Interview with Stephanie Keyes

Today we're hopping on the Star Child blog tour and chatting with author Stephanie Keyes. We also have a giveaway, so be sure to keep reading to the end of the interview.

Welcome, Stephanie. Tell us a bit about yourself. 

Hi, thanks for the welcome and for having me on your site! Let's see, I'm a mother of two boys, both under six, and a wife. I've been married to my husband for eleven years and he's my best friend. When I'm not writing, I'm reading. I always have a book close at hand.

How long have you been writing? 

Ever since I can remember. I can remember sitting on my bed at fourteen with a ruled notebook and scribbling away furiously.

Tell us about STAR CHILD. What’s the story about? 

The story is about a child prodigy, Kellen St. James, who gets approached by a young girl on the beach in Ireland when he's there visiting his Gran. He instantly has this connection to the girl and he feels like she could be his best friend. All he knows about her is her name, Calienta. After prompting his Gran, he finds out that Calienta is something of a local legend. They call her The Star Child, because she lights the stars in the sky at night.

Kellen mostly dismisses it as a dream, but he's never certain. Particularly since he dreams about the same chance encounter over the next eleven years of his life. When Kellen's Gran dies, he travels to Ireland to to take over her estate, having inherited it as her sole heir. Calienta makes a repeat appearance and he finds out that she's just as real as he is. Plus, she's come to tell him about a prophecy in which he plays a key role.

Kellen soon finds himself on the run through an underworld, where all he has to rely on is his photographic memory, book smarts, and his courage...

Sounds awesome! How did the idea of the story come to you?

I just looked out at the stars one night and though "Star Child". Then I began to think about a girl who lit the stars at night. Who was she? What did she want out of life? Ironically, I wrote Kellen before I wrote about her. He just intrigued me.

Are you a planner or a pantser? 

I am a hybrid!I plan for almost everything, but I can throw the plan out the window for a fabulous new idea. I am more than willing to just wing it and see what happens.

What’s the hardest part of writing for you? 

Editing! I love planning it out, writing it, and going through those ideas. However, I just have a hard time with editing because I'm ready to move on. Ha! Fortunately, I had a fantastic editor on this edition of The Star Child, Melissa Keir, who really worked with me and kept on top of me. I know the book is in the best possible shape because Melissa kept me honest and challenged me.

What do you absolutely have to have nearby when writing? 

Music, my Bose headphones, and Skinny Cow Heavenly Crisps.

If you could have any super power, what would it be? 

It would be the power to magically clean my entire house and do the laundry in one fell swoop. My family would appreciate this as well.

What's the weirdest thing you've googled? 

How do you repel faeiries?

Very useful information. ;) Quick writing test! Use the following words in a sentence: figurine, hereditary, and washboard. 

The hereditary song of my ancestors began to hum at such a decibel that I grabbed the figurine from the laundry room shelf and drove it right through the washboard.

Wow, great job with that one! Finish this sentence: If I'm not writing, I'm probably ...

playing with my kids or snuggling with the hubby.

Here’s the part where you thank the people who are supporting you. Let's hear your shout outs.

These are great questions! Love 'em. A shout out to my husband and kids – they are the reason that I do everything. To my Mom, for telling me, yes, they will want it. To my Aunts Linda and Mary for reading the draft when I was afraid to tell anyone I'd written a book. My brother, Adam, for just being there. And the ladies in my old work group, Laura, Tessie, and Gina. They loaned me their guts so that I could pitch this to New York and let anyone read it all.

And finally, where can people find you and your book online?

My website is really where I communicate with folks the most. That's www.stephaniekeyes.com. However, you'll also find me at:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/StephanieKeyes
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Stephanie-Keyes/150860604966160
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/stephaniekeyes/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5360651.Stephanie_Keyes

Thanks so much for chatting with us today, Stephanie. It was great having you here. Enjoy the rest of your blog tour!

And now for the giveaway! The autographed books and posters can be won by those in the US and UK. the ebook raffle is open to everyone. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway