Today, I am SO excited to welcome one of my favorite authors, Rachel Vincent. Rachel is the author of the fantastic Shifters series and an exciting YA Soul Screamers series as well as a short story or two.
1. For any new readers, could you start by telling us a bit about your Soul Screamers series?
RV: My Soul Screamers series is about a teenage bean sidhe (banshee) trying to balance a normal high school experience with the terrifying, hidden world she’s just discovered. It has reapers and all kinds of other monsters, as well as the Netherworld, a warped mirror image of our own world, where everything wants to eat you! Seriously. ;-)
2. My Soul To Save comes out Jan 1, 2010. What sort of adventures is Kaylee in for in the second book?
RV: In My Soul to Save, an old friend of Tod’s has sold her soul for fame and fortune. When Tod finds out that she’s going to die in a few days, he asks Kaylee and Nash to help him get her soul back, to save her from eternal torment in the Netherworld.
This was my first chance to show Kaylee in the Netherworld, and I had so much fun writing those scenes!
3. How many books do you anticipate for the Soul Screamers series?
RV: Right now I’m contracted for five books in the series. MY SOUL TO SAVE comes out Dec. 29, and MY SOUL TO KEEP comes out June 1, 2010. I don’t have dates or titles for the next two yet.
4. You write incredibly smart, brave heroines. Faythe is one of my all time favorites. Which comes first, the heroine or the plot?
RV: For me, the characters come first. Once I’ve gotten to know my shiny new character (someone with a special gift or problem), then I start building a world and a plot around her. At least for the first book in the series. Future plots grow from there.
5. Is it hard to transition between writing YA and writing adult books?
RV: It wasn’t at first, but this time, it’s been really hard. I just spent several months in the Shifters world, doing revisions, copy edits, and page proofs for SHIFT, then finishing up the first three drafts of ALPHA. Then I had to jump immediately into revisions for MY SOUL TO KEEP without a single day off. This was especially difficult because I turned in the manuscript for MSTKeep almost a year ago and hadn’t really looked at it since, so the story wasn’t fresh on my mind. And I wrote it before I did revisions on the previous two Soul Screamers novels, which taught me a lot about writing YA, so when I opened up the manuscript, I was kind of
horrified surprised by how much work it needed. But digging into it has been a lot of fun, and it’s reminded me how much I love the concepts in this book.
6. The Shifters series is coming to a close. Are you finding it difficult to end Faythe's story?
RV: I just finished ALPHA (the 6th and final Shifters book) a couple of weeks ago, and yeah, it was hard. Faythe’s been a part of my life since mid-2005, so it’s like saying goodbye to a friend. A friend you want to smack around sometimes, but a good friend nonetheless. ;-)
7. Rachel, I read your blog and I know how busy you are. When you have time, what do you like to read? Any genre jumping?
RV: I read urban fantasy and horror, for the most part, in both adult and YA. Though I have enjoyed some non-paranormal YAs recently too, and have several more of those on my when-I-finally-get-a-break list.
8. Are you currently working on any other projects you would like to share with us?
RV: Actually no, not at the moment. I’m buried in revisions for MY SOUL TO KEEP at the moment. Buried up to my hairline, in fact. After that, I’m taking a two week holiday/reading/television break for the first time in more than a year. (I did spend a week in D.C. after RWA this past summer, but didn’t get to read or watch anything while I was there!) Then I’m jumping into a couple of short stories due in January. After that, I’ll be writing the fourth and fifth Soul Screamers novels. Later in the year, I’m scheduled to start a new series, but I can’t say anything else about that yet. ;-)
9. Lastly, what is your favorite way to unwind after a hard day of writing? Any guilty pleasures?
RV: If I haven’t stayed up past midnight working (which I have, every day this week), I like to watch an episode of something on DVD in bed, before I go to sleep. This year I’ve gone through all seven seasons of Buffy, the first four seasons of Angel, two seasons of Carnivale, the second season of Big Love, and the first eight episodes of 30 Rock. Not all at night, though. If I get a day off between projects, I’ll spend it reading and binge DVD watching. ;-)
Rachel, Thank you for taking time out of your hectic schedule to visit with us. Congratulations on My Soul To Save, I know it will be a huge success!
For more information on Rachel and books, please visit her website, follow her on twitter or check out her facebook site.
My Soul To Save does not come out until December 29th, but you can preorder it here from
Amazon or
Barnes & Noble.
CONTEST TIME:
I am giving away one brand new copy of
Immortal to one lucky winner. This book contains Rachel's short story Binge.
To enter, please complete the form. You must follow my blog to participate and you can gain an extra entry by spreading the word. Please leave me a link for verification.
The contest begins today and will end on December 23rd. Due to the high cost of shipping this one is only open to the US/Canada. (Don't worry my international friends, I have something coming for you!)
Please leave some LOVE in the comments section for Rachel!
Good luck and Happy Reading!