I’m super happy to have Stacey Kade on the blog a second time. She’s such a lovely woman and an amazing author and I really like her books (reviews: The Ghost and the Goth, Queen of the Dead)!
Please welcome her warmly =)
Hello Stacey! I'm so happy to have the chance to interview you once again!
Your second book, Queen of the Dead, releases in a bit less than a month, it seems there is trouble in paradise between Will and Alona, can you tell us a bit more about it?
Oh, yes, well, with these two, it’s never going to go smoothly, you know? They’re both pretty stubborn! J
Will and Alona are working together, trying to help spirits who are stuck “in between.” But then they meet up with Mina on one of those tasks, and she has--well, let’s say, a different perspective on things like ghost-talking and ghosts in general. Will is intrigued. Which does not go over very well with Alona, who is already struggling with some other issues in her own (after) life.
When we talked last year, the tentative title for the book was "Princess Poltergeist", what was the process to finally choose Queen of the Dead (which I love btw!)?
We wanted to take the title from one of the many insults that a character throws at Alona. I think the idea behind choosing Queen of the Dead instead of Princess Poltergeist was that it worked a little better for who Alona is. You know, a dead homecoming queen. J Plus, as Will’s spirit guide, she has that element of being a gatekeeper for him, someone who manages the dead on his behalf, essentially.
The Book Cover God blessed you with amazing covers for your series, how important do you think covers are? Do you have any say in the process?
I LOVE my covers! Hyperion has done such a fantastic job with them, and I could not be happier. I feel like they reflect the tone of the books, which I think is really important. If a cover gives the wrong impression about the story, that can be disappointing, I think, for readers. A good cover, I think, helps intrigue readers as well as signal some of what the book will be about and the tone within. And I’m incredibly grateful to have covers that do all of those things. I also think it’s really cool that the models look exactly as I imagined Will and Alona.
My editor—the completely awesome Christian Trimmer—and I talked about it a little bit at the beginning with G&G and at various stages throughout. But the folks at Hyperion are amazing at this, and as someone who has virtually no artistic ability, I’m happy to leave the covers to the experts! J
Are you currently working on the third book? Is there a tentative title or not just yet?
The third book is turned in and in editing right now. Yea! And there is a tentative title but it’s not one I can share just yet. J
If one of your characters could be your real life friend, which one would it be?
Will. Oh, most definitely Will. I love Alona, but I do waaaay too many things that would drive her crazy. Like going out in public with teeth-whitening strips on because I don’t have the patience to wait at home for them to dissolve. J I’ve also gone to the store in sweatpants. I’m pretty sure that’s an unpardonable offense in her book.
Can you give us a little teaser (but no spoilers!) for Queen of the Dead?
Hmm. There’s more kissing in this book, I think. J Or did you want a short excerpt from the book itself?
Here are the opening lines from Will’s POV:
On television, ghost-talkers run antique stores, solve crimes or stand on a stage in a nice suit giving the teary-eyed audience a toothy, yet sympathetic grin.
I, however, was entering my second hour of hiding in a prickly tangle of brush with an increasingly cranky spirit guide, all for a ghost who might not even show up.
Thank you so much Stacey for stopping by! It’s always a pleasure to chat with you ^^I can’t wait to see what the title of the third book will be! Gah!
Dear Stacey Kade,
ReplyDeleteHowever I have not read your books, I love looking at the cover of your books. I like its colors.Just like what tynga said, it's amazing. I wonder who design it.
I think I have to check your review about this book, Tynga. :)