowly developed. She struck my imagination like a lightning bolt, an Athena bursting from Zeus’ head. She absolutely changed the story and added to several poignant scenes. It was she who taught her friend Owen how to be brave.

How cool! I liked her from the moment she stepped into scene. It’s hard to imagine The Queen’s Poisoner without her. What do you most hope that readers take away from the story?

It’s my hope from all my books, and especially this one, that a story can be exciting, suspenseful, emotional, and profound without relying on provocative sex scenes, strong language, or graphic violence. I think some readers are even more cautious now about picking up a new book for fear of what mature themes are going to be inside. I want parents and grandparents as well as younger folk to enjoy reading all my stories. Literature is more interesting when people share it with each other and talk about it. It shouldn’t just be a guilty pleasure.

That’s a great take-away, and obviously something near and dear to my heart here at The Story Sanctuary. And you’re right – emotional power doesn’t have to come from violence, profanity and graphic sex. You’ve certainly proved it in your novel. What’s your favorite moment in The Queen’s Poisoner? What makes it so special?

It’s the ending, which I don’t want to spoil for the readers, so don’t worry, I won’t. I really like trying to be unpredictable and weaving things into my stories that make a reader stay up to all hours of the night trying to finish it. It needs to deliver something unexpected but also an emotional payoff. This book doesn’t end on a cliffhanger but I believe with a moving resolution that plays out like a beautiful piano chord at the end of an especially intense crescendo. It made it so that the book stands all on its own even though there are sequels.

I love that. It’s definitely important to me as a reader that a story has a satisfying ending, even if there are bits left unresolved and making me desperate for the sequel. Let’s talk about your readers. What is one question about your writing that you are often asked by readers?

When is your next book coming out? I get asked this a lot, even though I’ve been publishing three books a year and try to have a short window in between them. I get that folks love to binge read and it’s great having loyal fans who anticipate new novels and jump in as soon as they are released. I wish I could write as fast as they can read!

Ha! That’s great – definitely shows you’re doing something right. 🙂 I know for me, being a writer has changed how I read things. Do you do a lot of reading? Is there an up-and-coming author you’re following with interest right now? Can you tell us about an author or novel you think deserves a greater spotlight?

I’m not a big sci fi reader, but one of my fans pointed me to Josi Russell’s novel Caretaker and I really enjoyed it. It’s the story of a space ship bound to a distant planet for colonization. But the ship’s ‘Caretaker’ dies and the computer chooses a man to fill his shoes who hasn’t been trained for that kind of role. It meets my definition of a clean read (no sex, swearing, or graphic violence) and it had the kind of Virtus plot that really appeals to me (a few years ago I wrote a blog called “A Manifesto on Virtue” and talked about the Roman concept of Virtus). Caretaker was a great read and I’m looking forward to more from this author.

Sounds like a great story – and I appreciate the recommendation for a clean read! What are you most looking forward to reading next?

Charlie Holmberg’s newest novel Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet. I love all of Charlie’s books and I got an early peek at the first six chapters putting together the first issue of my resurrected e-zine Deep Magic. Folks are in for a “treat” with this one (pun intended…the story is about magical baked goods)

Yum! That sounds like a lot of fun. I’ve had Holmberg’s The Paper Magician on my reading list for some time. I love the sound of this latest book, too.

Thanks for joining us today and taking time to share a little more about your writing and reading. I look forward to more of the Kingfountain Series. I’m excited that book two is already out.

Interview with Author Melanie McFarlane

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When I was in eighth grade, my friend and I talked about a story in which a girl living inside a biodome meets/falls for someone from the outside. We were both pretty captured by the idea of a story like that, but of course, never wrote anything. Then one day, I saw an email about this book, There Once Were Stars by Melanie McFarlane, and I was like hey! How awesome! I knew I had to contact my friend Julie and get myself a copy of this book.

