Reading by Deb: INTERVIEW with KERRY BLAISDELL

I want to thank Kerry Blaisdell for taking the time for this interview!

BIO:

Kerry Blaisdell is the bestselling and award-winning author of The Dead Series, including DEBRIEFING THE DEAD—2019 RPLA Gold Medal for Best Fantasy, 2020 Readers Favorite Bronze Medal for Best Urban Fantasy, and 2019 Romance Writers of America RITA® Award finalist—and its sequel, WAKING THE DEAD, winner of the 2020 RPLA Gold Medal for Best Fantasy, which InD’tale Magazine recommends for fans of “shows like Constantine or Supernatural."

She also writes award-winning Romantic Suspense (PUBLISH OR PERISH, a Publishers Weekly BookLife Prize Quarterfinalist) and Historical Mystery. She has a BA from U.C. Berkeley in Comparative Literature, and a Master’s in Teaching from University of Portland. Kerry lives in the Pacific Northwest with her family, assorted animals, and more hot pepper plants than anyone could reasonably consume.

Connect with Kerry online at http://kerryblaisdell.com, where you can find her on social media or sign up for her Very Occasional Mailing List.

When and how did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I honestly don’t know. I’ve been writing since before I could read, when I would dictate stories to my dad, who wrote them down for me!

Did you have any influencing writers growing up?

I loved to read, so yes, lots.

My favorite books were the Little House books, the Anne of Green Gables series, mysteries (first Nancy Drew, then Trixie Belden, then “grown-up” ones like Agatha Christie, Ngaio Marsh, etc.), fantasy (the Hobbit & Lord of the Rings, Narnia, Dragonriders of Pern, etc.).

I can’t pinpoint one writer/author, but I read far and wide, and I know my current stories have ALL been influenced, by ALL the books I’ve read over the years.

Are any of your characters based on people in real life?

Probably. 😉 But not consciously – my characters tell me who they are as I’m writing.

So it’s not, “Oh, I’ll turn this person into this character.” It’s more, “This is jelling in the back of my mind, and somehow will come out on the page this way.”

Where do you draw your book inspirations from?

No clue. Mainly my characters, who tell me what to write, even (especially?) when it’s the most inconvenient thing for the planned storyline, EVER.

Do you use have a basic outline when starting a new story or do you let the characters lead the way?

See above.

Except with my Dead Series, I had to do some basic plotting/storyboarding when I went to work on book four in the series, and now also, when I’m working on book five.

It’s a sequential series, so I can’t completely pants it!

When you are picturing the characters in your book, do you have a cheater photo for inspiration?

Sometimes, but not usually.

I did find some good pix after the fact for Jason and Eric (from The Dead books) - *drool* - but mainly I like to leave them up to the readers to picture as they see fit.

Many people read as a form of escape and relaxation. What is your favorite way to sit back and relax?

I do read, obviously, but not as much as I used to, sadly.

For me, exercise, especially walking outside with my dogs, is my favorite way to detox from the day.

I’m a middle school math teacher by day, with two adult-ish kids (ages 23 and 20) and a husband, and…

So anything that gets me moving helps clear my head and restores my sense of self.

Who are your favorite current authors to read?

Hoo-boy! That’s a tough one.

I just visited Prince Edward Island for the first time, and reread a few of the Anne books while there. I also found a few Agatha Christie novels on my TBR shelf, and have dived into those.

Plus I’m reading A History of Mathematics, by Carl Boyer and Uta Merzbach, and I started Marked by Kristin Cast and P.C. Cast.

What are your favorite books by others?

See above.

I do have more recent favorites, too, but honestly – to misquote the movie Stand By Me, “I never read any books later on like the ones I read when I was 12.”

Do the locations in the stories have any meaning to you?

It depends. In PUBLISH OR PERISH, it’s set in Portland, Oregon, where I live. So – yes!

