Ask the Author: Stacey Kade
Answered Questions (19)
Stacey Kade
Hi Valen!
I think he always thought she was pretty. But he didn’t like what he saw of her personality when she was alive. He also only knew what he saw of her—he didn’t know about her home life or what she struggled with.
The book has been optioned several times over the years, but we can’t quite seem to get to the screen! In answer to your question, it’s not up to me entirely. Someone in the film industry needs to want to make it into a movie or show first and then there are all kinds of steps after that. We haven’t made it there yet but I’m still hopeful. 😊
Thank you for reading my books! â¤ï¸
Stacey
I think he always thought she was pretty. But he didn’t like what he saw of her personality when she was alive. He also only knew what he saw of her—he didn’t know about her home life or what she struggled with.
The book has been optioned several times over the years, but we can’t quite seem to get to the screen! In answer to your question, it’s not up to me entirely. Someone in the film industry needs to want to make it into a movie or show first and then there are all kinds of steps after that. We haven’t made it there yet but I’m still hopeful. 😊
Thank you for reading my books! â¤ï¸
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Hi Michael!
I was deliberately vague about it. It could be in the same universe but it’s 50 years later. So technology is different, the people are different, etc. And there aren’t any Easter egg type connections mentioned in the text. I just left it as “it’s possible.�
Thank you for reading!
Stacey
I was deliberately vague about it. It could be in the same universe but it’s 50 years later. So technology is different, the people are different, etc. And there aren’t any Easter egg type connections mentioned in the text. I just left it as “it’s possible.�
Thank you for reading!
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Oh, gosh, as much as I loved writing Ariane and Zane, the series was always intended to end with three books. That being said, I wanted to leave it a little open so that it would be clear they'd go on and have further missions/adventures. I don't have any plans to write a fourth book at this time. However, I'm working to get the books rereleased this year (they're currently out of print) and with the new ebook editions, I hope to include some new content. Most likely deleted scenes or chapters.
Stacey Kade
Hi Haven!
Hmmm. I'm not sure, really. I don't share my rough drafts. Because they're rough! :D And usually they don't make a whole lot of sense at that stage. Sometimes not even to me. I go through a couple of drafts before I share it with my critique partner and a few others to get their take.
Are you asking about putting a draft out to get feedback/improvement from readers? I do know a lot of writers use WattPad to share works-in-progress. That might be a possibility. I think the question would be to figure out what you're looking for in terms of response to the rough draft.
Hmmm. I'm not sure, really. I don't share my rough drafts. Because they're rough! :D And usually they don't make a whole lot of sense at that stage. Sometimes not even to me. I go through a couple of drafts before I share it with my critique partner and a few others to get their take.
Are you asking about putting a draft out to get feedback/improvement from readers? I do know a lot of writers use WattPad to share works-in-progress. That might be a possibility. I think the question would be to figure out what you're looking for in terms of response to the rough draft.
Stacey Kade
Oh good, I’m so glad you found Will’s New Apartment—I had fun writing that! And nope, that’s not the news! More info to come! ;)
Stacey Kade
Thank you so much! I really loved writing Ally and Will. It was always planned to be a trilogy, so though I have plenty of ideas for them and the world (ghost prom, anyone?), I've hesitated to write more. I would have to separate Ally and Will to put them in more conflict and right now, I like thinking of them together. :) But if there's enough interest some day, I definitely would not rule it out. Same thing for a book about their family--and I totally agree, their children would NOT be normal and that would be fun to explore.
HOWEVER...I do have some very cool news about G&G that I'm currently not at liberty to reveal. Stay tuned for an announcement sometime soon, I hope!
HOWEVER...I do have some very cool news about G&G that I'm currently not at liberty to reveal. Stay tuned for an announcement sometime soon, I hope!
Stacey Kade
That is an excellent question! Any excuse to re-watch Felicity works for me. :D
But in truth, nope, not unless you want to. I wrote Finding Felicity knowing that a good portion of my audience might not know it (despite its awesomeness) because, ahem, they might not have been born when it originally aired. And for those of us who were around, the details might be a bit fuzzy. :)
So I worked to make the book accessible to current Felicity fans AND future Felicity fans, who may check out the show after reading the book. (That's my secret plan--the world domination of Felicity almost twenty years after its start. :D)
One of my editors, who--gasp-- had not seen the show yet, said it all made sense to her and now she wants to watch the show. Ah, mission accomplished!
