Interview & Giveaway: Janet Lee Carey, author of Stealing Death

The lovely Janet Lee Carey, author of the upcoming Stealing Death, has kindly answered a few questions for me. Stealing Death officially hits bookstore shelves on September 8th!

What got you interested/started in writing?

Great books opened the world to me when I was a child. I dreamed of opening new worlds for others but since I wasn’t ready to write novels at age thirteen my friend, Martha, inspired me to keep a journal. I scribbled poetry, dreams, songs, and stories and was immediately hooked on writing. I now have roughly eighty journals in my bulging bookshelves. Writing in a blank book is like an actor’s rehearsal time or, as Madeleine L’Engle used to say, writing practice is like a musician practicing her scales. The journal gives me the privacy I need to communicate with my Dream Mind -- a place to explore, make mistakes, and let my story voice play on the page.

What have you learned about yourself since you began to seriously pursue writing?

In order to be creative I have to remain open to the world. This means I have to consciously participate in my life. If my character is about to chop vegetables I pay close attention while I’m chopping vegetables. What does the green pepper feel like in my hands? What sound does the knife make slicing the green pepper as opposed to the thunk sound it makes when it hits the cutting board? What does the inside of the pepper look like? What does it smell like? I can’t do everything my characters do (I haven’t managed to ride on dragon’s back or go beyond the world of time as Kipp does in Stealing Death) still I try to do as much experiential research as I can. Kipp is on horseback throughout most of his adventure, so last September I went trail riding in Big Sur. Missy was a stubborn, feisty horse. After a few illuminating hours in the saddle, I scrambled back to the book to add more details while I was still walking as wide kneed as a cowboy and dusty from the ride.

How do you prepare yourself before writing a new book?

I am more of a plunger than a planner so my writing preparation resides somewhere between discipline and whimsy. Some writers do scene cards or complete outlines. I can only go so far with that before I’m bored stiff. Writing is about connecting the conscious with the subconscious: the Dream Mind with the Day Mind. As I see it part of an artist’s challenge is to keep the bridge from subconscious to conscious mind open so stories and dreams can traverse the bridge. The subconscious Dream Mind is not tidy or tame, not well socialized (not even potty trained really!). She speaks in images and cares nothing for rules.

After weeks of daydreaming and journaling I sit down and write the two most ominous words in the English language Chapter One. In the first draft I enter a scene knowing something about the core work that needs to be done within the scene, and something about the way my character is feeling at that point. For example in Stealing Death there is a strange scene with the Sanuu Witch. In the first draft I knew Kipp had to give up something he truly valued to wrest a magic potion from the witch. I was going with her cutting off Kipp’s finger, but found I didn’t have the stomach for it, so cutting his braid came to mind – the braid being a mark of his manhood and the braid bead, a symbol of his courage.

So I had that in mind before sitting down to write. After that I just entered the hut with Kipp not knowing what I’d see. Coming through the door I saw the Sanuu Witch’s fire burning bright green, I also spotted shelves full of jars with creatures --insects and flowers -- floating in them, all of them suspended and slowly spinning. I had no idea why they were in the hut. I just saw it along with Kipp so I wrote it.

It wasn’t until the very end of the book that Kipp and I discovered the importance of those jars – they were a clue to something about the Sanuu Witch suspending things in time and space. Who knew? I didn’t – not until I reached that point of the story. Writing novels this way is thrilling and terrifying. I don’t know how I’m going to get from the first page to final page. I’m forced to step out and take the surprising journey along with my main character. I’m never completely sure we will make it to the end but I’m hoping we both live through it.

List 3-5 characters from your novel and do word associations for them.

Kipp – ride, run, fly, freedom, magic, love, protector, night stars, night wind

Jilly -- sunflower, laughter, yellow-bright, singsong, silly Jilly.

Zalika – wild, strong, antelope, beautiful, untamed, flash.

Sor Tunassi – big, fat, bossy, controlling, smug, wealthy, gambler

So far, what has been the most rewarding part of the publishing process?

I love the idea that someone out there is opening the cover and slipping into my story world. I wrote for years not knowing if anyone would ever read the novels. The long silence was painful because books don’t live on shelves, they live in the reader’s mind. I was ecstatic the day I heard my first novel would be in print. I’m still wild with joy every time a new book is accepted. I’m indebted to my hard working agent, Irene Kraas, and deeply grateful to be working with the best editors in the business: Regina Griffin, Kathy Dawson, and Ruth Katcher.

What else do you have in the works?

Right now I have three things in the works. It’s like having three delightful and needy children. Each story requires quality time and I can only really work on one at a time. The line-up includes the first fifty pages of a sequel to Stealing Death. Weee! More adventures with Kipp, Zalika, and Jilly! Second I’m revising Bound By Three a medieval fantasy following Dragon’s Keep due out with Dial Books 2010.

