First a little background info:
Synopsis:
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her “power” to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he’s claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Jay’s intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she’s falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.
Now, onward to the interview:
Can you describe The Body Finder in a sentence?
KD: A girl who can find dead bodies and the boy who loves her.
Violet's ability is very unique, what was the inspiration for it?
KD: The idea behind The Body Finder actually came from my husband, who said to me (one day while we were driving): 'What if there was a kid who could find dead bodies?' Of course, in his head it was a middle school boy, because that's how he thinks. But I loved the idea...as long as it was a girl, and she was in high school, and had a love interest. It took some time to hammer out the rules of her creepy ability (how she would find the dead bodies), but once I did, I was obsessed with getting her story on paper. To this day though, my husband will still refer to himself as my co-author!How do you think you'd react if you were in Violet's position? Go after the killer, or find someplace to hide?
KD: Run. And. Hide! I am definitely not the heroic type, I'll push you out of the way to save myself from a bee. Seriously! So, a serial killer? Please...I'd be running for the hills!!!
Which character do you relate to most?
KD: Well, since I'm not chasing after killers any time soon, it's definitely not Violet. And as much as I hate to admit this (because she's so snarky), I think it has to be Chelsea...especially the high-school me. She's the say-it-like-it-is kind of girl even when people don't always want to hear-it-like-it-is! And because I enjoy writing her so much, Chelsea plays a much bigger role in the second book, Desires of the Dead.
Are there any books or authors that have inspired your writing?
KD: I think my first real inspiration was Stephen King, mostly because I wanted to do what he did, scare the pee out of people! Literally. When I was in junior high, we had a movie night at our house and watched The Shining. One of the girls was so scared that she wet her pants, and I realized right then and there...I wanted to do that too. Not pee my pants, but definitely scare someone that much.
How has the writing process been for you?
KD: I'm just gonna start by saying that I LOVE MY JOB!!! To the point that I become a little obsessive while I'm in the throes of writing a book. I'd say 'ask my family' but I'm afraid of the details they'd reveal: that I've forgotten to pick up my daughter from the school bus (thank god for helpful neighbors!), that I've resorted to eating Skittles as a meal more than once, that showering becomes 'optional.' Umm, yeah, I sometimes need to be reminded to 'take a break.'
The cover for Desires of the Dead was just released--it's gorgeous, by the way--can you tell us a little about what we should expect in the next installment?
KD: I can share the jacket copy from the ARCs:
When Violet Ambrose's morbid ability to sense the echoes of those who've been murdered leads her to the body of a young boy, she draws the attention of the FBI. She is reluctantly pulled into an investigation that will endanger more than just her secret...but her relationship and possibly her life as well.
Thanks so much for answering my questions! Any last words?
KD: Just thanks so much for having me here, I had a blast!!!
Thanks again to Kimberly for stopping by, and check out some of her websites below:
"Listen To Me Now"-Matt Hires,
