Kennedy Cole Interview - There Used to Be People Here

Photo Content from Kennedy Cole

Kennedy Cole is a speculative author born and raised in North Carolina. Her creative portfolio includes internships with Blair Publisher, ONLY POEMS, Lookout Books, and History Through Fiction, as well as an array of published poetry, fiction, and nonfiction. Her debut horror novel, THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE, will be published with Berkley at Penguin Random House in November 2026.

A graduate of UNC Wilmington, Kennedy lives by the beach with her partner and enjoys playing games, puzzling, sipping matcha, and collecting tattoos. Ask her about her favorite movies, recent meals she’s cheffed up, or whatever video game she’s fixated on. She’ll have plenty to say.

      

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre?
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke!! I’ve made it my own personal mission to beg everyone who asks me what my favorite book is to read this treasure of literature. It’s best to go in without knowing anything beforehand, like I did. Your mind will be BLOWN. I love this book mostly because of its humorous narration and multi-layered protagonist, but also because of its incredibly thorough description, well-threaded message, and breathtaking language. This is a book I wish I’d been the one to write. It’s astounding.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know while writing THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE?
Samuel has become even more dear to me throughout this process of promoting my debut, honestly because of how many different ways I’ve been asked to think about him. He thinks of himself as so little, and yet, readers have lauded him as a strong, heavy-hitting character who’s left a long-lasting impression. I feel like I’ve gotten to know him more leading up to There Used to Be People Here’s release, and he isn’t even mainstream yet!

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
I went to a private school from Kindergarten to 12th grade…so, same school, thirteen years. There were a little over thirty people in my graduating class. No, I wasn’t sheltered. But I did learn so so much more about myself once I started attending college.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
Definitely Chapter [], when Samuel and Harvey confront Jessie and the story’s supernatural element is fully revealed. I definitely had the most fun writing this chapter, because it was when everything started to click together for me as the writer, too. It’s a pretty terrifying scene, too, which is always fun to write when you’re in the horror genre.

What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product?
Oh, my gosh. It’s so hard to put a single word to all of my feelings at the time. When my novel was first accepted, I was in my last semester of college graduating early. I’d just met the man who’s now my fiance, I had pretty much no money, and I didn’t want to move back home to live with my family (sorry, Mom and Dad). I’d just gotten my first taste of independence living in a one bedroom apartment, and I didn’t want to give that up. So, when I got my book deal, it was a mixture of unbelief, amazement, and relief all at once. I could stay living in my apartment, sustain my own financial needs, and chase my dream of being an author after all. All before graduation. Woohoo!!

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE

• I “pantsed” this novel. When I was writing the first draft, I did no planning, no character mapping, no plot ideas…I had no idea what was going to happen. When things started to figure themselves out, my first thought was “oh, cool!” Little did I know it’d end up being my debut just a few years later.
• This is the first time I, a queer Black woman, have written a story featuring a Black protagonist. Having grown up at a predominantly white school for thirteen years, and having mainly consumed literature that didn’t feature Black characters until college, it didn’t even cross my mind to include my skin color in my writing as a kid. This was a project where I decided to explore my own identity and who I am as an individual. A lot of that exploration bled into Samuel’s character development, too.
• Cassandra was originally Samuel’s wife. For like, three chapters. Then I realized it wouldn’t work for where I wanted to take Samuel’s character. Harvey was already a part of the story at this point, but he did get a major upgrade in terms of plot relevance.
• There was a moment when I planned to remove Cassandra’s character from the story. It was after I received my first round of beta reader feedback, and one or two of them suggested taking her out of the story. This was entirely on me, though, because the reasoning for this suggestion was that she was barely on the page before her untimely fate; she wasn’t working, and one of the solutions could’ve been to write her off the page. Obviously, I’m really, really glad I didn’t.
• Chief Kane was originally the main “villain.” He had a lot more to do with what was going on behind the scenes—a puppet of the F.B.I.—and even showed up during the final confrontation with the Taurid to stop Samuel and Harvey from going inside. I think I did right by changing his character. Now, he’s a rare case instead of another example.
• Samuel and Harvey were a lot more intimate in the first draft. During their coming out scene, things got a little more “hot and heavy” than they do in the final version. Like I mentioned, this novel was entirely unplanned, so when I was first writing, I had a little more fun in terms of what happened on the page. Upon establishing the one week timeline, though, and realizing that Samuel’s character is asexual, I decided to dial it waaaay back for this scene. I always prefer a slow burn, anyway.
• The prologue is actually an excerpt from the short story that inspired this novel. When I first started writing There Used to Be People Here, it was a continuation of a story I’d written during a fiction class in college. So, when I was asked to add a prologue to the story, I decided to go back to my roots. It’s such an incredible, full circle moment that I’m extremely proud of.
• I removed an item in this story that served as the main weapon against the taur. I’m not going to get into specifics, but in the first version, when Samuel and Harvey initially find the Taurid in the rain, they also find a device left by the F.B.I. that detects when the taur are near. In the final version, I deleted the device and instead used Samuel’s infection as a censor, which makes a lot more sense and isn’t nearly as confusing.
• Samuel and Harvey have historical counterparts. Samuel Battle was the first Black police officer in NYC. Harvey Milk was one of the first openly gay elected officials.
• In the first draft, Louise—Samuel and Cassandra’s golde labrador—didn’t make it. You can probably guess why I changed this.