Snippet: in Bound By Three the soothsayer predicts the next Pendragon king will marry a fairy’s child. To prevent this a witch hunter scours the countryside jailing and burning any girls who show fey powers. The half fey girl, Tess, is caught in the political struggle and is forced to run away with her friends to escape the witch hunter.

Third I’m revising Wind Taken (sequel to The Beast of Noor). Snippet: Miles, Hanna, and Taunier go on another adventure. The romance between Hanna and Taunier grows as the three teens join with the dragons of Noor to bind the broken worlds. The newest Noor novel will be out with Egmont USA in 2010.

I love getting back into my characters’ worlds, following Kipp through Zolya, running away with Tess, and sailing the seas of Noor with Miles, Hanna and Taunier. Busy? Yes, so busy I have forgotten how to cook! Happy? Yes! Writing is bliss.


If you could be any fictional character for a day, who would you be? It can be one of yours or any other author's.

I think I would be Bilbo Baggins. His adventure isn’t quite as horrific as Frodo’s, but he’s a part of the Great Story and the fully fleshed-out world J.R.R. Tolkien lovingly created.

If you were an interviewer, what question would you ask yourself? What's the answer to the question?

I’d ask, “Are you planning anything special to celebrate Stealing Death hitting the shelves?” And I’d answer, “Why, yes as a matter of fact. We’re having a great launch party at Parkplace Books in Kirkland WA on September 12th from 6:30-8:30 with a live marimba band, dancing, drums, and lots of delicious food. Traditionally some people come to my launch parties in costumes. I can’t wait to see what people will wear for Stealing Death. For readers who don’t live close to Parkplace books, we’re having a fun online launch party and live chat on readergirlz blog Wednesday, September 30th beginning 6pm Pacific/9pm Eastern. Bring a snack to chat about. (Somehow we always end up chatting about what we’re eating at our virtual parties.) Readers can gather in celebratory groups around library PCs or join the online party at home. All are welcome so come join us.

Another way I like to celebrate a book launch is to give back through some kind of outreach. I’m not alone in this. Many of my friends and colleagues like Justina Chen, Lori Ann Grover, Dia Calhoun, Holly Cupala, and many more are committed to giving back. Giving back is also an essential part of the readergirlz platform. I researched drought-ridden sub-Saharan Africa to create a realistic landscape for Stealing Death and was profoundly moved by the suffering I saw. After learning that more than one billion people in the world do not have access to clean water, and that water-related diseases are the leading cause of death in the world, I knew I had to do something water related. I was thrilled to find PlayPumps International. PlayPumps builds clean water pumping systems in sub-Saharan Africa, and the beauty of it is the pump is designed as a child’s merry-go-round. Children at play pump the communities clean water! It’s an elegant solution. I have adopted a pump www.janetleecarey.com/PlayPumps for the “Stealing Death Water for Life Challenge.” This year my author visits, book signings, and school assemblies will combine book talks and stories with clean water awareness, giving schools, communities, and individual readers a chance to participate in little ways and big ways. Anyone can access the Stealing Death Water for Life Challenge page and give a tax-deductible donation directly to PlayPumps through the click of a button. We can all join together to bring clean drinking water to a village. I’m pretty psyched about it.

Any final comments?

Thank you so much for the great interview questions. I enjoyed our visit. Keep Dreaming . . .

Thanks Janet for the great interview!

Stealing Death Synopsis from Amazon.com:

“I want that soul sack,” he said suddenly.
“What?” the witch asked around the scrap of meat she was chewing.
“I want it so no one I love will ever, ever, ever have to go inside again.”
“It’s not for mortal hands to have.” The witch spat out a bit of bone.
“You know magic. Give me the power to steal the sack.”

When fire steals his family from him, Kipp is left with only his little sister to protect as best he can, and he’s determined that death will not come to her–or to the girl he loves but can never approach.

But who would dare to master death? As Kipp finds out, it’s complicated, and possession of the soul sack is no guarantee of success. Dragon’s Keep author Janet Lee Carey has crafted a stirring and original fantasy set in a harsh and beautiful desert landscape, in which a young man who has lost everything finds the strength within himself to care for those he loves–and to allow those he cannot keep close to him to take a path he cannot follow.

Visit Janet's site for more info about her and Stealing Death

And now for the giveaway...

The great publicists for Egmont have given me two copies of Stealing Death to giveaway! All that you have to do to enter is comment here.

For extra entries:

+1 for becoming or being a follower

+1 for blogging about the contest

Rules:

Extra entries MUST be listed in separate comments to qualify

Contest ends at 11:59 pm EST on Monday, Sept 7th.

Winners must live in the U.S. or Canada.

No P.O. boxes