Sarwat Chadda's Blog, page 6

Would never have happened if I'd stayed in the day job

Well, it wouldn't. No matter how good an engineer I was, no matter what I'd designed or built, I would not have got a meeting in Hollywood.
A few weeks ago I contacted my film agent. There's someone he'd like me to meet. This person is incredibly busy BUT since I was in the US, maybe, just maybe, a meeting could be arranged, if I was up to it. Like I was going to say no.So, since I have NOTHING ELSE TO ADD (that will hopefully be all post-meeting), we'll play the 'who'd you like to play Billi/Arthur/Kay etc' game.Billi - well, first choice would have to be Leslie Conor, who's Billi on the book covers. Next would be Jessica, back when she was a brunette.Arthur- Has to be James Purefoy. I know it should have gone to Christian Bale but James has been doing a lot of sword-work recently and, God-dammit, is playing a Templar in his next movie. Sorted.Micheal- Aiden Turner from Being Human. Oh Lord, he's gorgeous and has a very definate dark side. Being Human, how TV should be.Ivan- We're going for Ben Barnes. He was excellent in Dorian Gray, aristocratic, cruel and elegant. Perfect for my Russian prince.Kay is a younger Paul Bettany. He's doing quite a lot of supernatural stuff right now and recently played the Archangel Michael in Legion.Gwaine would be Michael Rooker, out of the Walking Dead. Grim, gritty, grey and a total nutter. We like.It's become quite sureal, all this. I don't quite know what to make of it. I'm having breakfats and then think, 'Bloody hell, I'm going to Hollywood next week' but most of my energy is sorting out who's collecting the kids from school while I'm gone. However, I will be ironing my shirts, now that's something that happens all to rarely in this household.The US tour with Rachel Hawkins begins next week. I'll keep you updated on the travels and tribulations throughout. If you're around, do pop by and say 'hello'. Bring pie if you can. And who knows, I may have something to announce while I'm there.Oh, gosh, I DO have something else to announce! Just waiting on some people. It's all good, folks!

Kiss Me, Kill Me, Part 7 (what, already?)

White Cat by Holly Black.
Gangsters. Gangsters with magical powers. It's one of those 'slap head and why didn't anyone think of this before?' sort of ideas.
White Cat is about the curse workers. It's set in a world like ours but one where magic is established, well known and feared. Unlike a lot of paranormal fiction where all the magic stuff happens behind the scenes and the greater public live their daily lives completely ignorant of the vampires, werewolves and what-nots living amongst them here the magicians (curse workers) are a part of society, even if it's the criminal part. It that sense White Cat is similar to Tru Blood, the vampire series about the vampire world attempts to integrate with the normal, mundane world.
Poor Cassel Sharpe. His mother and both his brothers are cruse workers. His mother can manipulate emotions, his brother Philip is able to inflict serious physical damage with the lightest touch and his other brother, Barron, can alter memories. Cassel's grandfather was a death worker. You get the idea. Cassel is like the runt of the litter. The only non-worker in his family.
The set up is this. Workers are feared and mistrusted. Society has developed charms of protection and as workers can only do their work through the touch of their fingers everyone in society wears gloves. The practice of curse work is outlawed so it's gone underground. It's the criminal families that recruit and use curse workers, to be a worker is synonymous to being a member of the Mafia.
Cassel may not be a worker, but he's every bit the criminal as the rest of his family. He's a con-man. He's always playing the angles. But he doesn't realise the angles being played on him. White Cat is the slow unravelling of his life as he sees that he's been the victim of a con far exceeding anything he's played, and the story's about his attempts to turn the tables on the other players.
Holly's built a beautifully logical world. Australia has a higher percentage of workers because the original settlers were criminals. Prohibition of curse working in America brought on the rise and power of organised crime. Being a worker has its own risks, blowback, when you work some magic the magic works you too.
There are so many different types of curse worker. Death worker. Luck. Emotions. Memory and Transformation, the last the rarest and all but vanished. There are those trying to force workers to register and come out of hiding, there are those who fight for worker rights and stop the discrimination. There's so much going on in the background that's just as fascinating as Cassel's own story.
Cassel's a fascinating character and you certainly don't envy his home life, every one of his family is trouble. He's hiding his own dark secret, a murder he committed three years previously that his brothers covered up for him and it's that murder that causes his life to fall apart in White Cat. Like the best gangster stories its about honour, betrayal, bloodshed and power.
After some trouble with her bodyguards I was able to get in touch with Holly Black. I must say, those Russian Mafia types have no sense of humour and I will be sending them my medical bill.

1. The world setting of White Cat is very elaborate. One of the clichés about urban fantasy is that despite events happening in the here and now, they never really affect the real world. White Cat's very different. The workers are an integral part of society. People hire them for blessings, for beatings, to make sure business goes right for them or badly for their rivals. You establish that charms are very common since people need to defend themselves against being worked and everyone, but everyone, wears gloves. How much time and effort went into building the ground rules for your world?
H: First of all, thank you so much for your incredibly kind and thoughtful review. I am so glad you liked the book!
In answer to your question – I guess I spent quite a bit of time creating and tweaking the rules of the world. Because I had previously been writing books about faeries and had so much folklore to draw on, this was an opportunity to make up something very different. I wanted the magic to feel thematically tied to the crime element. And also, because the world is an "open fantasy" where everyone knows about magic, I wanted magic to impact the world. I think my favorite thing was figuring out that people wore gloves all the time – and then imagining the way that bare hands would become taboo.

2. One of the most fun aspects of Cassel is his elaborate cons, like trying to get the cat from the animal rescue. How much research did you do in this area?
H: Well, I am lucky to know lots of scammers, so that was helpful, especially in that scene. Also, I know some people who work in animal shelters, so I was able to talk over the scene with them.
I did a lot of research on cons in general and would heartily recommend a book called THE BIG CON. It breaks down the steps of many different classic cons and was invaluable. I also really loved a true crime book called SON OF A GRIFTER. Reading about a boy being brought up with an entirely different moral code (never go to the police; if you can steal it and don't, you're a sucker) was very instructive in thinking about Cassel.

