The Matrix Revolutions

1. “Tell me, how many bullets are there in those guns? I don’t know, but I don’t think you have enough.” (The Merovingian)

2. “I wished I had one more chance to say what really mattered; to say how much I loved you, how grateful I was for every moment I was with you. But by the time I said what I wanted to, it was too late. But you brought me back. You gave me my wish. One more chance to say what I really wanted to say… Kiss me, once more. Kiss me.” (Trinity)

3. “Everything that has a beginning has an end. I see the end coming. I see the darkness spreading. I see death… and you are all that stands in his way.” (The Oracle)

4. “Can you feel it, Mr. Anderson, closing in on you? Oh, I can. I really should thank you, after all it was your life that taught me the purpose of all life. The purpose of life is to end.” (Smith)

5. “Architect: You played a very dangerous game.
Oracle: Change always is.”

6. “Why, Mr. Anderson? Why do you do it? Why get up? Why keep fighting? Do you believe you’re fighting for something? For more than your survival? Can you tell me what it is? Do you even know? Is it freedom? Or truth? Perhaps peace? Could it be for love? Illusions, Mr. Anderson. Vagaries of perception. The temporary constructs of a feeble human intellect trying desperately to justify an existence that is without meaning or purpose. And all of them as artificial as the Matrix itself. Although, only a human mind could invent something as insipid as love. You must be able to see it, Mr. Anderson. You must know it by now. You can’t win. It’s pointless to keep fighting. Why, Mr. Anderson, Why? Why do you persist?” (Smith)

7. “Karma’s a word. Like ‘love.’ A way of saying ‘what I am here to do.’ I do not resent my karma – I’m grateful for it. Grateful for my wonderful wife, for my beautiful daughter. They are gifts. And so I do what I must do to honor them.” (Rama-Kandra)

8. “I have told you before, there is no escaping the nature of the universe. It is that nature that has again brought you to me. Where some see coincidence, I see consequence. Where others see chance, I see cost.” (The Merovingian)

9. “Neo: I just have never…
Rama-Kandra: …heard a program speak of love?
Neo: It’s a… human emotion.
Rama-Kandra: No, it is a word. What matters is the connection the word implies. I see that you are in love. Can you tell me what you would give to hold on to that connection?
Neo: Anything.
Rama-Kandra: Then perhaps the reason you’re here is not so different from the reason I’m here.” (Rama-Kandra)

10. “I don’t have time for this shit.” (Trinity)

My intertextual study The Matrix and the Alice Books looks at the way Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have influenced some of the ideas put forth by Andy and Larry Wachowski. The book is now available as a Kindle ebook too.

Kim Cano

How did you come up with the title, A Widow Redefined? 

I wanted something short and to the point that conveyed what the book was about.

Can you tell us about Amy White, your main character? 

She works in an office, and her mom lives with her to help out. She’s a very average American woman. Except she’s stuck and can’t move on after her husband’s death a few years before.

How did you develop your plot and characters? 

The plot was always there. I never developed it. These people just existed somehow and I wrote about them. At least that’s what it felt like.

How important do you think villains are in a story? 

I think villains are very important. But they shouldn’t be all bad. The best ones are the type that either you can relate to on some level or compel you to like them in some way, like Hannibal Lecter.

What was the hardest part about writing this book? 

Finishing the first draft and thinking I’d accomplished something, only to re-write it and re-write it again, then hire an editor who was honest enough to tell me it needed a lot of work and how to make it better, so it was re-written again. As if that wasn’t enough, he and I went through it one more time and I had a few proofreaders check it too. At that point it was the best I could put out with my current writing skills.

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it? 

I learned in order to finish I had to work a lot harder than I’ve worked on other things. Seems there is always more to learn, which I like. I’m kind of a nerd that way.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

Every week, while grocery shopping with my mom, I’d sneak off to the aisle where the Little Golden Books were sold. She’d end up finding me there, sitting on the floor, reading. That was back in the day when it was still safe to let your child roam and climb trees and stuff.

What inspired you to write your first book? 

I’d seen a documentary about animal slaughter. And I’d also just watched a movie filmed in India. My mind began drifting off, thinking of cows being sacred in India. Then before I knew it Charlie showed up, telling me of his plans to escape the farm and emigrate to India, keeping a promise he made to his dad who’d been sent off to die.

Who is your favorite author and why? 

