Author Interview with Rachel Vincent & Contest

Today I am thrilled to welcome New York Times Bestselling author Rachel Vincent. A native of the dust bowl, Rachel Vincent is the oldest of five siblings, and arguably the most outspoken of the bunch. She loves cats, devours chocolate, and lives on flavored coffee. Rachel’s older than she looks—seriously—and younger than she feels, but remains convinced that for every day she spends writing, one more day will be added to her lifespan.

Rachel Vincent recently made her YA debut with "The Soul Screamers" series. My Soul to Take is the first novel in the series and is about a teenage bean sidhe (banshee) who is trying to make sense of the terrifying, hidden world she is immersed in, while still maintaining the normal high school existance of an American teenager.

My Soul to Take is about a normal high school girl named Kaylee who is trying to make sense of the terrifying world she belongs to, that of the bean sidhes (banshees). You did a lot of research on Irish folklore for this novel—can you share with us some of the most interesting bits you uncovered during the process?

I think the most interesting thing I learned was that originally, bean sidhes were supposed to have only wailed for one of the five major Irish clans. I couldn’t use that particular bit of information in the series (it was too limiting), but Kaylee’s last name (Cavanaugh) is a reference to one of those clans.

My Soul to Take is the first installment in the Soul Screamers series. Since this novel was your first foray into young adult fiction, would you say it was more challenging to write than the urban werecat Shifter series?

Honestly, no. Overall, I’m finding the rough drafts of the Soul Screamers books to be a bit easier (or at least less stressful) to write than my adult books. But that’s not necessarily a good thing. So far, the first two in the series both went through a bit of an overhaul during the revisions. That was due almost entirely to my efforts to make sure the dialogue and perspective were appropriate for the younger cast of characters. Not too mature, but not dumbed down. It’s a very delicate balance, because teenagers are smart, and they’re perceptive. YA isn’t a watered down version of adult literature. It’s its own category, with a very specific audience. (Though a lot of adults read YA too.) And that audience has a built-in BS meter, which I’d really like to not-peg. ;-)

My Soul to Take was to be made into a movie, do you have anyone in particular you can picture playing the roles of Kaylee and Nash?

Um… I have yet to successfully fantasy-cast Nash. He’s eluding me, but I’m open to suggestions. ;-) As for Kaylee, the famous faces I pictured in the beginning have since matured beyond her age. So… a younger version of Alexis Bledel or Danielle Panabaker. Or maybe Sara Paxton, as a brunette.

My Soul to Save, the second installment in the Soul Screamers series is scheduled to be released in December 2009. Can you tell us how many books we can expect in the series? Also do you have the entire series planned out and know how it will end?

So far, I’m contracted for a total of five books, and I’d be willing to do a couple more than that, if there’s enough reader demand. I do not have the entire series planned out, but I have book 4 plotted and several very vivid ideas for book five. And I can’t wait to write them!

Can you tell us a little about what we can expect to see next with the Soul Screamers series? What other projects are you currently working on?

In My Soul To Save, Kaylee, Nash, and Tod are trying to save a teenage pop star (yes, seriously) who’s sold her soul for fame and fortune. At first, they think she’s the stereotypical spoiled and rich starlet, but Kaylee’s determined to help her get her soul back, because she didn’t know what she was getting into when she sold it. But as the story progresses, they find out what this star is really made of, and the ending is something Kaylee didn’t see coming.

In this book, I really got to stretch my worldbuilding wings. Kaylee spends a lot of time in the Netherworld, which is absolutely my favorite setting to write about. And we get to learn a little more about Tod, and what he’s really capable of.

Right now, though, I’m working on the rough draft of ALPHA (fall, 2010), the sixth and final book in my (adult) Shifters series. And it’s quite a challenge, trying to satisfactorily wrap up all the loose ends and give everyone an ending worthy of the buildup.

Thank You Rachel for taking the time to stop by!

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, Book 1)

She doesn't see dead people, but....

She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

To learn more about Rachel and her books, visit her Official Website HERE.

To purchase My Soul to Take HERE.

CONTEST

Rachel has graciously agreed to give away one copy of

My Soul to Take (Soul Screamers, Book 1)

To Enter:

Please leave a comment for Rachel

Bonus Entry: Link/Post about this contest to any social network of your choice

Contest Ends:

December 8th 2009 (**Open Internationally to ALL!**)

NOTE: THIS CONTEST IS NOW CURRENTLY CLOSED

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