Here's the summary: When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?
SW: As Apocalypsies we had to survive the fires of hell, fight raving zombies and find our way through eternal darkness, so please tell us a bit about your path to publication.
It was a long, winding path! Growing up, I always wanted to be a writer. But I thought it was an unrealistic dream. So I majored in business, got a BS in Marketing and an MBA and went into that world. But part of me still longed for writing. So, at night after work, I wrote short stories for a while. Then I decided to try to write a novel, just to see if I could finish one. I did, but it wasn’t good enough. So I wrote another one. Then another one. And then I wrote CLARITY. I got my agent through the regular query process.
SW: How long did it take you to write CLARITY (time’s running out, never forget that. Tick. Tock.) and how did you get the idea for it?
I think it took nine months, but I don’t know exactly. The idea actually came from one line, in my head, said in a sarcastic voice. So I started to wonder who would say that and why. And that’s when I came up with my main character and her unusual family. For the plot, I just thought long and hard about these new characters that I loved so much and figured out what’s the worst thing that could happen to them. And I did that. J The line that started it all is now the last sentence of chapter two.
SW: If you could become part of a book, even just for a little while, which book would that be and why? (Be careful what you wish for. There could be psychologists among our readers who might use your answer for a psycho-analysis. Hunger games? = weary of life...)
Fodor’s Guide to the Bahamas
(Hey, you didn’t say it had to be fiction!)
SW: Can you tell us a bit about the project you’re working on right now?
The sequel to CLARITY is done. PERCEPTION will come out in Spring 2012. I’m also finishing up a standalone supernatural mystery—a ghost story—that’s coming out in Fall 2012.
SW: We want to know more about Clarity “Clare” Fern, the protagonist of CLARITY. What would she do on her last day before the end of the world?
She would want to spend it with her family. They mean the world to her, and they’re pretty tightly knit. I imagine they’d do their favorite things that day. Clare would start the morning out with some sugary doughnuts because she has a weakness for those. Then Clare would make the family sit around and watch one of her favorite horror movies. They’d chat, say all the things they always wanted to say, and go to dinner at their favorite restaurant (which is in the book). Then, they’d spend their last moments on the beach, looking out over the water. Maybe Clare would want one other person there, too. But I’m not telling you who. ;)
SW: Of course, the Apocalypsies want to make sure that our fellow writers are prepared for 2012. After all, it’s our writerly duty to ensure that you live long enough to read all of our books.
So what’s your favorite weapon for fighting off zombies?
My husband is overly prepared for the zombie apocalypse (thank you, Xbox 360) so I would hide behind him.
SW: How would Clare answer that question?
Clare would not hide. She’s much tougher than me. She’d run at them with anything she had handy. Frying pans, baseball bats…
SW: Please name three books that our readers must read before the end of the world.
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins – my favorite dystopian
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson – my favorite ghost story
The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy – my favorite noir novel
Thank you so much for the interview, Kim!