In The Dead books, the setting starts in France, then throughout the series moves to Malta, Turkey, Switzerland, Germany, then back to France…

I’ve been to some of those places, and would like to visit the others. So from that standpoint, they all have special meaning for me!

Do you write in single or multiple POV?

Another “it depends.” PUBLISH OR PERISH is told from four separate POV characters, in third person.

The Dead Series is first person.

What do you find to be your best research tool?

Google and Wikipedia! LOL

Do you write under a pen name? Also, do you write under more than one name?

Pen name = yes. More than one = no (so far… 😉).

What genre do you write and why is this your preference?

I write in multiple genres, but the one common theme seems to be death:

Supernatural Suspense (lots of dead folks running around);

Romantic Mystery (lots of murder and mayhem);

Historical Mystery (more murders and death)…

I swear, I could start a Women’s Fiction book, about a woman in her 40s, returning to her hometown to teach at her former high school, and about two pages in, I’d be wondering where to hide the bodies.

(I am actually not making this up – this is a book I’ve had on the backburner for a while now – LOL!)

Tell me something about yourself outside of writing. Jobs, accomplishments, family, quirky trait...what led to you being you?

I have so many quirks, I’m not sure you can even call them quirks anymore. But then, aren’t we all just “weird” people inside, wondering how no one has figured out yet just how weird we are?

If you are a duo writing team, how do you share the writing process?

Not a duo, unless you count split personalities. 😉

What advice would you give to an aspiring writer?

Write. That’s it. Don’t say, “I want to write a book someday.” Just write it.

This applies to anything you want to do. If you really wanted to do it, you would have done it by now.

So quit talking about it, and don’t let anything or anyone stop you!

How do you deal and process negative book reviews?

Mostly laugh or shrug them off.

Not every book or every author will appeal to every reader.

The ones that linger and bother me are really the ones where it’s clear they didn’t actually read the book, and are critiquing something they know nothing about.

But even those I’ve learned to ignore. Whatevs! 😊

What is the most difficult part of your writing process?

Balancing new writing with edits on the last book, or trying to focus on promo/business things, during the creative process.

I’m good at doing ONE of those things at a time, but if I’m in the groove writing, it’s hard to stop and edit instead, or catch up on social media, or…

What do you need in your writer’s space to keep you focused?

Nothing special – I have a tiny desk next to my bed, with a kneeling chair.

I write on an iPad now, because I literally HATE trying to do anything else on it, so I’m far less easily distracted. 😊

I have a little bluetooth keyboard I type on, and I sometimes wander down an internet rabbit hole, but for the most part, if I can shut the door and put in my headphones (I listen to Brain.fm), I’m good.

What is your naughty indulgence as you are writing?

I don’t have one, unless you count coffee. Lots (and lots) of coffee.

If you could spend a day with another popular author, whom would you choose? And why?

I don’t know that I can choose just one. But what I would like to do is meet L.M. Montgomery.

I learned while visiting her homestead in PEI this summer that Anne of Green Gables was rejected many times before finally being picked up.

Or really, I’d like to meet any of the many (now) famous authors out there who were rejected, and persisted.

The first book in my Dead Series was rejected by over 100 agents and editors, before it finally sold. There’s something to be said about having gone through that, and I’d like to hear their thoughts.

What is your schedule like when you are writing? Do you have a favorite writing snack or drink?

Definitely coffee, in all its forms (cold, hot, creamy, plain…)!

As for a schedule, being a teacher, I usually have ambitions to write over the summer, but I’m rarely able to.

So during the school year, I get up insanely early (usually by 4:00 a.m.) and write before work.

Do you listen to music when you write – what kind of music is your favorite?

I can’t do music of any kind – too distracting. Even classical.

But I do listen to Brain.fm, which is brainwave sounds to help with concentration. There are different tracks for deep work, creativity, etc.

Have pets ever gotten in the way of your writing?

No! They keep me company. 😊

What is your kryptonite as a writer? What totally puts you off your game?

Self-doubt.

Something Big happening in my personal life, that takes over all my energy and “free” time.