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!

Author Links

GoodReads | Official Website | Defect on Kindle 

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

Celebration House: Interview with Annette Drake

The Civil War was an era of extreme unrest in the United States. Annette Drake, the author of Celebration House from Tirgearr Publishing, took a character from that time period and plopped him into the present day - with a twist. Annette is here today to talk about her writing, her  career as a newspaper reporter and editor and the story behind her debut novel. 

Welcome to Writing Belle. Introduce yourself! 

Hi. My name is Annette Drake. My debut novel, Celebration House, was published on August 1^st by Tirgearr Publishing. I’m so delighted to be here. Thank you for hosting me.

You worked as a newspaper reporter and editor before you were a novelist. What was that like? 

Exciting! I had opportunities to do some amazing things, like don a beekeeper’s suit and experience bees swarming around me. I talked with a slew of interesting people, from race car drivers to USSR jet pilots. (Yes, I’m old enough to remember when there was a USSR). I learned so much and wrote so much. It was a natural progression to transition into the world of fiction writing. I think a lot of amazing writers start as newspaper reporters and eventually, leave that world behind to create worlds of their own. Jennifer Weiner comes to mind. I’ve always thought if the day comes when a reporter interviews me, I would ask about the neglected manuscript tucked away in a desk drawer.   

Your debut novel, Celebration House, released August 1st. What's it about? 

Celebration House is about a young woman who chooses to leave the bustle of Seattle behind and return to her childhood home of Lexington, Missouri. There she buys and restores a derelict antebellum mansion, which she then opens as a celebration venue for weddings, class reunions, and those sorts of special occasions. She possesses a unique gift: the ability to see and talk with the dead, including a handsome Civil War soldier who befriends her, and the horse-trader who built the house.

I see that you write MG and YA fiction, as well. Tell us a little about your current projects in those areas. 

I finished Bone Girl, my middle-grade novel, earlier this summer, and I’m looking for a home for this unique manuscript. I think the title might be a little bit offsetting, but the story isn’t about human bones. It’s about an 11-year-old girl who learns to play the trombone. She’s an amazing character whom I’ve come to care about a great deal. I hope readers of the novel will share my affection for her.

Currently, I’m writing a contemporary romance entitled, A Year with Geno, which takes place in Eagle River, a small community north of Anchorage. This is an idea that came to me when I was at my oldest daughter’s soccer game. I wrote fast and furiously so I could remember all of the plot. I’m now giving myself permission to right a less-than-ideal first draft. I want to have fun with this book – lots of description of life in Alaska. Snappy dialogue. I just want to enjoy writing this book. 

What is your story-creation process?

When ideas come to me, I try to write them down as fast as I can, so I keep a journal handy. For me, the hard part isn’t starting a manuscript; the hard part is finishing the manuscript. My writing time is scarce. I write when my children sleep and before they wake.  

Honestly, nothing feels as great as trying to put pen to emotion and write down the scenes as my characters have patiently explained them. Nothing feels better. Or, going back to pages I wrote years ago, and enjoying what I wrote. It’s that click, that cog slipping into the gear, which makes it all worth it for me.

As I struggle to place my middle-grade manuscript, I’ve come to the conclusion that even if I make no money from my writing or never publish (except perhaps self-publish) another word, I’ll never stop writing. It’s just who I am. It’s what I do. For me, that is enough.

Tell me about who inspires you as a writer. 

I’m a huge fan of Ray Bradbury. I keep his books near my desk. He could say so much with so few words. I admire that skill.

On another note, Celebration House deals with a male protagonist who hops straight out of the Civil War era. Did you have to do any research to keep things accurate? 

I’ve been a Civil War aficionado since I was a young child. I can’t explain it. Past life, maybe? I’ve always thought it was a little weird. On my bookshelves, I have book after book about the American Civil War.

The Battle of Lexington, also known as the Battle of the Hemp Bale, took place in September of 1861. I visited the Anderson House, which was a field hospital during the war, many times to research the three-day battle.

In August, my family and I visited Lexington to promote Celebration House. One of the highlights for me was during my presentation at the library when a member of the audience questioned the cover art for Celebration House. He did not approve of the Union uniform. He wanted to be sure I knew Lexington was pro-Confederate during the war. This made me laugh!    

Any parting advice for aspiring novelists or journalists? 

Never stop writing. The world needs your stories.

Thanks so much for stopping in! Good luck with your debut novel! 

Blurb for Celebration House

Carrie Hansen spent her life caring for cardiac patients. Little did she know she would become a patient herself. After recovering from her own heart surgery, she realizes she has a special gift: the ability to see and talk with the dead.

Now, with her new heart failing, she leaves the bustle of Seattle behind and returns to Lexington, Missouri, the small town where she spent her childhood. Here, she sets out to restore an abandoned antebellum mansion and open it as a venue for celebrations.

