I'm so pleased today to welcome author Stacey Kade back to the blog to answer a few questions about the second book in her Project Paper Doll series, The Hunt. I absolutely adore this series, especially protagonists Ariane and Zane, and can't recommend it enough to those of you who have yet to give it a try. If you enjoy smart characters, a little romance and more than a few sci-fi twists, then the Project Paper Doll books should not be missed. Thanks so much for stopping by today Stacey!
We’re lucky enough to get the perspectives of both Ariane and Zane in this series. What’s the trickiest or most fun aspect of switching from one character’s head to the other’s when writing?
I love being able to write in both perspectives. I feel like it helps pull me into the story more deeply. The hardest parts, though, are 1) making sure I’m not repeating too much when I’m switching POV in a shared scene and 2) determining whose POV we should be in for a particular scene or moment.
Generally speaking, you want to be in the perspective of the person who has the most to lose or the person making the decision. But sometimes with two main characters, both of whom have goals and needs, that’s not so clear cut. I must confess, I’ve started plenty of scenes only to get a few paragraphs in and realize it doesn’t “feel” right and that I need to be in the other POV. :)
Ariane has an advantage over Zane in that she can hear what he’s thinking and is always aware of how he’s feeling. If he were gifted Ariane’s ability for one single moment in The Hunt, what moment would he have most wanted the opportunity to hear thoughts?
Oh, Zane, poor guy. I think it would help him so much just to understand HOW she thinks at any time and that she cares for him deeply, regardless of what she feels obligated to do. But specifically, I think he would have most wanted that ability to understand what she was thinking right after they meet the hybrids. Or, perhaps at the end, when he realizes Ariane’s rescue plan is too risky and not what he thinks it should be. (I’m trying to be careful to avoid too many spoilers!)
We get to meet a few of the other hybrids in this book. What’s one word Ariane would use to describe each of them? One word Zane would use?
For Ariane, I think she’d describe Ford as protective, Carter as shy, and Nixon as inscrutable.
For Zane, he’d describe Ford as dangerous, Carter as manipulative, and Nixon as…well, probably creepy.
Though Ford, Carter, and Nixon’s lives growing up with Dr. Laughlin were clearly as difficult as Ariane’s life with Dr. Jacobs, their experiences were also very different. Having spent time in both labs, how curious and/or terrified would Ariane say she is about the hybrids and the lab belonging to the mysterious Emerson St. John?
Ariane would be loath to say that she’s grateful to Dr. Jacobs for anything…AT ALL. But I think she can see that he, quite unintentionally and not for her benefit, gave her a better life by sending her to live with Mark rather than keeping her in the lab for all those years.
That being said, she’s extremely curious about the hybrids. They are the closest thing she has to siblings, to true family. Sometimes I think we look to our families to help define ourselves. “My family is good at music.” Or, “my family loves to read.” Ariane doesn’t have that. So, I think she’s looking to them for further definition of herself. She’s seeking similarities. But their upbringing was so different, it’s really difficult for her to tell what is nature and what was nurture.
Ariane and Zane would probably love nothing more than to get away from everyone pursuing them and strike out on their own without fear of being caught. If they could set up a new life anywhere in the world, where would they most like to end up?
Ariane has repeatedly brought up the beach and the ocean. Wanting to see it, at least. Zane, being someone who enjoys outdoor sports, is probably sick of the endless Wisconsin winters. So, somewhere in California, perhaps? San Diego, maybe. I’m betting Zane could get into surfing. :)
We’re left with things a bit up in the air for Ariane and Zane. What book has the cruelest cliffhanger you’ve ever come across and how long was the wait for the next book in the series?
Oh, gosh, I’m trying to remember now. I love Sarah Rees Brennan’s books, and I’m fairly certain she is the master of cruel endings and reader tears. (But in the best way possible!)
As a writing exercise, let’s say you’re asked to write yourself into any one of your books. Which book would you choose and what role would you play?
You know, it’s funny, I think most authors would admit that there’s a little bit of us in each one of our characters. Not just protagonists, but the villains and secondary characters too. And honestly, such horrible things happen to the characters in my books, I’m not sure I would want to be in any of their shoes! :)
That being said, weirdly enough, the characters I relate to the most, the ones who make mistakes that I’ve made are Lily in The Ghost and the Goth and…I’m almost reluctant to admit it, Jenna in The Rules. High school was not a happy time for me, and I made some decidedly unwise choices. :) I think both of them reflect that in different ways.
But for fun and melodrama, I’d love to play Rachel Jacobs. She’s just awful, and that would be a blast to enact. I think this is why actors always want to play villains!
• • • • • • • • • •
STACEY KADE
(photo: Vania Stoyanova)
As a former award-winning corporate copywriter, Stacey Kade has written about everything from backhoe loaders to breast pumps. But she prefers to make things up instead.
She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband, Greg, and their two retired racing greyhounds, Tall Walker (Walker) and SheWearsThePants (Pansy).
• • • • • • • • • •
THE HUNT
THE HUNT
Ariane Tucker has
finally escaped GTX, the research facility that created her. While on
the run, Zane Bradshaw is the only person she can trust. He knows
who-and what-she is and still wants to be part of her life.
But accepting Zane's help means putting him in danger.
Dr. Jacobs, head of GTX, is not the only one hunting for Ariane. Two rival corporations have their sights set on taking down their competition. Permanently. To protect Zane and herself, Ariane needs allies. She needs the other hybrids. The hybrids who are way more alien and a lot less human. Can Ariane win them over before they turn on her? Or will she be forced to choose sides, to decide who lives and who dies?
