Interview with Author, Kiki Hamilton

Debut novelist, Kiki Hamiltion, author of The Faerie Ring, is here to answer my burning questions about her inspiration, her daughter's say and if she would have kept the Ring, herself!

GC: Was there a moment you were first inspired to begin a series about the Fey, or have you always been infatuated by the fair folk? 

KH: To be honest, I read a faerie story and I didn’t really like it, so I decided to write my own. I can’t say that I’ve been infatuated by the fae, but I love the idea of unseen worlds existing side by side with our own, and the Otherworld fit perfectly with the story I wanted to tell.

GC: What has your experience as a debut author been like so far? 

KH: Oh my gosh – SO fantastic!  I can’t tell you how wonderful people have been to me! Especially the blogging community and random people I’ve never met but are excited about my book – their kindness has, by far, been the highlight of my path to publication.  I’ve also had the chance to meet some really cool authors through The Class of 2k11 and The Elevensies, as well as through other places, which has been wonderful too. And my editor, Susan Chang, and everyone at Tor Teen have been FABULOUS. Honestly, I can’t imagine a better experience or a more supportive atmosphere than what they’ve shown me.

GC: What kind of input does your daughter have in your writing process? 

KH: Well, my daughter is 15 right now so she is my target audience and a perfect beta reader. And she LOVES to read, so I really value her feedback.  I usually don’t talk about my books until I’ve written a first draft so she doesn’t really know anything about them until I let her read. Then I listen to what she has to say and decide if I want to change anything or not. 

GC: Does she know how this series will end? 

KH: Nope.  Nobody does but me and …..oops…I was going to name some characters, but I can’t give you any spoilers now, can I?  *evil grin*

GC: Do you think any of your characters are particularly inspired by yours, or your daughters, personality? 

KH: I didn’t write Tiki with any real person in mind, but I do think at times that character development is influenced, on some level, by your own personal experiences.

GC: What is your sure fire way to get out of a writing slump? 

KH: It varies. Sometimes, I have to go back to a plot twist and start over from there. Sometimes, I have to just keep plowing ahead. There have been a couple of books  that have just fallen out of my head as fast as I could type and then there are others that stall halfway and I’m still trying to figure out what to do with them. So I guess I’m not sure I have a sure-fire answer! I wish I did!!

GC: What kind of research did you do to bring Victorian England to life in The Faerie Ring? 

KH: I read a number of books set in Victorian England and used several reference books that discuss the realities of life in that era. I also had the opportunity to visit London, which was extremely helpful. London is such an ancient city and it’s easy to imagine that many of the buildings looked exactly the same 140 years ago as they do now.

GC: If you had found the Faerie Ring, would you have kept it? 

KH: Ah, Gabrielle, that’s a tricky question, now, isn’t it? I guess it depends if I was starving, if there was a reward and if I knew what secret the ring held.

GC: Thanks for the insight, Kiki! If I ever find it, that ring is mine! ; )

KH: Thank you so much for having me on your blog!!

xo

Kiki