Interview with Stacey Kade

Today, I have the fabulous Stacey Kade with me, author of The Ghost and the Goth and it's sequel Queen of the Dead. And here's what I asked her!


Do you have a favorite theme or genre that you like to write about? Is there a genre that you'll probably stay away from and why?

I tend to write stories about identity. Figuring out who you are or who you don’t want to be and coming to terms with those choices. Some paranormal element almost always works its way in there, too.

I’m not sure I’d rule out any particular genre. I always want to be open to whatever idea or character presents itself. That being said, I think I’d be hard-pressed to write a Western, never having read one!

If you could work with any author, who would you choose?

Oh, that’s a tough one! There are so many authors I admire, but I think I’d be afraid to work with them—I might mess them up! And selfishly I’d want to have the joy of experiencing of their next new book as a reader, not as someone attempting to write part of it. Yikes! But if I had to choose authors to learn from, ones that I would love to have a deeper understanding of how they do what they do—Meg Cabot, Jennifer Echols, and Suzanne Collins.


How was writing Queen of the Dead different from The Ghost and the Goth?

Writing Queen of the Dead was a very different experience. The book that exists now is almost a complete rewrite from the original draft. Writing the second book was really difficult because I wasn’t sure how to balance the needs of a new story while still being consistent with the previous story and the characters and world as we knew it in G&G. But I’ve discovered from talking with other YA authors that this dilemma, something I’m going to call Second Book Syndrome (AKA feeling like your second book is going to kill you), is actually very common and eventually sorts itself out.

And I’m very happy with how the revised draft turned out. It’s much better than what I’d originally written, and I owe a huge debt of thanks to my editor for helping me find my way.


What is one question that you've always wanted to be asked in an interview? How would you answer that question?

Oh, dear. Hmm. I think most people ask which character I’m the most like, giving me the option of either Will or Alona. Of the two, I’m most like Will, but honestly, of all the characters in the book, I feel I’m probably most similar to Lily. Or at least, what we know of her.


What's next for you? Are you currently working on or have plans for future projects?

Right now, I’m working on my 2013 YA novel for Hyperion. It’s the first in a series, and it’s called The Rules. It's about a girl who was created as a genetic experiment and raised in a lab for the first part of her life. She's now living as a "normal" sixteen year old, hiding in plain sight from her creators by following a set of rules that keep her safe but also confine her existence. And then she meets a guy with troubles of his own who tempts her to break those rules for the possibility of love.



Wow, doesn't her next book sound great? Thanks for stopping by Stacey! Check out my review of The Ghost and the Goth and Queen of the Dead.

Find Stacey:
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