Title: Hushed
Author: Kelley York
Genre: YA Thriller
Publication: December 2011
Summary:
He's saved her. He's loved her. He's killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn't protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he's never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn't matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another -Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who's ever cared about Archer without a single string attached.. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is. But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer's committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn't get what she wants...And what she wants is Evan's death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
Interview with Kelley York!
1. Can you give a little background to the characters and the story of Hushed?
HUSHED is about a boy named Archer who is trying to right the wrongs done to his childhood sweetheart and best friend, Vivian. Enter sweet and charismatic Evan, who worms his way past Archer's defenses and starts making him question everything he's ever done.
2. How long did it take to write your novel?
I'm sketchy on my timeline, but I would wager about four or five months. I queried agents for about six months before getting my publishing offer from Entangled.
3. What's your writing process? Are you a big planner or do you just go where the story takes you?
I'm not much of a planner. Sometimes, when I'm halfway through the book, I'll take all the loose ends I've created and mentally try to figure out how I'm going to tie them up for the second half of the book. Writing down an actual outline never seems to work out for me.
4. What kind of research, if any, did you do to write Hushed?
I researched a number of the murders, mainly. Well, and the weather of a West coastal town. Candle Bay is a fictional place (though kudos if you know where I got the name from), but it's loosely based on somewhere like Monterey—which is a city I love.
5. What made you become a writer?
I've written for ages, but never 'seriously.' I finished my first book and surprised myself. Even after finishing my third, I'm still worried maybe those three books were flukes or something! But I love the process, no matter how hard it can sometimes be. I love creating characters. I love letting them surprise me with how a story goes completely different than I think it will.
6. What do you do to relax when you're not writing?
I play video games, watch movies, read, go to cemeteries to take photos. I also have a lot of pets, so there's never a shortage of things to do.
7. What are your all time favourite books?
Growing up, my favorites were THE LAST UNICORN by Peter S. Beagle, and MRS. FRISBY AND THE RATS OF NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien. More recently, GONE, GONE, GONE by Hannah Moskowitz, BROTHER/SISTER by Sean Olin, WARM BODIES by Isaac Marion... The list could go on and on.
8. Who are your all time favourite authors?
When I was little, I'd read anything by Beverly Cleary or Judy Blume. These days, Hannah Moskowitz, Maggie Stiefvater, and Sean Olin make the list.
9. What's your favourite comfort food?
Steak. That sounds weird, doesn't it? But I love meat. I could eat steak every night of the week and be happy.
10. If you could give Hushed a song what would it be?
HUSHED has a lot of songs! The one I think of is "What Sarah Said" by Death Cab for Cutie, as it was probably the song I listened to the most when I was writing.
11. Anything else you'd like to add?
Recommend to me some good thrillers, ghost stories, or zombie stories! I love all three!
'Kelley York delivers in this impressive debut. I was at the edge of my
seat waiting to see what would happen next! Bottom line, this was
unputdownable!!!' --- YA Fantasy Guide ---
'How exciting that we live in a time when gay teen protagonists can be
just as screwed up as straight ones -- and their stories just as creepy!'
--- Brent Hartinger, award-winning author of Geography Club and Shadow
Walkers ---
Author Bio:
Kelley was born and raised in central California, where she still resides with her lovely wife, daughter, and an abundance of pets. (Although she does fantasize about moving across the globe to Ireland.) She has a fascination with bells, adores all things furry - be them squeaky, barky or meow-y - is a lover of video games, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she's a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or maybe a mermaid.
Within young adult, she enjoys writing and reading a variety of genres from contemporary with a unique twist, psychological thrillers, paranormal/urban fantasy and horror. She loves stories where character
development takes center stage.
Kelley's website: http://www.kelley-york.com/blog
Buy the book:Amazon|Barnes & Noble
Be sure to recommend some books in the comments for Kelley!
Happy reading everyone!
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