by Kay | Nov 19, 2011 | Author Interview |
I am super excited to be introducing the brilliant
Rachel Vincent. I am a big fan of both her Werecats Urban Fantasy series and her Soul Screamers YA series. The fourth in her YA series,
My Soul to Steal, has recently been released in the UK. (Check out the amazing animated cover!)
So, without further ado… here’s Rachel!
Q. First off, how many books are you planning for the Soul Screamers series? Do you have a particular ending in mind, or will you just stop when you run out of ideas? (Not that I want them to end, of course!)
I’m contracted for seven. I have tons of ideas for this series. The world building really leaves plenty of room for good conflict. However, whether or not I write beyond the seventh book depends on dull business factors like sales. Writing is an art. Publishing is a business.
Q. One of the things I really like about your YA series is how you don’t shy away from certain issues. You deal with sex and addiction, but keep the series firmly rooted in YA. Was that a conscious choice on your part?
Yes. Sex and drugs and other such decisions and dangers are very real presences in teenage life—that much hasn’t changed since I was in high school. Ignoring that in the books just made no sense to me. It’s very important to make sure that the reality-based parts of a paranormal novel are accurate and well grounded, otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to get readers to suspend disbelief for the fantasy elements.
Q. Talk me through your creative process: do you start thinking about a particular character or about the overall plot?
With the Soul Screamers books, I start with a theme—one of the seven deadly sins. They aren’t part of an obvious structure in the story; they’re just my starting point. For instance, the theme of My Soul To Steal was envy, so I asked myself how envy might manifest in Kaylee’s world, and in her life. What would it take to make Kaylee truly envious of someone? Who might be envious of her? Enter Sabine… 😉
Q. You’ve published 12 books since 2007, a number which I find rather astonishing. Besides having to actually come up with ideas, how do you actually find the time to write that much? Your daily writing schedule must be packed.
My work schedule is kind of crazy, yes. But I know many writers who write faster than I do and put out more books a year. For me, it’s an issue of impatience. If my hands and mind are idle, they will start a new book, whether it’s contracted or not. My publisher has been kind enough to indulge me by publishing them as fast as I can write them, which is nice, because now they’ve stopped piling up. 😉
Q. And here’s a tough final question: what are you Top 5 Desert Island books? They don’t have to be YA or Fantasy, but the ones you would be happy reading over and over for the rest of life…!
But honestly, if I were stuck on a desert island and I got sick of reading my five allotted books, I’d just make up my own stories. That’s kind of what I do anyway. 😉
Thank you for answering my questions!
Hope you all enjoyed the interview.I’ll be reviewing both My Soul to Keep and My Soul to Steal next week, so keep an eye out for those. In the meantime, you can read my reviews of the first two books in her YA series: My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Or you can check out my reviews for the first three books in her Werecats series (note: it took me 3 books to really love them!): Stray, Rogue, and Pride.
by Kay | Oct 29, 2011 | Reviews |
My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent
Series: Soul Screamers #2
Published by Harlequin Teen, MIRA
Pages: 362
Genres: Paranormal YA, Young Adult
Source: Received for review from publishers
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Rating:
Also in this series: My Soul to Take, My Soul to Keep, My Soul to Steal, If I Die, Before I Wake, With All My SoulWhen Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.
So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.
The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.
Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….
Thoughts: My Soul to Save makes it clear what type of series Soul Screamers is… think post-book 6 Morganville Vampire. Episodic with a monster-of-the-week. Which is cool, but you need to know that before you start reading.
I enjoyed My Soul to Save even though I can’t say it was the most, er, gripping of novels. Honestly, when I worked out that the plot was going to revolve around saving pop queens who had sold their soul for fame… well, I was more of the “they deserve what they got” school of mind. But Vincent sold the nobility of the entire scenario and the pop queens actually turned out to be pretty sweet. Thank God, really, because there is nothing worse than hating the guest star.
But while I liked Kaylee (who is super independent but not at all idiotic) and the Netherworld (creepy, to say the least), I wasn’t really moved by this book. Everything was perfectly well written, the dialogue was tight and the plot was even tighter…. but My Soul to Save just felt like it was missing something. When I pick up a new book in a series, I expect something to fundamentally change. There has to be something new, otherwise why bother writing the book? And the truth is that nothing really changes at the end of My Soul to Save – a couple of things are different, but nothing fundamental.