When you looked in the mirror first thing this morning, what was the first thing you thought?
What day is it? Seriously. I spent two minutes trying to figure out if it was Tuesday or Wednesday. I landed firmly on Tuesday, then realized I was wrong. Give me a few minutes to wake up in the morning before trying to talk to me, please.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school?
I loved English (obviously) because of all the books I read and the authors I discovered, but history was also a subject I deeply appreciated. I almost minored in it in college, before the realization that I’d be writing essays and analyses practically every week hit me like a fire truck.

At a movie theater, which arm rest is yours?
I’m right-handed, but honestly, the left one. I like to lean in toward whoever I’m in the theater with, and typically, they’re sitting on my left side.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I have the greatest honor of living with my fiance, and we tell each other we love one another pretty much every ten minutes.

What is the first job you have had?
I worked as a team member at a movie theater for just one month before starting college. I was seventeen years old serving beer and wine, and I worked during the opening weekend of one of the Fast and Furious movies. I do not, and will ever, recommend working at a movie theater.

Best date you've ever had?
My fiance and I went to the zoo for my birthday and it was incredible. We stayed in a beautiful tiny cabin, enjoyed what’s now one of our favorite restaurants, heard a lion roar, saw a polar bear swimming laps, and split a slice of cheesecake. It’s one of my favorite memories with him.

In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.

Wenton, Mississippi: A man enters the bathroom of a local gay bar and doesn’t come back out. Instead he’s found cold, on the floor, and facing the wall. And no one seems to know how this happened.

Samuel Barkley is Wenton’s only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel’s one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it’s not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can’t seem to like…or hate. Nor with the cold, questioning eyes and fake smiles from those in town. Persistent. Judging. Wrong. Samuel is reaching his breaking point.

As his investigation leads him to a curious plane crash cover-up, Samuel’s placid existence is turned on its head. Because what crashed in Wenton isn’t a plane. There are others here. They like it here. And if Samuel can’t stop them, they will find a way to stay.

With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.

You can purchase There Used to Be People Here at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of There Used to Be People Here by Kennedy Cole.

Please comment below and share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Robin Becker Interview - Dear Connie

Photo Content from Robin Becker

Robin Becker teaches in the MFA program at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Her first novel, Brains: A Zombie Memoir, came out on HarperCollins, and her second book, Dear Connie, is forthcoming November 2026 from Cemetery Dance. Her autobiographical novel, Exit 18W, was longlisted for the 2024 Granum Foundation Prize and a finalist for both the 2024 University of New Orleans Publishing Lab Prize and Black Lawrence Press’s Big Moose Prize (2026). Excerpts from the book have appeared in Cutleaf Journal, The Forge Literary Magazine, Half and One and been nominated for a 2024 Pushcart Prize. She’s received individual Artists' Grants from the state of Minnesota, and directs the Good Thunder Reading Series, which brings acclaimed writers to small town Mankato.

      

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?
I would love to introduce my demon, Kali, to Captain Howdy/Pazuzu from The Exorcist. Captain Howdy would demolish Kali, not physically, but psychically and emotionally. Kali thinks she’s all-powerful and a real baddie. But she’s not the kind of demon we’re familiar with from hell or other possession stories. She’s softer than that and capable of human emotion: empathy, love, and desire. She likes Connie, her host, and she falls in love with a man. Ultimately, like Pinocchio, she wants to be human. Captain Howdy would mock her for that, mercilessly.

What’s one thing that readers would be surprised to find out about you?
I am a big fan of schlocky reality television: Love Is Blind; The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives; The Ultimatum. That kind of thing. Humans never cease to shock and amaze me and I always find something I can use for my characters as well. The participants say and do things I would never think of.