I have two favorite authors. One dead. One alive. Both Aquarius men. Let’s start with the deceased, W. Somerset Maugham. He understood human behavior at a deep level and could convey it with words like no other. He also put people in difficult situations and let them loose, the reader watching as they either conquered their demons or crumbled in ruin. My favorite living author is my friend, Russell Blake. He’s managed to do the same as Somerset with his characters, while adding a lot more visual imagery to the books, and then mixes it all into fast-paced, violent stories which is atypical for the thriller genre. They’re crafted at a much higher level than the others.

Did writing A Widow Redefined teach you anything? 

The storyline in the novel taught me you cannot control your destiny, only see what life sends your way and go from there. I’ve also learned writing isn’t easy and requires a lot of work. When done there’s more work to do with marketing. It’s non-stop.

Connect with Kim Cano on Facebook & Twitter or her website.

ME Lorde

How did you come up with the title Tolomay’s World and The Pool of Light?

This series was named after the book’s main character, Tolomay, who remains the main character throughout the entire series, so it stuck.

Can you tell us more about her? 

Tolomay is a very strong character. She was thirteen when she went through time and has to endure a whole lot before others come. She can be quick to anger at times, but is generally soft hearted, compassion and really intelligent. Because of her age, though, she still has insecurities… when she’s not being bull-headed. Tolomay is one who loves to learn. She is the one others can lean on, and they do. That in itself comes with complications.

Why did you choose to write this particular book? 

I wrote this book because once the plot came to me, the characters would not quit haunting me until I got some of it down. It became addictive, because I fell in love with the characters and the scenery. Before I knew it, I had finished three books, was mid-way through the 4th, and had a total of seven formatted. This series is enjoyable to write, because there are so many quirky characters and they are each really different from one another.

What was the hardest part about writing Tolomay’s World? 

Editing is always the pits. Thankfully, I never thought to pursue editing as a career. I’d starve for sure.

Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp? 

Be kind to the earth, so our great-great grandkids don’t end up in this book.

How much of the book is realistic? 

The part about pollution and folks forgetting about the earth is real, but the rest is fiction.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? 

I am grateful that my parents were spiritual artists of sorts and that they encouraged me and my sisters in these areas. If it weren’t for my upbringing, I may not be published today.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

I’ve always loved to write and actually tested at a college level reading in the fourth grade. I have always been an avid reader. I’ve read since I could hold a book, and written since I could hold a pencil, but only pursued publishing these past few years.

What inspires you to write and why? 

What leads me to writing is the pure joy I feel when I’m doing it. There is no question in my mind that I should have made more time to pursue this long ago. But, I’m happy I’m doing it now. My children are always my inspiration.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel? 

To me, the most challenging thing while writing is trying to get it all down as fast as it comes. My fingers work overtime when it’s being fleshed out. At the same time, it’s exciting to see how the storyline develops in its smaller details. Editing is my least favorite part.

Connect withME Lorde on Facebook & Twitter or her blog.

The Matrix Reloaded

1. “What happened, happened and could not have happened any other way.” (Morpheus)

2. “Choice is an illusion, created between those with power, and those without.” (The Merovingian)

3. “We’re not here because we’re free; we’re here because we’re not free. There’s no escaping reason, no denying purpose, for as we both know, without purpose we would not exist. It is purpose that created us, purpose that connects us, purpose that pulls us, that guides us, that drives us; it is purpose that defines us, purpose that binds us. We are here because of you, Mr. Anderson. We’re here to take from you what you tried to take from us. Purpose.” (Agent Smith)

4. “Then tomorrow we may all be dead, but how would that be different from any other day? This is a war, and we are soldiers. Death can come for us at any time, in any place. Now consider the alternative. What if I am right? What if the prophecy is true? What if tomorrow the war could be over? Isn’t that worth fighting for? Isn’t that worth dying for?” (Morpheus)

5. “I killed you, Mr. Anderson, I watched you die; and with a certain satisfaction, I might add. And then something happened. Something that I knew was impossible, but it happened anyway: you destroyed me, Mr. Anderson. Afterward, I knew the rules, I understood what I was supposed to do, but I didn’t. I couldn’t. I was compelled to stay. Compelled to disobey. And now here I stand because of you, Mr Anderson. Because of you, I’m no longer an agent of this system. Because of you, I’m changed, unplugged, a new man, so to speak, like you, apparently free.” (Agent Smith)

