Writecrastination Welcomes Author Patti Larsen

Welcome to Day Three of the Twelve Days of Creepfest!

Today, I'd like to introduce you to a very talented and prolific author, Patti Larsen. She writes Young Adult fiction, frequently with a dark or paranormal twist. Think you don't read Young Adult titles? I didn't think I did, either. But I've now read eight of Patti's books, and she's made a believer out of me.

I've known Patti online for some time, and had the great fortune to meet her in July at Intergalactic Pretendacon Sporkfest I, held in St. Louis. We called it "a very serious writing conference," and we certainly did talk a lot about writing and the publishing industry. But mainly it was a chance for the two of us to visit and hang with out favorite Editorial Goddess and Felllow Writer, Annetta Ribken. We all ended up with new tattoos. Go figure.

Let's chat with Patti a bit, then you can read more about her, visit her links, and find some great new fiction for your library! And don't forget, comments here gain you entries in the drawing for one of five copies of my novella, Monsters Unmasked. Plus, if you correctly answer the Question of the Day (answer emailed to me at ripleygold@gmail.com with Question of the Day in the subject line) you receive two additional entries. Answers to these questions are easily found on this blog or my author page!

1. You’re featuring Run, the first in the four-book “Hunted” series, so let’s discuss that first. Did the nucleus of the story come to you first, or the character, Reid? What sparked this series?

I don’t remember exactly what prompted it, but a movie clip came to me first. I was with this teenaged kid, running down a dirt path through the trees in the dark, just enough moonlight so we could see ahead of us. He stopped for a minute, panting and looking around like he was terrified. Something howled in the distance and he took off again. I can still see it, feel it, the pounding of his sneakers over the trail, the smell of the forest… it was very impactful and will probably never leave me.

2. Reid faces a lot of frightening threats from a variety of sources. Who are the real monsters in the story?

Ah yes, the real monsters--because he is being chased by hunters trying to kill him and the other kids trapped in the wilderness, the natural assumption is that those same hunters are the only bad guys. But what do you get when you push people to their limits? Their true colors start to show through--and some of them are worse than what you’re running from in the first place.

3. Your books are categorized as Young Adult, but you have a lot of adult readers, too. How do you define “young adult,” and how does it vary from mainstream “adult” fiction? Or does it?

Young adult novel(s) tell the story from the perspective of teenagers. Most YA tackles real life (and sometimes not so real life) issues from a youthful perspective, though the defining boundaries of what constitutes YA changing all the time. My work is specifically written about teens and intended for their consumption, though many adults read YA as well.

4. The 12 Days of Creepfest spotlights independent (“indie”) authors. What made you decide to go the indie route? Which parts of the publishing process do you do yourself, and which do you contract out?

I never intended to be an Indie--and in fact sold books to two small publishers along the way. But I have to admit, I’m immensely enjoying being in charge of my career. I was a business owner prior to becoming a full time writer, so the idea of handing off all responsibility to strangers for something that means so much to me was frankly alien. And while I’ve had varying experiences (with one publisher fantastic, the other not so much) with traditional publishing, I’m thrilled to be an Indie. That being said, I know better, as a businesswoman, than to produce shoddy merchandise. I have a fantastic editor (Annetta Ribken) whom I adore, a brilliant cover designer (Stephanie Mooney www.stephaniemooney.blogspot.com), a wonderful formatter who takes care of my print formatting and a lovely proofer (and my delightful host) who makes sure my book looks its absolute best before I make it available for sale. I can’t stress how important all of that is to creating a professional product.

5. What do you find to be the most difficult or frustrating part of the writing and publishing process?

I guess I’d have to say the marketing. But not that I dislike it, only that I struggle sometimes with what the best route is for me. I’m constantly running experiments, trying to do things a little differently than they’ve been done before to see what works and what doesn’t. It’s a lot of effort that sometimes fails to pay off. But I do enjoy it anyway.

6. What factors make a good creepy story?

This is a tough question because it’s so personal. For me, the creepiest stories are about ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances, whether they be supernatural in origin or not. I find the more emotional the connection I have, the more horrified I am by the result. Authenticity is the best ingredient for scariness.