Which character have you enjoyed getting to know while writing DEAR CONNIE?
Kali! The book started off first person from the point of view of Connie. It was her story and dramatized her struggle to control Kali. But that wasn’t quite right. Honestly, it was a little bland. Then I switched it to third-person, but still closely following Connie. That opened up Kali a bit, as I played with narrative distance. But then Kali started to become more interesting. I tried a draft in her voice, with a mixture of first and second person, so that she’s speaking directly to Connie at times. Through that experiment, I discovered that Kali was the most interesting and dynamic character, with desires and a will that were in direct conflict with Connie. Plus, she’s much funnier than Connie ever was.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
Considering the book in its final form took fifteen years, there were many distractions. I wrote another book and a short story collection during that time. Many major life events occurred: Both my parents died; I got divorced; and I moved to Minnesota for a new job. So there wasn’t one thing, but many. Now, I have a wonderfully boring daily routine that allows me the solitude and peace of mind to write. My biggest obstacles are my own brain and my cats, who lie across my keyboard literally preventing me from typing and demanding my undivided attention.

Can you tell us when you started DEAR CONNIE, how that came about?
I began Dear Connie way back in 2010 as the follow-up novel for my first book Brains: A Zombie Memoir. The inspiration goes even further back, however. When I was way too young, under ten, my older sister had a sleepover, and I snuck downstairs and watched The Exorcist with the teenagers. I was explicitly told not to, but no one noticed me, or, if they did, I was ignored. The movie terrified and thrilled me. Every night I prayed that the devil wouldn’t take me and opened my Bible to Psalm 23 for protection. I woke up in the wee hours and crawled into my mom’s bed, until she told me I couldn’t anymore. That experience kickstarted a lifelong love of horror and a particular affinity for possession stories. I’ve been chasing that high ever since, and with Dear Connie, I was finally able to catch it.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT DEAR CONNIE.

• 1. Kali was originally called Lilith (for something like fourteen years!), but then my agent and I noticed a rush of Liliths on the market and I changed her name to Kali. Even though I miss Lilith, the name change altered her personality in interesting ways. She became more Southern, because I pronounced her name like Kaylee (in my head) and not like the Hindu Goddess.
• 2. The book is in second-person point-of-view, with Kali telling Connie the story of their life together.
• 3. The book is set in rural Arkansas where I lived for seven years, on a lake very much like Devil’s Lake. Many of the places are real places (Toad Suck Bucks; Bear’s Den Pizza; Cadron Creek; Duck Lake).
• 4. The cover is an original painting by the artist Samantha Paradise. We brainstormed on the concept and she documented the process. I love it so much that the painting is hanging in my office.
• 5. Connie’s twin brother Matt was a late development. Initially, her partner-in-crime was Malcom, her best friend since grade school. But I liked the twinning aspect of Connie and Matt and Connie and Kali. It makes the book more family-oriented.
• 6. The voice actor, Carly Robins, did a phenomenal job on the audio. I reached out to her and she loved working on the book, calling Kali and the narrative “unhinged.” And I love that. It should be my next pull quote!
• 7. Kali is funny and snarky. She’s a bit of a mean girl (mean ghoul, I should say). But I came to care for her and root for her, more than I initially did for Connie. I hope that doesn’t say something bad about me.
• 8. T.J., the love interest, was inspired by people from my own life, but also the Brad Pitt character in Thelma and Louise and Jason Stackhouse in True Blood. Gorgeous rapscallions, all of them.
• 
  
• 9. In addition to the fun and gore, Dear Connie is about family, desire, and, in a strange way, fertility and parenthood.
• 10. I wrote three different endings before deciding on the one I have now. I won’t give any spoilers though! But I finally got it right.

What is the first job you have had?
BURGER KING! Proud to say I quickly moved up from the burger board to cash register. This was in the eighties. The uniform was both corduroy and polyester.

What is your most memorable travel experience?
After I graduated high school, I lived in a VW Microbus for six months. We traveled from the east coast to California, living like hippies (even though we were punks). I wrote a book about it called Exit 18W. You can read excerpts from the book on my website—and hopefully it will be published someday.

When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I love you, dear reader.

What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
I make a conscious effort to think about the book I’m writing. I’m a firm believer in the power of the subconscious and it’s my hope that my brain will work on the narrative while I’m asleep. Sometimes it works, at least I like to believe it does.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
I went through a period of sleep paralysis when I lived in Arkansas. I’d be lying in bed in the morning trying to wake up while a skeleton carrying a scythe hung at the end of my bed, threatening me with the blade. I’d try and wake up and couldn’t. I’d scream but only in my dream. It was so vivid. The skeleton never got me though!

