Kelley Armstrong is the author for this Thursday's Author Tales. Kelley is the author of The Otherworld series, which is an adult paranormal series and The Darkest Powers, which is her YA trilogy. The first book in the series The Summoning was released July 2008 and the second book The Awakening was released April 28, 2009. You can check out my review for these books soon. For more information about Kelley and her books, you can check out her website.
How hard is it to work on YA and Adult literature at the same time?
It hasn't been a problem so far. My main adult series has narrators ranging from their twenties to forties, male and female, and I switch genres when I write in my secondary series (crime) so I've never gotten into the habit of narrating only one type of story.
What made you decide to write a novel for young adults?
The idea came from my second adult novel. There was a possibility there that I wanted to explore, but it would need to involve supernaturals just coming into their powers, which in my world happens in adolescence. I couldn't have teen main characters in a series for adults, so I had to wait a few years, until I was ready to try YA.
How did your adult fans react, when they found out you were writing a YA novel?
There wasn't any real reaction. I'd learned how to handle the announcement from a few years ago, when I started a second adult series. I let them know that "their" series is still my first priority and the new one wouldn't interfere with its schedule, and that's really all they seem to be worried about. For those who like YA books, it gave them something else to try.
If you could posses a "power" what would it be? and why?
I would love to be a werewolf. What better thrill than to experience life in a different form? The secondary characteristics would be cool, too, but those "extras" also make it hard for werewolves to blend, so if I was being very practical, I'd go with spell-casters. Their powers take work to learn, but overall they have fewer drawbacks.
What is the most rewarding aspect of writing?
Entertaining readers. My goal is to tell a fun story, and if I succeed at that, then I'm happy. I'm particularly thrilled by emails from people who don't consider themselves "readers," but enjoyed my book, then go out looking for more to read. Too often kids learn to associate reading with schoolwork, and it's great when they learn it can be entertaining, too.
Are you working on any YA novels now? Can you tell us anything about it?
Right now I'm in final edits on the third in the Darkest Powers trilogy (the Chloe books) And without giving away any spoilers, all I can say is that it'll wrap up the trilogy and all questions will be answered. Well, almost all I need to keep a few minor threads dangling in case readers want more of Chloe and the gang in the future.
How many novels will there be in the Chloe Saunders series? Will it really be just a trilogy?
Well, that's a bit more complicated than it would seem... Chloe's initial story will end with book 3. Book 4 will be new characters, but with a connection to the Chloe books (which I can't reveal without spoilers for The Awakening!) I still consider that part of the same series, and I'm leaving it open for Chloe to return. I do a similar thing in my adult novels--change narrators, then return to previous ones later for new adventures.
Thanks for the interview! In closing, I'll just quickly mention the free online novella I'm doing for the Darkest Powers books. It's the story of Derek and Simon and how they got to Lyle House, told from Derek's point of view. It started in January and I post a chapter twice a month. You'll find that on Chloe's MySpace and LiveJournal blogs http://www.myspace.com/chloesaunders and http://chloe-saunders.livejournal.com