The SPENCER HILL
PRESS SUMMER BLOG RUN will be coming to a close soon. Only a few more awesome
authors to meet. Remember everyone who has left a comment on any of the blog
posts is automatically entered to win the grand prize--a very generous B&N
gift card from all the authors who have participated in the blog run.
You know, because
we were thinking of you and your love of books. So, we wanted you to go buy
some.
The next writer
extraordinaire highlighted is the awesome Kate Kaynak.
*a twenty-one gun salute
by exceptionally good-looking men*
Not only is Kate a
writer, but she is also my beloved publisher--a woman of many talents with
creativity oozing from every pore.
Yeah, she loves her
job.
Kate is the author
of the Ganzfield Series: Minder, Adversary, Legacy, Accused, Operative, and Soulmate (Spring 2013), which has won
Reader's Choice Awards and has gotten rave reviews. Don't believe me? Check it
all out here.
As a matter of
fact, you can go check out all sorts of neat stuff about Kate, and stalk her.
No seriously, stalk her, she's funny like that.
Thanks Kate for
visiting my little blog...again. Yeah, she came back for seconds.
When did your love
for reading take root?
I was very young. I
come from a family of writers (I'm the fourth generation of published authors),
and I've always been surrounded by books.
As a child, what is
the very first book you remember reading that you absolutely loved?
I remember reading Charlotte's Web when I was six--it was
the first "big kid" book I ever read on my own, and I loved the magic
(talking animals) and drama (who probably will be killed and eaten) of it.
What is your
favorite genre?
I adore speculative
fiction in many forms, but probably YA fantasy or paranormal romance would be
my favorite.
What book is on
your nightstand, right now?
Neil Gaiman's American Gods (paperback, for fun) and
Michelle Pickett's Milayna (Kindle,
for "big Picture" edits).
If you had to thank
one person in your writing career, who would that be and why?
Only one? That's
not fair--it takes a village to raise a writer! But the one person I really do
need to credit is Stephenie Meyer--reading the Twilight books re-awakened my inner adolescent, re-infusing my
narrative voice and re-kindling my desire to write another novel (my first is
still unpublished... and justifiably so). Not that I wanted to write a Twilight-clone book--my main character's
name, Maddie Dunn (plain and brown), is the opposite of Bella Swan (pretty and
elegant bird) for a reason.
As I've already
stated, Kate is a person of many talents, she also has a Ph.D. in Social and
Developmental Psychology. Tell us, how has your interest in social development
and in psychology influenced your characters in your books?
I use a lot of
psychology in my stories (which could be considered "psych-fi"--a
term I think is frighteningly clever, but which makes most people groan or give
me a frowny "huh?") to make the parapsychological abilities as
realistic as possible. And I use personality psych (Elias Porter's Motivational
Values System) for all of my character development; it's a great system for
understanding why people act they way they do, and how they will act in different
situations.
How do you manage
to fit everything into your tight schedule?
Basically, with the
writing/editing/publishing, the corporate training I do, and the three kids
under age seven, I work about 14-16 hours a day, seven days a week. But I really
do love what I do, so it's not drudge work--it's fun!--so I don't need much of
a break from it. And I stopped watching a lot of TV--that freed up a lot of my
time... although someone has to tell me what finally happened in that last
season on Lost.
Besides writing,
reading, and fighting crime with your amazing superpowers, do you have any
other hobbies?
Kayaking--I took
the kids out today on the lake by our house. I used to do a lot of arts and
craft stuff--knitting, drawing, sewing, needlepoint, baking--but I no longer
have time for much of it.
Do you have a
favorite recipe you would like to share with us?
This is the second
time this week I've been asked for a recipe! I just gave my "Turkish
Mushroom Chicken" to them, so I'll give you "Spaghetti Pie:"
SPAGHETTI PIE
Boil water for:
12 OZ SPAGHETTI
Cook as usual until al dente,
then drain. Try to time the pasta with
the completion of the other ingredients (grate the cheese first!). Avoid overcooking; the pasta should still be
firm, so it will not break apart when mixed with the other ingredients.
