Interview with Kady Cross and Giveaway - July 22, 2011

Please welcome Kady Cross to The Qwillery.

TQ:  Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?

Kady:  There are so many! I love Jane Austen, Oscar Wilde and the Brontes, but I also enjoy Stephen King, Neil Gaiman and a host of others. My influences would have to be Sidney Sheldon, Judy Blume, Stephen King, Amanda Quick ... I'm probably missing some, and I just realized what a strange list that is!

TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantster?

Kady:  Definitely a little of both, but mostly a plotter. I love to plot.

TQ:  What appeals to you about steampunk?

Kady:  The freedom of it. It's such an 'open' genre. My steampunk is nothing like someone else's steampunk. It's a genre that can be very dark and gritty or light and funny. To me the essence of steampunk is a fear of change mixed with the hope and wonder of technology. Sometimes good things come out of the lab, and sometimes things that aren't good at all...

TQ:  Describe The Girl in the Steel Corset in 140 characters or less.

Kady:  Jekyll and Hyde meets Teen Titans.

TQ:  What inspired you to write The Girl in the Steel Corset?

Kady:  I wanted to write young adult, but I didn't want to write vampires or wolves. I love both those things, but I was itching to do something different. I love superheroes and had just read League of Extraordinary Gentlemen and wanted to do something like that -- or not quite so brutal!

TQ:  What sort of research did you do to create the world in the novel?

Kady:  l continued with my Victorian research from my adult books, added in some on evolution, organisms that can live below ground, and the steampunk genre. I also read some authors that would be considered Victorian science fiction.

TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in The Girl in the Steel Corset?

Kady:  When Finley finds Griffin in the fountain and carries him back to the house. He's so embarrassed to be carried by a girl! I love how that scene sums them up. She's physically stronger than him, but the devastation of his power is all around them. It shows that Griffin really has no idea how powerful he really is -- and that he's got hang ups. Plus -- to me -- it reveals so much of what they're going to be to one another. They're going to always be there for each other, but it won't be easy.

TQ:  In The Girl in the Steel Corset, who was the most difficult character to write and why? The easiest and why?

Kady:  The hardest was Griffin because he needed to be more Bruce Wayne than Clark Kent. It's hard to write good and honorable without making him seem like a boy scout. He needed to be edgy, but heroic. The easiest was Jack because Jack could just be whoever he wanted to be. Jack is the type who always has a reason for doing the things he does. He threatened to steal the entire book, so I had to tone him down. Still, there are readers who fell completely in love with Mr. Dandy!

TQ:  Who should play Finley Jayne and Griffin King if the novel is made into a movie?

Kady:  Emma Watson would make a great Finley, and Rob Pattison could easily play Griff. Of course, there are a ton of fabulous young actors out there who could do a wonderful job. Maybe some day I'll see my characters brought to life!

TQ:  How many books are planned for the series?

Kady:  I have 5 planned, with the final book being Jack Dandy's story.

TQ:  What's next?

Kady:  The Girl in the Clockwork Collar comes out next year. It's Jasper's story. Finley and Griffin are viewpoint characters as well. Finley will always be one of the 'main' characters, just because I see this as her journey. Anyway, the book is set in historical New York City. I like to think there's more insight into the characters, and you definitely get to see some changes in Griffin - and the beginning of a mystery with him that will span a couple of books before getting resolved. After that is book 3, which has no title as of yet, and will have Sam and Emily at the center of it.

TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery

Kady:  Thanks so much for having me!


About The Steampunk Chronicles

The Strange Case of Finley Jayne
Steampunk Chronicles Prequel
(Harlequin, May 2011)

Finley Jayne knows she's not 'normal'. Normal girls don't lose time, or have something inside them that makes them capable of remarkably violent things. Her behavior has already cost her one job, so when she's offered the lofty position of companion to Phoebe, a debutante recently engaged to Lord Vincent, she accepts, despite having no experience. Lord Vincent is a man of science with his automatons and inventions, but Finley is suspicious of his motives where Phoebe is concerned. She will do anything to protect her new friend, but what she discovers is even more monstrous than anything she could have imagined…

An ebook exclusive prequel to The Steampunk Chronicles.

Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Kobo

The Girl in the Steel Corset

The Steampunk Chronicles 1
(Harlequin Teen, May 24, 2011)

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one…except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch….

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on—even if it seems no one believes her.

Amazon : Barnes & Noble : Book Depository : Indie Bound


About Kady

In her other life Kady Cross is a USA Today bestselling author of more than 20 books. She is lucky enough to have a husband who shares her love for the slightly twisted, and all things geek, and a houseful of cats with whom she shares her darkest secrets. When she’s not listening to the characters in her head she’s either trying to formulate the perfect lipgloss or teaching herself to solder. She has a weakness for all things girly, sugar skulls, and boots. Her love of books and makeup borders on addiction – from which she never, ever wants to be cured.

Kady's Links:

Website
Twitter



The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win from a signed copy of The Girl in the Steel Corset and a steampunk necklace, Radioactive, from The Qwillery.  The necklace was made by Synde of Cemetery Cat Jewelry for this giveaway.

Photo and description courtesy of Cemetery Cat Designs

Watch ephemera hands and gears, all perch on a pocket watch body. A faceted pyrite stone highlights. Brass chain has hearts and clock gears nested within. Perfect for taking on your favorite gaslamp villain...
17"

How:  Leave a comment answering the following question:

Have you ever read any steampunk?

Please remember - if you don't answer the question your entry will not be counted.

You may receive additional entries by:

1) Being a Follower of The Qwillery.

2) Mentioning the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter. Even if you mention the giveaway on both, you will get only one additional entry. You get only one additional entry even if you mention the giveaway on Facebook and/or Twitter multiple times.

3) Mentioning the giveaway on your on blog or website. It must be your own blog or website; not a website that belongs to someone else or a site where giveaways, contests, etc. are posted.

There are a total of 4 entries you may receive: Comment (1 entry), Follower (+1 entry), Facebook and/or Twitter (+ 1 entry), and personal blog/website mention (+1 entry). This is subject to change again in the future for future giveaways.

Please leave links for Facebook, Twitter, or blog/website mentions. In addition please leave a way to contact you.

Who and When: The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Friday, July 28, 2011. Void where prohibited by law.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*