But in truth, nope, not unless you want to. I wrote Finding Felicity knowing that a good portion of my audience might not know it (despite its awesomeness) because, ahem, they might not have been born when it originally aired. And for those of us who were around, the details might be a bit fuzzy. :)
So I worked to make the book accessible to current Felicity fans AND future Felicity fans, who may check out the show after reading the book. (That's my secret plan--the world domination of Felicity almost twenty years after its start. :D)
One of my editors, who--gasp-- had not seen the show yet, said it all made sense to her and now she wants to watch the show. Ah, mission accomplished!
Stacey Kade
I actually have four books in various stages. So, it kind of depends on what you mean by next! :)
My next book out is 738 DAYS, my first adult romance (June 28, 2016). It's in the copy-edits stage. Then I have FOR THIS LIFE ONLY, my next YA, which is a standalone contemporary story that draws on my experience growing up in the church as a pastor's kid. That will be out in Fall 2016. We should be going in to copy edits soon on that one.
I'm currently writing a first draft of FINDING FELICITY, which is so much fun! It's my 2017 YA about a girl who made up her entire social life in high school and now is on a deadline to make real friends in college.
And I'm taking notes and doing research for a second adult romance, TITLE TBD, which will also be out sometime in 2017. I think! :)
After that, I have a few new ideas I'm playing with! I would really like to write something with some kind of paranormal element again. But it kind of depends on what strikes a chord with everyone, you know? It has to be the right idea at the right time. :)
Thanks for the question!
My next book out is 738 DAYS, my first adult romance (June 28, 2016). It's in the copy-edits stage. Then I have FOR THIS LIFE ONLY, my next YA, which is a standalone contemporary story that draws on my experience growing up in the church as a pastor's kid. That will be out in Fall 2016. We should be going in to copy edits soon on that one.
I'm currently writing a first draft of FINDING FELICITY, which is so much fun! It's my 2017 YA about a girl who made up her entire social life in high school and now is on a deadline to make real friends in college.
And I'm taking notes and doing research for a second adult romance, TITLE TBD, which will also be out sometime in 2017. I think! :)
After that, I have a few new ideas I'm playing with! I would really like to write something with some kind of paranormal element again. But it kind of depends on what strikes a chord with everyone, you know? It has to be the right idea at the right time. :)
Thanks for the question!
Stacey Kade
Hi Amy!
I apologize for the delay in responding--it didn't show me I had new questions here! :)
Unfortunately, continuing the series is not a matter of having ideas. :D I have lots of them where Will and Alona are concerned! (Ally bumping into those one of those ghost-hunter TV show crews; they're on her turf. She would not be happy.) And I love the idea of the two of them being older and starting a family and all the concerns that might come with that. (Actually, you should check out the short story I wrote called Will's New Apartment: )
But the truth is, publishing is a business. The sales numbers--whether due to interest or piracy--were too low for my publisher to justify continuing the series beyond the original three books. Which I understand, even if I wish it was different!
But thank you so much for reading the books and for caring about Will and Alona as much as I do. I love them and miss them too!
All my best,
Stacey
I apologize for the delay in responding--it didn't show me I had new questions here! :)
Unfortunately, continuing the series is not a matter of having ideas. :D I have lots of them where Will and Alona are concerned! (Ally bumping into those one of those ghost-hunter TV show crews; they're on her turf. She would not be happy.) And I love the idea of the two of them being older and starting a family and all the concerns that might come with that. (Actually, you should check out the short story I wrote called Will's New Apartment: )
But the truth is, publishing is a business. The sales numbers--whether due to interest or piracy--were too low for my publisher to justify continuing the series beyond the original three books. Which I understand, even if I wish it was different!
But thank you so much for reading the books and for caring about Will and Alona as much as I do. I love them and miss them too!
All my best,
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Hi Hannah!
I'm so sorry--I didn't see this question waiting for me! :) I'm SO happy to hear that you enjoyed the G&G series. I loved writing it! Honestly, it was always planned as a trilogy, and I'm happy I got to write the complete story I had in mind. I would have been happy to continue it, but unfortunately, the sales numbers didn't justify my publisher's further investment. Publishing is a business, and I totally understand the decision even if I would have liked for it to be different. :)
I do hope you'll consider giving my other YA books a try! :) But either way, thank you for reading Will and Alona's story and for being so passionate about it. That means a lot to me.