3. There's a very cool Russian vein running though this story. The lead gangster family is Russian, there's a jewel said to have once belonged to Rasputin and the climax takes place in a restaurant called Koshchey, named after the fairy tale character. As a huge fan of Russian mythology I have to ask is this a theme through the books or are we going to see the more traditional Italian Mafia make an appearance?
H: Although we get to hear a little more about the Brennan family, the Zacharovs remain our primary connection to the world of organized crime in these books.

4. I love the idea of blowback. Can you tell us a bit about how this concept came about and what it is?
H: Thank you! Blowback is one of the ways that I limit the power of the curse magic in the books. Basically, a piece of each curse comes back at the person casting the curse. Every curse works the worker. To me, blowback feels like a natural consequence of magic, which is why I like it. I think magic should always have a cost.

5. Red Glove, the sequel, isn't out for a while. Any minute clues you can give us? What have you planned for Cassel?
H: Without giving away too many spoilers for the first book, I think I can safely say that in RED GLOVE, Cassel has to decide what kind of person he wants to be. There are a lot of temptations in front of him – the biggest to do with love, all to do with power. As his grandfather tells him, "magic gives you lots of choices – most of them are bad." He has to try and make the right choices.

Thanks to Holly for helping out on the KMKM tour. Phew, it's all feeling a little hectic. And there's still Melissa, Joy, Keirsten and Ally to come. If you've missed any, then click on the button somewhere on the right on this page. No, up a bit. Yes, there.
Okay, next Monday I will be in the US, touring around the wide open spaces, visiting schools and bookstores from California to Chicago and beyond! I will be the Robin to Rachel Hawkins' Batman, but that's because I've always thought I looked good in green shorts.
Hmm, I do have some additional stuff to tell you but forces beyond imaginings have told me to KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT. For now. Neveretheless, I can be bribed. If you do come along to any of the tour stops (see here), that would be great. If you bring pecan pie, that would be greater!

Do not try this at home!

I love TV. I think we're entering a golden age of tv viewing. So many channels but, at last, something worth watching. In fact, I'd like to be buried with my dvd collection. It'll keep me busy 'till Judgement Day.
So, I'd like to take you through my current list of fav programmes.
1. Mad Men. If you follow me on Twitter you'll know everything stops for Mad Men. The glamour, the awesomely, ridiculously good lookin' cast, Roger's quips and the drip drip drip storytelling. It's why TV was invented.
2. The Walking Dead. The series open with our protagonist blowing away a small child. Don't worry, the kid's a zombie, but still, kind of reminds me of something I once wrote...
Plus, I love a guy who can handle an axe. Left foot forward, leading with the right hand. A classic move. Zombie problem solved. I'm sure Arthur will be sending Rick an invite to join the Templars pretty damn soon.
3. Entourage. A change of pace and style. Hedonistic, sharp and with a deep, deep current of anxiety and fear. It's about a bunch of hangers on and their lead guy, Vincent. Handsome, charming, pretty shallow and that's probably for the best. Cool cool cool.