About There Once Were Stars

Peace. Love. Order. Dome. That’s the motto that the Order has given the residents of Dome 1618 to live by. Natalia Greyes is a resident of Dome 1618, a covered city protected from the deadly radiation that has poisoned the world outside for four generations. Nat never questioned the Order, until one day she sees a stranger on the outside of her dome. Now Nat wants answers. What else might her government be hiding from the good and loyal people of Dome 1618?

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Author Interview: Melanie McFarlane talks inspiration, makes me wildly jealous, and teases us about the rest of her series.

Here today, the author of There Once Were Stars has graciously joined us to answer a few of my burning questions about the book. Let’s see what she has to say…

A story is often inspired by a question. Was there a question that inspired you to write this novel?
Why do people only question their governments for the duration the question lasts in the media?

That’s a great question, and really worthy of exploring. I get the feeling our heroine, Natalia, will explore past that point. Were there things about Natalia which couldn’t be included in There Once Were Stars? Can you tell us a little bit about something you know about the story that the reader may not know?
We think Nat is strong, standing up against her grandmother, Jak, the Director, and the Order. But is she? Why did she fall for Evan so easily? Will he be her greatest weakness? She survived all those years building up walls…but will letting them down be her downfall? Can she survive loss again? All of the above will be answered in the sequel, A STAR SHINES DARKLY.

Nat sounds really complex. I love that. She’s definitely lived a different life than we live. Is there a scene or moment in There Once Were Stars that really sticks with you? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
This scene is near and dear to my heart because it’s the moment Nat realizes the outsiders can see her. The scene gives you a bit of setting and the powerful emotion of fear.

I gasp out loud as his partner turns toward me. There’s no way they can see me; a foot of shock-proof glass, spotted in dust, stands between us. I’m on the inside, under the broad cover of the dome, protected behind the tinted façade, while they stand on the outside, open to the harsh world that was destroyed long before my time. But still, against all odds, our eyes connect. A smile breaks at the side of the man’s mouth as another gasp escapes my lips. My hands jump to my mouth to hold my screams inside.

They see me.

I get chills reading that scene. It would be so strange and terrifying to realize you’re inside this contained space, and there are others watching from outside your contained world. If you had to give up our world to live in Natalia’s dome, what would you miss most?
I would miss being outside, no matter how well the artificial one has been engineered inside the dome. You will see more of this in Book 3, when the outside is taken away from Nat again…but that’s all I can say!

Wow. You’re leaving us all kinds of great teasers for later stories. I’m getting excited for the whole series! What was the most difficult part to write in There Once Were Stars? What made it so challenging?
The story came to me so quickly, I found it challenging to find the time to write it. I literally spent every waking moment working on it outside of my day job, and time with my children in the evenings and weekends. It was all-consuming.

Okay, now I’m actually just plain jealous! Haha. How awesome, though, to be so filled with the story that you just have to write it. What do you most hope that readers take away from your novel?
Never be afraid to question things and always try fight to protect the weak. A world without compassion isn’t a world worth fighting for.

Those are great life lessons, especially today. Compassion, especially. Let’s switch gears and talk about reading. Is there an up-and-coming author you’re following with interest right now? Can you tell us about an author or novel you think deserves a greater spotlight?
I absolutely LOVE Elisa Dane’s ABANDONED and IN THE AFTER. Two amazing, gut-wrenching YA contemporaries that put this fantastic author on my radar.

I’m a huge fan of YA Contemporary, the more gut-wrenching, the better! I will definitely have to check these out. And I’m looking forward now not only to There Once Were Stars, but to the series as a whole! Thanks again, Melanie, for joining us today.

About Melanie McFarlane

Whether it’s uncovering the corruption of the future, or traveling to other worlds to save the universe, Melanie McFarlane jumps in with both hands on her keyboard. Though she can be found obsessing over zombies and orcs from time to time, Melanie focuses her powers on writing young adult stories to keep the rest of the world up reading all night.

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Author Interview with Kenley Davidson

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One of the best books I read recently happens to be Kenley Davidson’s debut novel, Traitor’s Masque. Today Kenley joins me to talk about what inspired the story and what’s coming next in the Andari Chronicles.