All my best,
Stacey
I'm so sorry--I didn't see this question waiting for me! :) I'm SO happy to hear that you enjoyed the G&G series. I loved writing it! Honestly, it was always planned as a trilogy, and I'm happy I got to write the complete story I had in mind. I would have been happy to continue it, but unfortunately, the sales numbers didn't justify my publisher's further investment. Publishing is a business, and I totally understand the decision even if I would have liked for it to be different. :)
I do hope you'll consider giving my other YA books a try! :) But either way, thank you for reading Will and Alona's story and for being so passionate about it. That means a lot to me.
All my best,
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Hi Julia!
Oh, that's awesome! Thank you so much! :D I'm so happy you're enjoying the series. It was set up to be a trilogy, so The Trials is the final book. My hope is that it answers most of the big questions and gives you a satisfying glimpse of what things could be!
I'll have a new YA contemporary out next year, Life, After, that I'm really excited about. :) And my first NA/Adult contemporary romance, 738 Days, comes out next year too. And of course, if you haven't already read it, The Ghost and the Goth trilogy has all three books out now. I hope you'll consider checking out them out as well to see what you think!
Thank you for reading and thank you for the question! :)
Stacey
Oh, that's awesome! Thank you so much! :D I'm so happy you're enjoying the series. It was set up to be a trilogy, so The Trials is the final book. My hope is that it answers most of the big questions and gives you a satisfying glimpse of what things could be!
I'll have a new YA contemporary out next year, Life, After, that I'm really excited about. :) And my first NA/Adult contemporary romance, 738 Days, comes out next year too. And of course, if you haven't already read it, The Ghost and the Goth trilogy has all three books out now. I hope you'll consider checking out them out as well to see what you think!
Thank you for reading and thank you for the question! :)
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Hi! Yes, it is a trilogy. The final book comes out on 4/21! :) And no, there aren't any novellas in the series currently.
Stacey Kade
The short answer is: I hope so! :)
The longer answer: The audio rights are considered separate from print publication, so someone has to acquire them to make audiobooks happen. That hasn't happened yet, but I would love for it to!
The longer answer: The audio rights are considered separate from print publication, so someone has to acquire them to make audiobooks happen. That hasn't happened yet, but I would love for it to!
Stacey Kade
Oh, this is going to be controversial! But I don't really believe in writer's block. Not as a disease, anyway. It's more a symptom that something is wrong. For me, when it happens (and it does with every book), it's usually due to one of three things:
1) I've tried to make a character do something that's out of character for them, just to suit the vision I have of the scene in my head. Big no-no. And not something I do consciously. But it still happens.
The best example of this is in the early chapters of Queen of the Dead when Will and Alona are fighting about Mina. In my head, I saw Alona crying. But when I tried to write it that way, the scene just stalled out. I couldn't get it right. Then I finally realized that Alona would rather cut off her own finger than cry in this particular situation. Crying=weakness in her mind. And now was not the time to be weak.
I went back to the place where the book/scene last worked, where I felt it clicking, and rewrote from there. Once I fixed that, no problem! :)
2) My conflict has fallen apart. In other words, there's no urgency behind the character's goal or action. Or the main problem has been solved too soon. Ooops.
To fix this, you have to re-examine the goals of the main character and the goals of your villain. Make sure that only one of them can win (this is Deb Dixon's Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in action). And make sure the stakes are high enough that it matters if our hero loses.
It may also be a story question issue. Then I'm asking myself, what is the story about? What problem are they trying to solve?
3) Fear and self-doubt. Specifically, MY fear and self-doubt. I'm afraid of something difficult in this scene or book. Afraid I suck. Afraid people will hate it. Doubting my ability to pull it off.
This is why I firmly believe in Anne Lamott's sh*tty first draft theory. (If you haven't read Bird by Bird, oh, you should.) The theory goes like this: It's okay to make a mess and write a horrible scene. You can always fix it later. Have fun with making a mess! You never know what will come out of it. :)
1) I've tried to make a character do something that's out of character for them, just to suit the vision I have of the scene in my head. Big no-no. And not something I do consciously. But it still happens.
The best example of this is in the early chapters of Queen of the Dead when Will and Alona are fighting about Mina. In my head, I saw Alona crying. But when I tried to write it that way, the scene just stalled out. I couldn't get it right. Then I finally realized that Alona would rather cut off her own finger than cry in this particular situation. Crying=weakness in her mind. And now was not the time to be weak.
I went back to the place where the book/scene last worked, where I felt it clicking, and rewrote from there. Once I fixed that, no problem! :)
2) My conflict has fallen apart. In other words, there's no urgency behind the character's goal or action. Or the main problem has been solved too soon. Ooops.