Kiss Me, Kill Me Part 6 with Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
This book is all about desire. Nora Grey is sixteen, living in Coldwater, Maine and her best friend is Vee.
What you need to know about Nora. Her dad was murdered last year and she and her mum live in an old house, outside of the suburbs, and one that attracts fog and misty weather like those spooky old houses in Stephen King country should.
Oh, and one more thing, her new biology partner is a mysterious, gorgeous looking new guy called Patch.
Now I'm not revealing any big mysterious secret by telling you Patch is a fallen angel. It's on the front cover (surely one of the most iconic covers in YA).
Which brings me back to desire.
Nora's smart. She knows what's she needs and what she wants. She needs to avoid Patch at all costs. But she wants him, oh Lord, she wants him.
No-one radiates sexual tension like this couple. Believe me that their feelings for one another could power a medium sized city in the Western world. The book's less about the supernatural element (the angel reveal is way way towards the end) but the conflicting emotions of Nora, the endless circling between the two of them and the dreadful danger Patch and his world represent. What I love about Becca's writing is she makes you believe. She makes you believe Nora can be forceful, can be independent, can be her own woman BUT Patch is irresistible. Throughout the entire book Nora's smart, careful and wary, but Patch is a force of nature, and that's why you cannot but help be caught in the whirlwind.
Vee, the best, friend, is hilarious. She's quick, a bit foolish and at the mercy of her teen hormones, but she's honest. She's the voice of honesty, of base desire. She as some of the best lines and has a love of Christian Bale, which puts her on the top of my Christmas card list automatically.
Reading the book really made me remember being sixteen. It's not that different for boys, I tell you. I can barely remember it but I remember who was hot. Tensions are raised, clothes come off. Encounters are, er, encountered.
My favourite scene is the motel room. All the little bits leading up to it are subtly done and then there's the OMG, there seems to be no going back after this night. It must rank as one of the steamiest scenes in YA paranormal fiction. In fact, I needed a cold shower right afterwards, just to calm down.
That's covered the romance bit, now to the paranormal.
Patch is a fallen angel who basically lusted after a mortal. The legend is taken from the apocryphal Book of Enoch (a book that never made it into the official Bible) and concerns angels that mated with mortal women and their offspring were the Nephilim. It's the same book I used for the plot of Devil's Kiss, though I will admit my fallen angels are nothing but heartless and cruel predators. There's no internal conflict with them.
Patch wants to be human, and thereby hangs a tale. To do it he must kill Nora. That is the heart of Patch's conflict. His need to be human is poignant and cruel, being based on being inhuman and having to kill, a fundamentally inhuman act. The tension with him makes Patch a truly amazing character, not some 'just because he's got a bike and muscles' bad boy. He's not a rebel without a cause. His cause is very, very serious. What would we do to be human? What defines us as human? I love this theme, Patch displays both the worst aspects of humanity, the need for love and the desire to be cruel. What other species has this problem? Seeing him stray between the two, sometimes in an instant, made me wonder how he could possible achieve his goal; it's too alien to him. As an angel he chases something that he cannot be, not really. Mere biological function is the least aspect of being human.
So with things in mind (and a mental image of Christian Bale wearing a pair of black wings) lets move on with the interview!
1. Fallen angels are a powerful metaphor for our own inability to stay on the straight and narrow path. If the chosen of God can fail, how can humanity hope to remain 'good'? We have this failure in Patch, his desire for mortal woman, and also Nora, time and time again she puts herself in danger by seeking Patch out. There were times I wanted to shake her and tell her to go find a nice boy, like Elliot (gosh, was I wrong about that!). I'd like to know your thoughts on the theme of temptation. It seems to be at the heart of Nora's conflicting feelings for Patch.
First a disclaimer: I am terrible when it comes to identifying themes and symbolism and all that good stuff my English teachers tried to teach me, so feel free to laugh when you read the below! I think many creation-type stories, like Hush, Hush, explore the theme of temptation. It makes sense, since they all have roots in the story of Adam and Eve. We all know that good stories are made when a character desperately wants something (a bite of that forbidden apple!), but what happens when the very thing a character wants isn't good for them? Enter temptation. I can't say I had the theme of temptation at the back of my thoughts as I wrote Hush, Hush, but I will say that there was a very specific reason the book opens in a biology classroom. I wanted to explore the very primal, very biological, power of physical attraction. The sexual tension playing out on every page between Patch and Nora filled me with innumerable questions and ideas. Is desire purely physical? What causes two people to have instant chemistry? How do two people know if they can trust each other? What in our genetic makeup draws us to one person, and warns us to stay away from another? And what if it's the same person?
2. What sort of research into angels did you do for Hush, Hush? I'm especially interested in how you came to use The book of Enoch.
I always feel a little like I'm cheating when I give this answer, but I grew up attending Sunday School every week and hearing stories from the Bible. When I started writing Hush, Hush, it never occurred to me to go out and do serious research into angel mythology. I felt like I had a pretty good grasp of the angels that would be in my stories. Rather than make them like angels from the Bible, however, I wanted to make them more human. I wanted them capable of making the same mistakes we make. I wanted them to face the same challenges we face. As for the Book of Enoch, I learned about it in a World Religions class I took in college, and decided to throw it in for the heck of it. Yes, I'm the kind of writer who throws things and sees if they stick!
3. The murder of Kjirsten Halverson first appears to be an irrelevance, but ends up forming a fundamental part of the story. Like the best detective stories things can change on the smallest detail. Do you write organically, letting the story unfold as you write, or plot the entire story in detail first?
I finished the very first draft of Hush, Hush in 2003, and I think it's safe to say it was organic. It was also horrible. I've learned over the years that I write best when I have a plan. The version of Hush, Hush available today was definitely pre-plotted. For me, it's very difficult to write a suspense novel, where, as you said, every clue hinges on a bigger mystery, without knowing all of the clues beforehand.
4. Tell us a bit more about Nora and Vee's relationship. The two work brilliantly, Nora the usual voice of reason and restraint and Vee being the 'seize the moment' kind of gal. You'd think they'd be ready to kill one another after even one day together.
I'll start by saying Vee is my absolute favorite character to write. I feel like I know her incredibly well, and I don't have to think hard when it comes to writing her lines of dialogue. She's very easy to work with (from an author standpoint). I based her character on a couple of my childhood friends, and I can get very nostalgic while writing any scene with Vee. That said, I think she's probably the most controversial character in the series. I can't tell you how many letters I get from readers saying, "I hate Vee and I hope she dies in the next book!"
5. With such a phenomenal start to your writing career, where do you want to go next?
You're making me blush, Sarwat! To be honest, I don't feel like I deserve a fraction of the success I've had. I feel very, very lucky. I've had a few people ask me what it feels like to be an overnight success, but I don't think they realize it took me five years to sell Hush, Hush. During that time period, I accumulated 100 rejection letters. I'm well aware that there are better writers and better stories out there, but I try not to worry about that too much. I remind myself that I'm doing what I love, and I have loyal and truly wonderful readers. It motivates me to work hard and write the best stories I can. If I can continue to keep my readers engaged in my stories, I'll call it success!
6. One of the more fun parts of publishing is deciding who goes on the front cover. Was it difficult deciding and if I gave you my sister's email address, could you ask Drew Doyon (the model on the cover) to contact her next time he's in London?
I still remember my editor emailing over several head shots, and telling me I had 20 minutes to hurry up and choose the models who would portray Patch and Nora. It was terrifying! I'm not the kind of girl who can make up her mind fast. I mull things over to death. But in the end, I'm very happy with the models I chose. And last I heard, Drew is single...
Big thanks to Becca for joining in with this tour. Right, the next few weeks are going to be slightly chaotic, what with the US book tour and such. I've several new announcements to make and they'll be popping up over the next couple of weeks. The Kiss Me, Kill Me tour still has some way to go, with Holly Black, Ally Carter, Kiersten White, Joy Preble and Aprilynne Pike still to come. Should be a blast.

