BLOG TOUR - INTERVIEW - BRANDED by ABI KETNER & MISSY KALICICKI - NEW ADULT DYSTOPIAN - SELF PUBLISHED

Today on Novels On The Run I have the lovely duo of Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki , debut authors of Branded, the New Adult Dystopian. I am Q & A..ing them. So sit back and enjoy the interview. If you haven't read Branded yet, I have the 1st Chapter Excerpt to wet your whistle at the end of the interview. 

Here is my review of Branded.

Michelle:  Missy , what 5 words would you use to describe Abi the author, not friend, but author?

Missy: Enthusiastic, Imaginative, Invested, Emotional, Gifted

Michelle:  Abi, what 5 words would you use to describe Missy the author?

Abi: Determined, Passionate, Imaginative, Inspirational, Leadership - Missy and I just hugged

Michelle:  You gals are both debut authors. Your genre, dystopian. What made you choose Dystopian as your launch pad into the world of writing?

Missy:  We like dystopian. That’s what we were reading… Divergent, Hunger Games, Delirium, and Enclave. We like the element of romance contrasted with adrenaline.

Michelle:  I am rather curious how two authors write a book together. Can you tell the readership who does what and how it runs smoothly? 

Missy: Hmmm how two authors work together. Usually one of us will begin writing. Then whoever it is, sends it to the other person who adds, changes, or comes up with new scenes. Then that person sends it back. Eventually it makes it’s way to the editor who then suggests more things, and we start the process again. It sounds more complicated than it is. As far as who does what, Abi is stronger with dialogue and I’m stronger with action. But in all reality, there are times when we switch or when our writing is so intertwined that you can’t tell who is writing what anymore. Haha.

Michelle:  What is something that you have both learnt about each other in your journey of writing a book together?

Abi: Missy and I are connected in a way that scared us both. There was a character that we hadn’t name in the book yet….and without even knowing…. Missy and I both picked Wilson…separately. There are many scenes that we both started talking about and stopped saying…wow that’s exactly what I was thinking. I think we have a bond that goes beyond a normal friendship. We both want the same goals for our characters…and we bring out the best in each other…. It’s the most amazing experience to share with you best friend.

Michelle:  I love musical questions. What song do you think, or you may each have a different song that you think tells the reader about Branded as a whole?

Missy:  Hmmm. I have a few songs that remind me of the Hole but the one that really stuck with me was Linkin Park’s Castle of Glass. It’s not as hard as some of their other songs but it feels perfect to me. The others are:

Linkin Park - Castle Of Glass

Kelly Clarkson- Honestly 

Florence & the Machine- Cosmic Love 

The National- Don’t Swallow the Cap 

Third Eye Blind- Wounded 

Taylor Swift- Eyes Open 

Need to Breathe- Something Beautiful

Michelle:  What song or songs ( you both may have different ideas, I am all ears) describe the following characters or their relationships.

Cole

Lexi

Zeus ( I gotta include the dog side kick)

Alyssa

Wilson

Cole and Lexi together

Abi:  We don’t have specific songs for any character. 


Michelle:  The very talented Regina from Mae I Design and Photography is your cover designer and book trailer maker ( AWESOME). 

Abi:  What have you learnt from Regina? Regina brought life to Branded. Everything she came up with blew us away. Finding her was the blessing for us!!!! We only want her to bring our books to life….her visions are untouchable. 

Missy:  I learned (from Regina) that book covers are IMPORTANT! People actually DO look at them, and the more appealing they are to the eye, the more likely people will read them! She’s the best at what she does, so thankfully, we got her!!!

Michelle:  What has been the biggest thing you have learnt from starting this project together? 

Abi:  Pushing through our doubts and wanting to give up….thinking it wasn’t worth telling. We aren’t writers….we wrote it for fun. We were scared….and BAM = Michelle Novels On The Run,  gave us the confidence we never expected today… Branded is being released because of her!!!!! We love you! 

Missy:  Learned from starting this project together? Eyiyiyiyi. Perseverance pays off. There were a lot of times we had second thoughts about whether this would actually work out, but we stuck with it. 

Michelle:  What have you discovered along the way that you totally didn’t see coming in this journey to become authors? 

Missy:  Relationships with bloggers & other indie authors is KEY to finding support & success. The indie community is incredibly supportive, which really shocked us!

Michelle:  Would you gals always write together or have you been thinking of separate, different genre projects, to write on the side as individual authors now you have the hang of writing and what it takes to get a book noticed?

Missy:  Truthfully, we enjoy writing together so we’re just enjoying this moment. 

Michelle:  Do you have a quote you can disclose from Banished, book # 2 in The Sinners series? Non spoiler. 

Missy:  So… we’ve made some changes to book 2 including a possible title change & are still in the process of writing it right now… stay tuned on that one!

Michelle:  Is there anything you want to spill to wet our whistles for Banished. Any characters of interest. * waggles eyebrows * 

Abi: I CAN’T Bam…. I love you …but I can’t.

Michelle:  What was the last book in your genre that really blew your mind that you read and why? 

Abi:  The Hunger games….and Catching Fire. I loved the constant tension these books brought. 

Missy: Last book in our genre that blew my mind? Me personally, I’d say Hunger Games. It was so well-thought out. Very thought-provoking.

Michelle:  What is the thing you love most about each other? 

Abi:  She’s my best friend. Is always there for me….and we have never had a fight. Missy makes me the best person I can be. I wouldn’t change a darn thing about her. 

Missy:  When I’m at my wit’s end, Abi always encourages me. She doesn’t judge me even when I’ve made bad decisions. She always encourages me & listens when I need an ear. I’m not ashamed to discuss the intimate details of disgusting things with her because she’s also a nurse. Haha. I call her my book wife now.

Michelle:  What is an inspirational quote you both keep handy for when things get tough?

