Author Interview Monday: Inara Scott (Delcroix Academy: The Candidates)

Inara's biography from her website:

I grew up in winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, I spent much of my childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world my whining, I fled the cold climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW. I love it here — we get occasional snow, tons of rain in the winter, and lots of sun in the summer. The forests are huge, and the old Douglas Fir trees and thick ferns make you think you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. I would be surprised if there weren’t fairies and elves living here. Seriously.
I love to hike, canoe, and play outside. I am addicted to yoga. I have a deep affinity for water (I used to believe I could learn to breathe underwater, if I stayed down there long enough).
I’m a geek through and through. I fear deep, intellectual books and love romance and fantasies. I listen to cheesy, happy music. When I was in high school, my friends considered having a clothing
intervention for me because I insisted on making my own clothes and shopping at thrift stores. Somehow, I survived.

Thank you so much for your time! My readers and I really appreciate it!

Oh no, it's my pleasure! :-)

  

--Can you give us a brief description of The Candidates in your own words?

I’d love to! Delcroix Academy: The Candidates centers on the heroine, Dancia Lewis. Dancia has a dangerous paranormal gift -- she can make things happen just by imaging them. The problem is, when she uses her gift, people always end up getting hurt. Dancia tries to make herself invisible, hiding from the world in an effort to avoid using her powers, but when she's recruited to attend Delcroix Academy, an exclusive boarding school, all bets are off. Suddenly, she's got the hottest guy on campus and a dark, troublemaking best friend vying for her attention. But why has the most invisible girl in the ninth grade suddenly become so popular? What's really going on behind the gates of Delcroix Academy? 

--How did you get the idea for the story?

I wanted to write a book that had all of my favorite things – romance, fantasy, and a really tough, smart heroine. I also wanted to write a story that would center around difficult choices – in fact, I originally titled the book “Taking Sides.” In most of the fantasy I’d read, there was a very clear good guy and bad guy, and the fantasy elements (magical powers, curses, etc.) aligned on one side or the other. I wanted to write a story in which the good and bad were mixed together, with no clear way to tell them apart. But then I wanted to force my heroine to make a choice between them. Kinda like life. 

--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?

 Oh, definitely Grandma. She's one of those wonderful, slightly batty people who are almost impossible to have a continuous conversation with, but manage to dispense wisdom wherever they go.

--Can you give us any teasers from the sequel? What about tentative dates for release?

According to Amazon, Delcroix Academy -- The Watchers, will be released on August 2. If you go now, you can even preorder it! ;-)  As for a teaser, how about the back cover copy: 

Dancia's back at Delcroix, but this year, everything is different. Dancia is Talented, and her powers have earned her an invitation to join Delcroix's real raison d'etre -- the Program. All Dancia ever wanted was to use her powers for good -- and now Delcroix is going to give her the training she needs to make it happen.

At least that's what the school says she'll learn to do with her powers...

You can read more back cover copy (including a hint about whether Jack will return in Book 2), as well as see the cover for The Watchers on my blog: http://www.inarascott.com/?page_id=8

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?

I think reading is actually a crucial part of writing -- I learn so much from seeing what other authors do. Reading also recharges me and reminds me why I do this crazy writing thing in the first place -- because of the magic that it can create for the reader. That said, I tend to go in spurts. When I'm writing a new novel, I get absorbed in that process and don't usually read much. But in between books, I tend to read a lot. 

My two favorite books of all time are old fantasy series -- the first is Dragonflight, by Anne McCaffery (part of the Dragonriders of Pern series). The other is the Belgarid series, by David Eddings. One of the best books I read this year was Flash Burnout, by L.K. Madigan. 

  

--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?

Oh, it would definitely be a romance novel. I'm not sure it matters which one! Perhaps something by Johanna Lindsey, set in the Regency era. I'd love to be breathtakingly beautiful, married to a terrible rake (who adores me and has a sweet six-pack), insanely wealthy, and have lots of horses to ride. Yes, I think that would be lovely. 

  

--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on The Candidates "playlist-" songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?

I actually can't write with any music playing -- it distracts me too much from the words I'm trying to get on the page. When I'm not writing I enjoy happy, upbeat music, but that doesn't translate well into a playlist for a novel. ;-)

  

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?

I would really like to fly. 

  

--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?

I got a puppy about a month ago, so I spend a lot of time chasing him around and cuddling with him! When he's not demanding my attention, I try to get in a little yoga. I also love to go for long walks. That's when I do my best plotting for my novels. 

  

--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?

Thanks so much for having me, Brandi! I love chatting with readers -- please stop by the blog, follow me on Twitter (@inarascott) or friend me on Facebook. And you can always send me questions at inara.scott @ gmail.com! 

The first book in the series:

  The Candidates (Delcroix Academy Book 1) Inara Scott

Release: Aug 24 2010

My review is here

You can read the first chapter on Inara's site here