These complaints are really rather minor, though. So while this book might not have been the most riveting, I am expecting earth-shattering things in Rachel’s next book!
Bottom line? Great YA series, good installment. Pick up the Soul Screamers series if you want something different-yet-familiar in your paranormal YA.
by Kay | Sep 20, 2011 | News |
Book Notes is a regular feature at Dead Book Darling highlighting bookish news, curiosities and gossip spotted across the blogosphere. May the drama be with you…
De-Gay YA
When I heard the news that a well-respected agency tried to get two authors to “de-gay” their YA novel, I can’t say I was shocked. In fact, what surprised me was that the authors had come out and told their story to the mainstream press. I am sure this kind of thing goes on all the time, we just never hear about it… And just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, the agency came out denying everything. Which is certainly a new crisis management technique! Aja gives you the full scoop (and a very healthy rant) in her article in The Mary Sue. Read it!
New author deals
In other, less terrifying news, there have been some pretty brilliant new deals signed between authors and their publishers. Here are the ones I am particularly excited about:
- Historical Fiction writer Phillipa Gregory has signed with Simon and Schuster to write 4 YA Historical Fiction novels. The first will be published in summer 2012. I’ve never read any of Gregory’s work, but it is exciting to have her in the genre! More on Dark Faerie Tales.
- Dark Life author Kat Falls will be publishing a dystopian romance trilogy with Scholastic. The first book, The Fetch, will be out in autumn 2012. I loved Dark Life, so I am really looking forward to what else Kat comes up with. More on Presenting Lenore.
- One of my favourite authors, Ann Aguirre, will be publishing an all-new science fiction trilogy with Ace. The books have been pitched as “prison break – in space”, so needless to say that I am desperate to read them! They’ll be out in autumn 2013. More on Ann Aguirre’s website.
- Rag & Bones is a new YA anthology, edited by Melissa Marr and Tim Pratt, that will feature a whole bunch of my favourite authors. Among them: Kelley Armstrong! It is being published in 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (World). More on Tez Says.
New Covers
There are always new stunning and not-so-stunning covers coming out. But these are the ones that have really caught my eye:
- Illuminate by Aimee Agresti – I know, another red dress. But the summary for this book is just so intriguing!
- Insurgent by Veronica Roth – I haven’t read Divergent and I really never planned to… but this cover is just so lovely! I am really tempted to pick up the first book in the series now!
- The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellsion – No idea what this is about, but I find the cover gorgeously spooky. It’s Dexter meets butterflies…
- Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – This cover is so spooky! Maybe I am developing a new love for somewhat terrifying things, because I just find this cover amazing.
- If I Die by Rachel Vincent – I have but one word: F-I-E-R-C-E.
UK Signings!
Some big names are coming to the UK. Some seriously, seriously big names! I really hope y’all can make some of these great signings:
- Christopher Paolini will be at Forbidden Planet on Wednesday 28 September! Christopher Paolini will be signing the first three volumes of The Inheritance Cycle at the Forbidden Planet Megastore. The signing is a lead-up to the publication of the final book in the cycle. I tried to read Christopher’s books, but they aren’t for me. Even still, I find the story of his publication extremely inspiring! For more information about this signing, see the Forbidden Planet website.
- Erin Morgenstern, author of the highly anticipated The Night Circus will be discussing her fin-de-siècle fantasia of magic and mischief at Foyles in Bristol, Monday 10 October. I have been dying to read this book – so it’s extremely exciting that the author is coming to the UK! Read more here.
- Peter F. Hamilton will be signing his short story collection Manhattan in Reverse at the Forbidden Planet Megastore on Thursday 6 October. While I haven’t had the chance to read any of Peter’s works yet, he is an absolute rock star in the SF genre!More details on the Forbidden Planet website.
- Christopher Priest, the multiple award-winning fantasy/SF/horror author will be at London Foyles not once, but twice! He’ll be in the Gallery discussing his career and new book, The Islanders, on 29 September. Read more here. And then he’ll be back for the “House of Fear” event along with Sarah Pinborough and Paul Meloy. Read more here.
- Moira Young and Philip Reeve will be doing a joint chat in Guildhall, Bath on Sunday, 25 September. Tickets are £5, but I am sure the event will be unforgettable! More information is available on the Waterstones website.
