Paper Cuts: Author Interview w/ Jordan Calher

Hey guys! Today I am featuring Jordan Calher! She wrote the novel Brittle and she decided to join us today! :)

How did you come up with the idea for Brittle?

Since middle school, I’ve always been reading occult stuff. Specifically, like most writing ideas for me, the opening event just hit me (for Brittle, I think it was at bedtime – that great time when the mind stops having to worry about coordinating legs and feet and eyes and hearing and all that) and then it evolved.

Is there anything that inspired you to write Brittle?

I have a friend with diabetes. Seeing how it rules her life made me start really thinking about the control it requires, how important it is or isn’t to different people, and in different ways. What would happen if it was totally lost, and what it would be like to feel responsible for that loss.

How did you discover a passion for writing?

I’ve always been a little “outside the norm.” When I was 12, my dad said, “You know, Jordan, you should be a writer.” Guess that planted the seed. I read a lot of fantasy in middle and high school, did a lot of gaming (tabletop and live role-playing games like AD&D and Vampire and Mage). Then about 6 years ago I started writing an epic fantasy that was my lifeline from a monotonous existence in the Midwest. I felt the total ecstasy of creation and imagination and limitless travel all wrapped up into one – aka, writing.

Why did you choose to write YA?

A) Writers tend to have a strong egomaniac side. You know, where they think they have something really important to tell the world, and influence people’s perspective. I want to expose ideas and thought patterns to people BEFORE the dim world of “9-5 eat-sleep-work-die” starts crusting over their minds. B) It’s a hot market.

What was the most challanging thing for you while writing?

The easiest? – The most challenging thing for me while writing was dealing with something not related to the writing. The writing part – that was my salvation. In a way, the easiest part. Which leads to the next question…

How long did it take you to write, edit, publish, and all that good stuff Brittle?

After spending 5 years on my first (as-of-yet unpublished) book, Brittle was an amazing rush of creativity. From first to last letter (before editing, re-writes, etc) – one and a half months. Really! But I was completely obsessed, and was lucky to not be working or anything. After that I let it sit for a few months then read back through it a couple times. Then a rewrite. Then beta readers. Then another rewrite. Then the editor got her hands on it. Polishing. The whole shebang took probly 10 months.

5 reasons to read Brittle?

1) It’s intense.

2) Lots of interesting info about magic, the witch trials, colonial America, etc.

3) Diabetes affects a huge part of the world, and probly someone you know. Hopefully Brittle can give non-diabetics a little insight into what it can be like.

4) It’s awesome.

5) As ebook it’s incredibly cheap, especially for that much bang.

Anything else you would like to add? Upcoming projects or anything in general?

I’m working on the sequel to Brittle, which will explore the paths some other people took to magic, how their paths meet, and the insanity that happens when they do. I’m going to draw more on some of my wild experiences travelling the world. Oh yeah, advice? When you know what you want (and I mean FEEL it down deep), set your sights and don’t give up. Make it happen. Reality is malleable. Every day I see my dream…

Quickfire!

Chocolate or Vanilla - Chocolate

Theater or at home? – depends on the company

M&Ms or Skittles? – M&Ms

Book or Movie? – book

Ebook or real book? - Real book (and yes, Brittle will be available as a real book soon ;)

Favorite song? Book? Movie? – Song – No one favorite, but how about a theme song for this whole literary adventure – “Yes” by LMFAO . Book – Demian by Herman Hesse. Movie – Muppet Treasure Island.

Thank you Jordan for taking your time to do this post and I can't wait to hear more about Brittle! :)

About Brittle:

A diabetic since freshman year, the control Sara Jacobs needs to survive is obliterated when she unleashes Voodoo barons of the afterlife from the dark witch trial history of her hometown -- Andover, Massachusetts. Past and present blend and ignite as her life crumbles beyond recognition, shattered by the same forbidden forces she is drawn to embrace: magic, the supernatural, and the demon raging uncontrolled in her veins. Rewired by magic, she revisits and dominates her petty high school world – paybacks to authority, and a little help with that crush from freshman year.

From a gossip-crazed high school to a moonless limbo of tombstone covered hills, BRITTLE is what happens when Sara stops being the victim. But through it all, nothing can really fill the void left by a mother who abandoned her at birth. Or did she?