Congratulations to Heather (Buried in Books) for winning the Mid-Tour Swag Contest Pack #1. Heather has been an amazing follower of the Crossroads Blog Tour. Thanks for checking out every post and making comments.
As part of The Familiars Halloween Blog Tour, Andrew stops by to answer a few questions. Let's see if he tells any of Adam's secrets.
What was your scariest/funniest/weirdest Halloween experience?
(Andrew) Every year I trick-or-treated with my older brother, who was a die hard Halloween guy. In my suburban home town of Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, we always had trick-or-treating on the Sunday afternoon of Halloween week from 1-4 pm. And my big bro's game plan was always to hit houses after 4 o'clock, say we lost track of time, and hope that we could clean people out of all their left-over candy. Well, one year, on a typically cool late October afternoon, we trick-or-treated well past dark, in a neighborhood far, far away from our house on Cumberland Blvd. We were lost and we really didn't know what time it was. This being a long time before cell phones, we ultimately had to ask to use someone's telephone to call home, and our parents had to come pick us up. Luckily my mom and dad knew my brother well enough not to panic and call the police. The next year I trick-or-treated with some friends around my block. My brother didn't get home until after six o'clock.
Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?
(Andrew) Back in middle school, I remember the Stephen King book It was turned into a miniseries on TV. After watching some of it I read the book and it was terrifying. Mostly because there was a clown in it!
What writing rituals do you have?
We meet every day at 9:30 and write until 5 pm. Andrew is the typist (because he's a much faster typer) and Adam sits across from him in a big comfy chair, usually with a bowl of snacks at his side. Then we talk. And talk. And talk some more.
I am always fascinated by authors who co-write a book. What was that process like for both of you? And did it come naturally or did it evolve over time?
We talked a little about our process in the previous question. Our partnership did evolve over time. We met about ten years ago and began writing screenplays together. Over time, what started out as a somewhat inefficient back and forth, became more and more well-oiled, to the point where we can now finish each other's sentences (in real life and on the page). The two of us sit in the same room, writing every word, sentence, and paragraph together.
What advice would you give children who are interested in becoming writers?
Write! And read as much as you can. The hardest part of writing sometimes is just sitting down and writing. There are so many distractions nowadays, it's most important to be disciplined about doing the work. Also to remember not to be discouraged by rejection. You have to always believe that the impossible is possible.
How did you come up with the idea for the Familiars?
When Adam was growing up, he didn't have a pet of his own, so on walks home from school he would pretend that he had a fire-breathing dragon on his shoulder. He always dreamed of having a familiar. So one day Adam asked Andrew, do you know what a familiar is? And from that question, the two of us were off and running, creating a fantastical world filled with our shared love of magic and animals.
You probably get a lot of questions about what animal familiar you would be so let me put a small twist on it - What special powers or abilities would you like to have?
(Andrew) I would love to have the special power of superstrength. If you saw my arms, you would know why.
In an age where everyone seems to be wanting to write for YA, how did you decide on writing for a Middle Grade audience (those of us working with this age group express our appreciation for your decision)?
The funny thing is, the two of us didn't even know there was such a thing as Middle Grade. We knew we were writing a book targeting the same readers who loved Harry Potter and Chronicles of Narnia, and it was only later that our publisher educated us about the category of Middle Readers. Having visited a dozen elementary schools around the country, we have so enjoyed meeting the enthusiastic young audience for our story.
Familiars-themed Halloween Scavenger Hunt!
Directions:
After you fill in your answer, the letter that falls in the place of the * can be placed in the corresponding number of the larger puzzle. So for example, since this is question number 7, the letter that lands in the space where the * is can be filled in where the 7 is in the larger puzzle. The larger puzzle will form yet another clue, and anyone who answers it correctly will be entered into a drawing for an autographed book as well as a few other Halloween treats!
Be sure to visit The Familiars blog at thefamiliars.blogspot.com to find links to all other blog stops and find out where to send in your answers! All entries must be entered by November 15.
7. Telekinesis is the ability to _*_ ___ ___ ___ things with your mind.
Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.
Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Jackie Morse Kessler. Her debut YA novel HUNGER was released this month. To read a great interview between Death and Lisa (the main character in HUNGER), click here.
Did you have a book that you read either in Middle School or High School that scared you the most? What was it and what about it scared you?
Stephen King’s The Stand. Fabulous, brilliant, utterly terrifying End Of The World And What Happens After novel. Spiritual and scientific, and completely human—especially its evil characters. (Sure, Randall Flagg was the boogyman. But Trashy? Lloyd? Very, very bad men.) Years later, the unabridged version scared me even more…and the graphic novel adaptation is utterly astounding. Best ever adaptation from novel to comic book that I’ve ever read. And even more terrifying.
Did you have a paranormal experience that prompted you in writing the story that you did?
Nope. No Horsemen visits for me. Which is undeniably a good thing!
Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?
I’ve had the idea for HUNGER for about 10 years; I had convinced myself that no one would want to read it, so I hadn’t written it. I used to be bulimic, and to this day I get so angry by the Thin Culture all around us (This Celebrity Is Anorexic—Here’s How She Does It!!!), and I still have self-image/body issues. When I finally sat down to write HUNGER, it was very easy to slip into the eating disorder mindset to channel the characters. (I have to wonder if that voice ever really leaves.) Writing the book was extremely cathartic.