The waters of the Avon…
And last but not least, Oxford Dictionaires has a great new online test for you all…
How Shakespearean are you? You just stick a bit of your own writing into a box, and they give you a verdict. Apparently my English is 81 percent Shakespearean. “The waters of the Avon almost lap at your feet.”
Give it a go!
by Kay | Jul 31, 2011 | News |
So the last time I did one of these posts was in August… 2010! Where does the time go exactly? Anyhow, this August is packed with some fabulous new releases – some of which I will literally start as soon as I get them out of the mailbox. If you want a few more comprehensive lists of August releases, check out Tor’s Fiction Affliction posts for Paranormal Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Urban Fantasy/PNR releases, Tez Says for a list of August releases, and Literary Escapism’s gigantic list of upcoming release dates.
Two Books by Two Rebels
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab – August 2nd (US)
Possess by Gretchen McNeil – August 23rd (US)
Both of these books are by YA Rebels. I’ve loved their channel since they started up at the beginning of 2010 – especially videos by Gretchen and Victoria. So excited that I will finally be able to get my hands on their books!
Two Books I Won’t be Able to Read
Bloodlines by Richelle Mead – August 23rd (US) August 25th (UK)
I’ll be buying these as soon as they come out – but I won’t be reading them for a while! I still haven’t finished the Vampire Academy series, which I want to start before I get to the sequel series. And then there is the Jax series, which I love too much to read (I am saving them for rainy days).
Two New Series by Two Great Rachels
Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent – August 23rd (US) September 1st (UK)
Working Stiff by Rachel Caine – August 2nd (US) October 31st (UK)
These Rachels are demi-Gods in the Urban Fantasy world, so it is super exciting to be getting some fresh new series from them! (Although I should probably complete their other books first…)
Two Books I Pre-ordered Months Ago!
Rip Tide by Kat Falls – August 1st (US) August 4th (UK)
These books are radically different from each other, but I really really
really can’t wait to read them!
Rip Tide is the sequel to the fabulous
Dark Life, and
Chain Reaction is the last
Perfect Chemistry novel. I expect wonders from both of them!
by Kay | Jul 15, 2011 | Reviews |
Pride by Rachel Vincent
Series: Shifters #3
Published by MIRA
Pages: 432
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased myself
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Rating:
Also in this series: Stray, RogueI'm on trial for my life. Falsely accused of infecting my human ex-boyfriend—and killing him to cover up the crime. Infecting a human is one of three capital offenses recognized by the Pride—along with murder and disclosure of our existence to a human.
I'm two for three. A goner.
Now we've discovered a rogue stray terrorizing the mountainside, hunting a wild teenage tabbycat. It's up to us to find and stop him before a human discovers us. With my lover Marc's help, I think I can protect the vulnerable girl from both the ambitious rogue and the scheming of the territorial council.
If I survive my own trial…
Thoughts: I am SO friggin’ glad I stuck with this series! Because Faythe? The character who I have consistently used as the poster girl for “everything I hate in a narrator”? The character whose name I’d use as a synonym for “OMG she needs to die”?
Well, I kinda like her now.
People have been telling me for years (literally – I realised I started this series back in 2009) that Faythe gets better and grows up with every book. And they’re right – she does grow up. She’s not yet at the point where I actually would spend more than a half-a-minute with her, but she’s getting there. Because all the things I hated about her – her rudeness, her temper, her impulsiveness, her insistence that it is her-way-or-the-highway – they are becoming the things I love about her. Why? Because Kaci – the tabbycat in the summary – needs these qualities in Faythe in order to keep her protected. Turns out Faythe can be totally awesome while she’s protecting someone…
Moving on. The plot is as tight as always. Even though there is a tonne of werecat-political intrigue, there is also a whole bunch of action. All the bloods-and-guts scenes that I felt were missing from Rogue are back in full force. Not to mention Vincent gives us not-one-but-two excellent villains to hate. It’s fantastic…
And then there’s the wonderful-as-always Marc. He’s such a cat in some ways – violent and temperamental – but he’s also so bloody noble that I just want to squeeze him to death. Love this guy! Ooh, I also adored Elias Keller, the were-bear introduced within the first few chapters. I was intrigued to find out the verse had more were-species, and that Keller turned out be a welcome voice of reason among the pride of kitties made me even happier.
Bottom line? Pride made me a believer in this series. If you gave up on Faythe during Stray, well, you should stick it out. She may be frustrating, but the series is well worth the effort.