As you set the pasta water to
boil, add:
OLIVE OIL
to a large frying pan. Chop:
4 CLOVES GARLIC
1 SMALL OR 1/2 LARGE ONION
Wash:
1 PINT CONTAINER OF CHERRY TOMATOES
1 CAN PITTED OLIVES
Heat frying pan on medium-high,
then cook the garlic, onion, tomatoes, and olives uncovered, until the tomatoes
begin to break down. Reduce heat. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a bowl, mix:
4 EGGS
1 CUP HEAVY CREAM
3 STALKS OF FRESH BASIL
1 TABLESPOON RED PEPPER FLAKES OR CRUSHED RED PEPPER
Add the egg and cream mixture to
the other ingredients in the frying pan and stir. Then add:
8 OUNCES OF GRATED FONTINA CHEESE
5 OUNCES OF FRESH, GRATED PARMESAN CHEESE
6 OUNCES OF CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE
Add the drained pasta to the
frying pan and stir all the ingredients together. Cook for 5 minutes in the frying pan, then
place entire frying pan in the oven OR pour ingredients into 2 ungreased pie
pans or casserole dishes. Bake at 350
degrees for 30 minutes. Remove from oven
and let set for a few minutes, for easier slicing. Serves 4-6 as a main course, or 8-10 as a
side dish.
I think it's
originally from America's Test Kitchen,
but it has been a bunch of years.
For all the writers
out there, I'm going to have to briefly touch on the publishing aspect. You can
thank me later:
Why did you become
involved in publishing?
Three aspiring
authors started talking at BackSpace Writers' Conference a few years ago. We
were all frustrated because, despite getting really good responses to our
queries and first pages in the group sessions, we hadn't been getting offers
from agents. We started talking about how we wished publishing worked--a publisher who would invest in authors,
grow their careers, give them a say in their cover art, and so on. It was like
we created an eHarmony ad for our dream publisher. I didn't let the idea stay
just an idea--I started researching what each aspect--editing, printing,
marketing, etc.--would require. I never got to a point where the research said,
"And that's why you can't do it," so I did it.
Being on both sides
of the fence, a writer and a publisher, has one influenced decisions on the
other?
Oh, it's a
grass-is-always-greener thing. When I'm editing, I dream of when I can write my
own book again. When I'm writing, I'm drawn back to editing something I don't
have to write.
What is the biggest
thing you have learned?
Just about every
manuscript can be made publishable with enough editing… but often it's less
work to just write another book, instead. I've become very selective in the
projects I take on, and the projects SHP takes on, as well.
As a publisher,
what type of books are looking for?
I love books with a
strong narrative voice, vivid characters, an engaging plot, and
logically-constructed systems of magic, sci-fi, and world-building.
What is your
favorite part of the publishing aspect of your job?
I get a huge kick
out of the reaction of a debut author holding his/her actual book for the first
time. I often send the bound proof (the first time the book is in book form)
without letting the author know it's coming, so they get that surprise moment.
We just had one last week that still makes me smile; she recorded her reaction:
If you had could
tell one thing to all the writers out there, what would it be?
Don't just write
one manuscript and then stop writing to try and sell it. Keep writing, knowing
that your first book you write probably won't be the first one you publish. If
you love to write, then write. Make the process your reward, because it's hard
to make a living doing it (What's the
difference between a writer and a pizza? A pizza can feed a family of four).
Don't write with the goal of "selling" in mind; if you write
something beautiful/amazing/unputdownable, you'll be able to find a publisher
for it.
First thing to pop
into your head….
Cheeseburger or
escargot?
Cheeseburger,
cheeseburger, no Coke--Pepsi.
Pie or cupcakes?
Cupcakes!
PJ bottoms or skirt?
PJ bottoms.
Shots of tequila or
wine?
Mike's Hard
Limeade.
Most embarrassing
moment in your life? (Like everyone else, you have to share...mua ha ha)
Third grade, my
first time singing a solo, and, in front of the whole school, I sang the wrong
verse.
Tell us what you
like to share on your blog.
Amusing YouTube
videos, book and SWAG giveaways, and info about SHP authors. If you stop by,
please scroll down and feed the fish.
Can you give us a
brief description of the first novel you ever wrote?
Bagastana was a MG fantasy in which
twelve-year-old twins fall through a portal with a gruff, talking bear (hence
my nom de blog). This alternate world is filled with Celestials, like Bear, who
are immortal, shape-shifting creatures responsible for most of the world's
mythology. But with the portals closed, they mostly hang out making lesser
beings do their bidding. For example the ant queen Celestials made the mortals
under their control shift into worker ants and then sent them to fight the ant
armies of the other Celestial queen ants. And, of course, the twins had to face
the Big Bad to get to the one portal that would return them home.
