Friday, March 15, 2013

Interview: Mindee Arnett + The Nightmare Affair


I'm chock-full of giddiness today because I have the pleasure of welcoming young adult author Mindee Arnett to the blog to answer a few questions about the first book in her new series, The Nightmare Affair. I absolutely adored this book (read my full review here), it was full of snark and romance and mystery, and I simply couldn't put it down. A huge thank you to Mindee for taking the time to answer all my questions, and I hope you all enjoy the interview!

If you were a Nightmare like Dusty, what would you dread seeing most in someone’s dreams?

Oh my, probably all the naked people? I know that some of my worst nightmares growing up were the ones where I would find myself at school without any pants on. Even thinking about it makes me embarrassed. And really, witnessing someone else’s mortal embarrassment can be just as bad.

Let’s say you find yourself in Eli’s shoes, attending a school for magically gifted students when you yourself are ordinary. What would you love and hate most about the experience?

I would love just seeing and experiencing the magic, especially combined with all the history of it. I think I would be paralyzed by wonder. But eventually, I would hate not being able to participate. It would be pure torture. Poor Eli. I’m feeling sorry for him all over again.

Dusty is given an extra assignment thanks to her smart mouth. She has to travel to the world of any young adult piece of fiction and witness the dreams of a character of her choosing and then report back with her findings. Whose sleepy mind would she most like to see into?

I think she would pick Cas Lowood from Anna Dressed in Blood. I imagine Cas’s dreams are pretty scary given his day job, but I think Dusty would have a fun time making him dream about fluffy kittens and unicorns instead. Plus, who wouldn’t want to meet Cas? He’s the epitome of cool.

If your computer was to develop a personality like the technology at Dusty’s school has, what type of personality would it have and what kinds of things would it do to express itself?

My current computer is a brand new Mac Air, and I’m quite sure it would have a brainy- chic attitude. I think it would mostly express itself with quirky Doctor Who sounds and wiseass remarks when I make silly typos.

My previous computer was a Dell, and it would be stubborn and crotchety, a bit like an electronic mule. It would express itself with loud, annoying noise and unnecessary commentary, a lot like the computers at Arkwell.

Eli can’t manipulate his own dreams the way Dusty can, but if he could, is there any one place he would like to show her while he has her all to himself away from the real world?

Such a tough question! I think Eli is a bit of a rugged romantic. I think he would take her somewhere very remote and naturally beautiful, like the top of a mountain. This song is a little dated, but I think Eli is a bit like the “cowboy” in the Dixie Chicks song “Cowboy Take Me Away.”

What’s the strangest or most inconvenient place you’ve found yourself when a brilliant idea for a story has popped into your head?

I get a lot of ideas in the shower or while cleaning stalls. Pretty strange, I know, but I guess it’s because both activities are physical and methodical, the perfect activity for the creative mind to wander.

Dreams are rarely straightforward and often times deliver meaning only through symbolism. If Dusty was to get a peek at the events of book two in dream form, what’s one symbolic element she might see there?

Birds. I won’t say what kind of bird or anything, but definitely birds. And funnily enough, I think the cover artist for The Nightmare Affair, the lovely Kate Forrester, must be psychic because she put this on the cover long before I started writing book 2:

 

Thanks so much for such a fabulous interview!

• • • • • • • • • • 

MINDEE ARNETT


Mindee Arnett lives on a horse farm in Ohio with her husband, two kids, a couple of dogs, and an inappropriate number of cats. She’s addicted to jumping horses and telling tales of magic, the macabre, and outer space. She has far more dreams than nightmares.


• • • • • • • • • • 

THE NIGHTMARE AFFAIR

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.

46 comments:

  1. Attending a magical school would be awesome for a day or two but then I'd get jealous of everyone that could do magic. Lol, I'd end up acting similar to Argus Filch from Harry Potter :)

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    1. Hahaha SAME! We could be grumpy and jealous and dote on cats together Z!

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  2. Oh Jenny! How I always love your Interviews, you should get an award for the best Questions ever!

    Ever since I read your review I wanted to go and buy a copy - I forgot.. Now, after reading this Interview I'm definitely going to buy a copy right now!!! I want to meet Dusy and poor Eli and everything! Woot!

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    1. *blushes* Thanks Danny:) I really think you'll like this one! Dusty is hilarious.

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  3. Haha all the naked people :) yes dreams can be so embarrassing. Great interview

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    1. All the naked people would be traumatizing for sure:)

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  4. Oh I never even noticed the bird sneakily sitting in the tree on the cover, that is so cool! Also this post has made me fall that little bit more for Eli, a rugged romantic? I'd love to be at the top of a mountain with him! ;) Thank for sharing this great post with us Mindee and Jenny! :)

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    1. I so enjoy Eli Jasprit! I want lots more of him in the next book:)

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  5. Love this interview, these questions are so much fun! I would totally want to avoid all the awkward naked dream people too. :-) SO agree about wanting to invade Cas Lowood's dreams. They would be fascinating and terrifying!

    Now I really want to meet Eli, like asap. Who doesn't love a rugged romantic? Plus your review promises lots of delicious romantic tension between Dusty & Eli. Can't wait to read this!!

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    1. Um yes. Avoiding naked dream people is always a good idea. Unless they're hot. In which case they can remain naked :) And there is definitely LOTS of tension between Dusty and Eli, love them.

