So, welcome Tara! Thank you for interviewing on my blog.
Tara, how did you come up with the premise for INBETWEEN?
Two things actually sparked the idea for INBETWEEN. One
was a quote by Edgar Allen Poe about the boundaries between life and death and
the other was a documentary I watched about reincarnation. These two things
really got me interested in the concept of life after death and what would
happen if two people fell in love that had that boundary dividing them.
I always love hearing about a story's early beginnings. Each character in INBETWEEN is unique; they
felt so real to me! I especially enjoyed the contrast between Finn and Cash.
Were either of their characters modeled after someone you know? If not, are any
of your other characters?
I'm so glad you enjoyed the characters! They feel pretty
real to me too most of the time, lol. Finn was not based on anyone I know. Finn
is more the boy I wished I could have known when I was in high
school. He's the boy that loves someone with everything he is and refuses to
give up. I tended to date bad boys in school, so when I look
back now, I wish I could have met a Finn. Parts of Cash were actually
based on a boy that was one of my best friends through high school and college.
I'll just call him W. He was your basic super hot bad boy and
liked the ladies much like Cash, but despite his flaws, I could tell
him anything and he always made me feel different and safe. Our relationship
was a lot like Cash and Emma. We were sort of each others escape
from the problems we had at home. Writing Cash was fun, because it really
allowed me to reconnect with what my relationship had been like with W.
Now we're all curious about this mysterious "W" guy! What a fun tidbit about Cash's character. What books/authors inspire your writing, Tara?
I'm going to go with authors here, because I think as a
writer, nearly every book I read inspires me in some way and helps me grow as
an artist. Maggie Steifvater would probably be at the top of my list. My
writing tends to be a bit lyrical, so I have always connected with and adored
her writing style. Growing up I loved R.L. Stine and Christopher
Pike's story telling abilities. And of course, Edgar Allen Poe. I think my
love for his work has always played into the darker themes I choose to write
about.
Can you share with us a favorite line or two of yours from INBETWEEN?
**Here is a line from Finn that I have always loved. In fact
this entire scene is one of my favorites in the book:
"They say the dead can’t sleep, can’t dream.
But as I stood there lost with wanting, I couldn’t help but wonder when I was going to wake
up."
**And here is another one of my favorite
moments, the moment Finn and Emma officially meet:
I lay there for a few seconds, stunned by the
feel of Emma’s solid warmth beneath me, the hectic swell of her lungs pumping
against my chest. I was…touching her. Her sapphire-blue eyes stared back into
mine. Our noses nearly touched. Her peppermint breath clung to my lips.
“You can see me,” I said, breathless.
“Of course I can see you.” Emma glanced over my
shoulder, but she didn’t make a move. “Your face is practically touching my
face. It would be kind of hard not to see you."
Ah, those are perfect. Thanks for sharing. What are you most passionate about, other than writing?
Reading. I am a book addict. I read 3-4 books per week on
average, sometimes even more, lol.
3-4 a week? Go, Tara! Anaya’s character intrigued me, and I know she plays a more
central role in the second book of your Kissed by Death series, BLURRED,
that comes out this summer. Can you tell us a little more about her?
Anaya is a reaper for Heaven, and out of our trio of
reapers, she is the oldest. She has been reaping for about a thousand years.
She was from Egypt when she was alive. Anaya is a no-nonsense kind of girl.
She's been collecting the dead for so long that she has almost forgotten what's
it's like to be alive. She is very kind but very tough. At the time of her
death she lost a lot, which played into the way she died, so she has been
walking around the afterlife sort of numb for a very long time. Cash stirs
something up inside her that throws her off, and you'll get to learn lots more
about that in BLURRED, because the entire book is from Cash and Anaya's POV!
No-nonsense meets nonsense. I love it! Are you working on anything else right now?
Right now I am currently working on a New Adult book that
will be a contemporary romance and I am also working on book three in the
Kissed by Death series, which will be from Easton and a mystery girl's POV. I
am also working on a contemporary adult series that I will be publishing under
a pen name. The first book in that series will be out this summer.
Last of all, Tara, do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
My biggest piece of advice for aspiring authors is don't give
up! You will be buried in rejection letters before you see the light that is
publication at the end of the tunnel. Just remember to keep going and
take time to write everyday. Take every piece of advice you can get and run
with it. Don't be afraid to re-write and re-write again. If you don't have a
critique partner, get one. It will be one of the best things you could do for
yourself as a writer. And last but certainly not least, read! Read everything you
can get your hands one, because it will only make you better.