Carrie’s work is cut out for her. The 150-year-old Greek revival house is in need of serious repair. Her sister, Melanie, tries to bully Carrie into returning to Seattle, predicting “her little project” is doomed to fail. Finally, Carrie’s health gives out on her, requiring emergency surgery.

But she will not give up. Carrie’s unique gift allows her to build relationships with the mansion’s original occupants, especially Maj. Tom Stewart, the handsome Civil War soldier who died a hundred years before Carrie was born. He encourages and comforts her, though not in the physical way they both desire.

Then there’s the builder of the house, Col. Bartholomew Stratton. If there’s one thing this 19th century horse trader cannot abide, it’s the living trespassing on his estate. He delights in scaring these intruders away, even if they are paying guests.

Will Carrie finish restoring Celebration House or will it finish her? And how can she plan a future with a man who has only a past?

About the Author

Annette Drake’s work is character-driven and celebrates the law of unintended consequences. Her debut novel, Celebration House, debuted on August 1^st in e-book format for readers everywhere from Tirgearr Publishing.

Annette left high school after two years to obtain her GED and attend Truman State University in Kirksville, Missouri. There she earned a degree in journalism before working as a reporter and editor for newspapers in Missouri and Kansas. She earned a bachelor of science in nursing in 1994 from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, and worked as a registered nurse in hospitals throughout Missouri, Alaska and Washington for 18 years before returning her focus to writing.

Annette recently completed her middle-grade novel, Bone Girl, and is hard at work revising her steamy contemporary romance, A Year with Geno.
She is the mother of four children. The oldest just graduated from the University of Washington; the youngest just graduated from kindergarten. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators. She loves libraries, basset hounds and bakeries. She does not camp.

You can follow her writing at www.Annettedrake.com. She welcomes correspondence at: Write2me@annettedrake.com.

Author Links

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads |

Buy Link for Celebration House

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Celebration House: Interview with Annette Drake

The Key to Success

Success is broad term. Some people would define success as happiness. Others might see it as a financial term or the status of notoriety among a certain group of people. Success, for the writer, is to have their work widely read, widely loved and to be able to make a living for a lifetime in the art of storytelling alone. But getting to that point is no easy task. It's quite difficult, in fact. Yet the same techniques that you can use to become a successful writer applies to all entrepreneurs.

If you were to ask me what the primary key to success was, I'd say, "Focus." You must be focused if you want to achieve a goal. But what goal? Here are a four easy things the average joe can do to begin their climb up the mountainside of entrepreneurship. 

• Find Your Focus. Ever read a mission statement? It tells what the whole point of a business is. "We sell groceries." "We ship ammunition." You get my point. What's your focus? What is it you want to do? Paint pictures? Build bridges? Open an ice cream parlor? Find your point of focus - your POF - and write it down on a piece of paper. This is what you're working towards. Your dream. 
• Get Productive. Forget wasting your time on the couch. Get up and get moving. For the entrepreneur, every minute of your workday should be comprised of valuable effort that you're exerting towards reaching your Point of Focus, or your dream. That two hours you usually spend watching Keeping Up with the Kardashians? Please. Do yourself (and the world) a favor, and turn it off. Do something that is moving you closer to your goals. 
• Set a Timeline. Grab a computer. Make a list. Break up the next 365 days into four sections. At the end of each section, write down where you want to be and what you want to be doing. Tack this goal list up where you can see it (I have one on my desk), and keep it firmly before your eyes. This is how you remind yourself what you're working towards without getting overwhelmed. 
• You're Worthy! The most important thing to remember for somebody who is being entrepreneurial is to believe in yourself, your ideas and your abilities. If you don't completely and totally believe that you are going to be successful, then nobody else will, either. Sorry, but that's just the truth. Even on the dog days of self-doubt, go look at your list of goals and stick with it. Success is often waiting just around the corner of the lousiest days. Trust me, I know. 

And now, since today is my birthday, I'm off to decide what I want to do for dinner tonight. 

Just another decision in the life of an entrepreneur. 

*wink*

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The Key to Success

Announcement about The Collapse Series

Good day, folks. Hope your Labor Day Weekend went well! My birthday is on Friday, and before I turn yet another year older (it happens to everybody), I figured I'd make my big announcement regarding The Collapse Series. First off, State of Emergency has been a national bestseller since it released on January 18th of this year. State of Chaos hit the presses on June 28th - less than six months later - and it's been a bestseller, too! Cassidy's story is reaching thousands of people every month - and I'm so grateful for the amount of success this series has had so far. 

I've gotten an impressive number of requests from readers with questions about the third installment: 
What's its title? 
What's the release date? 
What's it about? 
Well, here's what I can tell you right now. The third installment in The Collapse Series (I should be revealing the title in the next few months), will be released:

Winter 2013

I should have a specific date very soon...thank you for reading my books and continuing to dive into Cassidy Hart's adventures! 

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Announcement about The Collapse Series