Four frivolous questions - Kim Harrington's CLARITY

Today I'm asking Kim Harrington a few questions about her debut novel CLARITY -- which was a blast to read, I must say! I'm already looking forward to the sequel, entitled PERCEPTION. (And I happen to know that Kim has written about 100* more novels since she sold CLARITY, so there's plenty more coming down the pipeline.)

*slight exaggeration

So without further ado . . .

1. VERONICA MARS (which you mention in your acknowledgments) offered us teen noir crime detection with a femaleprotagonist, but CLARITY ups the ante with paranormal teen noir crime detection (along with an equally spunky heroine). What inspired you to go this direction? Why psychics?

To be honest, when I was a little girl I wanted so badly to be psychic. I read all these books about ESP and tried to read my friends’ minds and all that. So maybe creating main characters with paranormal gifts is a bit of wish fulfillment. Plus, it’s so fun to write!

2. I read in a great interview at Novel Novice that, as part of your research, you actually went to psychics for readings. Did they say anything that gave you a chill – any evidence of a legit paranormal ability? Or was it mostly just an entertaining show? (Or not-so-entertaining?).

None of the ones I visited were chill-inducing. They mostly made general statements that almost anyone my age could fit into their life somehow. But it was definitely entertaining and fun! I should totally drag you to one when we’re in Salem together in April. We can blog it! Agree now! Publicly! :)

I AGREE. Can't wait! (Hey, if we're going to be ghost-busting in our haunted hotel rooms, might as well get a psychic reading, too. May prove helpful.)

*Ahem* Back to questions . . .

3. Also, during your research did you find any other “family acts” of psychics? I loved this bit, especially the backstory – the ways of the Berkshire Hills spiritualist community that spawned the Ferns could be a novel of its own. Are there actual communities like this?

I did visit one family of psychics who worked out of the first floor of their home. They didn’t do tandem readings. You just got sent into a room with whoever had an opening. I’d already written CLARITY at this point and was working on the sequel. So I was excited to visit a family of psychics, but unfortunately this one ended up being the least entertaining of all of them. Ah well!

Regarding the “spiritualist community” the Fern family originates from, I did base it off two areas. One was a community in Western Massachusetts that I found on the Internet. The other is the more well-known community of Lily Dale, NY.

4. I know from your blog and Twitter that music is an important part of your creative process. What songs kept you inspired while writing CLARITY?

I'm definitely inspired by music when drafting a novel. For CLARITY's darker scenes, songs like Placebo’s Running Up That Hill, Echo & The Bunnymen’s The Killing Moon, and Closer by Kings of Leon got me into the right mood. For Clare's general kick-assery, I listened to Army of Me by Bjork and Daughters of the Kaos by Luscious Jackson.

Wow, it's a little weird to hear that Placebo cover of "Running Up That Hill" because, being old, I am much more familiar with the Kate Bush version (which is not nearly as creepy and therefore less suited to your needs). Thanks so much for answering my questions, Kim!

Readers, if you'd like your own copy of CLARITY, plus more books and SWAG, please check out my giveaway.

Or find CLARITY at all the usual places: Indiebound ❘ Amazon ❘ Barnes & Noble ❘ Borders.

Four frivolous questions - Saundra Mitchell's THE VESPERTINE

Today I'm pleased to share an interview with Saundra Mitchell about her latest novel, The Vespertine, just out from Houghton Mifflin/Harcourt.

1. Your first book, Shadowed Summer, was a contemporary ghost story. The Vespertine is set in the late 19th century. Please share three things that captivated you about this time period.

First, I enjoyed the latitude. Instead of hanging out at the coffee shop, my characters could hang out at the park and goof off with a bow and arrow. It was perfectly reasonable for one of the characters to meet another when he came to sketch an autopsy in his living room. No seriously! There were so many interesting places to go and unusual things for them to do.

Second, I love how modern it is. The industrial revolution is starting, cars are coming, trains are connecting cities, states, countries. Telegraphs send instant messages, and telephones are coming. Suffragettes are demanding their equal rights, Spiritualists are trying to crack the code of death, Scientists are discovering radium and vaccines, Aesthetics are brazenly exploring sensuality-- this book may be set in our past, but it's also set on the very edge of the characters' future. It's a time so ripe and trembling with change that it was a delight to explore.

And thirdly, it was just plain fun to write characters who could use words like folderol, gibbering, miasma and temerity in common conversation. Reading through period newspapers to figure out the depth and parameters of the language of the time was like eating candy for me.

2. Tell me true, Saundra – why are 19th century boys so sexy? (I confess to swooning several times for Nathaniel.)

You're going to give that boy a big head, Sonia! :) I have to say for me, part of the appeal is the wardrobe. Cravats are hot. (Are they ever!) Morning coats are hot. Day gloves are hot. And the levels of intimacy were so different! I got the wickedest thrill out of writing the scene where Nathaniel leaves his glove in Amelia's pocket. Oh la la!

3. As someone obsessed with 19th century mediums, I loved the scene with Lady Privalovna – did the details of her performance come from research, your imagination, or both? Please explain!

I did tons of research on spiritualism and spiritism, which is why you see Amelia trying out some automatic writing in the book. (Not to mention collecting gloves and doing directed breathing!) These were method popularized by 19th century mediums. The Fox Sisters and Hélène Smith were serving up seances with these techniques, and they weren't the only ones.

But I have to admit, Lady Privalovna's show was all theatre-- that sequence came directly out of Harry Houdini's attempts to debunk the spiritualists in the early 20th century. He described how those performances were much more like magic shows than actual magic. He even went on tour with an Exposure Show, demonstrating how to produce mystical raps and ghostly manifestations. I'm just sorry I didn't manage to work in a Pepper's Ghost!

4. I suppose you might classify this novel as paranormal historical. (Or do you have a better classification?) Are there any other books or films in this genre that you would recommend? Something that lovers of The Vespertine would enjoy if they were dying for more? (Like me!!!)

Historical romance, historical fantasy, paranormal historical, paranormal romance, gothic... THE VESPERTINE gets around, yo. BUT! I really think that if you like THE VESPERTINE, you'll love THE SEASON by Sarah MacLean (historical romance,) A GREAT AND TERRIBLE BEAUTY by Libba Bray (paranormal historical,) WILDTHORN by Jane Eagland (gothic!), THE PROPHECY OF THE SISTERS by Michelle Zink (paranormal historical,) KINDRED by Octavia Butler (historical fantasy,) and THE REVENANT by Sonia Gensler (paranormal historical!) However, I suspect you've read that last one. :D

Thanks for the kind mention of my book, Saundra! And thanks so much for answering my questions.

Readers, be sure to check out my review of The Vespertine at Book End Babes, and check back on Monday when I introduce my book giveaway, featuring a hardcover copy of The Vespertine, an ARC of The Revenant, and much more!

The Vespertine is currently available from: IndieBound ❘ Amazon ❘ Barnes & Noble ❘ Borders

[Cross-posted from Livejournal]