TBM: How do you imagine the ideal
reader of your book?
KT: My ideal reader is someone
who loves unique stories with a lot of twist and turns and romance.
TBM: How was the writer inside of
you born?
KT: I’ve always had a passion for
writing. I wrote my first short story when I was in third grade. I don’t
remember what it was called, but it was about a lady bug that slept in a
hammock made from a leaf. I even drew pictures to go with it. At SDSU, I took a
class called “The Writing of Fiction.” I wrote a 25-page short story, and my
professor actually called me at home on a Saturday to tell me he just read it
and was blown away by it. I couldn’t believe it. Geez, I don’t remember what
that story was called either, but his call inspired me to keep writing.
TBM: What genres do you work with
and why are you attracted to these forms of writing?
KT: I primarily write young adult
sci-fi. I’m a sci-fi freak who grew up watching Star Trek reruns and then The
Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and Voyager. I’ve always been fascinated with
the unknown and the possible technology of the future. I would love to be a
Starfleet officer. I also love Star Wars and Sherlock—Sherlock has nothing to
do with Sci-Fi, but I’m obsessed with the show, so I had to mention it. Lol.
TBM: As a reader, what elements
of a story do you love, or do you hate?
KT: I don’t like stories that are
too predictable. That’s why MIRROR X is full of all kinds of surprises. I love
stories with a strong main character who is a bit flawed but extremely
likeable. The male lead also needs to be handsome (someone who can make a
girl’s stomach do flips) and maybe even be a bit naïve.
TBM: What inspired you to write
MIRROR X and what do you hope your readers will take away from this book?
KT: Without giving away some of
the major twists, I can say that I’ve always been intrigued with the idea of
bringing back someone who died – not in the form of a Zombie (though I’m a huge
fan of The Walking Dead) but as a new person with a new soul – if that makes
any sense. There is one person in particular who I wish I had met, but he died
before I was even born. If you want to know who this individual is, you’ll have
to read MIRROR X J
This person just might make an appearance.
TBM: How long did it take you to
write this book and what did you do the day that you finished it?
KT: The initial first draft only
took me about three months to write, but of course, it was really rough. It
took another two to three weeks to self-edit. Then I switched manuscripts with
my critique partner, so we could give each other feedback. It took another two
to three weeks to go through my partner’s comments and make adjustments. Then
it was finally ready to send to my agent, so she could give it a look before
querying publishers. To celebrate the fact that it was agent-ready, I went out
to dinner with my husband. It is such a great feeling to have a book polished
and ready up to that point. But it didn’t end there. After it sold to Entangled
Teen, there was a year’s worth of edits before the galley was ready. It really
is a long process. I go through this with every book I write. It is a lot of
work and takes a lot of patience, but it is so worth it to me.
TBM: What would you like to say
to your readers?
KT: I would like to thank all of my
readers for reading MIRROR X. Book two is on my editor’s desk. I can’t wait for
all of you to read it! I am so anxious to begin writing the last book in the
trilogy. My goal is to write books with powerful themes and plot twists. If you
are a member of my street team, you will get a first look at book two. Yay!
TBM: How much research went into
this book?
KT: A lot of research went into
MIRROR X in terms of cryogenics and something else I don’t want to say because
it will give it away. Let’s just say that I learned a lot about DNA in the
process J I didn’t want any plot holes in the book, so I
made sure that all of the medical information was correct. I even discovered a
theory called “ancestral memory.” This concept comes out in book two.
TBM: Lastly, a direct message to
the readers, about why they should read MIRROR X.
KT: MIRROR X is definitely a new
twist on a dystopian future. If you are looking for a compelling and sometimes
shocking read, this book is definitely for you.