Interview with K.C. Oliver
Author of Pretty Pretty
I'm excited to share this interview with K.C. Oliver, the author of "Pretty Pretty" and a friend of mine through our mutual publisher, Echelon Press as well as a very talented author. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know her as much as I have!
You can visit her website at:http://kc-oliver.tripod.com/
Read more about "Pretty Pretty" at: http://kc-oliver.tripod.com/id14.html
Buy "Pretty Pretty" here:
Amazon.com
Fictionwise.com
(For more options visit K.C.'s website)
Thank you K.C., for sharing with us today!
Tell us about yourself. Where did you grow up? Where do you live now?
My name is KC Oliver and I am the author of the young adult thriller, Pretty Pretty, about two best friends who land summer jobs in a haunted hotel in Hawaii! I was born and raised in Manitoba, Canada, where I live with my husband, my two kids, and our zany cat, Xena and our betta named, Timbit (Yes, I love Tim Hortons!). Winters here in Manitoba are long and cold, so we 'Tobans look forward to our summers (which are never long enough!). Manitoba is a picturesque province with everything from prairies to mountains (little ones), to a desert, to tundra with polar bears! We have it all. Gotta love that!
Why did you choose to write Pretty Pretty for Young Adults?
The young adult genre chose me. I have always loved young adult fiction. It started with the Nancy Drew series, then went to the Fear Street series, then to the Harry Potter series. Though I do dabble in many genres, I have the best time writing young adult fiction!
What experiences did you have as a young person influenced your writing?
I loved make-believe! One day I could be a cowgirl on a roundup; the next, a secret agent on a dangerous mission; or the next, I could be a ballerina on a stage! My imagination knew no bounds. So, it seemed very fitting that I become an author, then I could share my imagination with others.
Who are your favorite authors and why?
Carolyn Keene, R.L. Stine and J.K. Rowling. They all contributed to my love of reading and my desire to write in the young adult genre.
What is your writing process like? Do you outline? Write by the seat of your pants?
A little of both. I do a very basic outline and notes, but mainly my stories just write themselves. I just show up to be the medium at the keyboard. =D
Can you tell us more about Pretty Pretty? Where did you come up with the idea?
I had the prologue of the story in my head for a long time, and I knew right away that I wanted to call the book, Pretty Pretty, because of that prologue. When I got it down on paper, I didn't even have a story plotted out, just those first three pages. I sat on it for awhile, but it would not be ignored. Bit by bit, more pieces of the story grew in my mind, and finally I just sat down and gave it everything I had. It was so much fun, I am doing it again!
How long have you been writing with an eye toward publication?
A long time. I had some smaller milestones, but getting accepted by Echelon Press was the icing on the proverbial cake!
What else have you written?
I have a short story published in a magazine and poetry in many different publications. I also have three full-length novels collecting dust in a cabinet (ugh…), then Echelon Press picked up my fourth novel, Pretty Pretty; what a phenomenal feeling that was!
I see you are working on another Quinn and Holly story, "Sleep, My Pretty." Can you tell us about that and when it will be available?
Sleep, My Pretty has been a long time coming. In this story, Quinn and Holly find themselves in the sites of a serial killer. Being in the wrong place at the wrong time has never been so deadly. I hope to see it out in early 2008.
Do you have plans for more? Maybe a whole series? What else have you got in the works?
I definitely have plans to make more stories for these characters. Pretty Pretty set the pace for the series, and a lot more groundwork is laid out in Sleep, My Pretty. Though I am still fine-tuning Sleep, My Pretty, I have made a basic outline and some notes for the third book, tentatively called, Eternally Pretty. Stay tuned!
What's your favorite meal? Food, setting, guests?
My fave meal is breakfast. Every Saturday morning, my family and I go for bacon and eggs at this little Ukrainian restaurant called, Julia's, near our home. A long-standing date with my hubby and kids that we all look forward to.
If you could experience the world of one book by another author, first hand, what book would you choose, and why?
It has got to be the Harry Potter series. I am enthralled by the world that J.K. Rowling created and would love to be part of it, if only for a day.
Do you have a motto that you live by, and if so, what is it?
At my signings, I will often sign my books with the phrase: "Always dare to dream!" I truly believe in this.
What advice would you offer aspiring authors?
Write, write, write! And never give up!
Thanks so much, K.C. for taking the time to share with us!
© Jennifer Turner, 2005
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