Interview & Giveaway with Stacey Kade

 

Hello Everyone! A while ago I fell in love with the cover of The Ghost and the Goth, and I’ve had the HUGE chance to receive an ARC (you can read my review here). Today I have the equally awesome chance to Interview Stacey Kade, author of this original tale!

 

Would you like to give us a Sneak Peek of The Ghost and the Goth?

(Note: Excerpt is not from the final, edited manuscript, so there may be small variations, typos, etc.)
Prologue
Alona Dare

It was easy enough to sneak out of school. I knew that from previous experience. This time, all I had to do was wait until Mrs. Higgins had led everyone onto the outdoor track and then slip behind the bleachers and walk down to the other opening in the chain link fence.
Sneaking back in, though…that would be a bitch. But I’d just have to deal with that when I got back. Like always.
I shivered in the cool morning breeze. It was seven a.m., or a little past, on the first day in May, and it wasn’t nearly warm enough to be out walking around in the stupid thin t-shirt and short shorts they made us wear for gym. At least on the track, the bleachers blocked the wind and the black cinders held some of the heat from the day before. Out here, I had nothing but anger to keep me toasty.
How could she do this to me again? Didn’t she get it? It was never going to happen. There would be no fairy tale ending for her, not this time.

You have quite a nice play list on your website, If you had to pick one song to picture each of your main characters, what would it be?

Tegan and Sara were a huge inspiration for me when I was writing G&G. For Alona, I think it would be "You Wouldn't Like Me" or "Where Does the Good Go?" For Will, "Walking with A Ghost" or "I Know, I Know, I Know."

 

Is this novel the first of a series, or a stand alone?

The Ghost and the Goth is the first in a trilogy.

What's up next for you? Other books in the work?

I’m working on revisions to the second book (tentatively titled Princess Poltergeist) right now, and as soon as those are okayed, I'll be starting work on the third book.

I've read you like Buffy, who's your favorite character?

I think Xander always got the funniest lines, but I liked Buffy the best. She always had the toughest choices to make, and that made her absolutely compelling.

What does it feels like to have your first YA book about to hit the shelves?

Exciting and a little nerve-wracking! I can't wait to walk in and see it in the store. I will probably have a hard time resisting the urge to point it out to everyone walking by! I'm very lucky, too, as Hyperion will be sending seven of us on tour in June, right around the time of the release (June 18-26). We hope you'll come out and see us!
You can find more tour info on my site, www.staceykade.com, or on the official tour page, www.facebook.com/unrequiredreading.

Is there a specific reason you chose to write for YA?

Oh, I love it! I think there's something just so open and refreshing about writing YA. The emotional honesty and intensity is huge draw for me. Plus, figuring out who you are is a life-long journey that starts (and is probably most intense) in high school. I'm fascinated by how we define ourselves and the choices we make based on that definition. It's so much fun to explore. And there's kissing…and crushes…and, if you're reading one of my books, some kind of weird paranormal phenomenon! 

If I were a genie, and I could grant you one wish, What would it be?

Oh, boy. I think I would probably thank you politely and decline. See, I've seen enough movies and read enough books to know genie-granted wishes never quite work out the way you think they should. You know, someone wishes for more hair and they end up with a room full of bunnies (get it, hair=hare?). So, nope, not even going to chance it! :)

And last but not least, I asked Stacey her thought on character naming!

The naming process is one of my favorite parts of writing. For me, because I focus the story around the characters, naming happens early on. In fact, I can't really start writing until I have names for my main characters. And names are incredibly important to me. Knowing someone's true name is powerful. And I think that's an important part of the knowing the characters well enough to write about them.

All names have a certain sound or feel to them that, I believe, affects our mental image of that person. You can use that to good effect (that old Johnny Cash song, A Boy Named Sue), but I need my names to fit who these people are and, of course, the people who named them. That's also something to keep in mind--people don't usually name themselves. Their parents do. So, it's important to know something about the parents, too, to understand why they thought Zuzu was a good name for their daughter. (They were big fans of It's a Wonderful Life?)

Usually as I'm getting to know the characters--taking copious notes in my notebook about who they are, where they're from, what their childhood has been like, what they're afraid of, etc.--that's when one name or another will rise up from the depths and tickle my brain. Another trick I've used is to think about one of their defining characteristics and do a reverse look up on one of the many baby name sites. For example, Audra means noble strength, and it sounds like that, you know?

Another thing I've done is look up the popular names in the year a character was born. I always think this is particularly important in YA. Stacey, for example, was an incredibly popular name in the seventies. They were always two or three with me in all my classes. But these days, it's pretty much fallen off the radar. You don't want to date your book by using names that sound out of step with the time you're writing about (unless you're doing that deliberately).

Someone's religious background or ancestory may also affect name choice. I believe its Jewish tradition to name a child after a relative who has passed away, for example. Some cultures don't do the whole middle name thing.
So, the key is, the better you know your character, the easier it is to find his/her true name. :)

Thanks, Tynga, for having me here today!

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Thank you so much Stacey for being part of the Paranormal Summer Fest! I really enjoyed my time with you, you are fantastic <3 and so is your book *winks*

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Stacey generously offered a signed copy of The Ghost and the Goth to one lucky reader!

This giveaway is open to US & Canada only

to enter please FILL THE FORM

Ends July 4th, 2010.

Posted by Tynga at 00:01

 giveaway, Interview, Paranormal Summer Fest, Stacey Kade  12 People left their mark

Tynga is a 32 years old mom of two, from Montreal, working as a lab technician in an hospital specialized in heart disease. In her free time, she enjoys reading all things Paranormal and photography.

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