Kendare Blake Author Interview

Photo Content from Kendare Blake

KENDARE BLAKE is an import from South Korea who was raised in the United States by caucasian parents. You know, that old chestnut. She received a Bachelor's degree in Business from Ithaca College and a Master's degree in Writing from Middlesex University in London. She brakes for animals, the largest of which was a deer, which sadly didn't make it, and the smallest of which was a mouse, which did, but it took forever. Amongst her likes are Greek Mythology, rare red meat and veganism. She also enjoys girls who can think with the boys like Ayn Rand, and boys who scare the morality into people, like Bret Easton Ellis.

        

What was the greatest thing you learned at school? 

To just eat the damn hot lunch. Also, how to do math. Because that’s something I would NEVER have done on my own. 

Is there such a thing as a formula for storytelling? 

I don’t think so. Unless it’s really generic like, “tell a good story.” Or, “one part inspiration, three parts perspiration, two parts plot and a dash of luck.”

What are “Character Rules” and give us some examples. 

Characters should be real. Unless they’re meant to be unreal. Like if you want them to be a metaphor, or representative of something. Characters’ dialogue should ring true while still belonging in the story. Unless it’s highly stylized. Characters should grow. Unless they’re static.

There aren’t really any hard set rules. But if you want realistic characters, make sure you do your homework. People watch, and daydream.

What are some of the common challenges that new and experienced authors face and what advice do you have for over-coming them? 

The most common challenge is rejection. It never goes away. The threat of rejection, of flopping out of writing, is always there. It’s just part of the process. Take your lumps, and keep on doing what you’re doing. And then there’s criticism. This is harder for some to take than others, but it’s necessary for everybody. Figure out how you handle it best, and indulge in a sulky treat when you don’t handle it so well J

In your book, Anna Dressed in Blood; can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about the novel? 

Anna Dressed in Blood is about teenage ghost killer Cas Lowood, and his hunt of Anna Dressed in Blood. But he has no idea what he’s in for.

What was one of the most surprising things you learned in creating Cas? 

Cas actually didn’t surprise me. Carmel, the queen bee, surprised me. I thought she’d die. Cas, he played by the rules. Did what I expected. He’s a good character to write.

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

I don’t. I’ve heard that people do that, but I have no idea what quote I would use. All the quotes I love are really depressing.

If you could introduce Anna to any character from another book, who would it be and why? 

I would introduce her to the villain in Joe Hill’s HORNS. And then I would have her kill him. Because I effing hate that guy. So, to summarize, I’d pretty much just use her as a personal literary hit girl.

What are some of your current and future projects that you can share with us? 

Well, GIRL OF NIGHTMARES, the end of Cas and Anna’s story, comes out next week. And then I start a new trilogy next August, called ANTIGODDESS. It’s about dying Greek gods in the modern world and the reincarnated teen heroes that get caught in their war.

What question are you never asked in interviews but wish you were? 

I used to say “If Cas was an ice cream flavor, what flavor would he be?” But then someone asked me that. So, I don’t know. FYI, he would be Rocky Road.

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

I try not to answer anything with a lie!! But let me think…No, seriously, I’m usually pretty honest.

If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would surprise me the most? 

I really wish I had a more interesting closet. Maybe…all the high heeled shoes?

When was the last time you cried? 

Had to be during a movie. I think during Never Let Me Go, with Andrew Garfield and Kiera Knightley and what’s her name that I can’t remember. Carey Mulligan.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had? 

I just had one a while ago where I was somewhere that everything was wrong. Something was wrong. It wasn’t safe to be out. And I saw this black lab walking backward.

Who is the first person you call when you have a bad day? 

My husband? My mom? My best friends? Depends on the problem, really. Sometimes it’s my cat.

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life

Praise for ANNA DRESSED IN BLOOD

“Abundantly original, marvelously inventive and enormous fun, this can stand alongside the best horror fiction out there. We demand sequels.” ―Kirkus Reviews, starred review

“Anna Dressed in Blood is a dark and intricate tale, with a hero who kills the dead but is half in love with death himself. By the end of the book, you will be too. Spellbinding and romantic.” ―Cassandra Clare, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Mortal Instruments series

“Cinematic and compelling. Blake's smooth combination of gore and romance should have little problem attracting the Twilight crowd.” ―Booklist

“It's the old boy-meets-girl story, if the boy is a wry, self-destructive ghost-hunter bent on avenging his father and the girl is a homicidal ghost trapped in a house full of everyone she's ever murdered. Needless to say, Cas and Anna are my new favorite twosome. When I got to the last page, I flipped back to the first.” ―Holly Black, New York Times bestselling author of Red Glove

Kendare Blake’s Anna Dressed in Black is a suspenseful story of vengeance. This creepy book is told from the refreshing male point of view of Theseus Cassio Lowood, otherwise known as Cas. At the age of seven, a ghost killed his father. Seeking vengeance, he travels from town to town killing ghosts that harm people. This mission leads him to meet some extraordinary people who try to work together and figure out the very vicious Anna Korlov, aka Anna Dressed in Blood.

The book is full of ghosts that will rattle your bones to its core. The creepiness factor is in full gear that it is just too difficult to put down. Kendare’s descriptions of these frightening encounters are truly intriguing and mesmerizing at the same time. As Cas goes further along on his mission, readers find themselves drawn to his will and determination. When the moment arrives when they meet Anna, it is unforgettably the most terrifying encounter.

Anna was truly down-right deadly and malicious. Kendare’s writing style was able to deliver a clear picture of Anna’s deadly demeanor. The interactions between characters felt genuinely real and each were given their own personality. The theme of friendship and loyalty is strong.

Kendare is a master story-teller. Anna Dressed in Blood is the perfect ghost story book. The supernatural aspect is brilliantly done. Although it belongs in the YA paranormal genre, it is definitely dark and creepy. I am certain the next installment, Girl of Nightmares, will be just as good as the first. Plenty of murders and intense situation to read about. The gore and f-bombs are in abundance but did not take anything away from the story. This is one of those rare books that will lead you down a path, grabs you by the wrist, and leads you to a road of excitement and intense horror.

You can purchase Anna Dressed in Blood at the following Retailers:

    

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you KENDARE BLAKE for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a copy of Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.

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