NRR: Can you share with us how you
got started into writing?
I’ve almost always been writing one
thing or another. First it was school creative writing assignments, but I
loved them, so I started writing on my own. Especially when I realized
that a lot of people didn’t like writing, and it seemed to be the only thing I
was good at! By the time I got to high school, I realized people made a
living writing, and that’s what I wanted to do, because nothing else sounded
like quite so much fun.
NRR: How were you inspired to write
Kitty's character?
So many stories ask “what would
happen if vampires and werewolves and magic were real?” My answer to that
was, “Well, they’d need their own talk radio advice show.” If I was going
to write about a talk radio show, I needed a host, and that turned out to be
Kitty.
I made her a werewolf because I thought werewolves had been sorely
underrepresented and I had a lot more to say about them than vampires.
And having her be human would have been boring.
NRR: What is a day in the life of
Carrie Vaughn like?
Pretty dull, actually. I get
up, putter around the house, take care of e-mail and internet stuff, write
some, walk the dog, write, eat, write some more, read, go to bed and do it all
over again. Sometimes the writing goes well, sometimes it doesn’t.
Sometimes I go out in the evening with friends. Sometimes I knit and
sew. Sometimes I travel. It’s actually a pretty good life.
NRR: Readers adore Kitty and enjoy
the adventures her life goes thru. Is there one scene you have written that you
look back upon as one of your favorites?
I have several. Usually one
scene in each book. In Midnight Hour, I love the scene where she’s
yelling at T.J., who is in wolf form, about how she can take care of herself,
while she’s bleeding all over the street. In Goes to Washington, I love
the whole “live television” scene – that’s what the book centered on. In
House of Horrors, it’s the scene where she meets the real wild wolves. I
love the culminating scenes, because they’re usually what fuels the entire
story.
NRR: What is your guilty pleasure?
G.I. Joe. The 80’s cartoon,
the comic books, the live-action movie. I just love that whole world and
all the characters. Actually, I’m not too guilty about it. It’s
been a lot of fun being a G.I. Joe fan.
NRR: Where there any challenging
parts of writing Kitty's Big Trouble?
Getting the setting and culture
right were huge challenges. I ended up going to visit Chinatown in San
Francisco, to make sure I got it right. It’s such a distinct place, I had
to make sure I did it justice. I also drew on some bits of Chinese
mythology and folklore, and I wanted to stay true to them while still serving
the story. I did quite a bit of reading.
NRR: Sometimes as a series continues
the story seems to fall flat. With Kitty's story each book is fresh and
intriguing. How much preparation goes into each book?
Quite a bit. I try to make
sure each book has its own hook and story, and stands on its own to some
extent. It’s really important to me that I not tell the same story over
and over again, so I really want to find a fresh angle with each one, whether
it’s a different story structure (like with House of Horrors), a new bit of
magic or folklore (like with Kitty’s Big Trouble), or a profound change in
Kitty’s life (like with Silver Bullet).
NRR: Can you share with us the
storyline of Kitty"s Big Trouble?
It has a couple of threads.
Kitty starts getting interested in the history of people like her, and is
tracking down rumors about historical figures who may or may not have been
involved with the supernatural. In the middle of this, she gets a call
from an old friend who’s in trouble and needs help protecting a powerful
Chinese artifact – before their worst enemy gets it first. The rest of
the story takes place in Chinatown – a new setting, and a new magical system.
NRR: What is next in the works for
you?
More Kitty books! #10 will be
out in 2012, and I’m gearing up for more. In the meantime, my stand-alone
novels are out – After the Golden Age came out in April. So are my young
adult novels – Steel came out in March. I’m working on some other
projects, including short stories and more YA stories. Also, be sure to
check out Kitty’s Greatest Hits, a collection of short stories, and a new
novella starring Cormac. It’s due out in August.
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Lenore
~Media Coordinator/ Site Owner