Making Connections: Author Interview with Kaye Thornbrugh

I would like to welcome Kaye Thornbrugh to the Making Connections blog today!

Kaye is the author of Flicker, a YA fantasy novel.

Thanks for stopping by today Kaye!

Title: Flicker
Author: Kaye Thornbrugh
Pages: 278
Published: February 25th 2012
Available From: Amazon

When sixteen-year-old Lee Capren is spirited away to Faerie, she is forced to serve capricious faeries as a prized portrait artist… and live as their prisoner.

A chance encounter with the charming Nasser grants Lee a chance for freedom—but what felt like mere days in Faerie spanned years in the human world, and Lee no longer has a home to return to.

Nasser is a Seer—a human with magical powers—and Lee is quickly plunged into his world: a sprawling city teeming with magic and mystery, where supernatural creatures walk hidden among humans. With the help of a rag-tag group of teenage Seers, Lee must master her newfound magical talent and outwit a cunning faerie determined to destroy her.

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Flicker is currently available from the Making Connections - YA Edition group on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review.

Follow this link to get your copy!

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1. When did you first know you wanted to write?
I wrote my first story (a twenty-page epic about a fierce lady werewolf hunter) when I was about eight years old. It probably wasn’t very good, but it was such fun to write. Ever since then, I’ve been obsessed with coming up with worlds and characters and writing about them. It’s good exercise for my imagination, and its’ one of my favorite forms of entertainment!

2. Tell us a little about Lee and Nasser.
Lee is an artist and an unrepentant nerd. She’s a perpetual daydreamer, happier observing the world around her and capturing it safely on paper than getting into the thick of things—but when she finds herself pulled into the Faerie realm, she’ll have to draw on strength and resourcefulness that she never knew she had.

Nasser is a Seer whose magic has been more of a curse than a gift. He’s fiercely protective of his family and friends (maybe a little too protective), prefers to shoulder burdens by himself, and a closet romantic. When a chance meeting with Lee alters the course of his life, he’ll have to learn that true strength comes from relying on those around him.

3. What was your favorite scene to write?
Probably the scene with Filo and Neman, from the last chapter. It’s always a fun challenge to write Neman, especially when she’s interacting with Filo.

4. How would you describe your writing style?
Well, my style can change a lot depending on the story I’m writing—but in the Flicker series, I put a lot of emphasis on imagery. I try to create a lot of atmosphere with my words.

5. What do you see as the influences on your writing?
My two biggest influences are Holly Black, whose novel Valiant introduced me to the darker side of faeries (as well as YA urban fantasy in general) and Ray Bradbury, whose short stories and novels (especially The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes and The Halloween Tree) showed me that genre fiction can be as beautiful as the finest poetry.

6. What do you like to do when you're not writing?
As you might imagine, I’m a huge reader; I try to read at least 100 books per year. I love TV, movies and video games—Pokémon and The Legend of Zelda are my favorites—and I spend an inordinate amount of time on Tumblr. (You can find my official Tumblr here: kayethornbrugh.tumblr.com)

7. What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but these are the top three things that I need when I’m writing: 1) Background music—I can’t write without it! 2) Reference books. I keep all my books on folklore/fairy tales/whatever else I’m writing about within arm’s reach while I’m at work. 3) An AP Style Book. I use it primarily for journalism, but it’s invaluable for writers of all types!