Introducing Ash Mistry

I've been waiting for Ash for a long time. Maybe all my life.
I grew up reading myths about Greek heroes, about Vikings, Normans and Saracens, stories of Sinbad and King Arthur, and I've loved them all. But where were my heroes? My parents immigrated to England from the Indian Subcontinent and growing up in the 1970's I had no heroes that I could call mine except Mowgli. The only Indian in children's literature and he was over a hundred years old. Even Kim, Kipling's other great child hero, is actually Irish.
I wanted heroes like me, but not labelled as 'ethnic'. Ash is a bagger and tagger; he fights demons and is a plain and simple action hero. He's not worried about having an arranged marriage or being in a Bollywood movie.
I was in my twenties before I came across the vast mythology of India and it blew me away. How could this stuff not be better known? Why weren't kids reading about Rama, Arjuna, about demon-slaying Kali and flute-playing Krishna? The mythology of India is immense and current. It's being celebrated today and yet we know so little. Why isn't it as mainstream as any of the Greek or Norse legends?
I'd put the skills of Arjuna against Achilles any day of the week. The strength of Bhima against Hercules. The courage of Rama against that of Thor. (Even as I write this my Spellcheck is going mad. It doesn't recognise the name 'Arjuna'. Over one billion people consider Arjuna the world's greatest hero).
But I didn't have to be Scandinavian to enjoy tales of Vikings and I don't believe you need to be Asian to enjoy tales of Rama and of Ash Mistry. Heroes are heroes and we love them where-ever they come from. It's time we met some Indian ones.

Press Release from HarperCollins

I've been biting my nails for a few weeks to be able to tell you this, so here it is at last.

News
HARPERCOLLINS ACQUIRE SARWAT CHADDA'S NEW KIND OF HERO
London, 07th February 2011
Nick Lake, Editorial Director, has won a hotly contested auction to bring the Ash Mistry Chronicles, a new series by Sarwat Chadda, to the HarperCollins list. The three-book deal, for UK & Commonwealth rights, was acquired by Nick from Sarah Davies at Greenhouse Literary.
Ash Mistry and the Savage Palace – the first book in the series – will launch in Spring 2012. An edge-of-your seat action adventure, it introduces a major new character for 9–12s, 14-year-old British-Indian Ashoka Mistry, better known as Ash.
Ash hates India. Which is a problem since his father has brought the whole family there to take up a dream job with the mysterious Lord Savage. But Ash immediately suspects something is very wrong with the eccentric millionaire. Soon, Ash finds himself in a desperate battle to stop Savage's masterplan – the opening of the Iron Gates that have kept Ravana, the demon king, at bay for four millennia...
Sarwat Chadda's first novel Devil's Kiss was shortlisted for the Branford Boase First Novel Award. The Ash Mistry Chronicles is his first series for 9-12s. Like the protagonist of this new series, Sarwat came to the folktales of his parents' culture late in life – vivid stories of heroes, demons and gods that totally blew him away. Now, he's ready to bring those stories to a whole new generation
Commenting on the deal Nick Lake said, "Ash Mistry is a brilliant, gripping read, with an action-packed plot that starts in top gear and stays there, while taking the reader on a mind-expanding journey into contemporary and mythological India. Fans of Rick Riordan and Eoin Colfer will devour this awesomely entertaining book in a single sitting."
Sarwat Chadda added, "Everyone's read the adventures of Hercules and Thor. But the vast mythology and history of the Indian sub-continent has been strangely neglected in children's fiction. Through Ash, a modern British-born Asian, I hope to immerse the reader in a world as magical and as thrilling as anything to come out of the more familiar Greek and Norse mythology. Heroes are heroes and we love them wherever they come from. It's time we met some Indian ones..."

Note to Editors:
• HarperCollins UK publishes a wide range of books, from cutting-edge contemporary fiction, to block-busting thrillers, from fantasy literature and children's books to enduring classics. It also publishes a great selection of non-fiction titles, including history, celebrity memoirs, biographies, popular science, dictionaries, maps, reference titles and education books, and its digital business is thriving. With nearly 200 years of history HarperCollins publishes some of the world's foremost authors, from Nobel prizewinners to worldwide bestsellers. In addition it publishes the works of Agatha Christie, JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. It was the first major UK trade publisher to go carbon neutral in December 2007.
• HarperCollins Children's Books is one of the leading publishers of children's books, recognised for nurturing new talent as well as boasting a reputable list of established best-selling authors. Respected worldwide for its tradition of publishing quality, award-winning books for young readers, HarperCollins is home to many children's classics, including The Chronicles of Narnia, Noddy, the Paddington stories, The Cat in the Hat and The Tiger Who Came to Tea, and to some of the biggest names in children's literature past and present, including J.R.R. Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, Dr. Seuss, Louise Rennison, Darren Shan, Judith Kerr and former Children's Laureate Michael Morpurgo.
• HC UK and International is responsible for the UK and Ireland, India, Australia and New Zealand and is a division of HarperCollins Publishers, one of the leading English-language book publishers in the world. HarperCollins Publishers is a wholly-owned division of News Corporation, the media conglomerate and parent of Times Newspapers Ltd, British Sky Broadcasting and Twentieth Century Fox.

Kiss Me, Kill Me, Part 5 with Brenna Yovanoff

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
The first thing I must say is the US cover, the macabre, wood-framed pram with the knife, scissors and other iron implements suspended above it like some murderous mobile absolutely NAILS IT. While the UK cover is great in its own way, a picture of Mackie, the US has all the dread and hints of the secrets trapped within the town of Gentry.
Okay, let's get this out of the way now, it's a faerie story. Normally this would be enough for me to close the cover and move on, with talk of courts and Unseelie this and whatnots, but Brenna never uses the f-word in her book and her myth takes it all in a brand new direction.
We all know the tales of changelings, children kidnapped by the faery folk and replaced with one of their own. We all know about their aversion to iron. We know about the gifts left on the doorsteps and the iron horseshoes put on the doors to protect the inhabitants. All these iconic themes are in place, but...but...
The people of Gentry KNOW. This is not some world where the public are blissfully unaware about the magic around them. They know their children are taken. They know one night their child will be gone and instead there'll be a monster in the crib.
And they do nothing.
The metaphor for the silent acceptance of evil, no matter how it's disguised, is the most powerful aspect of this amazing book. The code of silence. You just don't talk about the bad things, lest you attract more evil to your door.
The story is about Mackie, a boy who knows he's one of them, and of Tate, a girl who doesn't mourn her sister's death, because she knows the thing that died is one of the replacements. Tate kicks the entire story off by her loud and public refusal to accept the status quo. She knows Mackie is one of them and drags him, against his own wishes, into confronting the darkness at the heart of Gentry and the truth about himself.
This scene is late in the book and I hope won't spoil it for you, but it chills the blood when you think about what it really means. This is what Gentry is.

