Thanks so much to Kelley for being here today as part of the Hushed blog tour, and thank you to Stacey from Entangled Publishing for inviting me to be part of the tour. Be sure to check back soon for my review of Hushed!
Hi Kelley. Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
I'm 27. I was born and raised in the Sacramento valley of California and, aside from 2-3 years I spent in Indiana, I've been here my whole life. I'm happily married to a lovely lady, have a step-daughter, and way too many pets.
Where did you get the idea for Hushed?
Where did you get the idea for Hushed?
Same as I get all my ideas: it started with a character. Archer came first. I thought, "I want to make a boy who kills people because he thinks it's the right thing to do." Then I asked myself questions: "Why? For who?" and built on him from there until I had his story.
What made you decide to write YA?
What made you decide to write YA?
I don't think it was a decision, exactly. I'll be generic and say the teenage years are some of the most important and defining in one's life. My characters tend to be in their upper teens/sometimes early twenties, possibly because those years were, for me, the defining years wherein I really discovered myself.
Who/what inspires you?
Who/what inspires you?
Music! Hugely, hugely music. And, oddly enough, weather. I've discovered I don't write often or well in the summer when it's hot and gross. I'm inspired to sit my butt down and write when it's cold, rainy, and gloomy outside. I also get a lot of character inspiration from my wife and bounce a lot of ideas off of her.
What has your writing journey been like? When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
What has your writing journey been like? When did you know that you wanted to be a writer?
I wrote my first book and started querying without having a clue as to what I was doing. Big mistake. Thankfully, one rather well-known agent was kind enough to help me out with some notes on my MS. Even if we didn't end up signing together, her taking the time to help a newbie like me really got me going in the right direction a lot sooner than I might have otherwise. HUSHED was my second book, though I didn't sign with Entangled until after my third book had been completed and was being queried around.
What types of books do you like to read?
What types of books do you like to read?
Anything dark or edgy, preferably character-driven. I have to connect to a character to get through a book. Recently, I finished Hannah Moskowitz's GONE, GONE, GONE and absolutely loved it. I used to love paranormal, but I find myself shying away from it these days.
What can we expect from you next? Are you working on any new projects right now?
What can we expect from you next? Are you working on any new projects right now?
I'm about 20k into a new YA book right now. I don't want to give too much away and jinx myself, but it's not quite as much of a suspense/thriller as HUSHED, though it does involve another male/male romance.
Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Kelley! I always love learning more about authors, and after reading Hushed, I can't wait to read your next book!
He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another - Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide
{Buy Hushed at Amazon || Buy Hushed at Barnes & Noble}
OMG I cant wait to read this book. I am seeing it everywhere and it loves great. I went to Barnes and Nobles to find it and they didnt have a copy. Time to hit the internet. Great interview!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat interview!!
ReplyDeleteI am reading Hushed now for blog tour.
MIchelle
Great interview Marie! I Loved this book it was so different! <3
ReplyDeleteGiselle
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