6. “Denial is the most predictable of all human responses.” (The Oracle)

7. “Who has time? Who has time? But then if we do not ever take time, how can we ever have time?” (The Merovingian)

8. “Hope. It is the quintessential human delusion, simultaneously the source of your greatest strength, and your greatest weakness.” (The Architect)

9. “And this is the nature of the universe. We struggle against it. We fight to deny it, but it is of course pretense. It is a lie. Beneath our poised appearance, the truth is we are completely… out of control.” (The Merovingian)

10. “The first Matrix I designed was quite naturally perfect, it was a work of art, flawless, sublime. A triumph equaled only by its monumental failure. The inevitability of its doom is apparent to me now as a consequence of the imperfection inherent in every human being. Thus, I redesigned it based on your history to more accurately reflect the varying grotesqueries of your nature. However, I was again frustrated by failure. I have since come to understand that the answer eluded me because it required a lesser mind, or perhaps a mind less bound by the parameters of perfection.” (The Architect)

My intertextual study The Matrix and the Alice Books looks at the way Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have influenced some of the ideas put forth by Andy and Larry Wachowski. The book is now available as a Kindle ebook too.

His first appearance is in The Matrix Reloaded with subsequent roles in The Matrix Revolutions and even the games Enter and Matrix and The Matrix: Path of Neo. Councillor Hamann looks and talks like a wise man, considering his first eleven years in the Matrix as a waste of time, when all he did was sleep (which is literally true, as his body was in sleep mode in the human power plant): “I figure I slept the first 11 years of my life, now I’m making up for it.”

At the beginning of Reloaded, he meets Neo on the corridors of Zion – both of them were out of their steel rooms as they could not sleep -, and have a conversation about what control really is and the importance of letting people do what they’re best at.

This is neatly stated while the two of them are on the engineering level, looking down on all the machines that sustained life in Zion: “There is so much in this world that I do not understand. See that machine? It has something to do with recycling our water supply. I have absolutely no idea how it works. But I do understand the reason for it to work. I have absolutely no idea how you are able to do some of the things you do, but I believe there’s a reason for that as well. I only hope we understand that reason before it’s too late.”

Councillor Hamann and Neo

Councillor Hamann is one of the few characters who has blind faith in Neo and, when the time comes, he supports Neo by letting Morpheus take the Nebuchadnezzar and enter the Matrix where Neo had one last chat with the Oracle. When confronted about this decision by Commander Lock – who is in charge of Zion’s defense forces – the Councilor says: “Because I believe our survival depends on more than how many ships we have.”

My intertextual study The Matrix and the Alice Books looks at the way Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have influenced some of the ideas put forth by Andy and Larry Wachowski. The book is now available as a Kindle ebook too.

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Keira Michelle Telford is the author of SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain), a science fiction novel in The SILVER Series. Dishonorably discharged from the Hunter Division and banished for crimes she did not commit, Silver struggles to come to terms with her new prison-like surroundings: a segregated area of the city called the Fringe District, populated by murderers, thieves and rapists. Starving, and desperate for money, she reluctantly accepts the Police Division’s invitation to enroll in a covert Bounty Hunter program: an initiative devised to infiltrate the criminal underworld of the Fringers, and to force the very worst warrant dodging law-breakers to meet their fate—death.

How did you come up with the title SILVER: Acheron? 

I was listening to a lot of music by a band called Kamelot while I was writing the book. One of the songs on their Ghost Opera album inspired it.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences in the plot? 

I use people’s names a lot, usually much to the chagrin of my friends, who randomly find bits of themselves scattered throughout the pages. And a few of the things that Silver says and does are reminiscent of myself. Except for all the monster killing. I haven’t done much of that in real life.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? 

Both my mother and grandfather are writers. I grew up understanding the importance of words, and began writing short stories and poems as soon as I learned how to write. I don’t even remember a time before words became vital to my existence.

Have you started another book yet? 

I’m currently working on a new trilogy. The Prisonworld Trilogy – comprised of The Magistrate, The Procuress, and The Grifters – is something new for me. Set in neo-Victorian London several hundred years in the future, this dystopian, steampunk-esque romp through the streets of London’s East End centers on the complicated relationship between two women who desperately want to be with one another, even though homosexuality is strictly outlawed. To find out more about this new trilogy as details are released visit the trilogy’s website.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? 

