Through the Looking Glass: Interview With Author Kendare Blake!

Today, I am proud to have the privilege to share with you an interview I did with the fabulous author of YALSA 2012 Best Fiction winner Anna Dressed in Blood! I absolutely loved the book. It was chilling and had great romance mixed in. You can read my review of the book HERE. For more info about Kendare and her books, visit kendareblake.com.

What was your inspiration for the story of Anna Dressed in Blood?

I wanted to write something disturbing. I'd just been to graduate school and had written a few literary novels, but my reading roots were all Stephen King and Poppy Z Brite. I missed the blood and the nasty. Then I thought of the name Anna Dressed in Blood and it sort of went from there!

Was it scary to write some of the parts like it was scary for us to read?

It was scary to think of some of the parts. I thought of one part (those who have read can probably guess which it was) when I was walking up a dark wooden staircase toward a locked door. A cat ran past that I hadn't known was there. That was pretty fun. Writing the scene brought back flashes of that.

Was it difficult to write the relationship between Cas and Anna? (You know, with her being a ghost and him being a ghost hunter)

Yes, it was difficult. I mean, I love Anna, but wasn't sure if readers would. She really kills a lot of people. And how could Cas see past that? But as a ghost hunter, part of him actually empathizes more with the ghost he's putting down. Still, she's pretty dead, so those two have, shall we say, a definite obstacle.

What authors inspire/influence you most in your writing?

Milan Kundera blew my mind and I haven't recovered all the pieces. He blends novel and philosophy and observation and magic. But I could never write like him. I did learn a lot though, and when I read writers like Joe Hill, or Caitlin R Kiernan, or Holly Black, I definitely pay attention to the way they do things. When I'm not lost in the story, that is.

What are your three favorite books (currently) and why?

Favorite? And only three? But I'll try to think currently. I really loved Suzanne Young's A NEED SO BEAUTIFUL. Loss and forgetting are always themes I enjoy. The sequel, A WANT SO WICKED comes out in June, I think. Maybe July. I still really remember Ty Roth's SO SHELLY. Lots of dark and broken things in that book. And this is a little early, but I'm fairly sure that in March my new favorite book will be Caitlin R Kiernan's THE DROWNING GIRL.

Is there anything you do for inspiration while you write? if so, what?

Depending on what it is I'm writing, I occasionally listen to music. If what I'm working on is too serious, then I can't do that because everything starts to be a joke. If my writing sucks, then I read favorite passages from writers I admire, to get back in the groove.

Kendare's next book in the Anna series, A Girl of Nightmares, releases in August of this year. I know I am very excited and looking forward to seeing the next installment in Cas and Anna's story!