Barry Lyga (author of I Hunt Killers) Q&A

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

On Friday, September 13th Barry Lyga, the author of I Hunt Killers, has agreed to answer questions by all of you awesome readers!!! The questions can be anything at all, either about the book, about the author, etc.

Please put any questions for the author in BOLD so he can easily pick them out and respond to them.

Please do NOT post any questions for the author until the buddy read starts on September 13th, as we don't want to flood him before he's ready :) And also please don't post a new question if there are already three unanswered questions, that way the author won't fall too far behind!

Thanks for participating and I hope you all enjoy this rare opportunity to interact with the author of one of our buddy reads!!

Questions
1) Karen- Hi Barry! I found this article about your book being developed into a TV series! Congrats! That's incredible! Are you involved with this project?

http://m.deadline.com/2012/11/abc-fam...

2) David- As a follow up to Karen's question: I noticed the main character will be a girl and not a boy. Did you have any input into that decision? Do you think that has a major impact on the story?

3) Karen- How did you decide on the name of the book, I Hunt Killers? Very unique.

4) Jenny- I haven't started reading the book yet, although I will start today, and I'm really excited to read it!! So here's just a generic question for you Barry: What authors inspire you?

5) Kerri- My question is: how was it getting inside of your main character's head? you know, with him being like a "teenage Dexter" and all!

6) Dre- First off, I love the series! The second book, Game, had me guessing who's who and was on edge while reading it. And second, if Jazz becomes a girl in the series, that would also be okay, since I like female heroines/leads. Question is : Did you get nightmares while writing the series? Such as being the victim of a serial killer?

7) K.L.- Did you research any serial killers to help bring your story to life?

8) Alisha- Does some of the research you do affect in any way? Have you ever felt bad for anyone in real life while writing about serial killers?

9) Dre- What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

10) Karen- Which "killing" do you feel was your most creative?

11) Vicki- Congrats on your potential TV series! Do people ever ask if you personally have a tendency or desire to kill since you are so creative and appear to "know" a serial killer's mind?

12) Karen- Do you have any writing habits or quirks?

13) Karen- One of the things I really liked in this book was Jazz's girlfriend. Will the TV version give Jazz a boyfriend since Jazz will be a girl?

14) Dale- Where is book 3? I want book 3. Book 2 had me hanging by the short hairs...I am too impatient!

[Jeann (Happy Indulgence)]

WOW that is amazing, this is great David! I'm going to go get the book now to make sure I'm all set :)

[Rochelle Laurice]

This will be fun! Will definitely participate. Need to read double time. hehehe

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome!! We can all read the books together during the buddy reads :)

[Tracy]

I actually haven't read this so now would be a great time.

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

This is exciting! I've wanted to read his books for awhile now!

[Karen’s Library]

I've read the first book but still want to join the buddy chat! This will be amazing!

[Dale]

I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books! A brilliant portrayal of very confused teen.

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Dale wrote: "I LOVE LOVE LOVE these books! A brilliant portrayal of very confused teen."

Aww yay! Me too!! You have to join in the Q&A with Barry in September then :)

[Dale]

Absolutely!

[Stormy]

I would love to read this with you guys one what has been on my reading list for while

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome Natalie!! It'll be great and an awesome added bonus with the author answering questions for us :)

[Phaedra]

I'm in! :)

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome!!

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

This starts tomorrow!! Feel free to start posting questions (in bold please), and I'll do my best to pull them together into one post for Barry to answer from :) Enjoy!!

[Karen’s Library]

Hi Barry! I found this article about your book being developed into a TV series! Congrats! That's incredible! Are you involved with this project?

http://m.deadline.com/2012/11/abc-fam...

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Amazing question! I hadn't heard that :)

As a follow up to Karen's question: I noticed the main character will be a girl and not a boy. Did you have any input into that decision? Do you think that has a major impact on the story?

[Karen’s Library]

That was going to be my next question! ;-)

How did you decide on the name of the book, I Hunt Killers? Very unique.

[Barry]

David wrote: "On Friday, September 13th we're going to start a buddy read of by Barry Lyga! As an added bonus, the author has agreed to participate in the buddy read by answeri..."

Hi, everyone! This is my first group chat, so I hope I'm doing this right... :)

1) I'm technically a consultant on the show, which currently means that they occasionally call to ask me my thoughts on some things. If the show actually goes into production (fingers crossed), I may be more involved. We'll see.

2) Nope, I had no input into it and it was as much a surprise to me as it was to, well, everyone else. Yeah, I think it has a major impact. Any time you switch something significant like gender, it's an issue, and especially for this story -- which is so much about the father-son dynamic -- it's a BIG deal. However, my feeling is: TV is TV and books are books. I look at the TV series as a sort of "what if?" scenario. An alternate universe vision of my novels, if you will. Some people are really upset about Jazz becoming a girl. My attitude is: That's interesting. Let's see where they take it. In the meantime, the books are still there and no one's taking them away!

3) The title just popped into my head when I came up with the story. Sometimes it's like that -- everything collides into my head at once. In this case (short version to follow), I had been thinking about a teen serial killer novel and couldn't come up with the hook. And then, in one fell swoop, I thought, "His father's a serial killer!" and "It's called I HUNT KILLERS!" in the same instant. Boom. Done. :)

Fire away!

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome responses Barry!! I completely understand about the TV thing. It's similar with movies. You can never fully satisfy the readers who love the books (which is a good thing, because that shows how much they respect and value what you've created between the pages of your books!)

Oh and your response to number 3, completely gave me the shivers, so cool!!!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

Wow, I had no idea there was talk about the book being made into a TV series! I'm usually on top of things like that, Karen beat me this time!

I haven't started reading the book yet, although I will start today, and I'm really excited to read it!!

So here's just a generic question for you Barry:

What authors inspire you?

[Kerri]

hi, sorry im late to the game...just got out of a spanish test lol

my question is: how was it getting inside of your main character's head? you know, with him being like a "teenage Dexter" and all!

[Dre]

First off, I love the series! The second book, Game, had me guessing who's who and was on edge while reading it.

And second, if Jazz becomes a girl in the series, that would also be okay, since I like female heroines/leads.

Question is : Did you get nightmares while writing the series? Such as being the victim of a serial killer?

[K.L.]

Did you research any serial killers to help bring your story to life?

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome questions members!! Keep 'em coming! Can't wait to see Barry's responses to these :)

Barry, I updated the first post for the answered and new questions :)

[Barry]

David wrote: "On Friday, September 13th we're going to start a buddy read of by Barry Lyga! As an added bonus, the author has agreed to participate in the buddy read by answeri..."

Oh, boy -- I hope I'm doing this right. Can everyone follow along???

4) Too many to list! And such an eclectic mix... Alan Moore, Paul Levitz, John Milton, Edgar Allan Poe, Libba Bray, Paul Griffin, Mariah Fredericks, Ken Grimwood, Allen Steele, Cary Bates... Bruce Springsteen! Warren Zevon!

5 & 6) These are sort of interconnected, in a way... Getting into my characters' heads has never been a problem for me. I sort of liken it to voodoo priests -- the houngans say that when they commune with the gods (the loa), that the loa ride them like horses. I feel like a loa riding my characters. They buck and they neigh, but I'm holding the reins. I possess them and control them. And here's the thing -- when I do that, I totally AM that character. When I write, say, Billy Dent, I feel like Billy. And I sympathize with him and understand him. I once joked that I must have been born without a soul because I can write these horrible, horrible people and not have it affect me at all! (Uh, speaking of souls, a small plug, if I may -- my adult novel UNSOUL'D just came out. About an author who sells his soul to the devil. Horror, hilarity, and sex ensue. Check it out, if you like: Unsoul'd.)

7) Oh, hell, yes! I spent about three months researching forensic science, police procedure, serial killer pathology, and various case studies. I read a LOT about serial killlers!

8) Like I said above, I've never felt bad about anything I've written (I have ruefully chuckled occasionally and thought, "Wow, that was bad!", but it didn't bother me!). I feel sorry for the people who've encountered these guys in real life. Our pop culture narrative weirdly has cast many serial killers as "bad-ass" anti-heroes. But they're not -- they're monsters, and I hope my books portray them as such.

Keep 'em coming!

[Dre]

Can we ask something that is non-book related? :D

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

[Karen’s Library]

I also think Jazz as a girl is going to be "interesting" and am very curious to see how they do this!

Which "killing" do you feel was your most creative?

[Vicki]

Congrats on your potential TV series!

Do people ever ask if you personally have a tendency or desire to kill since you are so creative and appear to "know" a serial killer's mind?

[Karen’s Library]

Do you have any writing habits or quirks?

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Thanks Barry!! You're doing everything perfectly and awesomely! Just added four more questions for you, 9-12 :)

[Barry]

David wrote: "On Friday, September 13th we're going to start a buddy read of by Barry Lyga! As an added bonus, the author has agreed to participate in the buddy read by answeri..."

9) Coffee! But, strangely enough, I don't actually drink coffee. I absolutely HATE coffee-the-beverage. But coffee-the-ice-cream? Best. Thing. Ever.

