Kathleen Peacock Author Interview

Book Nerd Interview

Kathleen Peacock spent her teen years crushing on authors and writing short stories about vampires. She put her writing dreams on hold while attending college, but tripped over them when office life started leaving her with an allergy to cubicles. Her debut, HEMLOCK, is coming May 8th, 2012 from Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of Harper Collins, and will be published in the UK under the title DEADLY HEMLOCK from Simon and Schuster Children’s Books.

The Other (less official) Stuff
I’m obsessed with Chuck Taylors.
I make Bella Swan look graceful and coordinated.
I have a diploma in graphic design and have had illustrations published in Applied Arts, the premiere magazine for Canadian design and visual communications.
I used to think moleskin notebooks were made out of actual mole skin.
Never engage me in a debate about Star Wars unless you have plenty of time on your hands.
I like sentence fragments. And watermelon. Both are tasty.
Mood boosting songs: “I Don’t Feel Like Dancing” by Scissor Sisters, “Via con me” by Paolo Conte, “When You Were Young” by The Killers.
I believe the Goonies really ‘r’ good enough.

Social Media

Website

   

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Tell us your latest news.

Since this will be posted on May 12th, I guess my latest news is (will be?) that Hemlock came out four days ago.

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way?

I think it’s safe to say that Anne Rice’s early Vampire Chronicles novels—especially The Vampire Lestat—had an influence on my writing. As a teenager, I found the (then just four books) series fascinating and flipped through the books so often that I had to mend the cover of the second one with scotch tape. Her vampires were, first and foremost, complex characters struggling to find meaning in their existence and that’s something I hope I accomplish in my own writing.

I also think my love of movies has had an impact on the way I write dialogue. In the days before iPods—and long before I thought about writing professionally—I would sometimes make audio cassettes of films like When Harry Met Sally or The Goodbye Girl to listen to while out on walks.

When did you write your first book and how old were you?

I made my first attempt in the sixth grade. I managed about 35 handwritten pages before tossing in the towel—probably because it was cutting into my Sweet Valley High time.

For those who are unfamiliar with your novel; Hemlock, how would you introduce it?

In a world where werewolves are the product of a global epidemic, seventeen year old Mackenzie Dobson sets out to investigate the murder of her best friend, Amy. But as Mac digs into Amy’s death, she uncovers secrets that will test her faith in everyone and ultimately leave her questioning who the real monsters are.

Do you have plans for a new book? Is this book part of a series?

Hemlock is actually the first book in a trilogy.

Do you have a favorite quote that you keep visible in your work environment to help inspire you?

I have a little wall plaque that says has a quote from Peter Pan. “All you need is faith, trust and a little bit of pixie dust.”

Did you learn anything from writing Mackenzie and what was it?

I feel like I should say something really deep here, but all that’s coming to mind is the voltage on a standard Taser…

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why?

I just finished I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga and part of me thinks Mac and Jazz would make an interesting—albeit beyond damaged—pair.

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

The internet. I sometimes run away from things when I get nervous or scared or my confidence is low (all things which happen to me frequently when writing). The internet gave me a ton of escape options—all without leaving my chair. About midway through revisions, I decided enough was enough and took my writing computer permanently offline.

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 can only pick one? Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason because I am in love, forever and always, with Mark Darcy and because the bit where Bridget interviews Collin Firth never fails to make me laugh. And it’s outside my genre.

When asked, what’s the one question you always answer with a lie?

“Are you listening to me?” Because, let’s face it, if they need to ask, chances are I’m not listening at all (not that I’d ever admit it).

Where and when do you prefer to do your writing?

In my home office. Usually sometime between mid-afternoon and 4:00 am.

If you could be any mythology creature, what would you be?

A unicorn. A chubby, uncoordinated unicorn.

What’s the worst job you’ve had?

Since every job I’ve had since college came with a non-disclosure agreement, I’ll just leave you with a quote from Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris: “We were fractious and overpaid. Our mornings lacked promise. At least those of us who smoked had something to look forward to at ten-fifteen.”

What is your favorite Holiday and why?

Halloween. I don’t know why, exactly, but I’ve always loved it. Possibly it’s the intoxicating combination of fallen leaves, free candy, and costumes.

Where can readers stalk you?

Website: www.kathleenpeacock.com
Twitter: @kathleenpeacock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4124788.Kathleen_Peacock
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KathleenPeacockBooks

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Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered.

Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:

A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spellbinding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

Kathleen Peacock’s Hemlock carries a refreshing loom to the werevolves genre. Set in a world where the government announces the existence of werewolves and all who are infected are put together in “werewolf” camps. The premise is so simple yet it created such a great story plot that will have readers guessing throughout the book.

The epidemic is spreading fast and when Mackenzie (Mac) Dobs’ town of Hemlock is hit with a series of murders by werewolves, her best friend Amy becomes the latest victim. Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, is determined to find her murderer even if he has to deceive people along the way. A group of werewolf hunters, called Trackers, viciously comes to their town in the search of finding werewolves. Mac’s willpower is just as strong as Jason’s as she is willing to do anything to find the killer or killers. Her investigation leads to a discovery about some of the people closest to her that may be tied to Amy’s murder.

Kathleen created a very intense and fast-paced story that will instantly hook its reader from the very first paragraphs. The characters are written with such great deliberation that connecting with them came easily. The evil-doers in this book are very sinister, which is very important in this kind of story. Hemlock delivered a lot of action, suspense, and mystery. Although the romance is not the main focus, I found the love triangle to be high-quality. Hemlock is the perfect book to start off the series. This is a must read and I am sure that the second book will not disappoint.

You can purchase Hemlock at the following Retailers:

    

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And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you Kathleen for making this giveaway possible.
You must enter all my giveaways HERE to qualify.

1 Winner will receive a copy of Hemlock, Signed Bookmark & Stickers by Kathleen Hemlock.

1 Winner will receive one Signed Bookmark by Kathleen Peacock.

a Rafflecopter giveaway