I had the pleasure of meeting Kathryn Tracy when she was having a book signing in the Teen Zone of the Gadsden Public Library. She was delightfully enthusiastic, so I asked her to be a guest on my blog... and here we are! Be sure to follow the links to her sites so you can get to know her even better. And when you buy a copy of her book, know that it is going to a good cause: her college education!
Your book is written for young adults and you’re a young author. Do you feel your age gave you special insight in writing for that age group? Of course, my age gave me insight. I write what I know. My book may be fiction but the feelings and perspectives are all me and, since my characters are teenagers, I know how they think. Of course, all authors were teenagers at some point but, since I am a recent teenager, I think it made it easier for me to write about them.
How long have you been writing? Do you have any other works published, like magazine articles? I have been writing for as long as I can remember. I won a few writing awards in elementary school where I realized I was good at it. I have always had a vivid imagination and loved to read, so writing came naturally to me. As for magazine articles, my high school writing club once made a magazine but I don’t think that counts. I do not have any other work published, but I am working on the sequel to “The Beautiful Side of Truth” at the moment.
Tell us a little about your book - but no spoilers! It is hard for me to describe my book because it always sounds so dorky to me. My book is about four teenage friends who are granted powers. On the surface it sounds like a super hero vs super villain deal, but there is so much more - so, read and find out. J
What inspired you to write it? Would it be silly to say immortality? A person dies, but if they leave enough of themselves behind then they will live on. Such as Martin L King, Abe Lincoln, Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson, Rene’ Descartes and so many others. If the controversial issues found in my book can make a difference in this world then I will have full filled my purpose in life. And, if my book is only seen as entertainment that works tooJ
Did you have to do any research for the story? How did you go about it? The book is set in New Jersey. Since I do not live in NJ I researched the area a bit using Google so that I could be more specific in my book. Other than the location, I do not believe I did any other research. The hard part was trying to write scenes when the characters were in school because I go to a non-traditional high school. I’m not entirely sure how a regular one works.
What writers do you feel have influenced you the most in your writing? I love to read but some of my favorite authors would have to be James Patterson, Laural K Hamilton, Liba Bray, and Gail Carson Levine. I learn new tricks from every book I read. I make note of something I like,( for example if they describe something in great depth) and I make sure to use great details in sections of my book as well.
If you could meet anyone, from any time period, either real or fictional, who would it be? Why? This is the hardest question I have ever been asked. I think it would depend on my mood. I have the biggest crush on Tho,r so I would love to meet him, but I would also like to meet Liba Bray since I love her work so much. I think I would want to see my past self. Give little me some advice and see how much I have changed or not changed. I think it would be interesting.
Why did you choose to go with Lulu.com? My mom and I did a lot of research into what publisher to go with. I had gotten offers from Tate and Xlibris publishing, but when I looked into them it appeared they had been involved in scams so I didn’t want to take a chance. Then someone my mom works with told us about Lulu, that it wasn’t a major corporation or anything, but he had a friend who used it and really liked how it turned out. I trusted his opinion and took the chance with Lulu who, so far, has done a great job.
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http://sketchbook34.blogspot.com/
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