Her smile was cold. She could have been made of wax or porcelain like a doll, but her eyes were wicked and bright.
"The ones who are sincere leave. The others sink their roots in this quiet town and wring their hands and bemoan the loss of their children, and all the while, they take their payment, and they keep the town and they feed it, just like they've always done."

There are no easy ways out. Mackie knows he belongs to another world, the house of Mayhem, and it's both beautiful and terrifying. It's ruled by the Morrigan and occupied by the dead, sacrificed children whose blood, literally, binds the pact between the creatures of the underworld and the people of Gentry.
Brenna is one of the Merry Sisters of Fate along with Maggie Stiefvater and Tessa Gratton and we share a marvellous agent, Sarah Davies. Fortunately that meant I could call in favours and get some time with her to delve deeper into her world.

1. It's interesting to find a female writer writing from a male perspective, especially in this genre. As someone who's asked this A LOT, how easy was it writing from the viewpoint of the opposite sex?
Well, I have to say that at first it was hard, but only because I was thinking about it in the wrong way. I was trying to make Mackie sound like some imaginary generic teenage boy, and not like a true, specific person who just sounded like himself. Once I started thinking of him as an individual, the point of view became clear and the voice was much, much easier.

2. The relationship of Tate and Mackie is dynamic and takes a long time to develop. I love the fact it comes slowly (the story starts with Mackie being interested is someone else entirely), built brick by brick on dependency and mutual trust rather than an instantaneous spark of mutual desire. Was this something that just came out of the writing or were you purposely trying to avoid the 'sparks over the classroom' cliché?
I don't know that I consciously decided to avoid instant attraction, but yeah, it is definitely not there. I really think the slow build was something that evolved out of the characters. Both of them—but particularly Tate—are guarded to say the least. While Tate is far more outspoken than Mackie, she's just not the sort of person who would dive headlong into an emotional relationship, even though she has no qualms about putting herself in physical danger. Everything kind of had to happen on her timeline.

3. The House of Mayhem is an incredibly vivid setting, the entrance through the slag heap, the slowly encroaching waters and the inhabitants, the discarded dead. Where did it come from? What were your inspirations?
Zombie movies. Yes, really. I have a longstanding affection for zombies and grew up watching way too much bad horror. I'm also embarrassingly distrustful of water and I wanted to write about someplace where all my favorite scary things exist unchecked—a place where the inhabitants are faced with weird, creepy conditions and they just have to live there anyway and make the best of it.

4. Despite Mackie's alien nature he's got people who love him, I'm talking mainly about Emma, his sister, and Roswell. Emma's devotion to her replacement brother is extremely moving, her speech to him in Chapter 28 had me in tears! Tell us a bit more about her and Roswell.
Of all the primary characters in The Replacement, Emma and Roswell are unusual because, to put it simply, they've never been hurt. They were both very interesting to me right from the first draft because they don't really doubt themselves (at least where we can see it). I really enjoyed writing both of them, because it's kind of refreshing to deal with people who are so secure in themselves and in their decisions. They are never apologetic or ashamed of feeling affection.

5. What's next? Any more tales from Gentry or something new?
While I wouldn't go so far as to say there will never be another Gentry book, there's nothing on the agenda just yet. The book I'm working on right now is another standalone—about demons this time. It's called The Space Between, involves danger, moral ambiguity, and kissing, and will be coming out this fall from Razorbill/Penguin Group in the US and Simon & Schuster in the UK. Thanks so much for having me, Sarwat!

My pleasure, Brenna! Gosh, that's quite a few on the Kiss Me, Kill Me tour so far. Hit the button in the right somewhere if you want to check out words of wisdom from Maggie Stiefvater, Cindy Pon, Rachel Hawkins and Carrie Ryan.
Next Monday is Valentine's Day, so I've an interview with Becca Fitzpatrick, author of Hush, Hush, Crescendo and Silence. Fallen angels. You've got to love 'em.
Oh, I've an IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT to make on Tues, here on this blog. The fate of the free world may depend on you being here to read it. You have been warned.

