Interview with author Rachel Vincent

I am super excited to be introducing the brilliant Rachel Vincent. I am a big fan of both her Werecats Urban Fantasy series and her Soul Screamers YA series. The fourth in her YA series, My Soul to Steal, has recently been released in the UK. (Check out the amazing animated cover!)

So, without further ado... here's Rachel!

Q. First off, how many books are you planning for the Soul Screamers series? Do you have a particular ending in mind, or will you just stop when you run out of ideas? (Not that I want them to end, of course!)

I’m contracted for seven. I have tons of ideas for this series. The world building really leaves plenty of room for good conflict. However, whether or not I write beyond the seventh book depends on dull business factors like sales. Writing is an art. Publishing is a business.

Q. One of the things I really like about your YA series is how you don't shy away from certain issues. You deal with sex and addiction, but keep the series firmly rooted in YA. Was that a conscious choice on your part?

Yes. Sex and drugs and other such decisions and dangers are very real presences in teenage life—that much hasn’t changed since I was in high school. Ignoring that in the books just made no sense to me. It’s very important to make sure that the reality-based parts of a paranormal novel are accurate and well grounded, otherwise, it’s nearly impossible to get readers to suspend disbelief for the fantasy elements.

Q. Talk me through your creative process: do you start thinking about a particular character or about the overall plot?

With the Soul Screamers books, I start with a theme—one of the seven deadly sins. They aren’t part of an obvious structure in the story; they’re just my starting point. For instance, the theme of My Soul To Steal was envy, so I asked myself how envy might manifest in Kaylee’s world, and in her life. What would it take to make Kaylee truly envious of someone? Who might be envious of her? Enter Sabine… ;)

Q. You've published 12 books since 2007, a number which I find rather astonishing. Besides having to actually come up with ideas, how do you actually find the time to write that much? Your daily writing schedule must be packed.

My work schedule is kind of crazy, yes. But I know many writers who write faster than I do and put out more books a year. For me, it’s an issue of impatience. If my hands and mind are idle, they will start a new book, whether it’s contracted or not. My publisher has been kind enough to indulge me by publishing them as fast as I can write them, which is nice, because now they’ve stopped piling up. ;)

Q. And here's a tough final question: what are you Top 5 Desert Island books? They don't have to be YA or Fantasy, but the ones you would be happy reading over and over for the rest of life...!

• The Stand by Stephen King
• Swan Song by Robert R. McCammon
• It by Stephen King
• And at least one paranormal and one contemporary YA

But honestly, if I were stuck on a desert island and I got sick of reading my five allotted books, I’d just make up my own stories. That’s kind of what I do anyway. ;)

Thank you for answering my questions! 

Hope you all enjoyed the interview.I'll be reviewing both My Soul to Keep and My Soul to Steal next week, so keep an eye out for those. In the meantime, you can read my reviews of the first two books in her YA series: My Soul to Take and My Soul to Save. Or you can check out my reviews for the first three books in her Werecats series (note: it took me 3 books to really love them!): Stray, Rogue, and Pride.