Today I have the awesome Lish McBride on the blog for an interview as part of the Necromancing The Stone blog tour! Lish is the author of Necromancing The Stone, as well as it’s prequel, Hold Me Closer, Necromancer. Both books are out now from Henry Holt and Company.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and your books?
We’re both pretty silly? I don’t know. I’m not that exciting. I mostly read and write, which make pretty boring spectator sports.
My books are hopefully more exciting. They’re humor/horror/fantasy. They are full of creatures and set in Seattle. I’m not good at summaries. Probably best to look at the publisher website or the back of the book to get a really good run down. I’ll just make a mess of it if I try.
What made you decide to write a YA novel?
I’ve always liked YA—anything in the teen/kid section. When I worked at Barnes and Noble in my early twenties, I asked for that section because I knew those books and I loved them. There’s something sort of freeing about writing for kids because they will accept any concept you throw out as long as you can pull it off. I feel like adults are a little more jaded. My vague plan was to get published and then, once I was established, write books for kids. I thought that was the way you had to do it for some reason. But I should have remembered that I do everything backwards.
So I lucked out and ended up in YA. I didn’t plan that. I wrote the book I wanted to and other people told me it was YA. And honestly, I’m so glad that it turned out that way. Teens are a great audience, and the YA authors I’ve met so far have been amazingly supportive.
How did you come up with the idea for Hold Me Closer, Necromancer and Necromancing The Stone?
It started as a short story. Sam came first—I wrote a terrible short story while I was bored in alternative school (a brief stint—maybe a few months?) about a fast food worker who kept getting attacked by vampires and werewolves and whatever. I put the story away and mostly forgot about it. Then, in college, I needed something to write about and I dug up Sam and wrote another terrible short story. That’s where Ramon first appeared, as well as very flat versions of Brooke and Frank. I think it ended with Plumpy’s exploding and Brooke being eaten by zombies. Again, terrible, but it got me into grad school. I kept thinking on the characters and the story line and just slowly built it up from there. By the time I needed material for a novel for my thesis to graduate grad school, it was closer to a recognizable version HMC,N. Still pretty rough around the edges, though. I don’t think there was ever really a light bulb moment. Sam raising the dead kind of came out of me thinking about how hard it would be for me to be a necromancer since I’m vegetarian. In a lot of the books I was reading, you have to have a blood sacrifice to bring back the dead…and I can’t even kill things to eat them. So really it was a slow build up of things.
As for Necromancing the Stone, it mostly came out of the first book. I don’t know. I make things up. Who knows where ideas come from.
What is one thing you must have when writing?
Something to write on and something to write with—anything else is just kind of a bonus.
What is your favorite part of writing?
Making up things that make people giggle.
Can you tell us anything about what you are currently working on? Any more books about Sam in the future?
I would like to do at least one more Sam book. Not sure when, though. There will probably be two more books before another Sam book, but the new things will be set in Sam’s world. But I’m not going to tell you any more about them because I am a jerk.
Are there any YA books you would like to recommend?
There are a lot of them. I read a ton. Tamora Pierce’s books, Terry Pratchett’s Tiffany Aching books, Sisters Red by Pearce, Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, the Leviathan books by Westerfeld…I’m going to stop now before my list gets really unruly. My list changes daily.
Readers, for more info on Lish and the other Fierce Reads books, check out these links!
—Lish McBride is part of our Fall 2012 Fierce Reads campaign and she will be going on a multi-city and multi-author tour this month, 9/18 thru 9/23. Details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/FierceReads/events
—We’ve also got a new Fall Fierce Reads trailer which Necromancing the Stone is included in: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iiSWgzz9dJU
—A chapter excerpt of Necromancing the Stone can be read on our Fierce Reads Fan Page: https://apps.facebook.com/fiercereads/Exclusives
—A free Fall 2012 Fierce Reads chapter sampler for e-readers is available for download, which includes Necromancing the Stone: http://us.macmillan.com/fiercereadsfall2012chaptersampler/GenniferAlbin
—Last year, Lish McBride wrote a free e-short story, entitled Necromancer: http://us.macmillan.com/necromancer-1/LishMcBride
—Lish McBride’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/TeamDamnation
—Lish McBride’s Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lish-McBride/164438753667937
Oh and don’t forget to stop by the other blog tour blogs!
Monday 9/17 http://www.laurasreviewbookshelf.com/
Tuesday 9/18 http://janasbooklist.blogspot.com/
Wednesday 9/19 http://www.sithereandread.com/
Thursday 9/20 http://www.kidlitfrenzy.com/
Friday 9/21 http://www.gonewiththewords.com/
Monday 9/24 http://www.themidnightgarden.net
Tuesday 9/25 http://www.goodbooksandgoodwine.com/
Thursday 9/27 http://www.almostgrownup.net/
Neat author. I like your (author’s) style in writing and likes. 🙂
Lish McBride seems like such a great person! I love that she reads a lot and worked at a book store. Her stories sound interesting too. I’m looking forward to reading her book.
HMCN is really one of the funnest “paranormal” books *ever*’ Loved it! And Lish rules 😉
I love Lish’s answers to why she wanted to write YA, it’s the reason I love it so much, authors are so much more creative and I love the amazing concepts they come up with even if they are unrealistic to real life. Great interview Katie!
Kristin @ Young Adult Book Haven
I really really hope she continues writing Sam’s story!!! It so endearing that she enjoys making us giggle 🙂
i love those titles! And I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that has a hard time with short stories
I love how she sounds really down to earth, that is great! I have been wanting to read these for a while now.
Great interview! I hope to start this series soon! Thanks for the chance to win!
I’m totally going to checkout the YA recommendations. Thanks for the great interview and giveaway! 🙂
How cool is it that Lish worked in the YA section – and she had all this experience with teen selections at bookstores.
This series has gotten awesome reviews, and I can tell it’s also very humorous from this post:)
Thank you:)
Great interview. I’ve had these books on my radar for a while now. Can’t believe I’ve waited this long.
It’s an exciting time for YA. I love that you realize that humor is an important element.
Hi i worked in a children library when in college and i Love all the younger books and still do and i am a Great Grandmother. Thanks for the review. Joannie
I love that these books all developed out of one short story. I gives me hope for my own writing since I’m only good at writing short stories ;P
Very nice interview. Thanks for sharing about the inspiration.
You can tell she loves to make people giggle because her characters are genuinely funny and fun!
I love her! I hope she keeps writing lots and lots. Even from her interview you can tell she’s super fun and super nice 🙂
Lovely interview!! 🙂