Monday, 12 August 2013
Brook
Cottage Books is thrilled to have Kacey Vanderkarr, author of Antithesis,
visiting the blog today. Thanks for agreeing to be interviewed Kacey.
Author: Kacey Vanderkarr
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Publisher: Inkspell Publishing
Genre: YA Sci-Fi Romance
Release Date: July 21st, 2013
Length: Super Novel
ISBN: (Print) 978-1-939590-16-9
ISBN: (ebook) 978-1-939590-15-2
Release Date: July 21st, 2013
Length: Super Novel
ISBN: (Print) 978-1-939590-16-9
ISBN: (ebook) 978-1-939590-15-2
Kacey:
Originally,
I titled the book Dream Shifters, but the more I wrote, the more I realized
that the title didn’t fit. I knew that I needed something that had “opposite”
in it. I played around with a few titles, but none of them stuck. Then I got
out a thesaurus (which I use all the time when I write) and looked up opposite.
There was my title: Antithesis.
JB: Where
did you get the idea for the book from? Is it something that you’ve been
thinking about for a while?
Kacey:
The
idea came from two places. The idea for Gavyn came from my husband, when he
told me about a one-armed customer he’d had. I thought it would be interesting
to explore the challenges of a one-armed character, especially a teenage girl.
How would her life be different? How would it affect her relationships? The
idea for the story line came from a dream, where I picked up an object and
disappeared, only to arrive in another world. Then, Antithesis was born!
JB: From
start to finish, how long did it take you to complete Antithesis?
Kacey:
About
three months. I wrote the story really fast, often writing entire chapters in a
day. Gavyn’s story is fun and often frivolous, but that’s okay—we shouldn’t
have to be serious all the time.
JB: Did
any of the characters suddenly develop in a different way than you had
originally planned or did you stick pretty much with what you had planned for
each of them?
Kacey:
I
think they stuck to my original vision—though I do find that characters usually
have a mind of their own. Gavyn is a pretty “stripped” character, in that she
shows you everything all at once. Liam has a lot more hidden, a long, awful
history that takes a while to understand.
JB: Lots
of authors tell me they write every day. Are you that type of writer or do you
write when inspiration strikes?
Kacey:
I
would love to write every day, but unfortunately I just don’t have time for
that. I used to write on a daily basis, and write quickly. Now I have less time
to write, but I think I accomplish a lot more when I do. Every project is a
learning experience, and I grow as a writer, so now when I write, I write more
effectively, even if I don’t write as often.
JB: Your
day job is that of a sonographer. Would you eventually like to give this up and
write full time or do you like your ‘day job’ too much to give it up?
Kacey:
My
goal is to be a full time writer. While I love being a sonographer, it’s not my
passion. Writing is the only job I see myself doing that won’t eventually bore
me. Of course, this dream is far off in the future—I have to pay to bills
somehow!
JB: What’s
next for you? Do you have a new book planned?
Kacey:
I
have a new young adult manuscript that’s finished titled Reflection Pond. It’s
about a girl who falls through a pond into faerieland. I hope to query agents
soon. My current work in progress is a young adult fantasy romance about a girl
who loses her entire family and is being recruited by a secret organization. I
have a short story “How to Fall” that will appear in Sucker Literary Volume 3
and am working on an anthology with Urban Fey Press that will feature my short
fiction. The anthology is titled Out of the Green: Tales from Fairyland.
JB: Any
advice out there for any budding writers?
Kacey:
Never
stop writing. Write when you don’t want to, write when you do. Don’t be
discouraged if people don’t like your work. Listen. Learn. Write. Take advice.
Show your work to as many people as possible. Join a writing group. Make
internet friends. Write. Read EVERYTHING. Learn to edit other people’s work and
then apply it to your own writing. And most importantly, write.
Thanks
once again for being a guest on the blog. I wish you every success with
Antithesis. As part of this book tour, there is a chance to win a copy of Antithesis. There are 15 copies up for grabs!
About the author
Kacey Vanderkarr is a young adult author. She dabbles in fantasy, romance, and sci-fi, complete with faeries, alternate realities, and the occasional plasma gun. She’s known to be annoyingly optimistic and listen to music at the highest decibel. When she’s not writing, she coaches winterguard and works as a sonographer. Kacey lives in Michigan, with her husband, son, crazy cats, and two bearded dragons. Visit www.kaceyvanderkarr.com for more information.
Twitter: @kacimari
Blog: www.kaceyvanderkarr.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kacey-Vanderkarr-Young-Adult-Author/128956043852072
Excellent interview, ladies! Exchanging information, offering advice, and sharing life experiences is the best way for writers to help writers. Thanks for this!
Thank you for hosting Kacey on tour today JB.
Shaz