Monday 13 February 2012

If I Die Blog Tour: Q&A With Rachel Vincent

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour to celebrate the release of If I Die by Rachel Vincent.  I'm a massive fan of both Rachel's adult books and her YA Soul Screamers series so I was very excited to be able to ask her some questions!

Kaylee can see death coming.
Now she must face her own.

As a teen banshee, Kaylee's blood-curdling screams are a death knell for others.  Yet she never expected to see her own name at the top of a reaper's list.

Scheduled to die within days, Kaylee knows her magic can't change her fate.  Worse, on top of worrying about her own demise, she needs to save mortal best friend Emma from the clutches of a deadly Netherworld creature.

As Kaylee's time on earth slips away, troubled banshee boyfriend Nash and his reaper brother Tod refuse to give up on Kaylee.  They're ready to unearth murky family secrets to give her a last chance at life, as their fight to save Kaylee becomes a battle for her love.

Soul Screamers Series:
My Soul to Lose (prequel novella)
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Keep
Reaper (novella)
My Soul to Steal
If I Die (Feb 2012)
Never to Sleep (novella)
Before I Wake (2012)

For more information visit Rachel Vincent's website

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Now I'd like to say a massive welcome to Rachel Vincent and thank her for taking the time to answer my questions!

Rachel Vincent

1. One of the things I love the most about the Soul Screamers is how it combines very real issues that teens face alongside the supernatural. Did you find it hard to capture the emotions that both Nash and Kaylee go through as a result of his addiction?

At times, yes. Because each reader’s personal life experiences color every book they read, I went into this one knowing that some people applaud Kaylee for standing up for herself and taking time away from their relationship after what happened in My Soul To Keep. Those same readers were upset that Nash and Kaylee got back together in MSTSteal. Others, however, were upset with Kaylee for not “standing by her man” from the start. These readers thought Kaylee took too much time to make up her mind in MSTSteal. So, ever since Nash was first exposed to that addictive substance, my challenge has been to illustrate their complicated emotions and motivations, knowing that no matter what happened, some readers would hate Kaylee and others would hate Nash. Because people empathize most with the emotions and situations that speak to them personally. And I’m not just talking about actual addicts and loved ones of addicts. I’m talking about anyone who’s ever been betrayed by a significant other, whether that person chose to leave or to forgive. Or to do both. Anyone who’s ever felt abandoned during a rough time by a loved one. Anyone who’s ever felt guilty for a bad decision. Anyone who’s ever wondered if he or she is really in the right place, doing the right thing.

2. Who is your favourite character in the series? Do you find them the easiest character to write?

My favourite character to write is Sabine. She’s as funny as Tod, but in a different way, and for some reason, her lines usually come really easy for me, while I often agonize and second-guess his.

3. Did you have the whole Soul Screamers series planned out before you started writing or did it end up taking a different direction to the one you were expecting?

I’ve never had more than a couple of books planned at a time, because this series sold as parts of three different contracts (the first 3 books together, then books 4&5 as half of a 4 book contract, and 6&7 as part of another 4 book contract). So I didn’t know for certain when I was plotting My Soul To Keep whether or not there would be a book four. And I didn’t know when I plotted If I Die whether or not there would be a book six. And yes, the series has changed direction and gotten a little darker than I originally intended. But overall, the reviews for the series get stronger as it progresses, so I’m assuming (and hoping) that means most of the readership likes the direction.

4. Will Before I Wake be the last book in the Soul Screamers series?

No, I’m contracted for a seventh.

5. Are you planning on starting another YA series after the Soul Screamers one has finished? If so do you already have ideas for what it will be about?

Yes, to both questions. But I still have to write the seventh Soul Screamers novel and two more adult novels before I can fully commit to a new YA, so for now, that new idea is a spare-time project. And I don’t have much spare time. ;)

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Thanks so much Rachel, I'm very excited that we have 2 more Soul Screamers books to look forward to!  I think you did a really good job of capturing what Kaylee and Nash are both feeling in the aftermath of his addiction, although I can see why some people would have wanted Kaylee to stand by him I respected her more for taking time out because she couldn't trust him.

Don't forget to check back later today for my review of If I Die.  If you've already read it I'd love to know what you think of it & if you haven't started the series yet then it's one I highly recommend!

Make sure you check out the other stops on the If I Die blog tour:

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