We kick off Day 6 of the Crossroads Blog Tour with interviews from authors Stacey Kade and Judith Graves (who did an amazing job of organizing this blog tour too). Don't forget to check out The Crossroads Blog Tour Main Page daily for clues to answer questions and win a prize.
You know, the fun thing about world building is that you need restrictions. You need rules that limit what your characters can and can’t do even if it turns out later that it would be waaaaay more convenient if they could do something that, by the rules of the world, is not possible. So, as long as those rules are logical to the world you’ve created, then you’ve got to stick with them and make them work. And usually, it adds an extra layer of tension to the story when characters are forced to stay within those boundaries. So, no, I don’t think I would change anything now, but if you’d asked me during the writing, when I was struggling to figure out how to make everything fit, I might have had a different answer!
What was the most surprising thing that you discovered about one of your characters that you didn’t see coming?
I was startled when Alona took Will to see her mother in the first book. I never thought she would do that. But she was both angrier and braver than I’d given her credit for.
Mr. Darcy, Han Solo, and Sam Winchester (through Season 4 of Supernatural). Mr. Darcy because, well, he’s so formal and proper but underneath it all he has a good heart. Han Solo, who doesn’t love a cocky space pirate who can make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? And Sam, my Sammy, because he’s vulnerable and sad and always tries so hard to do the right thing even when everyone else can see that it’s going to blow up in his face. (She’s a demon, Sam! How did you *think* that relationship was going to turn out?)
I don’t think there’s one particular book that inspired me, but I loved all the Nancy Drew/Trixie Belden type stories. In fact, the very first story I tried to write when I was a kid was very much in that same style.
Newest/Upcoming Release: The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead
Blog: http://www.staceykade.com/
Twitter: @StaceyKade
While I’m a huge horror buff and I love to decorate for Halloween, etc, I don’t have especially fond memories of the October 31sts of my youth. Several factors have made this so. 1. I’m five years younger than my brother and sister. 2. We grew up in Edmonton, Alberta. Put these tidbits together and this is what you get: -30C weather, and two candy-crazed older siblings who keep sending their youngest sister out in the mind-numbing cold for more sugary treats. The reward was watching them suffer from sugar hangovers while I slowly picked my way through my hidden stash.
Yes, I’ve run into a few brick / plot walls thanks to rules I established in the first book. However, those moments kick my creativity into high gear, they provide challenges my characters wouldn’t have otherwise encountered and ultimately crank up the conflict. All good things. Besides, rules are meant to be broken and turning a character’s world upside down is what good fiction is all about. But you have to provide a solid foundation for the rule breaking to appear logical, even if it’s only a temporary glitch caused by wonky magic. ;)
I do! I also write songs from different characters POVs – this process reveals layers, backstory or secrets I didn’t know they had. The lyrics are essentially their innermost feelings, fears and desires. For me it’s kind of a character development exercise, set to music. I quickly record those tunes in ProTools (I’m a bit of a computer geek) and incorporate them in my playlists of “real” tunage. I use something called position music, compositions intended for film use – often the background tunes of book trailers, short films, etc – for when I’m writing battle scenes. The intensity keeps my writing sharp. I also listen to specific songs when trying to evoke a certain mood or emotion. In Second Skin, I listened to Metallica’s, Enter Sandman whenever a certain demon gave Eryn hell.
There isn’t one particular title, however my time in school and public libraries assures me that the topics, genres, and authors I gravitated toward in my tweens and teens are still popular. Mythology and mythological creatures, cryptids (although that’s a newer term), ghost stories and hauntings, monsters, unexplained mysteries, horror, paranormal, romance, fairytales and retellings of fairytales, folklore from around the world and all things gothic or macabre.
Newest/Upcoming Release: Under My Skin; Second Skin (2011), Skin of My Teeth (2012)
Blog: http://judithgraves.com/
Twitter: @judithgraves
When authors create a world for a series there are rules they need to stick with for consistency, are there things you would change in your book world that you didn’t foresee being an issue initially?
You know, the fun thing about world building is that you need restrictions. You need rules that limit what your characters can and can’t do even if it turns out later that it would be waaaaay more convenient if they could do something that, by the rules of the world, is not possible. So, as long as those rules are logical to the world you’ve created, then you’ve got to stick with them and make them work. And usually, it adds an extra layer of tension to the story when characters are forced to stay within those boundaries. So, no, I don’t think I would change anything now, but if you’d asked me during the writing, when I was struggling to figure out how to make everything fit, I might have had a different answer!
What was the most surprising thing that you discovered about one of your characters that you didn’t see coming?
I was startled when Alona took Will to see her mother in the first book. I never thought she would do that. But she was both angrier and braver than I’d given her credit for.
List your top 3 fictional crushes and why do they make the list?
Mr. Darcy, Han Solo, and Sam Winchester (through Season 4 of Supernatural). Mr. Darcy because, well, he’s so formal and proper but underneath it all he has a good heart. Han Solo, who doesn’t love a cocky space pirate who can make the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs? And Sam, my Sammy, because he’s vulnerable and sad and always tries so hard to do the right thing even when everyone else can see that it’s going to blow up in his face. (She’s a demon, Sam! How did you *think* that relationship was going to turn out?)
Was there a book as a child that you read which inspired you to be a writer and what book was it? Or What were your favorite books to read as a child?
I don’t think there’s one particular book that inspired me, but I loved all the Nancy Drew/Trixie Belden type stories. In fact, the very first story I tried to write when I was a kid was very much in that same style.
Blog: http://www.staceykade.com/
Twitter: @StaceyKade
What is your most embarrassing/funny/scary Halloween experience or costume?
When authors create a world for a series there are rules they need to stick with for consistency, are there things you would change in your book world that you didn’t foresee being an issue initially?
Um…were you standing over my shoulder, or what?
Yes, I’ve run into a few brick / plot walls thanks to rules I established in the first book. However, those moments kick my creativity into high gear, they provide challenges my characters wouldn’t have otherwise encountered and ultimately crank up the conflict. All good things. Besides, rules are meant to be broken and turning a character’s world upside down is what good fiction is all about. But you have to provide a solid foundation for the rule breaking to appear logical, even if it’s only a temporary glitch caused by wonky magic. ;)
Since you are also a musician, do you create a playlist for your books? Characters?
What books did you love as a child that you continue to see being checked out by children today?
There isn’t one particular title, however my time in school and public libraries assures me that the topics, genres, and authors I gravitated toward in my tweens and teens are still popular. Mythology and mythological creatures, cryptids (although that’s a newer term), ghost stories and hauntings, monsters, unexplained mysteries, horror, paranormal, romance, fairytales and retellings of fairytales, folklore from around the world and all things gothic or macabre.
Blog: http://judithgraves.com/
Twitter: @judithgraves