What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
I’m afraid of demons, of course, and other things that go bump in the night. I’m also oddly afraid of vomit. Not when I’m sick, but when someone else is. There’s even a word for it: emetophobia. It used to be so bad that I was afraid to go into public bathrooms. Even if I just heard someone throw up, I’d have all the classic symptoms of fear: racing heartbeat, flood of chemicals, anxiety. I don’t know why I have this or where it comes from, but since the advent of the internet I know I’m not the only one. There’s some solace in that. Emetophobics unite!

Dear Connie is narrated by Kali, the entity who has possessed Connie Burgess since birth. For years, Kali has been a good little demon, staying under control and killing whoever Connie tells her to: criminals, strangers, lowlifes. But when Kali falls for Connie’s new boyfriend, she stops taking orders and starts taking over.

What follows is part possession story, part crime novel, and full extremely dysfunctional love triangle, with plenty of dark humor, body horror, and gore along the way. At its center is what Publishers Weekly calls the “twisty battle of wills” between Connie and Kali over who gets to control the body they both inhabit, and, as a result, who wins the man.

You can purchase Dear Connie at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Signed Copy of Dear Connie by Robin Becker. (US Only)

Please comment below and share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Amanda Elliot Interview - Eight Ways to Say I Love You

Photo Credit: Madeline Bohrer

Amanda Elliot USA Today bestselling author Amanda Elliot lives with her family in New Jersey, where she experiments with homemade ice cream flavors, tries her best to grow vegetables in her tiny garden, and writes mysteries under the name Bellamy Rose.

      

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing? 

I hear so often from people who want to write a book but "don't have time." Make time! Even if you can only write for 15 minutes a day, or if you can only set aside a half hour on weekends, that's okay. There's no race to the finish line. Eventually you'll have written a book.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book? 

I was in the first trimester of my second pregnancy with no childcare for my toddler when I wrote the first draft, and it was so hard coming up with food descriptions when I was nauseous all the time and didn't want to eat anything! I was also so tired that sometimes had to admit defeat on hitting my daily word count while my toddler napped and take a nap myself instead.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why? 

The epilogue. It's hard to say why without spoilers, but it really ties the rest of the book up with the sparkliest holiday bow.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us? 

I think that stories help us make sense of our own lives and figure out who we are in relation to the world.

Can you tell us when you started EIGHT WAYS TO SAY I LOVE YOU, how that came about? 

After my last Hanukkah book, LOVE YOU A LATKE, did well, my publisher asked if I had another Hanukkah book in me. Unrelated, I'd also been feeling an itch to write a romance set over many years where the reader pops in to check on the characters every so often. I wasn't sure I had another Hanukkah book in me, but then I realized I could combine those two ideas and write a Hanukkah book where we checked in with the characters every Hanukkah over several years, and this book was born.

WRITING BEHIND THE SCENES
My favorite part of when I first start writing is coming up with character names. I'm a bit of a name nerd and really enjoy following name trends and how they relate to places and times (the day the Social Security Administration releases its yearly most popular baby names list is not quite my Christmas, but it is a very exciting day). So it's important to me that my characters not only have names that fit them as people but that their names make sense for when and where they were born – it's a major pet peeve of mine when I'm reading a book that, for example, is supposed to follow modern-day teenagers but they all have names like Amy and Jessica and Ashley, which were popular when I was a kid rather than when these kids were born.

In Eight Ways, I knew an important part of Shira's journey was going to be drifting away from and then coming back to her Jewishness, so I wanted her to have an identifiably Jewish name. She's also someone who likes to stand out in a crowd, so I didn't want her name to be super common. Shira means song, and I really liked that for her, since she's the kind of character who says what she thinks and loudly celebrates the things she cares about. Meanwhile, Leo spends the book figuring out who he is and what he cares about. I thought it would be fun for him to have a "cool" name, one that's popular now ie. that readers are naming their kids, which means my generation thinks that it's cool, but also that had a secret bit of nerdery – he goes by Leo but his full name is Leonard, which he's embarrassed about. He's insecure about who he is at the beginning of the book, and I thought that specifically hiding his full name and going by a nickname was a way to demonstrate that. For most of the side characters, I pulled up the SSA name list from the year I calculated they would've been born and scrolled through until I found something that clicked.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

What time are my kids going to sleep to today?

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

I was a nerd who liked most subjects, but I really liked psychology and history, because I was fascinated by other people and the things they did and why.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid. 