Kiss Me, Kill Me, Part 4 with Carrie Ryan

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan
Zombies. They're the monsters of the day, it seems. You can't stroll down the street without some shambling horde following after you demanding 'brains, brains, BRAINS!'. Why zombies? Why now? What does it all mean? Is it some zeitgeist statement of the world we live in, one of mindless desire, of purposeless hunger, of the infection that spreads the inanities of modern, meaningless existence, the realisation we are just shuffling along this mortal coil driven by no higher purpose than the need to feed?
No idea. Zombies are cool.
Now, the one thing about zombies are they're there to be made fun of. Okay, they are scary, but they're slow, simple and frankly, repetitive. The fright factor's gone.
Welcome to the Forest of Hands and Teeth and the world of the Unconsecrated.
It's a world no bigger than a village, surrounded by a fence, surrounded by a forest, surrounded by a world with nothing but zombies. Their moans drift eternally through the branches of the trees. They endlessly search the fence for the flesh beyond. There is nothing else.
Except, perhaps, the legend of an ocean.
Mary has grown up with such stories, of the vast water, the endless openness of the sea and sky. The freedom of such a place without fences, without the forest.
It is bleak. I fact I would consider this one of the bleakest books I've ever read. Mary's world is one from the Dark Ages, all the glories and wisdom of our world of science and knowledge has been left far far behind and long forgotten. It is a world where the Sisterhood rule with an iron, inflexible will and to defy them is to risk being abandoned beyond the fence and amongst the Unconsecrated.
But Mary is convinced that something exists beyond the village, she doesn't believe they are the last humans on Earth, the chosen of God.
Then Gabrielle arrives. Mary sees, trapped within the Cathedral, a girl in red. An Outsider. She discovers in that instance, that there is more to the world than the village, than the Cathedral, the Forest of Hands and Teeth.
The story is a quest, in the truest sense of the word. It's about Mary's search for freedom from the world she was born, and trapped, within. But to break free of her society takes huge courage and will involve pain, suffering and hard lessons.
Carrie weaves within Mary's story the lives of her closest loved ones. Brother Jed, Cass her best friend. Harry and Travis, brothers who tear Mary's heart apart. The one she desires and the one she needs. Together with a young boy, Jacob, they flee their village when it is over-run, and must make their way towards a new world, the village of Gabrielle and to the ocean, if it exists.
Carrie's world-building is second-to-none. The Sisterhood could easily be the bad guys but, given the trouble the world's in (hey, zombies), you can completely understand their fear in making sure everyone toes the party line. I even caught myself (more than once) thinking, 'Mary, you're being selfish! Just listen to Sister Tabitha!' There can be no weak links in society when it's on the very brink of destruction.
Complex, chilling and tense to the nth degree The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a novel that gives no easy answers and neat, 'tied with a bow' endings.
So, without further ado, let's find out what's going on within that big brain of Carrie's (brains, brains, BRAINS! Sorry, had to put that last one in).

1. Most zombie novels are somewhat (recent) post-apocalyptic world while yours is firmly early medieval. Technology has long gone, the Church controls all aspects of life and duties are very much split along gender lines. Can you tell us a bit about how you came to decide this setting?
Ever since I saw my first zombie movie in law school I've been obsessed with how we (individually and as a society) would survive a zombie outbreak. Most books and movies focus on the immediate aftermath but I was fascinated with what would happen long after that: when zombies weren't the new scary monster but were a part of everyday life and had been for several generations. So Mary's world is actually the future: about 150-200 years after the Return (the zombie apocalypse and I'm purposefully vague about when that takes place but it's in the near future). But when I started to sort through the realities of a post-zombie world, I realized how quickly society would regress, especially if you removed books and the ability to create a collective memory. Suddenly, the only information available is what's passed down orally and while many cultures in the past have had fantastic oral traditions, our current society isn't really trained for that -- we rely on books and computers and the internet.
Whenever I'm talking to readers who live near the coast of the US they usually laugh at the idea that a whole village could forget about the ocean and then I ask them to name the Great Lakes. Only about 5% of the readers I talk to (who don't live near them) can name all five Great Lakes and I use that to prove how easily information is lost. Besides, if you were facing the zombie horde and passing down stories to the next generation, would you remember to say "Oh and there are these lakes really far away and here are their names just in case you need to know." And even if you did, would that next generation remember them all and also pass them down?
A ton of information would be lost (how much do each of us know about our great-grandparents? Already memory is fallible and porous.).
As for the aspect of religion, that came naturally to the setting (the village was created by nuns who'd been nursing infected soldiers fighting the zombies in the Forest after the Return). First of all, I thought it would be natural that a village like that would spring up around a defining aspect such as religious conviction but second of all I wanted to show the strain between a governing body that withheld information and knowledge as a means of control and through that control protect the people and how in the end that takes away people's right to make their own informed decisions about their lives (more on that in the next question).
And you're definitely right about how much of the village is split along gender lines, I did intend to make it a matriarchic society -- in the end, the women have the power.

2. Mary's conflict is between her desire for freedom and her duties towards the greater community, her village and society in general. This theme is central to the book and made me think about Billi, my own heroine, who makes the opposite choice to Mary and chooses to forgo individual freedom for the good of the group. Did you ever feel Mary was in the wrong, especially when she goes so strongly against everyone? She says 'her life is not her own' but is anyone's?
This is one of the exact questions I wanted readers to ask themselves. I do think that at times Mary is selfish but I also recognize that in that world often being selfish is what keeps you alive. Mary's entire village is selfish because they close themselves off from the rest of the world (withholding their resources) in order to keep themselves safe. I think one of the issues I tried to raise is that Mary was never given the true choice between individual and community because so much information was withheld from her. In part, I think this often mirrors our world where it's easier for those in charge (from parents to governments) to hold back information hoping that we'll make the decision they want because we're not informed otherwise. Many times this leads people to make stupid uniformed decisions with lasting consequences.
Is this the right course of action? Some people think yes and others think no. I don't know if that if Mary and those who came before had been told more about their situation if they'd have chosen a different path. There are times when she does put her own self interest aside for that of the community and times she doesn't (I'm wary of being specific because of spoilers).
I do think that it was Mary's quick thinking that often kept her group of friends alive and it's too easy to discount the agency of those around her (i.e. to think that Mary caused what happened to them -- everyone in the book had their own choices to make).
More than anything, I didn't want anything in the book to be too simple. It's not so easy to say "the Sisterhood lied and therefore are evil" because they did so out of love and a fierce desire to protect their charges.

3. Tell us a bit more about the two men in Mary's life, Harry and Travis. Travis starts off the desire-able one, Mary's passion for him is only second to her need for the ocean but as the story progresses we begin to see the leadership qualities of Harry. How did the two brothers develop? Was this something you planned from the start or something that grew organically?
I think the love triangle was both a little bit of both something that I planned and that I grew organically. My theory on love triangles is that while it may appear it's as simple as a heroine (or hero) choosing between two love interests that it's really about the heroine figuring out who she is and each love interest reflecting a different part of her.
I wanted both Harry and Travis to be wholly viable options -- one represents a calm stability, a very comfortable life, and the other represents a more reckless passion and uncertainty. It's then up to Mary to decide who she is: is she someone who wants a calm and comfortable life or is she someone who would embrace passion even if it potentially comes with great risks? Once she figures out who she is, it's easy for her to figure out which love interest bets fits with that part of her.
It was really important that this not be an easy decision for her -- I remember watching the movie Sweet Home Alabama several years ago and I felt like that was one of the first times I ever noticed that a real love triangle should involve a real decision, it shouldn't be so lopsided because then it's just a trope.
At the same time, I also wanted to develop Harry and Travis's relationship -- the camaraderie and competition between them. They're both trying to do what they think is best for the other and at the same time getting in each other's way. Sibling relationships can be so complicated!