To fix this, you have to re-examine the goals of the main character and the goals of your villain. Make sure that only one of them can win (this is Deb Dixon's Goal, Motivation, and Conflict in action). And make sure the stakes are high enough that it matters if our hero loses.
It may also be a story question issue. Then I'm asking myself, what is the story about? What problem are they trying to solve?
3) Fear and self-doubt. Specifically, MY fear and self-doubt. I'm afraid of something difficult in this scene or book. Afraid I suck. Afraid people will hate it. Doubting my ability to pull it off.
This is why I firmly believe in Anne Lamott's sh*tty first draft theory. (If you haven't read Bird by Bird, oh, you should.) The theory goes like this: It's okay to make a mess and write a horrible scene. You can always fix it later. Have fun with making a mess! You never know what will come out of it. :)
Stacey Kade
Hi Sarah! Thank you so much! :)
Inspiration is kind of a weird thing; I'm not sure where it comes from or that it's ever just one thing, you know?
In the case of the G&G series, it was a couple of things. My sister was in high school at the time and I really wanted to write something I thought she would enjoy. Plus, I was reading a lot of YA at the time (the market was just starting to explode back in '06/07) and it was so much fun, I wanted to try it.
Fun fact: a lot of the details in the G&G books, particularly the first one, are based on my high school experience. For example, the gym uniform that Alona wears is what we were required to wear in high school. And the cafetorium is a real thing!
In fact, the first book was SO much based on my own experience of high school that I forgot a very important detail. When my sister read the first draft, she said, "It's great. I love it! But where are all the cell phones?"
In attempting to recreate high school, I'd forgotten to account for the technology change! :D So every cell phone mention in the first book was added in later, post-first-draft. (I went to high school in the '90s when cell phones were huge and expensive, usually owned by dads.)
As for Will and Alona specifically...well, that's a bit different!
I keep a writing journal where I write snippets of things that float through my head. One day, it was something like, "Staring up at the undercarriage was a sucky way to spend your afterlife." And from that I figured out that whoever was talking was a girl, she was dead, and kind of a b*tch. :D That was the start of Alona. I knew she had a problem, but I didn't know what it was yet. Will showed up not long after that!
Thank you for reading the G&G books! I'm so glad you enjoyed them.
All my best,
Stacey
P.S. If you haven't already, I hope you'll consider checking out my other series, Project Paper Doll! :) The first two books, The Rules and The Hunt are out already with the third coming out in April. Ariane and Zane are not Will and Alona, but I hope you'll get a kick out of knowing them too!
Inspiration is kind of a weird thing; I'm not sure where it comes from or that it's ever just one thing, you know?
In the case of the G&G series, it was a couple of things. My sister was in high school at the time and I really wanted to write something I thought she would enjoy. Plus, I was reading a lot of YA at the time (the market was just starting to explode back in '06/07) and it was so much fun, I wanted to try it.
Fun fact: a lot of the details in the G&G books, particularly the first one, are based on my high school experience. For example, the gym uniform that Alona wears is what we were required to wear in high school. And the cafetorium is a real thing!
In fact, the first book was SO much based on my own experience of high school that I forgot a very important detail. When my sister read the first draft, she said, "It's great. I love it! But where are all the cell phones?"
In attempting to recreate high school, I'd forgotten to account for the technology change! :D So every cell phone mention in the first book was added in later, post-first-draft. (I went to high school in the '90s when cell phones were huge and expensive, usually owned by dads.)
As for Will and Alona specifically...well, that's a bit different!
I keep a writing journal where I write snippets of things that float through my head. One day, it was something like, "Staring up at the undercarriage was a sucky way to spend your afterlife." And from that I figured out that whoever was talking was a girl, she was dead, and kind of a b*tch. :D That was the start of Alona. I knew she had a problem, but I didn't know what it was yet. Will showed up not long after that!
Thank you for reading the G&G books! I'm so glad you enjoyed them.
All my best,
Stacey
P.S. If you haven't already, I hope you'll consider checking out my other series, Project Paper Doll! :) The first two books, The Rules and The Hunt are out already with the third coming out in April. Ariane and Zane are not Will and Alona, but I hope you'll get a kick out of knowing them too!
Stacey Kade
Hi Carly!
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed the series! I had so much fun writing them! :D
Unfortunately, no, there won't be any more G&G books. It was planned as a trilogy from the beginning, and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to complete the story. However, publishing is a business and they make determinations based on sales, and those numbers just aren't high enough to justify additional books. Which sucks, but I completely understand.
