INTERVIEW WITH KELLEY ARMSTRONG AUTHOR OF WOMEN OF THE OTHERWORLD , DARKNESS RISING AND DARKEST POWERS SERIES

I would like to welcome author KELLEY ARMSTRONG, to Novels On The Run and thank her for taking the time to answer some questions for my interview while on her Australian tour. Kelley is currently on a book tour in Australia until the 17th August. I was unable to make it to Sydney or Melbourne as hubby already gave me my ladycation for the year to Cassandra Clare's book signing back in May in Melbourne. I asked if it was possible to send some Q's and here are the A's.

Enjoy!!

Michelle :  Do you have any special plans for sightseeing in Australia whilst you are here in Melbourne and Sydney? Or is it more book touring and vacation time in another country?

Kelley :  I’ve never been to Australia, so there’s a lot I wanted to do, but I am here on business—a writing conference and tour—so there’s not nearly enough sightseeing time. I’ve done some touring around Melbourne so far, just enjoying the city.

Michelle:  Is there a particular slang word/phrase of ours that cracks you up?

# 1 Darkest Powers Trilogy

Kelley:  I’ll admit to one word that confused me until I finally looked it up. I kept seeing sandwiches and salads listed on menus with something called “rocket.” I had no idea what that could be. Turns out it’s just the local term for the type of greens we’d called arugula, which was kind of a disappointment. It sounded a lot more interesting!

Michelle :  I have been to a couple book signings now, for Rachel Caine (The Morganville Vampires) in Queensland and Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments) in Melbourne. How do Aussie fans differ from those in your neck of the woods?

Kelley:  So far I’ve just been at the writing conferences, and writers seem the same everywhere, so not much difference there—the concerns are similar world-wide. My online experience with Aussie fans leads me to believe they’ll be a lot like Canadian ones. Quietly enthusiastic 

Michelle : I did notice that at Rachel Caine book signing, quietly enthusiastic..hee..hee. We feel the excitement on the inside.

# 12 Women of the Otherworld

Michelle :  Your adult ‘Women of the Otherworld’ series will be topping at 13 books. I have read ‘The Darkest Powers’ trilogy and ‘The Gathering’, your first book in the ‘Darkness Rising’ trilogy. I understand you will be joining the 2 groups of characters around the last book of the ‘Darkness Rising’ trilogy. Liz Delany from Darkest Powers trilogy and Maya Delaney from ‘ Darkness Rising’ trilogy have the same surnames, almost. Is there anything you are willing to tell us - coincidence or not?

Kelley:  It may be a coincidence…or it may not be. Not very helpful, am I? Sorry!

Michelle :  Drat, got nothing..lol!!

Michelle:  The Blackwell Pages series is the new middle-grade series you are writing with Melissa Marr (Wicked Lovely series). I am interested to know - how do two authors co-write a book? How do you and Melissa write together without butting heads?



# 1 Darkness Rising Trilogy



Kelley:  I think the process for every co-authoring pair is different in some aspect. What’s working for us is splitting the writing by narrative point-of-view. I’m taking the male protagonist and she’s taking the two secondary characters (cousins--a boy and a girl) We alternate chapters—I do one for “my” character, then she writes a chapter for one of hers. All the plotting and editing is shared, of course.

Michelle:   Is there anything you can tell us about the new Adult series you are writing?

Kelley:  It’s called the Omens & Portents series and will begin in 2013. I haven’t said a lot about it so far—I know readers are still focused on the Otherworld series. It’s almost a cross between the Otherworld and my Nadia Stafford books, which means the plots are more heavily mystery, but unlike Nadia, there are some paranormal elements. Lighter elements, though—omens, portents, second sight etc rather than werewolves and witches.

Michelle :   Has a fan/person/publisher ever given you a gift / anything that really blew your mind?

Kelley :  I’ve had some lovely gifts from readers—everything from silver bullets to cookies. My favourite is always artwork. I’m touched when a reader has taken the time to draw something from my books, and I have a wall of reader art at home.

Michelle : Stephen King is one of your fave authors. Have you ever met him? What one question would you love to pick his brain and have answered?

Kelley:  I’ve never met him. I suspect if I did, every question I have would fly out of my head. I would just love to attend one of his events and hear him speak. I’ve long admired him not only for his body of work, but as a working writer. He has a true passion for storytelling, and that’s the trait I admire most in any writer.

Michelle:  What books have you read that honestly blew your mind, and creatively really satisfied you?

Kelley:  Anne Rice's “The Vampire Lestat” is one. It’s the first book I'd read with the "monster" as the protagonist, and is when I started thinking I could do the same thing with werewolves. “Watership Down” was an early favourite, too—a book that showed me that fantasy went much wider than dragons and elves.

Michelle : Thank you Kelley for answering my Q’s. I hope you had a wonderful stay down under and got to sample some Caramello Bears, Tim Tams, dunked a Mars Bar in your coffee, scored yourself a pie floater and had a wonderful time with your Aussie fans. I would have loved to have met you and said howdy:D

Michelle