4. Tell us some more about your zombie love. Any other books or films you'd recommend?
I still sometimes find it very odd to be such a huge zombie fan since I hadn't even thought about zombies until I was in law school and my husband somehow convinced me to go see Dawn of the Dead. But now I'm pretty much a fanatic! And I feel so lucky that zombies have experienced a recent upswing in popularity because I love seeing it all! I think one of my favourite zombie books is Max Brooks' World War Z -- just really amazingly thought out and told. I'm also a huge fan of The Walking Dead -- both the graphic novel and the TV series based on it. What I love about that series is that Robert Kirkman's original intent was just to explore a post-zombie-apocalypse world, not have a set and clear arc like most books and movies. That whole premise utterly fascinates me! As for movies, you can't go wrong with the one that started it all -- Night of the Living Dead -- and I also love Shaun of the Dead because it perfectly mixes happy and sad. And of course I like the remake of Dawn of the Dead just because that's the one that started it all for me!
A big thanks to Carrie for joining in with this series. Remember, if you want to check out who else has been on this already, just click the 'Kiss Me, Kill Me' box somewhere on the right hand side of this blog. BTW, if you've enjoyed this series so far, do feel free to link and retweet, I won't charge you.
Next week I will be posting Part 5 of the series, Brenna Yovanoff, author of the wonderfully creepy The Replacement. Soon after will be Becca Fitzpatrick, Holly Black, Melissa de la Cruz and oh so many great authors and their awesome books.

Tainted Love

Not only one of the greatest songs of all time but today's subject. Paranormal romance. Isn't it all about tainted love?But is any love truly pure? Isn't it all 'tainted' one way or another?Now I'm not an expert on this topic, after all I've still not read Twilight (but did enjoy the movies and am Team Victoria all the way!) but since I am part of the genre (at least, on the very edge of it) I suppose I must have some opinion. But hey, you can have an opinion on many things without knowing anything about them, can't you? I've recently interviewed Becca Fitzpatrick, author of the rather splendid HUSH, HUSH and CRESCENDO. You'll hear about that interview soon enough. The two main characters are Patch (fallen angel) and Nora (normal teen). Nora's torn between the deep attraction she feels towards Patch and her fear of him. There are disturbing acts of violence, her house is broken into and her best friend assaulted. All the signs are it's Patch. Nora's not stupid. She's a quick-witted and clever young woman and not so naive. But Patch is irresistible. And, my God, does he know it. He can invade her mind, twist her senses, make her doubt her sanity. But like a knife through it all is their mutual attraction, despite the very real dangers.
There's a tainted love at the heart of Maggie Steifvater's SHIVER, between werewolf Sam and Grace. Sam's not the archetype bad boy, he's actually very kind, loving and truly dedicated to Grace. But this is his last summer before he turns into a wolf, once and forever. His curse tainted everything, adds a desperate melancholy to their love, knowing it's going to end by winter and there's nothing they can do about it.Anthony and Cleopatra, Romeo and Juliet, Othello. Shakespeare knew all about tainted love. We have conflicting ambitions, family vendettas and jealousy. You cannot be human without tainted love. You think perhaps the love between parent and child is pure, without flaw. Er, what about Cronos? What about Oedipus? What about Electra? A child cannot grow to adulthood without the parent's death. Our children are there to replace us. Some seek that moment sooner than nature intended. And the parents, older, wiser, more cunning, can fight back. Tainted love is at the heart of my books. The conflicting urge to love and destroy. Look at Arthur and Billi's relationship. A father bringing up his daughter to be a killer. Maybe his killer. Billi and Mike. Two damaged children who are driven to extremes because they never decided their own fates. They are both pawns in the plans of their fathers. No wonder they understand each other so well. No wonder Billi makes some serious mistakes.Then we have Kay, who, I'd argue, is the purest of them all. His love is not blind, but his feelings towards Billi are tainted, though with the best of intentions. And he pays the price.Dark Goddess develops Billi's relationships in two directions. The first is her feelings towards a young girl, Vasilisa, who is being trained as a Templar. Just like Billi was, recruited into the order at a young age and given no choice. Then she meets the Russian prince, Ivan Alexeivich Romanov. Both of them are born leaders, and born warriors. There's mutual respect, and rivalry. There's distrust. Both are willing to sacrifice the other for the cause. Billi's been betrayed before and is wary of it happening again. Ivan knows he's got assassins lurking in every shadow, is Billi just another one? Waiting for his guard to drop?Tainted Love.

Kiss Me, Kill Me part 3 with Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Really, I have had enough. Angsty vampires, brooding werewolves, mysterious fae and alluring, wise witches. It's all gotten so dark, hasn't it? Are we really in love with so much misery?
Frankly, I blame advertising. When I was a lad the biggest advert was a cheery crowd up on a hill wanting to buy the world a Coke. Fun, smily, beautiful people in a world of sunshine. But that was before they invented diabetes.
To quote the great man with the clown face, "Why so serious?"
Yes, yes, yes. I know my stories are as grim and the grimmest brothers Grimm living in Grimland, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy the odd jolly jape as much as the next man. So Thank the great gods of the netherworld for Hex Hall. And Rachel Hawkins.
Hex Hall is a school for delinquent supernaturals (Prodigium). Our heroine, Sophie Mercer, a witch who means well but results badly, has been sent there after a love spell went way way too well. She makes friends with the local hot and crushworthy Archer Cross, makes enemies of a trio of supermodel dark witches, and teams up with Jenna, the one and only vampire student at Hex Hall. Who promptly goes on a killing rampage. Apparently.
Mix up a cult of religious fanatics descended from the Knights Templar (HELL YES!) and Sophie's great-grandmother's ghost and you have a high school experience like no other. Except my school was EXACTLY like that. Exactly like that.
The best way to give you a flavour is by teasing you with this extract.