I love food, but not having to decide what I'm going to eat and what every member of my family is going to eat three times a day every day.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

I've been lucky enough to go on some great trips, but my favorite was going to Tanzania on safari.

A spark of attraction burns brighter each year between childhood friends in this sweeping Hanukkah romance by USA Today bestselling author Amanda Elliot.

This Hanukkah, Shira Levinson is returning home to New Jersey riding the high of achieving major milestones. Though she only just graduated from college, she’s got her dream job and a perfect Los Angeles apartment—an actual miracle in the city of dreams.

Life has not been quite as kind to Leo David. Not only did he fail out of college, he was forced to move in with his estranged dad, who he still hates for cheating on his mom years ago. The only silver lining? Getting to see Shira, his childhood friend (and crush, though he’ll never tell her that) while she’s home for her family’s holiday party.

But that’s just the beginning. Over the next eight years, Shira’s and Leo’s lives spin them in all sorts of directions as they grow and change, taking them places they never imagined going. Sometimes those paths take them farther away from each other, and other times closer together. If they can only time it right, they might uncover a love that burns forever.

You can purchase For at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Eight Ways to Say I Love You by Amanda Elliot.

Please comment below and share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Zoe Allison Interview - The Christmas Competition

Photo Content from Zoe Allison

Zoe Allison lives in Scotland with her husband and two children, having been brought up in a mixed race family in Yorkshire.

Growing up, Zoe enjoyed stories about falling in love. But rather than being rescued by a knight in shining armour she imagined herself fighting dragons alongside him, battling supervillains as heroic allies, or teaming up to dive into perilous waters and save the day.

As an adult, Zoe became a doctor. But as time passed she craved a creative outlet to counter the soul sapping burnout that her career inflicted upon her, and also to achieve the happy endings that were so often lacking in the real world. She wanted to create heroines who represented her and her values, as well as heroes who truly love women—men who find their true love inspiring, want to connect with her as a soulmate, and fully open themselves to her on an emotional level. And so, Zoe began to write romance.

       

Greatest thing you learned at school. 

Being a book nerd is awesome, no matter what anyone says!

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill? 

I never thought of myself as a creative during my childhood and early adulthood because I went down the science route and chose to go to medical school. Then when my children were small and I hadn’t read fiction in years I won a Sarah Morgan eBook, and reading it reignited my love of romance books. I read more of her works and it inspired me to write my own romances. It was only then that I remembered my love of creative writing coursework at high school and how I’d gotten an A grade for my English Language qualification. I realised that the creative writing bug had been there all along!

Beyond your own work (of course), what is your all-time favorite book and why? And what is your favorite book outside of your genre? 

I think my favorite romance book (though it’s very hard to choose!) might be The Dating Game by Sally Thorne. It has the perfect enemies to lovers tension (one of my favorite tropes) plus is set in a very vividly portrayed literary world. It also has a nice sprinkling of spice which I prefer in the romances that I read (though I do also read closed door).

My favourite book outside my genre is probably One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night by Christopher Brookmyre. It’s about a school reunion on an oil rig going wrong when terrorists take over and there’s a brilliant dichotomy between that dark situation and the comedy of old schoolmates meeting up as adults! I also love the Scottish humor in the book (the author is Scottish).

If you could have written one book in history, what book would that be? 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I love the book and I also love all of the TV/movie adaptations, especially the 1995 one which is a comfort watch of mine.

What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book? 

Social media! It’s the bane of my life. It’s hard to get the balance between doing the right amount of posting on my author accounts and then getting caught aimlessly scrolling.

What chapter was the most memorable to write and why? 

The chapter where Nisa and Kerr have started to build bridges and they go for a wild swim in a nearby loch. The first kiss scene takes place on a picnic blanket at the loch-side post-swim and the I loved the idea of that scene so much that I commissioned my first piece of character art based on it—and the finished product was gorgeous.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes? 

The Snow Crystal trilogy by Sarah Morgan. The first in the trilogy was the book I won an eBook version of and it sparked a renewed love for reading romance and that lead on to me becoming inspired to write romance. Without that first book I might not be a romance author today.

Why is storytelling so important for all of us? 

I think storytelling is a form of therapy. For me writing romance is like a balm for the soul and it soothes the burnout of my career in Medicine. I escape into my stories and can sculpt the happy endings that often elude us in real life. I think of it as sending out positivity and it feels good to be creating little sparks of joy in the world.

Can you tell us when you started THE CHRISTMAS COMPETITION how that came about? 

