Interview with Tara Fuller, author of INBETWEEN

Today I am excited to have Tara Fuller, author of the KISSED BY DEATH series, on my blog. I picked up INBETWEEN, the first book, several weeks ago. Intriguing premise. Great pacing. Characters that jump of the page.

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.

Great advice. "Don't give up" will be my chant when the going gets rough! Thank you, Tara, for taking the time to be on my blog today!