INTERVIEW WITH AUTHOR OF "HUSHED", KELLEY YORK
Hi Kelley, thank you so much for choosing Great Minds as one of your blogstops on this tour. My first question for you is, when did you figure out that your forte was writing and have you always been a creative person?
Hi, and thanks for having me! Let's see, I've always been a creative person, yeah. I've been an artist since I was little, and drawing used to be my primary creative outlet. I wrote often, but always for myself or friends. Short stories, fan fiction, that sort of thing. About four years ago, I started getting burnt out on drawing and lost a lot of my passion for it, and that's when the desire to write novels flared up.
Now "Hushed" seems to be your first novel? Tell us more about your book and what was the drive behind writing it?
I've completed three books. HUSHED was my second book, but the first to be published. When I started with HUSHED, I was nervous because I was writing from not only a guy's POV, but portraying a male/male romance. I also felt I had something out of the norm in YA, so I was eager to write it. Out of the three books I've written, I think HUSHED came to me the easiest.
Being born and raised in central California have you been exposed to the glamorous lifestyle much there? Have you met anyone famous?
Nah, there isn't really much of that here in central Cali. When I was younger and my family went on vacation to Disneyland, in the line for the Haunted Mansion ride, I turned to my older to say, "Isn't that the guy who plays Screech from Saved by the Bell?" Sure enough, it was. We were contemplating asking for his autograph but it's a good thing we didn't. Someone else approached him, and he was really mean in telling her to leave him alone. (You’d think in the state capitol where I leave, more exciting things would happen, but they don’t.)
You mention in your biography being a photographer, what are some things you like to photograph?
I'm by no means any kind of professional or anything, but I love taking pictures. I take a lot of photos of cemeteries and abandoned buildings. Wife and I visit graveyards all over the place, and awhile back we took a trip to the abandoned section of Mare Island near the coast and got a ton of pictures.
You read a lot of different genres yourself, who are some of your inspirations and what authors do you enjoy most?
Growing up, I devoured books like THE SECRET OF NIMH and THE LAST UNICORN. Lots of fantasy stuff. While I don’t write fantasy or read it anymore, I think those books remain favorites because of the characters. I’m very character-driven. These days, I’m a huge fan of Hannah Moskowitz (INVINCIBLE SUMMER) and Sean Olin (BROTHER/SISTER). I also devoured WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion, and IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma. Beautiful books by talented authors whose writing I really admire.
How does your family feel about your writing and what are their thoughts?
I was a little nervous about what they’d think, especially some of my more conservative family members, but they’ve all been thrilled for me and very supportive. I did have to explain to my excited 70-something-year-old grandfather that he probably wouldn’t want to read it because the subject matter isn’t, uh, exactly his thing.
Tell us more about the pets you have, what amazing creatures does your in home menagerie hold?
I have three cats—Irish, Noel, and Quinn. All were gotten from cat rescues here in Sacramento. We have a teddy bear hamster named Hope, a Winter White hamster named Exquisite, and three rats—Noah, Grimmy, and Gin. I really want a dog but don't have the time or the room for one right now.
Now for a fun question, when you find a mermaid or unicorn, do you plan to add these to your collection or will you simply photograph them and move on?
This is a cruel, cruel question. I'd photograph and make friends with them so they'd come and see me all the time without me having to capture them. Does that work??
What is your next book after "Hushed" and when can we expect it to be out?
I'm working on another YA contemporary book. I don't want to give too many details away unless I jinx myself!
Do you have any advice for other aspiring authors out there?
Write what you love. It’s hard work, so why make it harder by trying to cater to an ever-changing market?
*Thank you again Stacey with Entangled Publishing and Kelley for this wonderful interview. I look forward to doing it again in the near future!*
'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my
seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was
unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide ---
Author Bio:
Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.
Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres
from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers,
paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.
Kelley's website: http://www.kelley-york.com/blog
Hushed - Synopsis:
He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from
what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hushed-Kelley-York/dp/1937044742
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hushed-kelley-york/1033904538
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=interviews&thread=879&page=1#ixzz1fmShrdxH
Hi Kelley, thank you so much for choosing Great Minds as one of your blogstops on this tour. My first question for you is, when did you figure out that your forte was writing and have you always been a creative person?
