The Writing Nut

Two Fridays ago (November 12th), I had the pleasure of listening to Lauren Kate, author of the amazing Fallen Series and the equally astonishing YA Novel: The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove. She arrived at Borders Torrance,  ready and eager to talk about the second book in the Fallen series: Torment.

Fallen is about angels, soulmates, reincarnation and love.  Here’s a blurb from Lauren Kate’s own website:

Some Angels are Destined to Fall

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

“Sexy and fascinating and scary…I loved love loved it!” -P.C. Cast, New York Times bestselling author of the House of Night Series

Here’s a summary of Torment taken from that awesome website fantasticfiction.co.uk

Hell on earth.

That’s what it’s like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.

It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts – immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.

At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn’t told her everything. He’s hiding something – something dangerous.
What if Daniel’s version of the past isn’t actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?

The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series . . . where love never dies.

Lauren Kate started by reading the first chapter of Torment. She immediately jumped into the    Q & A portion (which she said was her favorite part of any book signing).

At first, the audience members were shy, but with Lauren’s encouragement,  the questions started coming one by one.

Here are videos of Lauren answering the audience members’ many questions:

At what point when you were growing up and reading books did you determine “that’s what I’d really like to do”? Were there certain writers that made you feel that that’s absolutely what you wanted to do?

How many books will there be in the series?

Did you originally conceptualize the story as a four book series?

How long did it take you to write the first book?

Do you outline your book or do you just go straight into writing it?

Which character talks to you more?

Are we ever going to see the model’s face in future book covers?

Has your husband read the books?

What is your message to aspiring writers?

I had the amazing opportunity to ask Lauren Kate  a few questions of my own:

1. What’s the best advice about writing that someone gave you when you were just starting out?

2. What’s the one book you would like to have with you if you were stranded on an island?

3. Do you have any advice for writers who are currently in the process of editing or rewriting their book?

4. Could you tell us a little bit about your journey to the publishing world?

5. What advice would you give to anyone who wants to write a book or is currently writing a book?

She was more than nice enough to agree to an impromptu video interview.

If there I had to describe in one word, the feeling that permeated within me after hearing her words, it would be: Hope.

“Never give up. All it takes is one person to say ‘yes’” – Lauren Kate

Lauren Kate, through her words of wisdom gave me the courage to push on with my manuscript, despite not being able to see the end in sight.

Now, every time I feel the familiar Dementor of my inner critic rising up within me, I crush it with the Patronus of Lauren Kate’s words:  ”Never give up. All it takes is one person to say yes.”

** My deepest thanks to Lauren Kate for agreeing to the interview, and another equally loud thank you to my friend (and unofficial photographer/videographer) Lena, who helped me take the videos and pictures.

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