Friday, September 13, 2013

Defect: A Peek into the World of YA Author Ryann Kerekes


Over the summer, I read a fun YA novel called Defect. I found it on Kindle a couple of days before I wound my way into the heart of the Sierra Nevada mountains. It was the perfect book to read in the forest. It follows the story of one girl, Eve, in a dystopian world as she struggles to survive against all odds in a harsh military environment. Oh, and did I mention she falls in love with a soldier? Yep. I was impressed by the author's storytelling skills, so I asked if she would be willing to visit Writing Belle and offer some insights into what it was like writing Defect, and how she came up with the perfect soldier. 
I'll let her do the talking. 


Let's start with an introduction! Tell us who you are, Ryann.
Hi Summer! Thank you so much for having me on the blog today!!! What fun! Let's see....I'm an author, a wife, a mom to an adorably naughty puppy, and an avid reader.

I loved Defect. Sum it up for anybody here who is unfamiliar with the novel. 
 
I consider it a survivalist love story. It takes place in the not-so-distant future, and is the story of Eve. A young girl who has an inner strength and is wise beyond her years. She's committed to mental hospital and with her life on the line, she has to decide if she can trust the guard she’s falling for.

Ryann Kerekes (the author)
I have to say, Eve Sterling reminded me of Tris from Divergent. A strong heroine who's not afraid to step up when the time comes. What was the inspiration for her character? 

I loved reading about Tris, and Katnis as so many other readers and was inspired to write my own strong heroine. :) I also love exploring the theme of forbidden romance in my books, and so the idea of a prison and guard sort of stuck with me and this story was born...
 
The Mindscan was also something that I thought was interesting - and pretty plausible, when you think about it. How did you come with the idea for such a scary device? 
 Ha! I have no idea, honestly... it was just one of those things that popped into my head and refused to leave until I wrote it down. 250 pages later... Lol.

Will is the perfect soldier...but he has a weakness: Eve. How did you go about creating a character like him? 
 
Ohh, Will. *sigh* He might be one of my favorite boys I've written about. He reminds me quite a lot of my husband, actually. A bit on the strong, and silent side. Eve has to decide if she can really trust him and let go and give into her mixed feelings. He was very easy to write about and easy for me to fall in love with.

How long did it take you to create the dystopian world that Eve lives in? 
 
The book took me three or four months I believe. It all sort of came to me in a rush, like I was living in that world right along with Eve.

Is there a sequel in the works? *crosses fingers*
Oh, sadly, no. I'm not planning to write a sequel. At firs that was my original thinking, but rather than make readers wait for that and end the book on a cliffhanger, I combined books I and II into one book and gave them the story all at once.


Thank you so much for stopping in. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it! Best of luck in all of your writing endeavors!

Thank YOU so much, dear! I'm so touched that you enjoyed the story!!!!
Here is the link to my review of Defect, which I included in my Summer Haul of Books. Ryann's novel is classified as YA, but it is also enjoyable for those who enjoy NA reads. Don't let the cover fool you - this is actually a survivalist adventure novel with romantic elements. 
About Ryann(from Ryann's website) 
1. My first name is pronounced "Ryan" and my last name "Kara-kiss"​

2. I write YA novels with a strong dose of romance.​​

3. I read constantly, typically 3+ books per week. The more *swoon* the better!

4. I'm a music junkie and love discovering new bands. Some of my favorites are Lana Del Rey, Snow Patrol, and Stateless.

5. I could exist entirely on coffee, chocolate and red wine. (And a good dental-whitening kit. Gah!)

6. I’m a founding member of a YA writers group called MNYA.

7. My favorite thing about writing is creating something for someone to enjoy.

8. I'm married to a cute boy (yay, me!) and am the proud mommy of the two cutest puppies ever, Lucy & Sugar.

9. Paris is my favorite city in the whole wide world.
10. I love hearing from readers!
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Get fictional - it's fun! Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!