For me, writer’s block (or brain fog, as I call it), usually means there’s a problem with whatever scene/chapter I’m working on. If I try and force it, nothing happens. Instead, I have to take a step back, maybe watch an hour of TV, or listen to some music, and wait for the kink to work itself out. It inevitably does, and in some cases results in the whole ending of a book changing… or the beginning… or the entire book.

What do you consider the most challenging about writing a novel? 

I sometimes have trouble knowing when things are finished. I fixate on sentences like a dog gnawing on a bone, and I just can’t get it go. It’s not unusual for me to wake up in the middle of the night with the desperate need to add or delete a comma, and I can’t relax until I’ve done it.

What books have most influenced your life? 

There’s not one thing in particular, but collections of things. The works of Edgar Allen Poe and Samuel Beckett have been the main contributors to my weirdness.

Who is your favorite author and why? 

I have several, but Oscar Wilde features prominently. The Happy Prince was one of the first stories I remember reading as a child. It was certainly the story from my childhood that stuck with me the most.

Where do you see yourself in five years? 

Hopefully much the same as now, except maybe writing at a proper desk instead of a footstool in the living room. It’s where I see myself in thirty years that’s really scary, ‘cause by then, I’ll be a crazy recluse living with a hundreds of guinea pigs and only leaving the house at night.

Do you have any advice for writers? 

Write what you love. Don’t compromise for anybody, and don’t be afraid to tell it like it is. If graphic language suits the text, don’t water it down to make it more palatable for the masses. If the story gets gruesome, then so be it – don’t tame it for fear of offending a potential reader or two. The trick is knowing what’s appropriate for the work, and that’ll start to come naturally with practice.

Connect with Keira Michelle Telford on Facebook & Twitter or her website.

She founded Cheshire Smile Productions, bringing to life and penning her first feature film Fish Without a Bicycle, a coming of age comedy which was directed by Brian Austin Green. Lionsgate’s For the Love of Money, based on a true story of Jewish gangsters set in the 1970’s starring James Caan, Paul Sorvino, Edward Furlong and Jeffrey Tambor was also produced and written by J.R. Mattison. Most recently J.R. has written a TV movie called Comitted, which wrapped production this spring to premiere on television this fall.

Her novel The Tree Of Jesse is a romantic religious thriller available worldwide. Mattison wrote the book while recovering from a traumatic injury and says that the novel, “wrote itself”, with historical facts just begging to be included. “I didn’t write this… it came from somewhere else. Somewhere good. Somewhere pure.”

In Tree of Jesse, on a lonely strip of Death Valley, a failing musician awakens to an intriguing new life. One filled with ancient languages, a hidden identity, and the woman who holds the key to his destiny… his connection to the lost pages of the Dead Sea Scrolls. But there are those who want to keep the secrets buried… and will stop at nothing to keep the prophecy from unfolding.

Excerpt from Tree of Jesse

“The full moon never ceases to amaze me no matter how many times I see it. Lately I feel more connected to it. Like its force is pulling me towards something.

Towards a life that I’ve lived before.

Deja vu.

I stand awed by it’s glow as she turns into her long gravel drive way; I’m surprised that old Jeep makes it up the mountain. Never understood why they call this place Lone Pine. There are pine trees everywhere.

As she dips her boot clad foot out the car door I realize that the way she moves has grown familiar to me. That her essence has become tattooed on the recesses of my mind in ways I couldn’t have imagined possible. And that I can’t imagine a day without seeing her run those long fingers thru her hair or watch her light up one of those thin brown cigarettes. And just then I suddenly see myself clearly. I’ve become the kind of man that watches what he can never have. That lingers too long in alleyways waiting to catch a glimpse.

Someone frightening and grotesque.

I’ve become less than good for nothing, just like my father always said I would. I’ve become a monster who stalks in the night.

I have to stop this.

I turn on my heel and race into the woods as fast as my legs will take me, never looking back.”

Find out more about J.R. Mattison’s work on Facebook, Moviemaker and Backstage.

J.R. will be awarding one digital copy of The Tree of Jesse to a randomly drawn commenter. 

Bette Lee Crosby

When and why did you begin writing? 

