Interview with Kaitlin Bevis, author of Persephone and International Giveaway

Welcome back, everyone! I'm thrilled to introduce a terrific new writer, Kaitlin Bevis, who has been writing some great books you all need to read!

Goodreads Book Description: There are worse things than death, worse people too.

The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Goodreads Book Description: Some vows can never be broken.
Persephone thought she could go back to her normal life after returning from the Underworld. She was wrong. The goddess Aphrodite is born among the waves with more charm than she can control. Zeus is stalking Persephone and her loved ones, and Thanatos is no longer content with Persephone’s silence.

He wants her soul.

Persephone can’t tell anyone about Thanatos’ betrayal, and it drives a wedge between her and Hades. Her mother is still keeping secrets, and Melissa’s jealousy of Aphrodite threatens to tear their friendship apart.
 
Alone, Persephone turns to a human boy for comfort. But will their relationship put him in danger?
Sacrifices must be made, and Persephone must choose between her human life and her responsibilities as a goddess. If she doesn’t, she could lose them both.
But will either life be worth choosing once Zeus is through with her?
  
My Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Author Blurb: Kaitlin Bevis spent her childhood curled up with a book and a pen. If the ending didn't agree with her, she rewrote it. She's always wanted to be a writer, and spent high school and college learning everything she could so that one day she could achieve that goal. She graduated college with a BFA in English with a concentration in Creative Writing, and is pursuing her masters at the University of Georgia. Her young adult fiction series, "Daughters of Zeus," and her short story "Siren Song" are available for purchase in ebookstores everywhere. She also writes for Athens Parent Magazine, and truuconfessions.com.

 
Author Interview

 

1. I love hearing stories about how authors start writing. Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you got started?

I've always loved writing. Even before I could write I was making up stories. I started writing my first book in middle school. It's pretty terrible, but I kept at it. I majored in English in college with a concentration in creative writing. I'm part of a writers group and write every free minute of my time. I love to write.

2. Greek myths play a large role in your book, Persephone. What got you interested in Greek myths and what inspired you to write a story based on them?

I'm just very interested in where everything comes from. We tell the same stories over and over again. Persephone, phantom of the opera, beauty and the beast. There's something about the Greek myths, Persephone's in particular, that pull at us, inspire us to rewrite it. Maybe because it feels incomplete. Everyone wants to finish it. To put their own spin on it. I caught the bug and it still hasn't let go of me.

3. I love strong female characters and Persephone is definitely one. Did you have a favorite character in your book-- if so, which one and why? Which one was the most fun to write about?

I really like Melissa. I used to read all kinds of fantasy and I would wish and dream and hope for it to all be real, and then I came to a disturbing realization. If these magical things were real, and only certain people could access it, I probably wasn't one of those people. It sounds more depressing than it is.

Melissa is that character. She's living in reality while all around her fantastic and crazy things happen. It would be a tough place to be, and sometimes she doesn't handle it well, but she does try to be a good friend despite it all.

4. What is your favorite YA book of all time and your favorite YA read of this year?

Of all time, Tamsin by Peter Beagle. It's a beautiful story. Of this year, I'm not sure which specific one, but I got really into the Soul Screamer series. I can't wait for the last one to come out!

5. Do you outline or do you just write and see what happens?

I have a general outline that I write. Just the major plot points, but once I write it I don't tend to look at it again. For the most part I just write and see where the story takes me.

6. Tell us what Persephone and friends have to look forward to in future books without giving too much away!

Persephone spends her trilogy coming to terms with her new identity as a goddess. What it means. What she has to give up. What she gains. For most of book two she's trying desperately hard to hold on to both identities, human and divine. In the third book, she has to deal with some really big problems that I can't figure out how to go into without spoiling book one.

After Persephone's trilogy, I'll be starting Aphrodite's.

 
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