Hi, and thanks for having me! Let's see, I've always been a creative person, yeah. I've been an artist since I was little, and drawing used to be my primary creative outlet. I wrote often, but always for myself or friends. Short stories, fan fiction, that sort of thing. About four years ago, I started getting burnt out on drawing and lost a lot of my passion for it, and that's when the desire to write novels flared up.
Now "Hushed" seems to be your first novel? Tell us more about your book and what was the drive behind writing it?
I've completed three books. HUSHED was my second book, but the first to be published. When I started with HUSHED, I was nervous because I was writing from not only a guy's POV, but portraying a male/male romance. I also felt I had something out of the norm in YA, so I was eager to write it. Out of the three books I've written, I think HUSHED came to me the easiest.
Being born and raised in central California have you been exposed to the glamorous lifestyle much there? Have you met anyone famous?
Nah, there isn't really much of that here in central Cali. When I was younger and my family went on vacation to Disneyland, in the line for the Haunted Mansion ride, I turned to my older to say, "Isn't that the guy who plays Screech from Saved by the Bell?" Sure enough, it was. We were contemplating asking for his autograph but it's a good thing we didn't. Someone else approached him, and he was really mean in telling her to leave him alone. (You’d think in the state capitol where I leave, more exciting things would happen, but they don’t.)
You mention in your biography being a photographer, what are some things you like to photograph?
I'm by no means any kind of professional or anything, but I love taking pictures. I take a lot of photos of cemeteries and abandoned buildings. Wife and I visit graveyards all over the place, and awhile back we took a trip to the abandoned section of Mare Island near the coast and got a ton of pictures.
You read a lot of different genres yourself, who are some of your inspirations and what authors do you enjoy most?
Growing up, I devoured books like THE SECRET OF NIMH and THE LAST UNICORN. Lots of fantasy stuff. While I don’t write fantasy or read it anymore, I think those books remain favorites because of the characters. I’m very character-driven. These days, I’m a huge fan of Hannah Moskowitz (INVINCIBLE SUMMER) and Sean Olin (BROTHER/SISTER). I also devoured WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion, and IMAGINARY GIRLS by Nova Ren Suma. Beautiful books by talented authors whose writing I really admire.
How does your family feel about your writing and what are their thoughts?
I was a little nervous about what they’d think, especially some of my more conservative family members, but they’ve all been thrilled for me and very supportive. I did have to explain to my excited 70-something-year-old grandfather that he probably wouldn’t want to read it because the subject matter isn’t, uh, exactly his thing.
Tell us more about the pets you have, what amazing creatures does your in home menagerie hold?
I have three cats—Irish, Noel, and Quinn. All were gotten from cat rescues here in Sacramento. We have a teddy bear hamster named Hope, a Winter White hamster named Exquisite, and three rats—Noah, Grimmy, and Gin. I really want a dog but don't have the time or the room for one right now.
Now for a fun question, when you find a mermaid or unicorn, do you plan to add these to your collection or will you simply photograph them and move on?
This is a cruel, cruel question. I'd photograph and make friends with them so they'd come and see me all the time without me having to capture them. Does that work??
What is your next book after "Hushed" and when can we expect it to be out?
I'm working on another YA contemporary book. I don't want to give too many details away unless I jinx myself!
Do you have any advice for other aspiring authors out there?
Write what you love. It’s hard work, so why make it harder by trying to cater to an ever-changing market?
*Thank you again Stacey with Entangled Publishing and Kelley for this wonderful interview. I look forward to doing it again in the near future!*
'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my
seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was
unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide ---
Author Bio:
Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.
Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres
from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers,
paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character development takes center stage.
Kelley's website: http://www.kelley-york.com/blog
Hushed - Synopsis:
He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from
what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hushed-Kelley-York/dp/1937044742
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hushed-kelley-york/1033904538
Read more: http://www.greatmindsthinkaloud.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=interviews&thread=879&page=1#ixzz1fmShrdxH
RSS Feed