Other by Karen Kincy

OTHER

by Karen Kincy

Young Adult
Flux
www.KarenKincy.com


5 Signed Copies will be given away on Friday, July 9, 2010!



About the Book:

Gwen Williams has been hiding a strange and fantastic secret: she’s a shapeshifter. Although society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and “Others” like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in her small Washington town who don’t care for her kind. When a new werewolf pack moves into the area, tensions rise—and Others start showing up dead, including someone close to Gwen. Despite the methodical murders, the police are ignoring evidence that suggests a serial killer. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen—along with a mysterious and sexy guy who happens to be a Japanese fox spirit—risks her life to find the murderer. But Gwen is already the killer’s next target…





Read our Exclusive Interview with the Author!

1)What kind of research did you have to do to bring Other to life on the page?

First of all, I will admit to getting carried away sometimes and spending hours researching. For example, since werewolves feature into Other and most definitely the sequel, Bloodborn, that gave me a handy excuse to read as many books on wolf behavior as possible. I visited a wolf sanctuary near Tenino, WA to observe real wolves, although that gave me more insights into how captivity affects wolves than anything. As for the kitsune fox-spirits, I hunted down a rare out-of-print book about traditional kitsune folklore at my college’s library, then pored over the fascinating legends.

Often, my memories serve as research, but when that’s not enough, I revisit places or events. Like the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe, WA, which stars in Other as the backdrop for a fight scene. True fact: as a kid, I visited that fair for my birthday nearly every year. I ate elephant ears, watched the draft horse show, and won blue ribbons in the photography competition. Now when I visit the fair, I can’t help thinking of—a teeny tiny spoiler—werewolves. I wholeheartedly swear by the old adage, “Write what you know,” and would like to add that you can always learn what you don’t.

2) Your characters seem so alive and real...what's your secret?

Realistic characters come from real people. That’s my rather simple philosophy, anyway. Granted, you can’t copy and paste straight from your life into a story, but I will readily admit that my characters are Frankenstein patchworks of personalities I have encountered. My characters often do things that I can’t or wouldn’t, but that’s the best part. For me, reading and writing a great story is like being able to shapeshift into different lives, though of course I draw on my own experiences and emotions in order to portray my characters in a way that rings true. Reading books on acting techniques helps me get into character if I’m dealing with a challenge.

3) If your main character, Gwen, could give one piece of advice to teenage girls/boys, what would it be?

Understand yourself. Gwen hides her true identity while she struggles with the decision to reveal herself to her boyfriend and everyone else she knows. When she finally does, her old life falls to pieces, and she realizes that she was so busy acting out a personality for other people that she doesn’t know what she wants for herself. Anything more would be too spoilery, so that’s all for this question!

4) If there was one thing about Gwen's life that you’d like to have in your own life, what would it be? What about the one thing about her life that you’d NEVER want to have?

Obviously I would pounce upon Gwen’s shapeshifting powers in a heartbeat. Although that would mean that my schedule and organization would fly out the window while I, ahem, flew out the window as an owl, or ran around in the forest as a cougar, or tried out any number of interesting animal forms. As for an unwanted thing, I have to go with never, ever wanting a serial killer hunting down people like me in my hometown.

5) Thinking back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?

When you write for publication, you’re writing as a business. For me, that means putting in as many constructive, organized hours as I would at any other job; cultivating a serene, egoless smile for critiques and editorial input; growling over taxes; learning how to market myself; maintaining an online presence and author’s persona, etc. That certainly doesn’t mean that the fun and creativity of writing have waned. If anything, being able to objectively step back and say, “This revision/cover change/new title will make my novel more appetizing to browsers in a bookstore,” wipes away any of the too-sensitive, “Don’t touch my baby!” attitude I may have had before, as a new novelist.

About the Author:

Karen Kincy (Washington) graduated from The Evergreen State College with a BA in linguistics and literature. The setting of her debut novel, Other, is based on her hometown of Snohomish, Washington. Visit the author's website at: www.KarenKincy.com

**Please enter to win using the form on the left side bar of our website. Comments left on the post, while appreciated, are not used as entry. Thanks!