Something Wicked Comes: Interview + Giveaway with Kirsty Eagar

Today kicks off a month-long extravaganza of downright wicked fun wherein a myriad of blogs will be celebrating all things scary and creepy with interviews, book features, and giveaways galore. Rainy Day Ramblings and Babbling About Books are hosting this event o'awesomeness, so be sure and check the full schedule here so you can follow along!

To start a spooktacular October off right, I've invited author Kirsty Eagar to the blog to talk a little bit about her newest YA release, Night Beach. This was a very dark, eerie, and truly haunting read, rich with the type of brilliant characterization I've come to love and expect from Kirsty's work (you can read my review here), and I hope you guys add it (and Raw Blue, an all-time favorite of mine) to your lists!

I’m a bit of a wuss. Well, more than a bit really. I scare incredibly easy, and there was many a moment in Night Beach that had me longing to place my fingers over my eyes and peek through them as I read. What’s the last book you read that completely and utterly unnerved you?

Dark Matter by Michelle Paver. It’s about a young man who spends the Norwegian winter in an old trapper’s camp. Alone – or so he thinks. It scared me to the point where I could only read it during daylight hours. I would have stopped altogether, but the writing is so good that I had to know what happened.

We never know for sure exactly what happened to Kane and his friends that night on the beach, making it the type of story that could easily become a myth or urban legend passed from mouth to mouth until no one knows for sure if there was ever any truth to it. Did any particular story you’ve heard spark the idea for what Kane experienced?

Yes. I was researching a surf trip to the Maldives and I came across an account of what happened to a group of guys after they’d spent the night on a deserted island there. It was all about the aftermath, but it got me thinking about what could have happened on that island. The annoying thing is, I’ve never been able to find that post again. One of the mysteries of the internet ...

Do you consider yourself a superstitious person?

The only thing I’m ridiculously superstitious about is the number twenty-seven. I’d love to know if there’s a word for that.

But in terms of the more everyday superstitions, yes and no. I try to avoid walking under ladders, but I don’t think viewing the new moon through glass is bad luck –I always feel lucky when I see the moon, no matter what the circumstances.

I love a lot of the old sea-going superstitions (like the one used in Night Beach – about shipwrecks occurring if the rim of a glass rings). But I’m possibly more into symbolism than superstition. That’s why things like mirrors, black dogs, doorways, and shadows feature heavily in the story.  

If you heard a building or home near you was haunted, are you the type to go immediately to see if you experience anything supernatural or are you the type to stay far, far away?

When I was growing up, my friends and I seemed to take delicious pleasure from scaring ourselves stupid. We always checked the local “haunted” places out. As an adult, I think I’d be more hesitant. That said, the house in Night Beach is based on a place where we lived for a while. There was a locked door down in the storeroom (complete with ventilation holes, like in the book). And from time to time, the chandeliers would start swaying for no apparent reason (say, in winter, when all the doors and windows were closed, and there was no discernible breeze around at all!). We should have been freaked out, but that house didn’t feel bad. Things like that were just more of a curiosity.

Kane is a darkly fascinating character; a young man who slowly removes the rose-tinted glasses from Abbie’s face as the story progresses to reveal to her a reality slightly different from her longtime fantasy. If the Abbie at the end of Night Beach could tell the Abbie at the beginning one small thing she learned about Kane, what might she tell herself?

That is such a good question. I’ve spent ages thinking about it. I don’t think she’d warn her off; Abbie’s definitely someone who values experience, even when it results in mistakes or failure, over not learning at all. How about: He’s more afraid than you think, and you’re braver than you know. 

Abbie is a talented painter. If she had to paint the emotional journey she takes in Night Beach using only three colors, what three colors would she choose?

Ultramarine blue (for the beyond), black (for the shadows), white (for the light).

Is there any one line in Night Beach that gave you chills the minute you wrote it?

“The other place. Pinty said you’re going to the other place.”

Thanks for having me, Jenny, and thank you for such brilliant questions! Now I have to go and turn the lights on.

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions Kirsty! You can find more information on Kirsty and order her books here:

Website
Blog
Fishpond Buy Link

GIVEAWAY

I have one paperback copy of Night Beach to give away on the blog today! To enter, please just leave a comment on this blog post sharing the creepiest book you've ever read, and be sure to include an email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US residents only and will run through midnight on Friday, October 5th after which time a winner will be chosen and emailed. Good luck everyone!

NIGHT BEACH

Imagine there is someone you like so much that just thinking about them leaves you desperate and reckless. You crave them in a way that's not rational, not right, and you're becoming somebody you don't recognise, and certainly don't respect, but you don't even care.

And this person you like is unattainable. Except for one thing...

He lives downstairs.

Abbie has three obsessions. Art. The ocean. And Kane.

But since Kane's been back, he's changed. There's a darkness shadowing him that only Abbie can see. And it wants her in its world.