10) From the first book, it would have to be Harriet Klein. Nailed to that church ceiling. That's just WRONG, man...

11) Thanks! And it's funny -- some people definitely look askance at me these days. True story: The day after the Boston Marathon bombing, I was at the airport, flying to Texas with a couple of author friends for an event. We were chatting about the bombing. And at this point, there were still people saying that it was al-Qaida or what-have-you. But I was saying it had to be a bunch of run-of-the-mill idiots because the whole thing was so amateurish. (Sadly, even an amateur bombing is brutal.) I started listing ways a professional would have made it even worse, and people around us got up and S-L-O-W-L-Y moved away. I guess I'm lucky no one called TSA...

12) I don't think so. Habit-wise, I don't really worry about how, when, or where I'm writing. And if I have any quirks, no one has pointed them out to me!

[Karen’s Library]

GREAT answers, Barry! You have an interesting imagination. I'm looking forward to reading

I really love watching Dexter, so Jazz is such an interesting character for me. He is a bit "angsty" if that is a word. I hope Jazz gets more confident in the next book.

One of the things I really liked in this book was Jazz's girlfriend. Will the TV version give Jazz a boyfriend since Jazz will be a girl?

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Oh just you wait Karen, Jazz and his gf are both awesome in it :)

And I agree, wonderful answers! Coffee ice cream is also my fave (although I'm also hopelessly addicted to the drink too)

[Vicki]

Barry, your answer to my question cracked me up! That incident must have been hilarious! Lol

[Dale]

OK, seriously disappointed that the TV version will make Jazz a girl. I have to agree that it would have a huge impact because a son-father dynamic is a whole different level than a daughter-father dynamic. I'm guessing for TV, they are going for shock value, because hey, female serial killers (or female-I-think-I-might-be-a-serial-killer-but-maybe-I'm-not-how-can-I-stop-myself) have more shock-value because the male counter-parts are just a tad more common-place.

Seriously, I'm a fan of Jazz...there was just something so endearing about him...that just won't cut it on a female level, for me at least.

My question? Where is book 3? I want book 3. Book 2 had me hanging by the short hairs...I am too impatient!

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Hahaha! That was well said Dale, and I certainly agree in many ways. But it'll certainly be interesting to see how it all turns out! And thanks for the question, I've been wondering that too! I'll add it to the list :)

[Barry]

David wrote: "On Friday, September 13th Barry Lyga, the author of I Hunt Killers, has agreed to answer questions by all of you awesome readers!!! The questions can be anything at all, either about the book, abou..."

13) Honestly, when it comes to the TV show, there's much I don't know...and what I do know, I can't say. Sorry. :)

14) 2014! :)

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Awesome!!!! Thanks Barry! Your week in the hot seat is up!! I think I speak for everyone when I say your answers were awesome, interesting, and entertaining! For those who have read both Jasper Dent books, we've got a long wait ahead of us for the third book :) For those who haven't read the first and/or second book, you've got to check them out, they're SO GOOD!!

Happy reading!

[Barry]

Alisha wrote: "2014 is the year I graduate college"

Consider it my graduation present. :)

[Barry]

David wrote: "Awesome!!!! Thanks Barry! Your week in the hot seat is up!! I think I speak for everyone when I say your answers were awesome, interesting, and entertaining! For those who have read both Jasper Den..."

Thanks, man! And thanks to everyone for the great questions!

Now... I go back to the word mines!!!

[Karen’s Library]

Thanks Barry! You are amazing and this was so much fun!!

So, who's up for a buddy read of in a couple of weeks? :-D

[Dale]

I've already read it, but I can certainly comment on progress. :)

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Me too!!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I might be, it all depends...my TBR list for September isn't even half done, and my TBR list for October keeps growing and growing!

[Jenny, Always smiling! :-D]

I am so behind on new releases...Barry Lyga's newest book just released! And its the conclusion for the Jasper Dent trilogy! Need to get it!! (Still have to read Game, too!!)

[Karen’s Library]

Oh awesome!!

[David, Mr. Blue Eyes; He's the Best--Ain't no lie!! ;)]

Oh crap, I've got to get it soon!!! That came up QUICK :)

[Dale]

OMG OMG OMG! I'm so getting this today!!! The Game was awesome, and you're lucky you can read them one after the other, because my biggest complaint when I read The Game was that I had to *wait* for the next book!

[Barry]

David wrote: "Oh crap, I've got to get it soon!!! That came up QUICK :)"

Safe to say, you are the ONLY person to say that about this book! :)