BIR2011: Darkness Becomes Her: Author Kelly Keaton Interview + Giveaway

Day 2 of BIR2011 begins. Don't forget to check here and then over at Best I've Read blog where you can see the author for the day there and then click on all the blog links to see the rest of the post. So in total there are 12 features, don't miss them. 

Today featured on the Best I've Read blog: 

Here is a full list of all the blogs participating: Interview & giveaway with Veronica Roth - Divergent!!

Late Bloomers Online / Fire and Ice / Portrait of a Book / Reading Lark / A Good Addiction / Books Complete Me / Page Turners / Mundie Moms / I Am A Reader, Not A Writer / Amethyst Daydreams / Once Upon a Twilight (that's us)

Today I bring you the amazing Kelly Keaton, she is the author of several books and series. Today though its all about the 1st book in her series for Gods & Monsters. Darkness Becomes Her is the 1st in the series and what a way to start a series. You can read my review HERE. Today Kelly answered some question for us and then thanks to Simon & Schuster we have one copy to give away to our readers. 

Kelly Keaton Links: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

OUaT: Hi Kelly, I'm so excited to have you as one of the BIR11 Authors and books of this year. Its well deserved. Tell us a little bit about Darkness Becomes Her for those that have been hiding under a rock and never heard of your book.

Thank you, thank you! I’m thrilled to be one of the BIR11 authors!

Darkness Becomes Her is about a girl, Ari, who is looking for answers to who she is and where she came from. Her search leads her into the privately owned city of New 2 (previously known as New Orleans, which was bought by a private collection of the city’s oldest and strangest families after two back-to-back hurricanes fueled by a goddess destroyed the city).

OUaT: Darkness Becomes Her captured me with a simple word at the beginning. When you thought of this story, what captured you to continue to write it and get it out their for the public? 

I think what propelled me was my excitement for the story. I’m a huge, huge fan of Greek mythology and New Orleans, and I’ve always wanted to set a story there; I just never felt I had the right story until Ari came along. I really wanted to take the city back to a more ‘frontier’ kind of feel, build on the Gothic, creepy vibe, and have it be a sanctuary for supernatural creatures. So that, coupled with the mythology and wanting to write about misfits and an independent, kick butt teen who learns to accept who she . . . it just really stuck with me.

OUaT: You are due to publish the second book in the series next year, which of the two so far would you say was harder or easier to write and why? 

Definitely the second. The first one was all shiny and new. I was so taken with the idea and the world that it flowed easily. The fact that I had no contract and no deadline was also a factor as that pressure was not there. The second was one of the toughest books I’ve ever written. It was bought before a single word was written, a big chunk of the sale was already in the bank and someone in NYC was expecting something great. And I had no idea where the story was going because I never thought that far ahead. So, yeah, it was pretty hard trying to sift through ideas and chose the right path while promoting the first book. I also had one of my adult books due two weeks before the YA, so I was basically writing them at the same time, which was insane. But as hard as it was, I’m proud of the sequel and I love the direction Ari and company take in the book.

OUaT: What character would you choose from your book to be in real life? and why of course? 

There is a character in the second book, Bran Ramsey. I think he is mentioned at the end of DBH. He’s one of the Novem (the group who rules New 2). I think, if anyone, I’d chose him because he’s powerful and relentless. He’s a teacher and he’s got his head on straight. As much as I love Ari and Violet, I couldn’t chose either because I have an unholy fear of snakes. Like, a crying and hyperventilating kind of fear. *shudders*

OUaT: If you could borrow any character from a book to be in your book, which character would you choose? and why? 

What a great question! The possibilities are endless, which makes it really hard to chose one. Hmm. I would love to borrow the White Witch (Jardis) from The Magician’s Nephew and Narnia by C.S. Lewis. She is just so cool and bad, and I’d love to delve into what makes her tick and explore her power and what she’d do if she walked this world.

OUaT: Tell us your latest news?

Right now, I’m contract-less. I’ve finished up my last book and have been trying to figure out what to focus on next. So not a lot of news from my neck of the woods. But it’s an exciting time for me because I have the

freedom to do whatever I want. I have a couple really strong ideas that tug me in different directions on an almost daily basis. I just need to pick one and get cracking!

OUaT: What genre are you most comfortable writing?

As long as it has some kind of paranormal element, I’m comfortable in most any fiction genre, but mostly I lean toward contemporary, historical, romance, and sci-fi fantasy...

OUaT: How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula? 

Not really. I just like to let everything stew in my head for a while and things tend to develop on their own. I do a lot of ‘stewing’ before I sit down to write (sometimes more stewing occurs than the time it takes to write the rough draft). By then I have a pretty clear notion of the story I want to tell and the characters in it. I used to do a lot of plotting and character sketches, but my process is ever changing and now I just stew. :)

OUaT: What tools do you feel are must-have for writers?

Patience, perseverance, and the ability to look critically at your work and accept criticism from others. You’ve got to have a thick skin.

OUaT: How long does it take you to write a book? 

Usually 2-4 months, depending on what others things I have going on.

OUaT: Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 

Yes! That it’s okay to be yourself, to accept, embrace, and believe in your individuality. It’s okay to be different.

Thank you Kelly for taking the time out to answer these questions. I can't wait to read A Beautiful Evil! Now here is the bonus part of today, I have one copy to award one reader today of Darkness Becomes Her. 

To Enter: 

• Fill out the FORM
• Have you read Darkness Becomes Her? 
• Giveaway runs until December 19th
• US Only
• No Po Boxes
• Read our Giveaway policy HERE
• Do not leave email or any personal information below