I started writing fiction about twelve years ago. Prior to that I was in advertising and wrote for business. I transitioned to fiction because I have a love for storytelling. Making the change was quite dramatic since the writing styles are so different, but I’ve not for one second regretted my decision.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Although I spent much of my childhood in New Jersey, my parents were from the South. Hearing the words of my parents, aunts and uncles in my ear all my life has enabled me to not only write in a southern voice, but to also think as a Southerner. I think that’s what makes my Southern characters come to life as vividly as they do.

What is your favorite part of being an author? 

Delving into the complexities of relationships. All of my books are very character-driven. However, I must say that meeting with book clubs runs a close second.

What is your least favorite part of being an author? 

Editing! Although it is my least favorite part, it is absolutely crucial to producing a quality book. I will edit a book several times, then turn it over to an outside editor

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? 

Although I am very proud of having won ten different Literary Awards for my work, I am most proud of having earning the respect and friendship of my peers.

What inspires you to write? 

People and their relationships. Everyday life events. It can be a place we’ve visited or someone I’ve met. Spare Change is a perfect example of this. We were visiting friends on the Eastern Shore of Virginia and drove through long stretches of road without seeing stores, houses or even a gas station. I commented to my husband that it was such a desolate area that a murder could take place and no one would be the wiser… that thought gave birth to Spare Change.

Have you ever had writer’s block? If so what do you do about it? 

Yes, I have. Sometimes it comes as a blank computer screen looking back at you; other times it shows its ugly face as ordinary words that do nothing for the story. I have learned that when it happens, the best thing to do is leave the computer and go for a walk, play with the dog, or have a cup of tea. Usually five minutes after I am away from the computer, I have a clear vision of where the story needs to go.

Who influenced your writing when you first began? 

It was an older gentleman named Dan Grant. He was the leader of a writer’s workshop I attended and he constantly challenged me to grow beyond myself.

What influenced your writing over the years? 

I believe it was the quality of the books I read. Every time I lost myself in another wonderful story, I challenged myself to reach higher and create my own stories with that same magical quality.

What genre are you most comfortable writing in? 

Definitely women’s fiction. That said, several of my books that are set in the first half of the twentieth century are also considered historical fiction. Amazon has all of my novels under Literary Fiction, I suppose it’s because they are all very character driven stories.

Connect with Bette Lee Crosby on Facebook & Twitter & GoodReads.

1. “You take the blue pill, the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes.” (Morpheus to Neo)

2. “The Matrix is everywhere. It is all around us. Even now, in this very room. You can see it when you look out your window or when you turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work… when you go to church… when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. … That you are a slave, Neo. Like everyone else you were born into bondage. Born into a prison that you cannot smell or taste or touch. A prison for your mind.” (Morpheus to Neo)

3. “Spoon boy: Do not try and bend the spoon. That’s impossible. Instead… only try to realize the truth.
Neo: What truth?
Spoon boy: There is no spoon.
Neo: There is no spoon?
Spoon boy: Then you’ll see, that it is not the spoon that bends, it is only yourself.”

4. “What is real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” (Morpheus to Neo)

5. “To deny our own impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human.” (Mouse)

6. “Have you ever had a dream Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world, and the real world?” (Morpheus to Neo)

7. “Neo, sooner or later you’re going to realize, just as I did, that there’s a difference between knowing the path, and walking the path.” (Morpheus to Neo)

8. “I’d like to share a revelation I’ve had during my time here. It came to me when I tried to classify your species. I realized that you’re not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with their surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area, You move to an area and you multiply… and multiply until every natural resource is consumed. The only way you can survive is to spread to another area. There is another organism on this planet that follows the same pattern. Do you know what it is? A virus. Human beings are a disease, a cancer of this planet. You are a plague, and we… are the cure.” (Agent Smith to Neo)

9. “I am going to be honest with you. I… hate… this place, this zoo, this prison, this reality — whatever you want to call it, I can’t stand it any longer. It’s the smell, if there is such a thing. I feel saturated by it. I can taste your stink, and every time I do, I fear that I’ve somehow been infected by it, it’s repulsive, isn’t it? I must get out of here. I must get free.” (Agent Smith to Morpheus)

10. “I know you’re out there. I can feel you now. I know that you’re afraid. You’re afraid of us. You’re afraid of change. I don’t know the future. I didn’t come here to tell you how this is going to end. I came here to tell you how it’s going to begin. I’m going to hang up this phone, and then I’m going to show these people what you don’t want them to see. I’m going to show them a world without you. A world without rules and controls, without borders or boundaries; a world where anything is possible. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you.” (Neo to the machines at a public phone)

My intertextual study The Matrix and the Alice Books looks at the way Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have influenced some of the ideas put forth by Andy and Larry Wachowski. The book is now available as a Kindle ebook too.