Did you have a favorite paranormal/horror storywriter as a child/teen that you wanted to emulate? If so, who and why?
Oh, Stephen King was my favorite horror writer, with Robert McCammon a very close second. (Swan Song? Stinger? Usher’s Passing? BRILLIANT books.) I loved how they both focused on the characters; this made the horror (whether happening to the characters or committed by those characters) all the more powerful.
What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?
Along with my own experiences with eating disorders, I read some accounts of anorexia and read about current global famines. (Dirt cookies? Very real.) I also read the appropriate passages in the Book of Revelations about the Four Horsemen. The only weird thing that happened was when the character of
Death sprung fully formed; he looks and sounds exactly like Kurt Cobain, down to the singing and guitar playing. I wasn’t even a Nirvana fan when I wrote the book!
What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?
The characters have to be real, even the monsters. There has to be something people can connect with, something that makes readers either root for or actively root against them. I do my best to channel those characters, to get into their heads and understand them as I write about them. (What gets a little disturbing is when they argue with me.)
If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?
As much as I’ d love to fly…probably something like cloning myself, so I’ d finally have time to accomplish everything I want to do!
Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.
Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Jeri Smith-Ready. Though not new to readers of adult Urban Fantasy, Smith-Ready's debut YA novel, Shade was released in May 2010 introduced her to a new audience.
What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?
DOGSBODY by Diana Wynne Jones. It was about the Dog Star Sirius who was framed for murder (the stars are like gods, basically, in this story) and sentenced to live out his life as a dog on earth. It combined my love of animals with my love of astronomy. I recently reread it and was surprised at how rough the dog’s life was. Not sure how I coped with such a sad story when I was a kid. I must have been tougher then.
Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance? Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?
Everything I write has a romantic relationship—otherwise I would get bored with it! So for me it’s not something I include to satisfy readers’ expectations or publishers’ guidelines. I just love to write about love. A lot of authors I know dread writing the kissing scenes, but those are my favorite parts.
If you could have a supernatural power or gift what would it be?
Definitely invisibility, but only if I could turn my clothes invisible, too. I wouldn’t want to have to get naked in order for the power to work.
For more information about Jeri Smith-Ready and her books, check out her website: www.jerismithready.com
Each day of The Crossroads Tour, a new question will be revealed on The Crossroad Blog Tour main page and each day the answer to that question will be found within one of the 16 different blog posts by Crossroads Tour authors. Your job is to get the question, read the blog posts, and collect all 16 answers by the end of the tour, on Halloween. Go HERE to get today's question and links.
Today's guest for the Crossroads Tour is author Karen Kincy. Her debut novel, Other, was released in July 2010.
What was your favorite paranormal/horror/fantasy story as a child/teen? And why did you like it so much?
Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause. I have frequently sung this book’s praises online, so I’ll just say that the combination of a strong, sexy werewolf girl with deliciously descriptive prose makes me howl with happiness.
Where did you get the idea for your story? Did you use a real life situation and put a twist on it?
Other came into being when I wondered what it would be like if paranormal people (Others) existed, and everybody knew it. Surely our culture would be different, from the laws on down to the commercials. And surely many humans wouldn’ t be too happy about Others living among them, so there would be prejudices and hatred. I looked to real-life discrimination for the alternate America in Other. On a lighter note, I had great fun inventing products and ads with Others, like tuna caught in “ mermaid-safe nets” or frost spirits modeling diamond jewelry on TV.
Especially in Y.A., there seems to be a big emphasis on paranormal romance? Do you consider the romance part when you are writing your story or do you consider writing your story and see where the romance fits in?
I consider all the elements of the story—including romance—at the same time. I don’t consider Other a paranormal romance novel, but rather a murder mystery with romantic elements. Because while Gwen would love to spend more time kissing a sexy guy, she’s got a serial killer on the loose to contend with.
What helps you to create characters that people will feel passionate about either in liking them or disliking them?
I think about all the real people that I’ve passionately liked or disliked, then try to capture the reasons why in fictional form. If I don't care, why should the reader?
What characteristics were critical to you in creating your characters?
My characters have to be capable of doing things that I never would—or could—in real life. Be it that perfect snappy comment, or the amazing stunt, or the endurance to get through terrible times without ruffling a feather. Larger-than-life characters make fiction a delightful escape for both the reader and the writer.
What kind of research did you do for your story and did you run into anything weird while you were doing research?
Mostly, I pored over encyclopedias of mythological creatures, mining these thick tomes for interesting creatures. I did discover a few oddities, like the belief that Japanese fox-spirits—kitsune—adore tofu, and offerings of tofu are still left at shrines for foxes. And of course the kitsune in Other loves tofu, too.
If you could be a shape-shifter, what animal would you want to shift into?
I know the obvious answer is hawk or falcon, to experience soaring on thermals and diving at insane speeds, but I'd also love to be a fish. If I’m lazy, a big koi sunbathing in a pond. If I’m more adventurous, a shark capable of exploring ocean depths.
For more information about Karen and her new book, check out her website: www.karenkincy.com