7. Do you read much horror (or any sub-genre of horror)? What is the scariest thing you’ve ever read? What scares you in real life?

Most of the horror I read is Stephen King. Scariest thing I ever read? The Walking Dead comics, what the TV show is based on. I reached a certain point and had to stop. I’m unable to watch horror but I can read it as long as I take breaks. So funny for a horror/thriller writer, isn’t it? I’m terrified of the dark so I have to be sure to leave the night light on in the hall… I kid you not. I’m also afraid of heights, but I challenge that every chance I get, as well as being incredibly claustrophobic. DO NOT pin me down. You’ll lose a limb.

8. What is your biggest hobby or interest outside writing?

Not much these days! If I had the time, I’d be improv acting again, and maybe in another band or return to making Indie films. But writing consumes me.

9. As a reader, what will make you put down a book without finishing it?

The author not being authentic with the main character. Don’t set me up believing one thing then shove something different in my face 200 pages in. Repetition in plot (the same feel of threat then resolved over and over again) is very tiring and annoys me after a while. Lack of an emotional connection with the characters is probably my biggest reason. And padding--if I find myself skimming, I’ll probably put the book down.

10. What are you working on now, and what should we expect to see from you in the new year?

I’m preparing the fourth book of The Hayle Coven Series (now with my editor) for publication at the end of the month while I write the last two books of a new series based on the steampunk genre. I’ll be releasing the first book of a dark trilogy in the new year, Best Friends Forever, about a teen girl who loses her three best friends in an accident. Suicidal and an alcoholic, she is shocked out of her pain when her little brother is kidnapped by a pedophile and has to search for him while being haunted by her former friends. Very dark and creepy. I’m also working on The Blunt House series, about a teen girl who finds a voodoo doll in her grandmother’s attic and wonders why bad things start happening to people who are mean to her. I keep a very busy schedule, so all of the above will be published in 2012.

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More about "Run"

Kidnapped

Alone, Reid gasps in one deep breath, another. It hurts his ribs, his lungs. He manages to roll over on his right side and regrets it. His shoulder screams in protest. Still, he is finally able to wriggle his numb hands loose from what holds him and claws at the cloth around his eyes.

Darkness. But not complete. The moon is up. Trees loom over him, the smell of spruce and fresh air so sharp it almost hurts. He jerks at the plastic ties around his ankles while. his vision swims through a veil of pain-laden tears. He manages somehow to force his screaming hands to work the ties loose and he is free.

Sixteen-year-old Reid thinks life is back to normal. His sister Lucy pulls herself together and cuts him free from a year of foster care. She promises to take care of him, that her new boss and her new life are what they both needed to start again. Until Reid is taken in the middle of the night, dumped in a wild stretch of forest far from home with no idea why he is there. Lost and afraid, he learns to run from the hunters who prowl the darkness, their only pleasure chasing down kids like him. And killing them.

About the Author:

Patti Larsen is a middle grade, young adult and adult author with a passion for the paranormal. Her YA thriller series, The Hunted, is available now. Books one and two of The Hayle Coven series, Family Magic and Witch Hunt are also out now, with the sequels, Demon Child and The Wild, due in December of this year. She is a full time writer and a part time teacher of her Get Your Book Done program. Patti lives on the East Coast of Canada with her very patient husband and four massive cats.

Where you can find her (and believe me, you want to find her!):

On her website www.pattilarsen.com

On Facebook www.facebook.com/pattilarsenauthor

Her writing blog www.pattilarsen.blogspot.com

Her book blog www.pattilarsenbooks.blogspot.com

On Twitter www.twitter.com/#!/PattiLarsen

On Amazon.com and Goodreads

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Don't forget to visit the Twelve Days of Creepfest Blog Hop page for a full listing and links to all the participating authors!

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Question of the Day: At what literary center did I take the class which finally got me focused on writing and led to my first completed manuscript?

Email answers to ripleygold@gmail.com with Question of the Day in the subject line. Correct answers earn two entries in the drawing for free book downloads.

See you tomorrow!