Abi:  “You can overcome anything short of Death.” 

Missy:  Haha.. Inspirational Quote? Honestly, I don’t have one that keeps me going per say. The one I keep in my head for life in general is ‘work hard, stay humble’ because that’s what my parents taught me.

Michelle:  If you could give advice to an up and coming debut author, what would it be?

Missy: Stick with it. Believe in it. Find a good editor. Find reputable bloggers that will give you an honest opinion & believe in your book! Ask other authors for advice when you need it. The indie community is very supportive if you just ASK. 

Michelle: If you both could have 4 people to dinner each, alive or dead, fictional or non fictional, who would they be and why?

Abi: 

Edward Cullen

Bam 

(I wanna meet you too , Abi)

Both my grandparents

Missy:

For me it would be my Mom, my Grandparents (dad’s side), and God. I have a lot of questions for each of them!

Michelle: A fun question I often ask , great responses I get. If you could choose an icecream flavour or a chocolate flavour that describes you or where your life is at the moment, what would it be and why?

Abi:  Philadelphia Phillies Grand Slam….

The Phillies are my favourite Baseball team…and I would love to meet them!!!!

Missy: Ice cream flavor to describe my life at the moment- Rocky Road. Chocolate bc it’s my favorite. Nuts for the salty & hard stuff in my life. Marshmallows for the sweet moments. Rocky Road because it’s all interspersed but it tastes oh so good!

SYNOPSIS

Twenty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.

Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.

Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.

Author Bios:

Abi Ketner Is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.

Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor’s degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan.

Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.

Links:  

twitter @abiandmiss.com 

website and blog www.abiandmissy.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AbiandMissy

goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402117-branded

Chapter One

I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams.

The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. I pull down, making sure the knot is secure. It seems sturdy enough. My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat pours down my back.

Death and I glare at each other through my tears.

            I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories here.

I’m ready to go. On the count of three.

            I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now.

A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled, I stand waiting with the rope hanging around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls.

            Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head.

Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home.

It hits me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me.

My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the front door shout my name.

 On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder.

            Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder.

            “Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running, knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what happens to sinners.

            Another flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying.

Help me, Daddy. I need your strength now.

My previous desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving. In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest.

Gotta keep going.

“Stop!” Their voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they command. They’re gaining on me.

I resist the urge to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing anything. I’m lost.

            My first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking sinners.

I push myself to my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their black leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer until I know I’m trapped.

Never did I imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them dragging someone else away that I’d join them.

            “You’re a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave our society.”

I stand defiant. I refuse to bend or break before them, even as I shiver with fear.

“There’s no reason to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for everyone,” a guard says.

I cringe into the blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care.

The next instant, my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms.

Swallowing hard, I stare ahead to avoid their eyes. My dignity is all I have left. The handcuffs dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts.

 Did they need so many guards to capture me?

 I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like that.

The driver jerks the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery changes too fast. Hours pass, and the air grows warmer, more humid the farther we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole. Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We learned about it last year in twelfth grade.

To the outside, I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever does.

“All sinners go through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want to think about the things I’ve been told.

“You won’t last too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of my hair up to his face.

 Get your hands off me, you pig. I want to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and I’m not positioned to defy him.

            They’re the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden inside the Hole.

Few have seen the commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no evidence, nothing but an accusation.

I lose myself in thoughts of my father.

“Never show fear, Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.” His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one person in my life who provided unconditional love.

“Get out,” the guard says while pulling me to my feet. The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back to reality. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the darkness.

The coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone sees. They shove me in line, and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand with faces frozen white with fear. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs my blood on a tiny microchip.

 I follow the man in front of me into the next room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men crying.

“Spread your legs,” one of the guards says.

They remove my outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body.

What do they think I can possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to block out what they’re doing to me.

“MOVE!” a guard commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up.

One

Two

Three

Four

Five of us sit in the holding room. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. An agonizing amount of time passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door opens.

“Lexi Hamilton.”

            A guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. As soon as the door closes, they pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. Then they exit in procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands are busy as he speaks.

“Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be branded.”

A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin. Then he places a metal collar around my neck.

Click. Click. Click.

The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.

The Seven Deadly Sins:

Lust ¾ Blue

Gluttony ¾ Orange

Greed ¾ Yellow

Sloth ¾ Black

Wrath ¾ Red

Envy ¾ Green

Pride ¾ Purple

 “Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite this.”

Within seconds, the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks.

“GRRRRRRRRR,” escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar.

He removes it and sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me, and I’m on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out.

Stainless steel counters and boring white walls press in on me. A guard laughs at me from an observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around like it’s business as usual.

I finally find my voice and turn to the doctor.

“Are you going to give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire up from my neck to my jaw, making me wince.

He points to a set of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and scurry sideways. Grabbing my clothes and pulling the shirt over my head, I try to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name.

“Nothing is allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says.

I hide my right hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his hand.

“Give it to me,” he says. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg.

 “My father gave this to me. Please, let me keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the golden ring to me.

“It was my mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears in his eyes, he reached for my hand and said, “Lexi, you’re exactly like her. She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.

You can overcome anything… short of death.

 “You’re going to take the one thing that matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?”

A hard blow falls upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty fist.

“Look at me,” he commands. I look up and he smiles with arrogance.

“What the hell?” He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your eyes?”

“Nothing,” I respond, confused.

“What color are they?”

“Turquoise.” I glower at him.

“Interesting,” he says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.”

Reality slaps me across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand.

“Take the damn ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides open to the outside.

“You have to wear your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail. My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to form. Squinting ahead in the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on the sidewalk.

 “Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his voice.

“Cole, this is your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new home.” The guard departs with a salute.

“Let’s move,” Cole says.

I take two steps and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see his face for the first time.