1. How did you come up with the idea for INCARNATE?
Fairies. They dragged me from my bed in the middle of the night, hauled me out my window, and made me listen to the story a hundred times until I could recite it exactly as they told it. Then they said I had to write the book Or Else.
That answer may be a lie.
2. The road to publication is hard, how was yours?
Hard! I wrote a lot of manuscripts, got rejected a lot, and had some pretty hard times while trying to get published. Ultimately, the struggle was worth it. I think I appreciate what I have now more than I would have if I hadn't gone through those difficulties.
3. Can you relate to any of your characters?
Sure! Ana's insecurity with her music comes from a very real place. I've felt that same insecurity and need for success with music, dance, and writing. It's hard putting your heart and and wanting so much to be good at what you love, and knowing you have a long way to go.
4. For all the people who want to be writers out there, what advice would you give them?
Write a lot. Read a lot. Be prepared to get rejected a lot. Writers who succeed are just writers who didn't quit.
5. Are you planning on writing any other books after INCARNATE?
Yes! INCARNATE is a trilogy, so there will be two more set in that world. I have other stories I'm tinkering with on the side, but they haven't sold yet, so I don't want to say anything about them.
6. Can you describe INCARNATE in five words?
Reincarnation. Youth. Love. Music. WE'REALLGONNADIE!!!!
1. The characters Maddy and Agnes are very interesting and captured my attention. How did you come up with them?
I started with a listof positive and negative traits that I thought would be intriguing (and frightening) to have in a character. Then I asked myself what each of the girls wanted. Initially this helped to drive the plot, but I still didn’t have a clear idea of who Maddy and Agnes were. After I’d put them through a variety of stressful situations, they sprang to life. They started saying and doing things that were not part of the plan. Since I was curious to see what they would do next, I didn’t rein them in too much.
2. Can you relate to any of the characters?
Well, I can certainly empathize with all of them, even though they’re very troubled girls, but what was fun about writing this novel was that I was able to work with characters who were so different from me. I feel very fortunate that my childhood was a happy one and that I had parents who loved and understood me, but I’ve often wondered what my teen years would have been like had my childhood been marked by abandonment and loss. Would I have been out-of-control? Desperate to fit in? Through Sarah I was able to explore these questions.
3. The road to publication is a long journey. How was your road?
Long and difficult. Vicious Little Darlings was my first attempt at writing a novel, but prior to that I’d written countless short stories that were rejected by every literary journal I queried. VLD was rejected 24 times before my agent,Rachel Orr, agreed to represent me. Eventually I learned that rejection is just part of the process. If it doesn’t kill your love for writing, then you know you’re on the right path.
4. Vicious Little Darlings was an amazing book that kept me on the edge of my seat, do you plan to write anymore books? Can you give us a little hint?
Thanks, Anastasia. :) Yes, I’m planning to write more books. I’m currently finishing up another psychological thriller. I can’t say much at this point, but I will say that it’s dark, twisted, and very different from VLD.
5. What advice would you give to author's to be?
Never give up. Keep writing, even if publication doesn’t comeright away. Attend workshops and conferences, work on your craft, revise. Remember: Authors are just writers who didn’t give up.
6. Can you describe yourself in five words?
Curious
Quirky
Observant
Procrastinator
Daydreamer
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Ag Group: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Sarah Weaver wasn't looking forward to starting at an all-girls school. But that was before she met Maddy. Maddy and her best friend, Agnes, are fun and rich and interesting-and for some reason, they seem to really like Sarah. Before long, Maddy and Agnes have moved Sarah into a big house off campus, where they cook together, buy each other presents, and share each other's secrets. So why does Sarah feel like something's bizarrely wrong? As more and more cracks start to show in Maddy's and Agnes's perfect veneers, Sarah notices some strange and disturbing things: Maddy's compulsive lying, Agnes's obsession with Maddy, and the deterioration of their friendship. And just when Sarah begins to question her own sanity, things turns deadly. Fans of Pretty Little Liars will devour this juicy debut novel.
I can't believe I waited so long to read this book! I kept on looking at it on my bookshelf, but never picked it up until I read the first page and I was hooked. The plot was definatly creepy and if you get scared of all the little things, then you'll be scared when you read this book, especially in the dark.
I thought Sarah was the type of character that didn't have herself together and couldn't get herself together either and Agnes and Maddy were from another planet. Everytime they came into the picture, I got this uneasy feeling in my gut that they were up to no good and whatever they were doing was never good. Plus, I knew something was hiding on the inside, dying to come out.
Going off to college next year myself, I was scared of this book. I kept on thinking to myself, what if I meet people like Maddy and Agnes and get myself into a big mess like Sarah did? Easer knows how to write horror and this book wasn't just horror. For lack of a better word, it was creepy. It gave you emotions that you could only feel if you were actually in that situation and I felt for Sarah at times. No matter what she got herself into, she was going down the rain with Agnes and Maddy.
If you're into something different with a scare factor, pick this book up.