Our village (also in Scotland) used to have a house decorating competition every Christmas and interested parties would enter their houses and then judges would walk round on a specified evening pre-Christmas to decide the winner. Each year I noticed that a couple of main contenders (not too far from one another) would add more and more outlandish decorations to their houses year on year and it sparked an idea—what if two houses owned by love interests were in competition with each other to win the contest? And the idea for The Christmas Competition was born!

What were your feelings when your first novel was accepted/when you first saw the cover of the finished product? 

I was absolutely ecstatic to be accepted and when I first saw the cover I was blown away because it was so gorgeous and exactly what I had wanted.

MEET THE CHARACTERS
Nisa Ansari is a nurse in the Scottish Highlands whose husband left her because he said her big personality was "too much". Unfortunately her hopes of a reconciliation were somewhat dashed when he then started a relationship with the ex-girlfriend of Nisa's neighbor across the street - her much hated neighbor, the grumpy town veterinarian Kerr Murdoch. As with many things in life (including "The Incident" which occurred a couple of years previously), Nisa blames Kerr for this turn of events. Then when the inaugural town Christmas house decorating contest is announced, and Nisa believes that Kerr might be attempting to sabotage her winning, she declares war. War which results in some seriously inconvenient chemistry…

QUOTE
When he didn’t immediately answer, heat flushed through my body. I bent to open the letter box and yell through it, “Don’t pretend that you can’t hear me, Kerr Murdoch!”

Footsteps sounded and some movement became apparent behind the small glass window in the door. It rushed open with a blast of warm air and then he was standing there, wearing a fitted black T-shirt that hugged his biceps and a pair of soft-looking black and gray checked fleecy trousers. No socks. Why did his bare feet look sexy? Oh my God, woman. Pull yourself together.

I opened my mouth but the sound died in my throat because he was looking at me darkly, lips parted, as he raked his gaze down my figure and back up again. I couldn’t tell if he was taken aback by my odd shoes or wanted to murder me, or both. Even so, something about the look in his hooded, broody eyes, framed by the dark knit of his brow, made something flicker in my chest.

I tossed my hair over my shoulder in an effort to get my mojo back and his dark eyes widened, his throat bobbing. “What can I do for you, Nisa?” he asked, his voice even deeper than usual. And kind of scratchy. Perhaps he was coming down with a cold.

I took a brave step forward, pressing my index finger right in the middle of his chest for emphasis. His chest seemed to push back, making my finger tingle. I couldn’t help but notice the definition of his muscles.

Oh my goodness, why was he so solid? Was he wearing armor under there? The press of my finger stretched the material of his black tee tighter across his chest, accentuating the line of his pecs, and my eyes about stood out on stalks as I dropped my hand like I’d been burned.

Kerr Murdoch is the introverted town veterinarian who, in Nisa’s words, has a “handsome grumpy face, black wavy hair, dark chocolate-colored eyes, and a ridiculously good physique for a town vet”. Kerr enters the Christmas decorating contest in memory of his late mother, who used to love Christmas decorations. But his arch-nemesis Nisa, whose house overlooks his, is getting more and more extravagant with her Christmas decorations. They’d never seen eye-to-eye since “The Incident” but he didn’t think she’d do all this just to spite him... Surely she can’t blame him that his ex is now living with hers, and they’re both facing a Christmas alone?

QUOTE
Nisa looked away from my house without reaction, and in the split second that my heart sank at her lack of reaction, she did a double take, staring over at where my inflatable Santa, twin to hers, bobbed happily in the light winter wind.

Her face turned to stone and I lip-read an expletive that would have had old Mrs. Henderson clutching at her pearls and made me feel a bit less guilty about how tired she’d appeared prior to the look of thunder she now sported on her face.

I held my breath as I awaited her next move.

Nisa shoved her bag back into her car, slammed the door shut, and began marching in my direction.

“Shite,” I muttered, ducking down and literally commando crawling across my living room floor to make it to the hallway without her spying me through the window on her approach.

I’d just made it into the hallway and clambered to my feet when the doorbell rang, followed immediately by a second, and then a third ring by the time I reached the door. I grasped the handle and painted a neutral expression on my face as I pulled it open.

A wisp of citrusy floral scent danced briefly with my senses but wafted away as quickly as it came, before I had chance to fully register it. My eyes settled on her—the shiny dark mane of her hair studded with tiny jewels of snow, which I just realized had begun to fall. Her face was like stone, but her almond-shaped eyes were fierce and alive.

What is the first job you have had? 