Kirsty Eagar Week: Cover Design + Giveaway

First of all, I want to take a moment to thank Linds from Bibliophile Brouhaha and Nic from Irresistible Reads as well as Kirsty Eagar for putting together this event. Raw Blue remains one of my very favorite books, and I cannot wait to read more from Kirsty!

You know when you see the 'one'. It peers at you from its place on the shelf as you creep around the corner. You see its design, take in its font as it mesmorizes you with the promise of what's inside.

Oh, book covers, where would our book lust be without you?

In honor of Kirsty Eagar Appreciation Week, I thought I'd take a look at what makes the covers of Kirsty's Eagar's books tick, along with comments from the some of the people behind them!

RAW BLUE (2009)

Thoughts from the designer, Tony Palmer:

I always felt a strong sense of presence of the main character in Raw Blue . . . but I also wanted to get some kind of tension on the cover. Something that might indicate the main character’s back story. The publisher’s brief was pretty strong on this point as well.

For Raw Blue I wanted to tap into the surf culture – but I didn’t want to go too deep and brand the book as being a product of that culture (because Raw Blue is much more than that). I dug around the local newsagency looking at surf magazines. I had some ideas and eventually several fonts I liked.

Probably the hardest thing about design is selling it. Firstly I have to believe in what I’m doing, then I have to get the Art Director to like it. After that, I have to show the editor and the publisher and after that (Gawd) a small, select number of covers goes to a ‘cover meeting’ held by the various publishing, marketing and sales directors, and after that (Gawd, Gawd, Gawd) we then show the author (who usually shows it to their spouse, dog and butcher) . . .

The cover of Raw Blue was a little tricky, but not too bad. All of my ideas about tension were thrown out, and I had to go back for a second round of research. I think the tension idea was becoming too cerebral, and maybe just a little too smart for its own good. But on the second round of searching for images I came across the image of the girl. It felt perfect. Just couldn’t get past it. Adding in the background and colourising the images was the final stage.

**special thanks to Kirsty Eagar for allowing us to repost from her blog entry Book design – the process…**

SALTWATER VAMPIRES (2010)

*cover by designer Marina Messiha*

Thoughts from Penguin Australia Senior Editor Amy Thomas, who first developed ideas on what the cover should look like:

I have to admit that I got completely carried away with my brief for this cover. The main thing that I wanted to emphasise was that we needed something suggestive of the story without being a cliché. The strengths of this book are its originality and Australianness – it weaves in the savage mutiny of the Batavia that took place off the coast of WA with a plot that involves vampires and very authentic, funny, likeable teen characters from an Australian coastal town, who are all gearing up for the town’s music festival.

I’m actually a little bit embarrassed when I look at my specific ideas now! Basically these were meant just as a springboard for Marina to come up with her own interpretation. In the end, the final cover is quite different and far more arresting than I could ever have imagined it would be; this is one of the wonderful and satisfying things about the whole cover process. It really is a lot of fun!

What can I say? As soon as I saw it, I had chills down my spine. I just love, love, love how Jamie’s eyes really draw you in – they mesmerise you – and this reflects some important scenes in the book, too (Jamie in front of the mirror; Jamie running through the bush), so that really pleased me. It was one of those moments where you just say, ‘Wow!’ In that instant I knew we had our cover.



And thoughts from author Kirsty Eagar:

What's so cool about the cover process is that it gives you someone else's interpretation of the story and the characters, and while their perception is different to yours, it's equally true. It means you get to see the whole thing from a different angle. In a way, knowing the back story made me anxious after the event! And that's because the final cover is the perfect cover, and I'm SO glad that Marina kept going until it was developed. I am never, ever going to forget the reaction I had when I first saw it. I felt winded. Just gobsmacked. Not only did it capture the story, but it also inspired me – it seemed to encapsulate everything about where I wanted to go with my writing. All that in just one arresting image!"

**special thanks to Between the Lines, Penguin Australia's site for teen readers, for graciously allowing us to repost from their two features How a Book Becomes a Cover, Parts I and II (p.s. part II has examples of great early concepts for Saltwater Vampires).**

NIGHT BEACH (February 2012)

*cover by designer Marina Messiha*

I personally adore this cover. From a design standpoint I think it's beautifully executed, the muted blacks and grays giving it soft quality that makes you want to reach out and touch it just to see if any texture meets your fingertips. While the image of the girl merged with the waves down is simple, there's still a great deal of movement created with her tangled hair and the splash of the water which automatically draws the eye to it.

The entire cover to me has an eerie but romantic feel, making me want to step into this world while simultaneously warning me to stay out of it. I can't wait to get my hands on this one, this cover needs to be proudly displayed on my shelf!

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Linds, Nic and Kirsty I have a signed copy of Saltwater Vampires to give away on the blog today! To enter, just leave a comment on this post with a valid email address so I can contact you if you win. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian residents only and will run through midnight EST on Wednesday, September 7th after which time a winner will be chosen and announced on the blog. Good luck everyone!

