Interview: Kendare Blake, author of Anna Dressed in Blood

You guys.  You guys.  Awhile back, sometime after I featured Anna Dressed in Blood on my Wishlist Wednesday, I came across a guest post on Good Books & Good Wine that had me literally laughing out loud.  Like a lunatic.  It was from Kendare Blake, and it made me wish even harder for Anna Dressed in Blood.  Someone that funny had to write an amazeballs book, right?
(Yes.  The answer is yes.)
So I knew I wanted it to be part of Helluva Halloween, and I think I woo-hooed when Kendare agreed to be interviewed (and woo-hooed louder when I got the interview back.  Amaze.Balls.)
So yeah.
The following will rock your face off.
You have been warned.

What was it like writing from a male POV? Were there times that you struggled with it and it just wasn't clicking, or was Cas' voice always there for you?

It's weird to say, but the male POV? No problem. I've done it before, and the first time was all worried, constantly male-fact checking with a guy writer friend. But every time I'd ask, he'd reply with something like, "No, it's fine. I would totally think that." After about fifteen of those responses, I just came to terms with the fact that I'm pretty butch.

How would you convince people who normally don't read horror to give Anna a chance?

Ha, that's a good question. And the answer is, I don't know. Or wait. I don't usually read sword and fantasy, but I am LOVING George RR Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (like most everyone else on the planet) because the story, and the characterizations are so strong and compelling. So I guess if someone asked me why they should try Anna when they don't read horror, I would say...because horror isn't just some guy jumping out at you every five minutes. There's more to Anna Dressed in Blood than gore and chills. But there is plenty of gore, fair warning.

What's your favorite scene to have written?

My favorite scene, would have to be one near the end. Which I can't describe without giving too much away. But when I was writing it, the adrenaline was up, fingers racing across the keyboard, lots of fun. I'd been waiting for that scene for a long time. Since it showed up as one important line when I was walking up a dark stairway toward a locked door.

Do you write with an audience/genre in mind, or do you just follow the story?

I just follow the story. Never considered doing anything else.

Have you ever had a ghostly experience?

Not really! And I want one! During research in Thunder Bay my then-fiance and I went to many places of purported hauntings in the dead of night. But nothing happened!

If you could have any superpower or ability, what would it be?

Isn't it weird how often you get asked this question? At just about every job I've ever had, we'll be sitting around and someone will ask this question. But if I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to transform matter at the molecular level. So I could turn plastic bags into cupcakes and dvd cases into cupcakes and horses into....even prettier horses.

[I believe those are called unicorns... O_o]


Silly Random Quickfire:

Your Urban Legend name: Probably not what you meant, but I heard once there was someone named Innocent Bystander. Always made me think that if I changed my name, I would change my middle name to Effen. So my urban legend name would be Kendare Effen Blake.

Using that name, give us a line from your life as an urban legend: Job interviewer: Hi, nice to meet you. Um, are you double-parked out front? Me: Why yes I am. Nice to meet you too. I'm Kendare Effen Blake. [And with that, Misty's burgeoning girl-crush on Kendare blossoms into full-fledged hero-worship...]

Kendare Effen Blake likes turtles.

Most frequently recurring nightmare? No recurring ones. The nightmares that wake me up though are the ones where everything is normal, and then takes a sudden turn for the strange. Like your best friend suddenly having red eyes without pupils. Or your favorite pet melting down into nothing but fur on a walk through the park.



5-song soundtrack for ultimate ass-kicking ghost-ness:
1. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, "Berlin"
2. The Pixies, "Where is my Mind"
3. Elbow, "Grounds for Divorce"
4. Our Lady Peace, "Superman's Dead"
5. Placebo, "Infrared"

I normally end with a game of Would You Rather, but for you we're going to go with What's Scarier:
-- Anna or Pennywise from It? To me? I've got to go with Pennywise. He just wants to eat you for no reason. And he's a clown. He's like John Wayne Gacy.
-- politicians or dentists? Politicians. The terror lasts longer.
-- a world without chocolate or a world without booze? A world without chocolate? I no longer want to live!


See?  Face rocked right the eff off.  Make sure you stop back by tomorrow for a giveaway of Anna Dressed in Blood (you want this book!), and then again on Thursday for my review.
But you should probably put your face back on first...

Click here to be taken to the Helluva Halloween Main Page!