My first job was age 16-17 working in a sports store. I was on the section that sold trainers (sneakers) despite not knowing anything about trainers!

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

Watching Saturday night TV with my family. We would watch things like gameshows, The A Team, and The Golden Girls.

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

Science and English Language were my favorites. I loved doing experiments in Chemistry and I also loved reading and analyzing texts such as Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and Thomas Hardy’s Far from the Madding Crowd.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

I think I would stick with the 80s, the era in which I was actually a kid. I don’t think I would like to grow up with the pressures of social media and that didn’t exist in the 80s.

Name one thing you miss about being a kid. 

Not having to do any adulting! It was nice to not take responsibility for the grown-up stuff but just concentrate on what was fun.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

How tired I am and how much I want to go back to bed! Also, coffee.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

Flying over a volcano in a light aircraft in New Zealand with just my husband and the pilot.

What's your most missed memory? 

When my kids were tiny. I’ve loved every stage of them growing but as time goes on, I miss the baby cuddles.

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today? 

Getting signed for my first book and realizing that I was a creative person after all, and perhaps an ok writer!

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go? 

It’s a toss-up between being a kid watching the Saturday night TV with my family (or Christmas morning!) and being on maternity leave with my second baby and my toddler.

If you could be born into history as any famous person who would it be and why? 

Currently I would choose Hannah Waddingham, because she is beautiful, talented, funny, and an all-round powerhouse.

At a movie theater which arm rest is yours? 

Right side

What event in your life would make a good movie? 

There are a number of events from when I was a junior doctor but I think it would make a pretty harrowing movie!

What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh? 

Watching season four of Ted Lasso with my husband. I laughed out loud at the scene where the Diamond Dogs had a reunion!

What is your greatest adventure? 

My husband and I went on a tour of the north and south islands of New Zealand when we were younger, and also on a separate trip we learned to scuba dive in Australia. Both were amazing adventures.

Long time nemeses and rival neighbors butt heads in a fierce competition for first place in their neighborhood’s Christmas house-decorating competition in this high-spirited holiday romance.

The local rumor mill in Nisa Ansari’s small highland town is swirling about the downfall of her marriage, and in desperate need of a distraction, she enters her town’s Christmas house-decorating competition. The competition comes with the added bonus of getting on neighbor Kerr Murdoch’s last nerve. It’s the least she could do, considering her ex-husband left Nisa for Kerr’s girlfriend. And maybe if Kerr smiled or cracked a joke—just once!—his girlfriend would’ve stayed, and Nisa wouldn’t find herself alone during the holidays.

Introverted Kerr has trouble feeling comfortable around people he doesn’t know well. Newly single, he decorates his house in remembrance of his mother, who always had a soft spot for Christmas lights. But when Nisa’s and Kerr’s decorations end up nearly identical, he incurs Nisa’s wrath.

This means all-out war, complete with gaudy wreaths, twinkle lights, and too many reindeer to count. Never mind that Nisa can’t keep her eyes off Kerr’s toned forearms. Or ignore that he’s a pet-loving veterinarian with a heart of gold. After conceding to her husband’s wishes for years, Nisa is determined to get her way. But as Christmas draws near, Nisa must decide what she actually wants: the familiar rivalry she’s had for years with Kerr, or opening herself up to the chance to fall in love with someone new.

You can purchase The Christmas Competition at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of The Christmas Competition by Zoe Allison.

Please comment below and share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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Patrick Ness Interview - Piper at the Gates of Dusk

Photo Credit: Stephen Daly

Born in Virginia and raised in Hawaii and the state of Washington, Patrick Ness is the author of seven novels and a short story collection. He has won the Carnegie Medal twice, The Guardian Children’s Fiction Prize, and the Costa Children’s Book Award. In 2012 his bestselling novel A Monster Calls became the first ever to win both the Kate Greenaway and Carnegie Medals. His books are published in more than 20 languages. He lives in London.

         

When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill?
It’s the odd thing that in school, when I wrote a story, I was very surprised that people often responded how I hoped they would. They’d laugh or they’d be shocked or they’d like it. I can’t sing at all, but I imagine it’s how people who sing well feel when they sing. Maybe I might be good at this… It was a big surprise. I never expected it.

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
Genuinely, all I ever dreamed of was holding a hardcover book in my hand that I’d written. I never thought it was possible, but I wrote a book anyway (see below for key advice!). And one day, the box came in the mail, and there was my book. Honestly, that was the peak moment. Everything since has been extra cake!