What inspired you to write a retelling of the Cinderella story? Is there a version of the story you found particularly inspirational?

I don’t know what this says about me, but I think what inspired me most was that I had never read a version of Cinderella that I could get very excited about. My kids had watched the animated movie several thousand times, and there was always that parental voice in my head that wanted to say to them, “No! This isn’t how love works. Please don’t actually choose a spouse this way!” So I think part of what drove me was an ambition to tell a story that is absolutely magical in a way that didn’t make me want to roll my eyes at the heroine.
I should probably also blame the fact that I grew up on fairy tales. It was Robin McKinley’s books that first made me want to be a writer, when I read Beauty and The Blue Sword and discovered not only delightful adventures, but female main characters that I could actually relate to! You could say, in a sense, that it was Aerin and Harry and Beauty who were my first inspiration for Traitor’s Masque.

Ha!! I should have known you were a McKinley fan. Those are two of my favorites as well. And I agree with you about growing up watching the Cinderella movies. It’s never been my favorite story, probably for all the reasons you mentioned.

In looking at your other novels, I see that you’ve continued to retell fairytales in the same story-world as Traitor’s Masque. (I love this idea!) Are you working on a fourth fairytale now? Are you able to share anything about your current project?

I actually have two more that are currently in the early stages of development, meaning that I’m plotting them out in my head. Fortunately my family is willing to put up with me muttering and occasionally laughing to myself while I do this. Book 4 is most likely going to be a retelling of Snow White, which I intend to be a short novel, much like Goldheart. Given that I am not very good at “short” books, I offer this information tentatively, and with great reservations. I can promise that Book 4 will feature characters from all three previous books. Book 5, which at this point is looking like a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, is definitely going to tend more towards the ginormous and dramatic, and will have recurring characters from Traitor’s Masque and Pirouette.

At the moment I’m trying to tell myself that I’m going to take a break from the past six months of pushing the publishing schedule too hard, but I don’t think my writer brain is going to cooperate — too many stories to tell!

I feel like I should offer sympathy for your being pinned under a very driving muse. Instead, I’m like oh, yay! More Andari books! 🙂

It seems like fairytale retellings are really popular right now. With so many authors retelling these classic stories, is there a fairytale that you feel gets overlooked today?

There are so many great fairy tales, but some are simply much more difficult than others to retell — to somehow maintain the shape of the original while making it unique, deeply real and culturally palatable for modern readers. I have always loved both “Snow White and Rose Red” and “Bear-skin” (yeah, not sure what it is with the bear theme) but haven’t figured out yet how to retell them in a way I’m excited about. I know there are a few versions of those out there, but not nearly as many as some of the more popular tales.

Rose Red was one of my favorites when I was little. I would love to see both of those come to life – but you’re right – it has to capture the story and be something that gets you excited. I’ll hang on hoping for that spark of inspiration to hit. 🙂

What’s your favorite moment from Traitor’s Masque?

That might be like asking me to pick a favorite book (one of my least favorite questions ever… how do I even begin to choose???). As a writer, I enjoyed the moments of high tension and character confrontation the most, especially the scene at the top of the stairs at Westhaven. But, as a reader, I think my absolute favorite moment is in the final chapter, where Trystan is asking for forgiveness. There are so many opportunities there for both characters to choose an easy way out, or to choose to protect themselves at the expense of the other’s pain, but they don’t. That scene, to me, is the most romantic part of the whole book and it still makes me sigh a little when I read it.

Aaaargh!! That was a great scene. I really like the movie Ever After, but that last scene where Danielle and the prince reunite always fell a little flat for me. Traitor’s Masque definitely carried that scene well. 🙂

One of my favorite things about Traitor’s Masque was that it wasn’t simply a regurgitation of the Cinderella story. I loved the elements of intrigue and the tension between the two princes. What inspired you to create Rowan as a sort of warped Prince Charming?

Honestly, Rowan just happened. Initially, I knew I needed an antagonist that would be more of a threat than the ubiquitous stepmother. Cinderella is often a very passive character, and the most dramatic thing that happens to her is being locked in her room. I really wanted for her to experience more of a challenge, and to do more than wait for her fairy godmother to fix things. I also wanted “the prince” to be a strong character in his own right, which meant he needed some conflict in his life as well. Rowan sort of appeared on the page fully-formed, though I didn’t realize until later that he would be a big part of what tied the whole series together. Horribly enough, he is an incredibly fun character to write, and in some ways, he’s as much the Trickster as the Villain.

Oooh. I didn’t even think about him appearing in later stories. He definitely kept things lively and added a lot of tension. I never knew exactly what he was going to say next. I loved his entrance at the ball.

What do you hope readers take away from Traitor’s Masque?

For me, this was a book about what it really means to grow up. Falling in love and happily ever afters are great, but Trystan and Ramsey’s story isn’t primarily about their romance, it’s about their mistakes. Everybody makes them, but it’s what we do with them afterwards that matters. If there’s one thing I would want my own kids to take away from this story, it would be this: take responsibility for your mistakes. Learn from them, but don’t let them define you or shame you. And always remember that even our worst mistakes can be a part of something beautiful that we never would have seen coming!

That’s a great take-away and a great life lesson.

What are some of your favorite recent reads and what made them stand out to you?

I wish I could say I’d read a lot of amazing new books recently, but, sadly, that would be a lie. The ugly truth? When I’m stressed, I comfort-read old favorites. It’s kind of like wrapping up in a blanket and hanging out with a friend.
My most recent comfort reads? One I go back to a lot is Edenbrooke, by Julianne Donaldson. It’s a sweet and fun regency novel with a believable plot, lovable characters and an adorable romance that gives me all the warm fuzzies every time I read it. It’s my go-to when I’ve already read Northanger Abbey and Sanditon too many times for the year. I also recently re-read Running Barefoot by Amy Harmon. This book hits me in a lot of deep places (not least because it has a main character who carries around a dictionary). It’s about love and family and identity and art and dreams and it’s ridiculously romantic. I think what I like most about it is getting to see the whole process of two utterly different characters growing into their dreams and learning what love has to do with sacrifice. Well, I do like that part, but if I’m scrupulously honest, I mostly love the fact that it’s ridiculously romantic…

The book I’m currently re-reading is The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater, not because it’s comforting, but because it reminds me what words are capable of. That book has so much beauty and complexity in its details, in its prose, in its relationships, a beauty that I think is even more evident because of the starkness of the setting. After I read a book like this, I feel simultaneously humbled by the fact that there are people who can do such glorious things with words, and encouraged to work harder at my own writing because so much beauty is possible.

That’s an awesome list. YES to all that you said about Scorpio Races, especially. And thanks for being here today!

About Kenley Davidson

Kenley Davidson is a story-lover, word-nerd and incurable introvert who is most likely to be found either writing or hiding somewhere with a book.

A native Oregonian, Kenley now resides in Oklahoma, where she persists in remaining a devoted pluviophile. Addictions include coffee, roller coasters, more coffee, researching random facts, and reading the dictionary (which is way more fun than it sounds). A majority of her time is spent being mom to two kids and two dogs while inventing reasons not to do laundry (most of which seem to involve books).

(Author bio from her web site.)

Check out Traitor’s Masque and other books in the Andari Chronicles

Goodreads | Amazon | Kenley Davidson’s web site

 

Author Interview: Emil Ostrovski

Author Interview, Young Adult/Teen 12-18, , ,

If you’ve been following The Story Sanctuary for a while, you’ve probably heard me gush about a couple of books I read recently and really enjoyed. Here, as part of an Irish Banana Blog Tour, is the author of those books, graciously answering my pesky fangirl questions….

About Emil Ostrovski

I’m twenty-five.

Rather than give you a witty, self-deprecating account of the trials and tribulations of my twenty-five year old, suburban, upper-middle class, went-to-a-girl’s-liberal-arts-college life, I’ll admit that I haven’t really done anything much worth reading about.