There was the soft snick of a match being lit, and a small pool of light illuminated the figure.
Elodie.
She was wearing purple silk pajamas, a black candle cradled in her hands. Two other candles blazed to life and I saw Chaston and Anna, also pajama-clad, standing behind Elodie.
"Sophie Mercer'" Elodie intoned, "we have come to induct you into out sisterhood. Say the five words to begin the ritual."
I blinked at her. "Are you freaking kidding me?"

Yes, Hex Hall has a lot of lines like that. It doesn't take itself too seriously and is just plain old fashioned funny. Like books used to be.
I was lucky enough to track Rachel down, and whilst sipping a cup of Earl Grey tea, asked her a few pertinent questions.
1. I love that Sophie's half-English. Any plans to send her over here? There's a very nice tea shop near Fortnum and Masons I could take her to. So, is it true that Brits make the best wizards?
It's very true, you are a Wizardy People, you Brits! And yes, Sophie WILL be going 'cross the pond in the 2nd Hex Hall book, DEMONGLASS. I went to the UK when I was about 20, and I totally fell in love with all Boys With Cute Accents, and Places In Which To Drink Beer. Wait, I mean with the rich cultural history, and old buildings, and fascinating museums, and...did I say history already? Anyway, when it came time to write DEMONGLASS, I knew I wanted to send Sophie to England, and the majority of the book takes place in one of those big, ancestral country manors I'm told you all have.
2. L'Occhio di Dio, better known as the Eye. If I have one complaint about Hex Hall us how you've portrayed a bunch of knife-wielding religious fundamentalists as the bad guys. They're descended from the Knights Templar! What's not to love?
Look, I dig a hot dude in black, running around with a sword in his hand and righteousness in his heart as much as the next gal. I WILL say that there may be more to the Eye than meets... um...the eye. Still, even you have to admit their propensity for carving young girls hearts out MIGHT have something to do with the whole being seen as villains thing.
3. Obviously the 'vampires who love pink' market has been sadly neglected for too many years, so hooray for Jenna! Any other twisted facts about Jenna you'd care to share? What are her musical tastes? I'm suspecting she'd not into that whole goth thing.
It's my firm belief that Jenna participated in a beauty pageant or two back in the day, and she probably had QUITE the Barbie collection (but no Kens, obviously. Barbie+Midge 4-eva!) As for her musical tastes, I think she definitely listens to Ani DiFranco and probably some Florence+The Machine. However, her musical guilty pleasure? Girls Aloud. (Who, I must add with shame, are also MY musical guilty pleasure.)
4. The story starts off pretty light, but gets darker as it progresses until by the end you're having to read it with a very bright and shiny torch. Sophie's lied to, betrayed more than once and several of her school chums don't make it to the end of term. How have these events changed Sophie and what clues can you give us about Hex 2, Demonglass?
First off, I love that y'all say "torch" for "flashlight." It makes me picture legions of British children, hiding under their covers with flaming sticks held aloft.  And yes, the events of Hex Hall definitely change Sophie going into Demonglass. She's a little tougher now, and a whole lot more suspicious of everyone's motivations. However, girlfriend has in no way lost her sense of humour! (There *cough* may be a Twilight joke or two. Allegedly.) Some things you can expect from Demonglass include fire, Surprise Betrothals, swords, references to Chuck E. Cheese, kissing, and Tons of Stuff Blowing Up.
5. I've saved the most serious question until last. One, actually, two, of the things that struck me about Sophie where the constant references to the size of her breasts. Now we all know, as writers, you never put anything in a book unless it's going to be relevant later on. For those not familiar with the term it's called 'foreshadowing' and means if you put a gun on the mantlepiece at the beginning of the story, then, by heck, someone needs to have gone all Tarantino with it before the end. So, can we discuss Sophie's breasts, in a grown up not-giggling at all manner? Are they the source of her supernatural might? Are dark witches better endowed? What about dark warlocks? In what area are they, shall we say, larger than normal? What I'm asking does the size of a warlock's wand matter?
Stop sniggering at the back. We can see you.
Well, Sarwat, I think there is little doubt that Boobs=Magic. That's just science. HOWEVER, what you may not know (and I am probably violating many tenets of the Lady Code by revealing this) is that there is an ACTUAL algorithm detailing just how breast size relates to
superpowers.
Created in 1844 by Ada Lovelace, this complex equation is one of the most closely guardedsecrets of womanhood, so I obviously cannot reveal it to you. Of course, my cover story is that I made Sophie bountiful of chest because I was a little tired of reading about all the flat-chested chicks in YA. Life is no picnic for the well-endowed teen girls, either!
Sadly, you have seen through my ruse, so yes, Sophie's magnificent bosom is IN FACT related to her bad-ass magical powers. Unfortunately for warlocks, superpowers do NOT equal increased junkitude, mostly because, as I think we can all agree, Lady Lumps>>>> Boy Parts.
There you have it. Kind of makes me wonder about Hermione and if Sophie could take her in a battle. Fairly likely given the difference in their, well, you know, cup sizes. Now for those of you who've been paying the slighest bit of attention will know that this is not over, not by a long shot. I will be teaming up, joining forces, dueting and all together getting into a dynamic duo with Rachel as we'll be touring around the US together in March! An entire continent, at our feet.