What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
My advice is always: “Real writers don’t write, they write anyway.” You don’t think someone will ever publish your book? Write one anyway. You don’t think anyone will ever film your screenplay? Write one anyway. That’s truly how it works. Real writers write anyway. And that’s how the magic happens.

Has reading a book ever changed your life? Which one and why, if yes?
In high school, I read a book called JITTERBUG PERFUME by the author Tom Robbins (who recently passed away). I’d read all the books I was “supposed” to read growing up, plus a huge helping of stuff I liked to read and stuff I had to sneak (like Stephen King, lots of Stephen King). But Jitterbug Perfume was the first “proper” novel I read that dared to be playful and a little bit rude and clearly have fun with its story and its writing. That was a revelation. I thought, “We’re allowed to do this?” And I never looked back.

Can you tell us when you started PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK, how that came about?
I never expected to write more in the world of Chaos Walking. Honestly, I always said “never say never” but I kind of meant never. And then one day I got an idea about the Pied Piper story and about the kid who gets left behind. Kind of annoyingly, actually! Because I never intended to go back to Chaos Walking, yet there the idea was. Sometimes that’s just how it goes. And out came Piper at the Gates of Dusk.

What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
That they can surprise you. If you get your characters talking or acting, then they can do things you never expected. It’s a real joy and real help for plot and storytelling. Let your characters be free. You’ll be amazed where they take you.

TEN RANDOM FACTS ABOUT PIPER AT THE GATES OF DUSK

• 1. The title is taken from a chapter in The Wind in the Willows called “Piper at the Gates of Dawn”. Pink Floyd used this chapter for the title of one of their albums, and I changed it from dawn to dusk because it’s book one: we’re entering the darkness…
• 2. Burly the Mayor may remind of certain Mayors that have already existed in the world.
• 3. Ben, one of the main characters, is named after another character in the Chaos Walking series (who also makes an appearance in Piper).
• 4. It’s the shortest Chaos Walking book so far, and the truth is, it’s harder to write a short book than it is a long book!
• 5. The next book in the trilogy, The Vault of Heaven, is a lot longer.
• 6. A certain horse you may remember from the original trilogy also makes a cameo appearance.
• 7. Jim Kay – the amazing illustrator of A Monster Calls – drew the incredible endpapers that you’ll find in the hardback.
• 8. The character Bessie Jaye got her name from the winner of an auction benefitting trans rights charities.
• 9. The battlemore is, and has always been, basically a battle rhinoceros. Rhinos are my favorite animal.
• 10. I stole the name Kilfoyle from a friend, because it’s just too good a name not to be used fictionally. They’re both teachers, but the similarity ends there.

What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? 

 I was a kid in the 70s and 80s. They were both okay.

What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning? 

Try to be a happy person today.

What is your most memorable travel experience? 

First trip to Australia when I was 21. Solo and amazing and mind-blowing. I wrote a short story based on it.

Have you ever stood up for someone you hardly knew? 

I stand up for trans people all the time on my social media. I think it’s what anyone decent would do.

First Love? 

My kindergarten teacher, Mrs Nishimoto. I loved her with a passion that only a five year old can muster.

What is your happiest childhood memory? 

 Basically anything involving Hawaiian shave ice (I live there as a kid)

What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why? 

Math, because it was controllable, and I was an anxious kid.

Two-time Carnegie Medalist Patrick Ness makes a thrilling return to the world of Chaos Walking with this launch of the extraordinary New World trilogy, in a deluxe package with sprayed edges and endpapers illustrated by Jim Kay.

It’s been twenty years since the monstrous war that almost tore New World apart, and there’s a new generation on the planet. Todd and Viola’s sons Ben and Max have known only peace growing up on the family farm outside a bustling human settlement. They dream of the usual things, like school and adventure, until the nightmares begin . . .

A sudden sickness has infected the young people of New World with Noise in the form of their worst thoughts about themselves. Some suspect the Spackle, the indigenous people with whom humans have a very uneasy truce. Others wonder about a connection to a mysterious object looming in the sky. And then, one by one, the children of New World begin to disappear.
Ben, with his mother’s logical mind, and Max, with his father’s courageous heart, become caught up in separate quests for answers, journeys that will test their beliefs in their parents, each other, and in their very existence on the planet.

Patrick Ness makes a masterful return to New World in this timely work of science fiction, one that looks at the interplay of fear, power, and propaganda, and at the stories we tell ourselves.

You can purchase Piper at the Gates of Dusk at the following Retailers:

        

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Piper at the Gates of Dusk by Patrick Ness.

Please comment below/share on Instagram to enter and tag JeanBookNerd.

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