A couple of weeks ago, the lovely Kasie West agreed to participate in an interview with me. I sent over some questions and these are the answers I got back.
What led you to writing, how long have
you wanted to do this?
I kind of fell into writing. It was
never something I thought I wanted to do. I’m not one of those writers who
wrote stories on her wall when she was a toddler. I was a reader. I loved to
read very much. Still do. One day about seven years ago, I had an idea for a
story and my husband encouraged me to write it. So I did. I loved writing so
much. The story was awful (I didn’t know that at the time) but the process of
writing hooked me. So I kept writing and kept trying to get my stories
published and then I wrote Pivot Point.
What is your favourite genre to read?
I love all sorts of genres, but my
favorite right now (and for a while now) is contemporary. I love the emotions and
characters of a good contemporary. And I love how generally relatable the
stories are.
How challenging do you find it to write
both contemporary and fantasy?
It’s definitely something I can’t do
simultaneously. I have to have a whole different mind set when I write the
different stories. But I enjoy writing in both genres so I enjoy the challenge.
What music do you listen to while
writing, who inspires you?
Maybe surprisingly for some, I don’t
listen to music when I write. It distracts me. I get caught up in the lyrics
and I start to sing and/or type them. I’m not saying that songs don’t inspire
me. I’m definitely inspired by songs I hear in the car when I’m driving or when
I’m working out. I hear lyrics and music that prompts ideas or storylines. But
when I sit down in front of the computer to write them, it is silent. But I’m a
fan of cheesy alternative rock ballads. Secondhand Serenade, Mayday Parade, The
Fray, etc.
Do you draw on personal experiences in
your stories?
Sure, I think experiences in my life
have influenced the way characters in my story react to certain situations. And
definitely settings work their way into my stories. But not necessarily scenes
or people. Those are all made up.
Which of your characters would you say
is most like yourself?
I’m sure there is a little bit of me in
all my characters even though I try not to do that. My sister in law says that
Caymen sounded the most like me, but I think Caymen is way more dry and
sarcastic than I am. I can’t tell a joke without laughing at myself.
What
information can you share about your upcoming books, On the Fence and The
Fill-In Boyfriend?
On
the Fence is my contemporary that comes out on July 1, 2014. It is about a girl
with three brothers who ends up falling for the neighbor boy who happens to be
her really good friend. She’s a tom boy who loves sports and driving fast and
running. Her competitive nature leads her to challenge the boy next door to a
game of ‘who knows who better’ that they play on lonely nights with a fence separating
them in the back yard. It’s a fun book that I hope fans of The Distance Between
Us will love.
The
Fill-In Boyfriend is a book about a girl whose boyfriend dumps her in the
parking lot of prom. The problem with this is that she’d been bragging about this
boy, her long distance boyfriend, to her friends for months and this was the
first time they were actually supposed to meet him. So she decides to snag a
boy she sees waiting in his car to pick up his little sister from prom and has
him pretend to be her boyfriend. He plays the role a little too well but then
leaves without her ever learning his real name. I love this book and the
release date is way too far away. I wish I could share it with you all way
sooner.
The Fill-In Boyfriend will be released at some time in 2015. As of now, there is no preorder link.
To see my review of The Distance Between Us, click on this link
here.
Title- The Way, Way Back