Why young adult?
It's where my
narrative voice falls. I'm naturally snarky and probably emotionally stunted.
Tell us a little
bit about your favorite character in any of your books.
Maddie Dunn is
smart, snarky, strong, and yet vulnerable. I love writing from her
point-of-view—especially because, as a telepath, she also knows what's going on
in the other character's heads, as well.
Tell us about the
Ganzfield series.
It follows the
story of Maddie Dunn, a 16-year-old who survives a terrifying event by doing
the impossible. She ends up at a secret training facility (think X-Men, but with better science), where
people with different abilities cluster into cliques, so it's like most high
schools, except the jocks can use mind control on the band geeks, who can set
things on fire or see what someone is doing hundreds of miles away. Maddie's
strangely drawn to this one guy (see the teaser below), and her bond with him
gives her the strength to overcome her past, as well deal with all the crazy
stuff life throws at her.
Okay, the crazy
stuff *I* throw at her. If I ever met her in real life (a la Inkheart), she'd probably fry my brain.
Time for the
Tantalizing Teaser Temptation ...
A flashlight
clicked on in the middle of the large room. The beam swung over to hit me in
the face and I flinched at the sudden brightness.
“Maddie?”
Trevor asked again, sliding the light down so I was no longer blinded. “What
are you doing here?”
I felt my cheeks flush. I seemed
to be blushing a lot around Trevor. At least it probably wasn’t obvious in the
dim light. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you. I didn’t know anyone else was
here.”
“You didn’t
wake me. I had a... dream.” He was suddenly embarrassed; the warm, sick feeling
flowed off him in waves. “You shouldn’t be in here. It’s dangerous.” I’m
dangerous.
I felt a
sudden, strong desire to comfort him. “How are you dangerous? That was my dream!”
Confusion. “What?”
I stood up,
wrapping the quilt around my shoulders again and checking that the front of my
shirt was still intact. I walked over to where Trevor sat up on a solitary
mattress on the floor in the center of the room. “I came out here because... ”
it spilled out of me in a confessional rush. “Apparently, I’m the kind of
telepath who can broadcast thoughts as well as hear them and tonight I woke
everyone up in the dorm with my nightmare.” I felt like crying.
Trevor might
not be a telepath, but he picked up on my distress easily enough. “Hey, it’s
okay.” He set the flashlight next to him on the floor so that it pointed
straight up, creating a small fountain of light. It dimly reflected off the
white ceiling and revealed a constellation of dust motes that swirled in the
air above us. Still in his sleeping bag, Trevor pulled his legs to the side and
gestured for me to have a seat on the mattress.
I hesitated
for a second--I’d never been on a guy’s bed before. No, it was okay. Trevor
was... nice. There was a warmth to his thoughts, like hot chocolate after a day
out in the snow. A gentle strength pulled me in and made me feel safe. If only
everyone’s thoughts felt this good. I tucked my legs under me and pulled the
quilt tighter as I sat.
“That was your
dream? Are you okay?”
I smiled at
him. “I am now. You kind of came to my rescue. Thanks.” Man of my dreams flitted
through my thoughts and I rolled my eyes at myself. What kind of sappy fantasy
was I weaving about Trevor? Yeesh. I wasn’t that kind of person. “You
were very brave.” I meant it, but I winced as soon as it left my mouth.
I had no
right to start crushing on Trevor. Someone so kind and decent wouldn’t want to
be with someone like me. I was dangerous.
A killer.
For all the lucky
people who stopped by, Kate is kind enough to give away...
A signed copy of
the new edition of Minder and a bunch
of Spencer Hill SWAG.
Just two things to
enter:
1) You have to follow my blog. Need directions---scroll back up closer to
the top, right hand side and click follow
2) Tell us what you did during Labor Day.
Contest ends Saturday,
Sept. 8th.
Winners will be announced
Sunday, Sept. 9th.
Oh, and don’t
forget, everyone who comments is automatically entered to win the grand prize of
a Barnes and Noble gift card at the end of whole summer run.
Thank you all for
stopping by. Please leave Kate a comment
thanking her for her time and for the ultra-cool prizes.