Was there anything in particular that inspired you to write a novel involving astral projection? 

I read the book Stranger with My Face by Lois Duncan when I was in high school. It involved astral projection and that was the first I’d ever read about out-of-body experience, astral projection or the like. I was fascinated. I knew right away I had to write something involving astral projection.

Why did you choose to write this particular book? 

Untethered actually came out of a short story I wrote when I was seventeen. The story itself wasn’t very good, but the idea of a teenager playing with astral projection stuck with me. The novel barely resembles the original short story, except that the characters’ names never changed, and Sylvie still messes up. While writing the novel, I found myself exploring the idea of self-doubt, insecurity, and obsession more fully than I had imagined I would do.

How did you come up with the title? 

I am the absolute worst at titles. Really. My brain goes on lockdown the second it’s time to come up with one. So this novel had the cringe-worthy title of Precious Possession until a friend’s husband suggested Untethered. Whew.

What was the hardest part about writing Untethered? 

The main character, Sylvie, is not your usual YA heroine. She’s not drop-dead gorgeous, isn’t a kick-ass warrior, doesn’t have some ancient supernatural secret to hide. She astral projects, but it makes her an outcast. She sees herself as a loser of sorts and is somewhat self-centered. All of these things add up to making it extremely difficult to write her as a character the reader wants to root for in the end, despite her flaws. Getting her to the point where we might begin to sympathize with her took me forever.

How much of the book is realistic? 

Untethered is YA paranormal, with astral projection being the supernatural edge. I enjoy paranormal novels because they involve an escape from reality. However, my goal is to create an escape from reality that somehow amplifies reality. The book is set in the real world and Sylvie experiences real-world problems. From family issues to questioning friendships to a complete lack of self-confidence, the main thrust of conflict in the novel comes from everyday events that just happen to get even more complicated by the paranormal.

Who is your favorite character in Untethered? 

Nelson – which is funny because he wasn’t even in the early drafts of the novel. But it was kind of hard to show how likeable Sylvie could be if no one liked her. So Nelson went from not being in, to just making appearances, to being one of the main characters.

Have you included your life experiences in the plot? 

Yes. While the novel is fiction from A-Z, I plunged into my experiences, emotions, and memories to make the story come as alive as possible. Some of the things I pulled from my own life and/or others’ lives are: Like Cassie, my best friend when I was young had the most awesome head of hair and, like Sylvie and Cassie, we almost drown in Lake Michigan. My mom had an out-of-body experience when giving birth to my oldest brother. I swear I astral projected once when falling down a flight of stairs. Someone really pulled that “Will you hook up with me?” cruel prank on a girl when I was in high school. I don’t have the exact same issues as Sylvie does, but, like her, I have always struggled to be comfortable in my own body.

Will you write other YA paranormal novels? 

Despite publishers saying the paranormal bubble has burst, or that people want realistic fiction now, weirdness tends to creep into my novels. It’s what I like to read, so it’s what I like to write. I’m writing a novel at the moment that involves the devil.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? 

I am the youngest of six children. I don’t know how my parents did it. My mom worked non-stop around the house all day. But in the evenings, my mom would sit in her recliner with a bowl of popcorn and a book. No matter how much noise was around her, no matter what kind of chaos we’d create, she was lost to the world in her novel. She always looked so interested – enraptured even – that I needed to try out reading novels for myself. The reading right away took me into writing. Authors were (and still are) my rock stars.

Who or what has inspired your writing over the years? 

Although I’ve always written, it wasn’t until I moved here to Geneva, Switzerland that I decided to make writing more than a hobby. I joined the Geneva Writers’ Group and found an English-speaking pocket of nearly 200 writers who welcomed me. I’ve worked on the committee organizing events, lectures and conferences. With every new event, I felt more empowered. And then a few of us from the GWG got together to form a small critiquing group. There is no comparison to having a critiquing group with honest, yet supportive, writing friends. They inspire me. They push me. They shove me. And, I believe, they love me. It makes all the difference in the world.

Connect with Katie Hayoz on Facebook and Twitter or via her website.