Friday Feature: Interview with Michelle Krys

NOTE: Since this interview was originally published, The Witch Hunter's Bible has been renamed Hexed. It's out in June this year!

A few months ago, Michelle Krys announced that she'd got a two-book deal for her debut novel The Witch Hunter's Bible and a sequel with Random House. She was kind enough to agree to an interview about her road to getting published.

1. For those readers who haven't heard of the Witch Hunter's Bible, can you tell us a bit about it?

Absolutely!

In THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE, snarky high school cheerleader Indigo Blackwood is forced into a centuries-old battle between witches and sorcerers, only to uncover the first of many dark truths about her life.

I’d say it’s Buffy meets witches, only with more kissing.

It’s due out from Random House (Delacorte) Spring 2014.


2. Who do you think it will appeal to?

Everyone!

Ha. But seriously, I do hope it will appeal not only to teen readers, but to those adult readers of YA fiction as well.


3. What are you most looking forward to about being a published author?

Seeing my cover! Seeing my name on a book! Browsing through my local bookstore and finding something I wrote amongst the other books on the shelves! Reading reviews! Hearing from fans that love the book!

God, there are so many things I’m looking forward to. Can you tell?


4. Is there anything about being a published author that you're dreading?

Oh, absolutely. The public speaking. I’m a horrid public speaker. Just dreadful. It terrifies me. In fact, I may need an Ativan just typing this reply…


5. Have you always wanted to be an author?

I have always wanted to be an author, but I’d always been way too intimidated to actually put pen to paper. I had no training and basically felt majorly unqualified to write a book. Only when I began a year of maternity leave a few years back did I decide that, what the hell, I’d give it try. And I’m so glad I did!


6. I love the query critiques on your blog! What made you decide to start doing them?

Contrary to many authors, I’ve always loved query letters — reading them almost as much as writing them! Weird, I know.

Combine my love of queries with my desire to help unpublished authors realize the success I’ve had, and the blog query critique was born.


7. What made you decide to start a blog?

To be honest, I’d always thought the idea of blogging was nauseating. I felt like I was barely keeping my head above the water balancing my full-time, non-writing job, my two-year-old son, all the household stuff, plus writing books, to even think about adding another responsibility to my overfull plate. But after I landed an agent I did a lot of research on the internet and learned how much importance some editors place on an author’s internet presence. I, of course, wanted to give myself the best possible chance of landing a book deal, and so I started a blog. It turns out I LOVE IT! It couldn’t be more fun, and it’s not actually all that time-consuming. (Fun fact: my editor said she’d checked out my blog before making her offer!)


8. If you were throwing a literary dinner party, which six authors or characters would you invite?

Fun question! Hmm…

My critique partner and fellow YA author from across the pond, Ruth Lauren Steven, would for sure get an invite. In fact, I’m starting to think this hypothetical dinner party might be the only way we’ll ever really meet in person.

Probably have to invite Stephanie Meyer. She did inspire me to get into YA books in the first place with her insanely great Twilight trilogy.

Then I’d probably invite Stephanie Perkins, because I couldn’t love her books more and she seems like a really fun person to be around. Plus every party needs two Stephanies.

Absolutely Veronica Roth would be invited. Aside from loving Divergent, I can’t get enough of her blog and think she’d be a right fun gal to hang out with.

Kendare Blake would get an invite, too. Not only are we agency sisters, but Anna Dressed in Blood is one of my favorite ghost stories. Kendare’s dry humor would be a great addition to any party.

Then maybe Courtney Summers because her books are badass and hilarious, and I think she’d be a riot at a dinner party.

But since I don’t do dinner parties and I’m more of an actual party kind of gal, I’d also invite Tabatha Suzuma because I need to meet the genius who wrote Forbidden, and Jandy Nelson so I can smack her for making me cry so hard when reading The Sky is Everywhere, and ditto to Lauren Oliver with Before I Fall, and Kody Keplinger, and Kristin Cashore, and…

You get the point!


9. Do you listen to music when you write? If so, what's the soundtrack to the Witch Hunter's Bible?

No. As my husband can attest, I require absolute silence when I write. And a coffee. And an electric heating pad. And a north to northwest breeze…

But music does inspire my writing. Katy Perry’s Last Friday Night was the inspiration behind a party scene in THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE, as was Hot Chelle Rae’s Tonight Tonight.


10. Have you got any plans for future books you can share with us?

The sequel to THE WITCH HUNTER’S BIBLE is slated for publication with Random House (Delacorte) a year or so following the release of the first in the series.

I’m also working on a YA sci-fi novel set in the East Coast of Canada, which I’m REALLY excited about.