I would like to welcome Karen Metcalf to Novels On The Run . I am very proud to post this interview with Karen , author of the novella 'In The Storm'.
I had a great time chatting to Karen and look forward to reading more of her works . Thanks to Karen and Vagabondage Press we will shortly be holding a giveaway for 3 digital copies of 'In The Storm'.
'IN THE STORM' BOOK BLURB : Taken from Goodreads
Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.
No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay.
INTERVIEW
Michelle: ‘In The Storm’, is a very deep, emotional read, very well written. The headspace you would have to be in to write it, I can only imagine. As the reader I felt very tense, sad , sometimes upset reading it, but, I couldn’t stop. Your words have such beauty amongst such heartache. How did you personally ‘feel’, during the writing process?
Karen : Parts of it were pretty difficult. The tragedy that happens in this book is the one thing I knew had to happen before I even started to write. I dreaded it from the beginning. I had to put myself in my character’s shoes for that scene, and ended up typing through the tears. I still get choked up when I read it!
Michelle : Why were you drawn to write a book about such deep pain involving children opposed to Vampires , werewolves, and would you classify this as a YA read?
Karen : I just wrote what felt like a proper justification for the amount of anger a girl would need to experience to have that type of mental snap. I think it is too easy in YA to simply write out the role of the parents for simplicity’s sake, so your characters have free roam. It’s a little more difficult than that too often in the real world. I hate reading about someone who gets handed everything on a silver platter, and I really hate it when it happens in real life. I think we have to see enough people on tv and in life who get undeserved credit and never really earn the good things that fall in their lap. I can’t allow myself to write about someone like that.
I’ve never really been drawn to the vampire/werewolf type of supernatural realm in my own personal interests. Not that I haven’t enjoyed reading other’s interpretations. I think that my version of “magic” and the supernatural is just a little different than some of the current trends.
I wasn’t sure when that I was writing YA when I started. In all honesty, I really didn’t explore the genre until after I finished and realized what I had. I think like a lot of people, I had a misconception about YA, and didn’t realize how all-encompassing the genre really is. I don’t think any other allows for sci-fi, fantasy, horror, and romance all in one book. That is what I love and respect about YA, and would be proud to consider In the Storm a part of that. Sorry that answer was so long!
Michelle : Will you write YA books or Adult genre books in the future or both. Can you tell us anything about any work you have in progress?
Karen: With my respect for YA, I don’t know that I am ready to give it up just yet. Unfortunately, more often than not, the age of the characters seems to determine the genre it is placed in. I suppose it will just depend on who my next character is. I think I will always write with elements of sci-fi and/or my own version of fantasy.
I have a few ideas floating around in my head, but nothing significant on paper just yet. Whatever I end up with, I do expect it to be in the same genre, and would like to answer the demands for a longer book.
Michelle: ‘In The Storm’, is such a powerful read. With all the positive response you have had from readers, knowing it is 88 pages long, do you think in hindsight it could have had more of a voice, been a longer book?
Karen: I am still happy with In the Storm as a stand-alone, and the story could stop there for me. It felt complete. I still feel that trying to extend the content there would just be adding fluff that would detract from the story itself. I am a very concise type of person, and don’t like to add unnecessary things if I can help it. (Not that you could tell with my responses in this interview, lol.) Although I have been thinking about a sequel, I think it really deserves to be its own separate piece.
Michelle : I personally ‘feel’ like I needed closure on Richard. Could you give us your take on what happened to Richard?
Karen : *Spoiler Alert* As I said, I believe strongly in justice. That bastard is dead.
Michelle : Was Morgan a Guardian Angel or more of a ‘keeper’ of that world?
Karen: I don’t think the emphasis was really about the world; so much as it was about Carly and Morgan. However, I don’t think either of them is aware of this. In all honesty, it’s possible that neither had true control over what happened at all. I think everything that happened, no matter how horrible or unexpected, was just as it was always meant to. I’m totally not trying to sound mysterious here!
Michelle: Where were you when you first had the idea for this book?
Karen: Lying in bed, not sleeping, and listening to an awesome thunderstorm outside.
Michelle:
On the 2nd reading of your book I couldn’t help imagining it as a movie and how visually powerful the storm , Morgan and Carly, together in it would look. Would you ever consider making it into a manuscript and showing it to the movie suits?
Karen: I wish! If I knew who to send it to, I would. I may even give writing a manuscript a shot. I would love to see someone’s interpretation of it. I’ve also thought it is the perfect length for a graphic novel.
Michelle: We all have ‘storms’ in our life. Do you see yourself as a more creative, spiritual type of author or was this a one off? I’m trying to imagine how you could top this book it was so well written. You showed such great levels of maturity for being only 24.
Karen: Oh wow, thank you! I think this is very reflective of my personal tastes and personality. I am always trying to read further into something, and constantly asking questions. I like to think most things are not simply what they appear, and that there are explanations out there somewhere for why things are the way they are. It keeps me entertained, but it is also a curse.
I like to think anything else I wrote would maintain the originality I somehow pulled off in this one! It appears the crazy things I like to think about are interesting to other people. I think (hope/pray) I can keep that up.
Michelle: What would be the one food you would want to wish to appear when you were in Morgan’s room?
Karen: Spaghetti. I am always up for spaghetti!!!
Michelle: Thankyou Karen for taking the time to answer these questions and letting us both have a read. I loved it!!!
Karen: Thank you so much, Michelle! I thoroughly enjoyed this interview! I can’t wait to do it again for the next one!!
Michelle: Looking forward to it:D