So in lieu of providing you with my biography, I will recommend that you read Desmond Tutu’s. Here.

Why Desmond Tutu?

Well, I’ve always liked his name.

Interview with Emil Ostrovski

I’m super excited to have this opportunity to ask some of the deep burning questions that reading your novels has raised. Both were such deep, emotional stories. I’ll try not to get too sappy with the questions, though…

Thanks for having me! I appreciate the kind words.

If you had to do all your writing from inside a box under a bridge, what type of box would you choose to write in, which bridge would you place it under, and why?

If I had to do all my writing from inside a box under a bridge, I’d probably take up floristry instead. I hear it’s booming.

Ha! I suppose that makes sense. 🙂 In Away We Go, the story centers around characters diagnosed with a deadly virus bearing the name of a famous character in a children’s story (Peter Pan.) Who is your favorite little-known character from children’s literature?

There is a classic Brazilian children’s novel titled My Sweet Orange Tree, which features Zeze, a precocious five-year-old boy living and working as a shoe shiner in Rio de Janeiro. The book jacket describes him as the most mischievous boy in the Western Hemisphere, and that is not far off. Throughout the narrative, Zeze looks after his little brother, constantly gets into trouble with his parents, deals with poverty, escapes to a realm of imagination populated by a talking tree, and even experiences his first brush with death and mortality.

Sounds like an incredible story.  I was really moved by your description of The Paradox of Vertical Flight as a sort of good-bye to some expectations you’d had about life and parenting. Is there a personal message hidden in Away We Go as well? (If so, will you share it?)

I suppose the most personal thing I can tell you about Away We Go is that it was a way of trying to deal with unrequited love. It took me a long time to figure out I was gay, I think, because in high school and middle school I never really met a guy who exhibited all three of these very elusive characteristics: cuteness, niceness, and intelligence. When I got to college, I met someone who exhibited all three almost immediately.  He was the original Zach, and the original draft of Away We Go was, perhaps, an attempt at grappling with my feelings for him, which I was confused about at the time, since I had not yet fully come to terms with my sexuality. Years later, when I revised the novel for my editor at Greenwillow, Zach changed somewhat, became more like my first ex-boyfriend, by which I mean a little more confusing and inconsistent. At the time I was revising the novel, we had just broken up, and I was pretty hurt. Injecting some of him into Zach wasn’t cathartic, and did not make me feel better. But it felt natural, and I figured I might as well get some mileage out of my pain.

You know, it’s funny – I had a hard time finding all three of those qualities in middle and high school boys, too. 🙂 Though in fairness, girls weren’t much better, I think. Rough time of life. But I digress. In reading the story, I found it so easy to root for Noah in part because of a past destructive relationship in my own life. Something would happen and Noah would respond and I’d be like, “Right?!” So… yes. I think you definitely captured the confusion and pain that some relationships can cause. I hope that seeing the story resonate with readers brings a kind of healing.

Also in your blog post about the release of The Paradox of Vertical Flight, you talk about the idea of a novel emerging as a flash or a half-second dream. What was the flash that started Away We Go?

Away We Go‘s flash was a website that catalogues the “departure” of terminally ill children.

I felt like that was such a unique part of the story. One of my favorite elements about The Paradox of Vertical Flight and Away We Go was the dialogue. I loved the genuine feel and the way that even some of the serious conversations were also filled with banter. Do you have a favorite moment of conversation between the characters in Away We Go and can you share it?

My favorite conversation is probably the last conversation Noah and Zach have in the book. Without giving too much away, I think that it’s an incredibly painful and awkward and honest moment for both of them. They’ve spent so much of the book skirting around their feelings. This is their last chance to speak to each other, and it’s one of a handful of moments that the entire novel is building toward, I think.

That was a great conversation. I won’t give anything away, either. 🙂

Are there other authors whose work inspired the story of Away We Go or whose work inspires you as a writer?

Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go was sort of my spirit-guide while writing Away We Go. I found his approach to science fiction fascinating—the idea that science fiction could serve primarily as an opportunity for a specific type of character study.  I wanted to emulate what he had done.

I haven’t (yet) read Never Let Me Go, so I can’t speak to the comparison, but I felt like Away We Go was very much a character-driven story inside the shell of a dystopian story-world. So it definitely seems to me that you succeeded.

I love the references to philosophy and classic literature in your novels and the way those ideas are incorporated into the story. Is that something that happens naturally as you write? Do you hope that the references will inspire readers to seek out those stories as well?

In both books, the references happened naturally to some degree in the original drafts, because they were an aspect of the characters’ voices. Jack loves the Ancient Greeks, and Noah likes to reference everyone from twentieth-century existentialists to Shakespeare. During revision, these references were fine-tuned, and made more consistent.  More conscious thought was devoted to their deployment.

I think it would be lovely for readers to look up, for example, Dostoevsky’s Notes from The Underground, because Noah talks about it, or to read some Whitman because they are moved by the excerpts Noah includes in his story. But that is not my primary concern. My primary concern is always preserving the authenticity of the character’s voice.

Very cool. In Away We Go, Skittles play a surprising role. Did you eat any Skittles during the writing?

I’m actually more of an M&M’S guy.  😛

Honestly, I can’t blame you. I’ll take chocolate over skittles any day. But I can see how Skittles made a superior metaphor. 🙂

I’m a huge believer in stories that challenge our perceptions of our lives and those around us. Can you name a literary moment which changed or challenged you?

I read The Grapes of Wrath toward the end of high school. It features a family called the Joads, who flee Oklahoma during the Great Depression and head for California hoping to find work. Perhaps because I loved and cared about the Joads, or perhaps also because Steinbeck was writing about a real moment in our history, the following quote resonated particularly with me:

“For man, unlike any other thing organic or inorganic in the universe, grows beyond his work, walks up the stairs of his concepts, emerges ahead of his accomplishments. This you may say of man—when theories change and crash, when schools, philosophies, when narrow dark alleys of thought, national, religious, economic, grow and disintegrate, man reaches, stumbles forward, painfully, mistakenly sometimes. Having stepped forward, he may slip back, but only half a step, never the full step back. This you may say and know it and know it. This you may know when the bombs plummet out of the black planes on the market place, when prisoners are stuck like pigs, when the crushed bodies drain filthily in the dust. You may know it in this way. If the step were not being taken, if the stumbling-forward ache were not alive, the bombs would not fall, the throats would not be cut. Fear the time when the bombs stop falling while the bombers live—for every bomb is proof that the spirit has not died. And fear the time when the strikes stop while the great owners live—for every little beaten strike is proof that the step is being taken. And this you can know—fear the time when Manself will not suffer and die for a concept, for this one quality is the foundation of Manself, and this one quality is man, distinctive in the universe.”

To me, at the time, this quote captured the relationship between human beings and their history and their future. It defined history not simply as a sequence but as a moral progression, a progression whose impetus emerged from within ourselves, and it explained the existence of suffering as part of the process by which the human species develops morally. 

When I read this excerpt as a seventeen year old kid, I felt something approximating a religious feeling—of hope in humanity, in history, of awe at being a part of something so vast and so beautiful, and ultimately of grace, at all the people who take small steps to move the human species and the human spirit forward. 

YES. Such an important message, too. We certainly need the reminder that sometimes suffering is part of a larger, worthy process. Deep stuff. I so appreciate you taking time to share these things.

Visit Other Blog Tour Stops

Week 1:

4/4: Books In Her Head – Review

4/5: Such a Novel Idea – Playlist

4/6: Novels and Necklaces – Review

4/7: Words Like Silver – Mood Board

4/8: It Starts At Midnight – Review

Week 2:

4/11: Cover Contessa – Guest Post

4/12: Reading Is Better with Cupcakes – Review

4/13: Swoony Boys Podcast – Top 10

4/14: Bibliphilia – Review

4/15: The Story Sanctuary – Q&A

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