Salt and Storm author Kendall Kulper shares some of her debut experience!
Kendall Kulper
1. What's the best thing that happened after your book was published?
Getting to meet fellow writers has been amazing—it’s such an incredibly supportive community, and I’ve really enjoyed the friendships I’ve made with other authors!
2. How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?
I’m not sure I remember what exactly I did! I’m thinking it probably involved champagne and celebratory cake. I do remember getting off the phone with my agent after she told me the news, and jumping up and down with my dog.
3. When is your best time to write?
When I’m working on a book, I write Monday through Friday, nine to five. I really try to keep my day as pretty structured, so I wake up, read the news over breakfast, and get working.
4. Do you read reviews of your book?
Not usually. I usually read enough to get a general sense of how people are responding, but I try not to focus on specifics. Even with positive reviews, it can be hard to get comments out of my head, which makes it especially tough to write.
5. What is your best or most unforgettable moment with a fan?
I haven’t met too many fans yet, but this past summer I met with a group of librarians at the ALA conference in Las Vegas, and some of them asked me to sign copies of my book for them. It was literally the first time I ever signed copies of my novel, and I was so nervous I misspelled the name “Rob.” Like, not even as a joke. I stuck an extra “b” at the end (I have NO idea why), and then I realized what I had done, panicked, and tried to swap out the book before he noticed (I was unsuccessful, and Rob with one b was very nice and refused to take another copy).
6. Was there any book/s from other debut author of 2014 that you loved?
There are so many books that look absolutely AMAZING, but I have to confess that this year has been especially crazy for me—finishing SALT & STORM’s prequel, moving to a new city, and having my first baby—so I haven’t been able to read nearly as much as I would have liked. That said, I am a big fan of my fellow Fall Fourteeners (fourteen debut authors publishing in Fall 2014).
7. Are you interested in writing in a different genre or for a different audience?
I think I’d always like to write Young Adult, and so far I’m loving historical fantasy—there are so many amazing stories to be told throughout history, and giving it a fantasy twist helps keep it fresh for me. But there are amazing things happening with YA contempories right now, and I think I would have a lot of fun trying out one of those kinds of stories.
8. Share us one embarrassing moment you've had.
Well, probably my most embarrassing moment happened one summer during high school. I was at the movies with my older brother and we were about to go into the theater when I saw two of my friends playing an arcade game on the other side of the lobby. A normal person would have gone over to say hi, but for some reason I thought it would be much cooler to run full-tilt at them and do a kind of gymnastics jump off their shoulders. So I go flying across the lobby, vault off one of them, completely lose my balance, and crash into one of those cardboard cutouts. I literally went flying into a wall. Everyone in the lobby turned to stare at me, especially my friend who I’d just run into—except, the person wasn’t even my friend but a total stranger.
9. Favorite color?
Blue!
Favorite movie?
Changes all the time, but one that I always love is East of Eden.
Favorite ice cream flavor?
Right now, Hazed and Confused from Ben & Jerry’s.
Favorite song?
I’ve been listening to “Happy” by Pharrell on repeat because it’s my baby girl’s favorite!
Ultimate celebrity crush (dead or alive)?
Woah. Hmm… It’s the summer of Chris Pratt, right? Sign me up.
10. What's next for you?
In the next ten minutes: trying to put my daughter to bed. In life: getting SALT & STORM’s prequel in fighting shape and then focusing on the next (super-secret!) book!
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About the Author
Kendall Kulper writes historical fiction with a fantasy twist for teen readers and knows more about nineteenth century whaling than she ever imagined. Her debut YA novel, SALT & STORM will be published by Little, Brown September 23, 2014. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in history and literature in 2008 and spent several years as a journalist before deciding to write full-time. She grew up in the wilds of New Jersey and now lives in Boston with her husband and chronically-anxious Australian Shepherd mix, Abby.
You don't wanna miss Kendall's debut novel!
Salt and Storm
by Kendall Kulper
Published September 23rd 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Blurb (Goodreads):
You don't know what you must give up to become a witch.
Avery Roe wants only to claim her birthright as the witch of Prince Island and to make the charms that have kept the island's sailors safe at sea for generations, but instead she is held prisoner by her mother in a magic-free life of proper manners and respectability.
Avery thinks escape is just a matter of time, but when she has a harrowing nightmare, she can see what it means: She will be killed. She will be murdered. And she's never been wrong before.
Desperate to change her future, Avery finds a surprising ally in Tane—a tattooed harpoon boy with magic of his own, who moves her in ways she never expected. But as time runs out to unlock her magic and save herself, Avery discovers that becoming a witch requires unimaginable sacrifice.
Avery walks the knife's edge between choice and destiny in Kendall Kulper's sweeping debut: the story of one girl's fight to survive the rising storm of first love and family secrets.
Yesterday: Stephanie Diaz, author of Extraction. On Monday: Kristin Rae, author of Wish You Were Italian. Check out the schedule here.
GIVEAWAY!
- copy of Salt and Storm
- open to US only (no P.O boxes)
- Kendall and I are NOT responsible for any lost or damaged package
- each entry will be checked. Daily entries requires different info/links every day. This will be checked as well so be honest!
- contest ends December 29th
- winner must respond on email notification within 48 hours or else we will pick another winner
I've actually already read this one and beyond loved it! I'd really love to win a finished copy, so thanks! :D
ReplyDeleteI want to read it because I love the sea and stories about witches.
ReplyDeleteThe whole "Robb" story was TOO funny! And Hazed and Confused is one of my favorites too! Yay! Thank you for the great interview and giveaway!
ReplyDelete