Review: Raw Blue

RAW BLUE
Kirsty Eagar
Young Adult
274 Pages
Penguin (Australia)
Available Now
Received for review thanks to Bibliophile Brouhaha

THE STORY
Carly loves to surf. It's the one thing in her life that makes her happy and blocks out the event that plagues her every moment out of the water. Not only has she dropped out of university, but she's also been kicked out of her home by her father, is considered a disappointment to her family in general, and struggles daily with the aftermath of her rape.

While surfing her usual spot, Carly runs into Ryan, reluctantly taking notice of him even though meeting strange men is always a traumatic experience for her. When she accidentally collides with him in the water, an impact that destroys both of their surfboards, she finds herself in a position of having forced contact with them while he arranges for them to be fixed.

Ryan seems to be an upstanding guy, though he's not without a past of his own, but Carly's scars run extraordinarily deep, and it remains to be seen whether Ryan has the strength of will to help her fight the demons resulting from the most personal of violations.

MY THOUGHTS
Raw Blue is a book that takes us by surprise, blindsiding us with the depth of feeling it explores and knocking us off-kilter as we are pulled into the swirling chaos of Carly's internal struggles like we've been tossed by one of the very waves that are almost characters unto themselves in this tale, leaving us bruised, aching, and gasping for breath due to the unexpected emotional punch such a quiet story delivers. This is not a book of flowery language or one that employs an extensive vocabulary, instead utilizing simple, short phrases and descriptions, but in those few words is a wealth of feeling conveyed so sincerely and poignantly it's as though each syllable has a direct link to our hearts and we absorb every joy and pain, left a slightly different person after reading each page than we were the page before. There is a heartbreaking realism to Carly's story, where her pain is not augmented to increase drama nor her feelings for Ryan cheapened by instant lust and inexplicable pining, instead her shame and guilt are hushed, becoming something she seems to share only with us and the great blue water she so loves–an intimacy that makes the reading of this book one of the most memorable of experiences.

Carly is a character of tragic beauty, a girl not just living life but trying to survive it as her past haunts her in every male voice she hears, wondering if by some cruel twist of fate it will be one she recognizes from the night that is her greatest shame. Though she emanates darkness and pain in visceral waves, there is an inherent strength to her as she lives a life of her choosing, and when her demons sneak up on her, the palpable tension and suffocating fear brings tears to our eyes as we are overwhelmed by the sheer debilitating force of her involuntary response. Because the details of her violation are few in the beginning, our minds are free to fill in the more explicit details, and when Carly's short episodes grip her, we can almost feel the phantom fingers running the length of our bodies as they leave a trail of invisible but permanent dirt in their wake, and our legs clench together in a vicarious protest triggered by her memories. She is a young woman who has our hearts from the beginning, and we read on with the searing hope Ryan's exquisite care and mellow persistence will strip the void in her life of its blackness and fill it with light.

In addition to a stunning main character, Ms. Eagar also introduces us to quirky, heartwarming secondary characters–individuals who lend Carly their strength and bolster her when the temptation to let the guilt swallow her rises painfully to the surface. Her salsa-loving Dutch roommate Hannah provides moments of humor with adorable odd pronunciations and a continued misuse of certain phrases, surrounding Carly with the levity and companionship we wish we could provide for her ourselves. Perhaps most fascinating and welcome is Danny, a young boy and fellow surfer who interprets the world and people through colors. His descriptions of various colors and the way in which he assigns them to those he meets allows us an unusual and uniquely profound insight into their characters. We get a very clear understanding of Carly's current emotional state based on his reactions to her, and their relationship holds us utterly captivated as we wait for whatever nugget of incredibly insightful wisdom will escape his mouth next.

Raw Blue is a story that contains a torrent of emotional conflict between its pages, one that handles personal anguish in a delicate and unassuming way so we don't even realize the strength of the connection we've developed with Carly and Ryan until we find ourselves unable to let them go, clinging to our memories of their interactions for days and weeks afterward. Interestingly, Ms. Eagar provides graphic detail in some areas of both Carly's past and her relationship with Ryan but denies us details in others, making us feel incredibly included in their lives but also allowing them a bit of privacy as well, something we are grateful for as we want nothing more than for them to have moments just between them–moments of happiness and understanding that require no witnesses. What we are privy to is more than enough, and we walk away from this book with the everlasting gift of hope for the two of them.

Rating 5/5

In My Mailbox #20

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren and is a great way to see what other bloggers are reading and reviewing. I always love seeing what everyone else got for their week!




FOR REVIEW:
Clarity by Kim Harrington
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakely-Cartwright, Catherine Hardwicke
Fairy Bad Day by Amanda Ashby
Raw Blue by Kirsty Eagar (just finished this one and LOVED it)
The Samaritan by Fred Venturini

An enormous thank you this week to Scholastic, Little, Brown books for Young Readers, Penguin, Linds from Bibliophile Brouhaha and Kristy Eagar, and TLC Book Tours for sending me such wonderful books for review!