That being said, I did write a short story follow up that takes place after Body & Soul, just to give a little more info on Will and Alona's future. :) You can read it here on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blog: /author_blog...
At the risk of being TOO self-promotional, I hope you'll consider giving my new series, Project Paper Doll, a try! :) The first two books, The Rules and The Hunt, are out now. The third will be coming out next year. Ariane and Zane are definitely not Alona and Will, but there's romance and chase scenes and humor! Plus, the mean girl gets covered in shaving cream pies--how can you go wrong with that? :D
Thank you so much for reading my books! And for taking the time to submit a question! :)
Oh, I'm so glad you enjoyed the series! I had so much fun writing them! :D
Unfortunately, no, there won't be any more G&G books. It was planned as a trilogy from the beginning, and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to complete the story. However, publishing is a business and they make determinations based on sales, and those numbers just aren't high enough to justify additional books. Which sucks, but I completely understand.
That being said, I did write a short story follow up that takes place after Body & Soul, just to give a little more info on Will and Alona's future. :) You can read it here on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blog: /author_blog...
At the risk of being TOO self-promotional, I hope you'll consider giving my new series, Project Paper Doll, a try! :) The first two books, The Rules and The Hunt, are out now. The third will be coming out next year. Ariane and Zane are definitely not Alona and Will, but there's romance and chase scenes and humor! Plus, the mean girl gets covered in shaving cream pies--how can you go wrong with that? :D
Thank you so much for reading my books! And for taking the time to submit a question! :)
Stacey Kade
Oh, thank you so much! I had SO much fun writing those books. I always love to hear that they're being enjoyed. :)
Unfortunately, no. It was planned as a trilogy from the beginning, and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to complete the story. However, publishing is a business and they make determinations based on sales, and those numbers just aren't high enough to justify additional books. Which sucks, but I completely understand.
That being said, I did write a short story follow up that takes place after Body & Soul, just to give a little more info on Will and Alona's future. :) You can read it here on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blog: /author_blog...
If you have trouble with the link above, just let me know! :) Thanks again for the question and for reading.
Unfortunately, no. It was planned as a trilogy from the beginning, and I'm pleased to have had the opportunity to complete the story. However, publishing is a business and they make determinations based on sales, and those numbers just aren't high enough to justify additional books. Which sucks, but I completely understand.
That being said, I did write a short story follow up that takes place after Body & Soul, just to give a little more info on Will and Alona's future. :) You can read it here on my Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ blog: /author_blog...
If you have trouble with the link above, just let me know! :) Thanks again for the question and for reading.
Stacey Kade
Hi Lisa!
Thank you so much! (I had a blast writing The Ghost and the Goth books, so I'm always thrilled to hear that people enjoy them.)
738 Days doesn't have an official release date yet, but last I heard, it will sometime be in 2015. I'm due to turn it in to my publisher by December of this year. So hopefully I'll be able to share a more specific date soon. I'm guessing it'll be summer or later, just looking at the timing. But this is my first time working with Tor (so excited!) so I'm not sure what their process is like. I'll definitely post to my blog here when I have the details, though, so stay tuned! :)
I believe 738 Days is what we're going to use, but anything can change right up until publication. So, we'll see! :) I always want to go with whatever my editor and publisher think will help us reach our audience.
Thanks for the great questions and for reading my books! :)
Stacey
Thank you so much! (I had a blast writing The Ghost and the Goth books, so I'm always thrilled to hear that people enjoy them.)
738 Days doesn't have an official release date yet, but last I heard, it will sometime be in 2015. I'm due to turn it in to my publisher by December of this year. So hopefully I'll be able to share a more specific date soon. I'm guessing it'll be summer or later, just looking at the timing. But this is my first time working with Tor (so excited!) so I'm not sure what their process is like. I'll definitely post to my blog here when I have the details, though, so stay tuned! :)
I believe 738 Days is what we're going to use, but anything can change right up until publication. So, we'll see! :) I always want to go with whatever my editor and publisher think will help us reach our audience.
Thanks for the great questions and for reading my books! :)
Stacey
Stacey Kade
Hi! Thank you so much! :) I'm so glad you're enjoying the books! The next (and final) book in the Project Paper Doll series should be out in April next year. We have a tentative title, but I've been asked not to release that just yet. But the book is in progress. I turned in the revised version to my editor a couple of weeks ago.
Thanks again for reading! And thanks for your question!
Thanks again for reading! And thanks for your question!
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