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  6. Great questions, Jenny! Even though I have not read The Nightmare Affair, I've gotten a pretty good grip about the story through your interview! And the author seems so lovely!

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    1. Yay! So glad you enjoyed it Gellie. And Mindee is awesome:)

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  7. I love your interviews, Jenny! They're always so entertaining and fun to read, and they really get me excited to read the book. Now I want to meet all these characters for myself.

    And can I just say I love Mindee's hair? I love when people put colored streaks in their hair (I currently have a purple one in mine). It makes me smile.

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    1. Thank you Hannah! I have fun coming up with questions:) And I love her hair too! Somehow I would come across looking ridiculous if I tried that, so I envy both you and her!

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  8. Fantastic interview and great questions. I laughed out loud at the naked people comment. :) I also like the bird symbolism and the cover...very cool! I will have to try to get my hands on a copy of this book. Thanks for sharing this interview with us, Jenny!

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    1. Hehe I did too. I think everyone has had the show-up-to-class naked dream at least once or twice. I don't need to experience anyone else's version of that dream!

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  9. What a fun interview! Beautiful cover and very interesting plot idea. Excited to see what people think of this one :)

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    1. So glad you enjoyed it! I adored this book:)

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  10. What a fantastic and fun interview..and yeah Naked people would scare me..imagine the people you see at Wal-mart naked *faints*

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    1. Now why did you have to go and plant that image in my brain Kimba! I can't unsee that! ;-)

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  11. Woha great questions Jenny. It's normal that the interview will be fun :) I haven't read this book but I might one day. Anyway I just now noticed that little bird on the cover. :)

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    1. Thanks Tanja! I didn't notice the bird until she pointed it out either. I was too distracted with the giant white phoenix:)

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  12. You think of the best interview questions, Jenny! and I agree...Cas would have a fascinating mind!

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    1. Thank you! And I think we should all write Kendare and see if we can get an extended interview with Cas. Get a little peak in that mind of his:)

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  13. Heh. I never had that dream, but I did dream of forgetting to get dressed and would show up in my pjs. :) Also, I don't listen to country music, but I do know that song! Love that song! So need to meet Eli.

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    1. Oh man. Lucky you. I've had that dream a lot and a dream where I can't find my schedule so I have no idea what classes I'm supposed to be in and what time. Not being on time freaks me out:)

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  14. OH yes Cas is definitely one guy who I would want to peer into his head. Some fun answers here. I feel so sorry for Eli as well, I can't imagine being taken out of my world and thrust into a magical world and be unable to do magic. Such a fun start to a series. I am excited to see where it goes from here.

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    1. I'm really excited to see where this series goes too. I like that the smaller mystery was all wrapped up so we weren't left hanging:)

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  15. I'd totally DIE in Eli's place! Just imagine, being in such a school with no abilities whatsoever. Major envy! And I just love that the cover sort of predicts the events in book 2. That is so cool.
    Fantastic interview as usual, Jenny!

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    1. Me too. Being the only one without "gifts" would give me a complex. My poor fragile ego wouldn't be able to take it:)

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  16. Cas is definitely the epitome of cool! I would love to meet him. Even better to get a glimpse into his dreams. Great interview, ladies! Brilliant questions as always, Jenny. You are the Interview Queen. :)

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  17. Birds? Huh? Having read book one, knowing how it ends, I'm curious to see how birds fit into the plot line. Hmmm, I'm totally puzzled. Nice interview, lots of fun factiods. And WoW! looked at that cover so many times and NEVER noticed the bird.

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    1. Same! She's got me all curious about birds now:)

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  18. LOL. Great interview! My MacBook is a hipster-wannabe, I think. And I really hate watching someone else's embarrassing moment (I get all cringe-y when I see it in a TV show or movie!).

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    1. ME TOO MARY! I have to get up an leave the room when something embarrassing happens to someone on TV. I can't deal with it:)

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  19. Awesome interview! I remember you loved this novel, gave a great review of this. I really want to get to this one soon. Funny how many books I've passed on this year because I didn't think they'd be any good, this being one. And now everyone loves it! My radar is off.

    Heather

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    1. It's funny, it seems to me like so far this year everyone's opinions have been widely varied. Usually there's a solid handful of books that are pretty universally liked (like Insurgent or Anna and the French Kiss), but for the most part this year it's been a myriad of reactions. Kind of fun:) I did love this one, I hope you give it a try Heather!

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  20. I still haven't read this one - but I have an eARC from Netgalley, but I love how the cover designer incorporated the little important things into the cover. Also, I love Cas from ANNA. Great interview, Jenny!

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  21. What a fun interview. I don't think I would be to crazy about all the naked people either. This was such a fun book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

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  22. Such a lot of fun, creative questions and answers in this interview! It's got me wanting to know more about the book now :D

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  24. I love the sound of The Nightmare Affair, not least because of the boarding school element. Also, I have to admit that I really, really like it when authors give normally inanimate objects personalities. Since, erm, I do this all the time.

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  25. Hi Jenny!! I'm back in the real world again (vacation is over). I'm here and ready to gossip books again!

    I love the sound of Nightmare Affair which is fortunate because I have a copy. I love this interview. Love the personalities Mindy assigns to her computers, lol! I don't know how you come up with these wonderful and creative questions, Jenny, but these were great! :)

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  26. Oh I love her choice of Cas! And he so deserves some good ones!

    I'm so sad I still haven't had time to read this! I'm going to soon!

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  27. I just finished this last week! SO GOOD!!!

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