This week I am featuring 15 year old South African author Kirsten Everett.
Eclipse Child by Kirsten Everett
Synopsis
Bethany Clark is special. Not because of her passion for rhinos or her captured parents but because of what she is. An Eclipse Child.
Being able to turn invisible, have glowing hair and the ability to regenerate cells means she is the perfect weapon.
Tricked into a new world filled with merciless greed can she do what is right? Even when the odds are piled against her.
Try it for yourself! Goodreads | Amazon | Amazon UK
Interview with Kirsten Everett
Why did you decide to become an author?
Ever since I became a
bookworm at the age of nine I dreamed of being able to create my own stories. I
used to practice during the holidays and when I came back to school I would
show my teacher my half page “masterpieces”. From then on I made the decision
to be an author by the age of sixteen.
How do you balance writing with other things in your life?
I’m currently fifteen
which means I’m at school for at least seven hours a day from Monday to Friday.
Even when I get home there always seems to be something I have to do yet I
manage to squeeze in one hour of writing before I go to sleep.
What is your favourite thing about being an author?
Being an author at my
age isn’t that common which means I love that it makes me even more unique. I
love the words that spill out from my brain weaving together intricate plots.
But the thing I love most about being an author is the fact that I can escape
the rules of reality and express my creativity in a way that makes my senses
hum with excitement.
What are your favourite books?
My favourite books
range from Nancy Drew when I was younger, to The Hunger Games, to
the Divergent trilogy and to The Selection Trilogy. I can’t wait to discover more books to add to
my list.
Describe your book in one sentence.
Rescuing a species
from extinction is not easy; but if you’re the only one who seems to care you
have to try.
Where did you get the idea for Eclipse Child, did anything
inspire you to write it?
The idea for Eclipse
Child started on a five am game drive in the bush where we encountered a
mother and a child rhino. They seemed to be so relaxed obviously not
understanding that their species was dying. With the characters and plot
forming in my brain I decided to start blogging for Nikela (a wildlife organisation)
and started spreading the story of these animals. Yet writing Eclipse Child was something I wanted to do as well as I
felt I had to do because most of the youth of the world didn’t seem to know
much about their species. Through my book I could share the news about their
situation whilst creating a fun new world for readers to enjoy.
What made you decide to write a Young Adult novel?
Considering I am a
Young Adult it made sense for me to write in this genre because I already had a
connection with my readers. I was able to create a story that they would enjoy
because I knew their interests and many of their thoughts.
Is there any specific message you wanted to convey in the
book?
I wanted to let the
youth of the world know what was going on with the rhinos as well as showing
them that they had the power to make a difference.
What are your plans for future books?
Good question.
Unfortunately the answer will remain a mystery, though I do intend to carry on
writing Young Adult genres I’m not sure what the next one will be about. But I
know that I’ll enjoy writing it.
Do you have any hobbies and Interests unrelated to books?
Though much of my
life revolves around reading and writing I enjoy many water sports. I spend
many hours windsurfing, canoeing and boogie boarding whenever I can. During the
holidays I love to go hiking and spending time with my family and friends.
Would you ever consider putting these (answer to above) into
any of your books?
Maybe; maybe not.
They probably will come into my stories at some point because they are things
that feed my imagination but I can’t promise anything.
FUN STUFF
If you could meet any one author (dead or alive) who would
it be and why?
Kiera Cass. Ever
since I read The Selection I’ve dreamed of meeting her. The first book
in her trilogy had me captivated from the first word until the very end. I hope
by meeting her she would tell me some of her writing secrets which would help
me through future manuscripts.
Tell us one interesting fact about yourself.
When I was only
eleven I became a member of the Junior Editing Team (JET) for a South African
children’s magazine called Minimag.
What is your favourite food?
Definitely pizza.
What is the most adventurous thing you have ever done?
At the end of last
year I hiked for five days through the Tsitsikama Forest. It was an amazing and
gruelling experience that gave me a new perspective on life and taught me to
appreciate the warm showers I took for granted.
If you could be any supernatural creature which would you
choose?
I would be a fairy.
What is better than flying through the air and filling the dreams of girls
everywhere?
About the Author
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