Interview with Kristin Miller

Today, I have Kirsten Miller for an interview. She is the author the Kiki Strike series and The Eternal ones. Kirsten Miller lives in New York City where she currently spends her time drinking coffee and exploring the city. She also manges a blog for her character Ananka Fishbein from the Kiki Strike series here and a blg about recranation and other things about The Eternal Ones here.

1. The Ouroboros Society is a society that is in the public eye, but still is full of secrets. What is your favorite part of secret societies?
The most intriguing thing about secret societies is that I’m not a member of any! (Or am I? Ha.) I think some people (including myself—and definitely my mother) are fascinated by secret societies for the same reason they find conspiracy theories entertaining. Both offer explanations for why the world works the way it does. Haven’t you ever wondered why some people get ahead and others don’t? Or why those in charge often seem to be the least suited for the job?
The Ouroboros Society grew out of these questions—and a few more: What if some people were able to bring talents and skills from previous lives? What if these people had their own club? How would they choose to use their power—for good or for evil?
2.  Both of your blogs are based on aspects of The Eternal Ones and Kiki Strike Series. How does that help, when you start creating the story and the characters?
Well I just started the blog for The Eternal Ones, so I can’t really say how helpful it might prove to be in the future. Right now, it’s just a LOT of work and a LOT of fun. I love “reading” people’s past lives.
As for the Kiki blog, it’s an endless source of inspiration. When the next Kiki book (The Darkness Dwellers) comes out (soon!), I think my blog readers will be tickled to see how many ideas can be traced back to the last four years of blog posts. (I hope they have fun with this. It should feel like a scavenger hunt for Kiki fans/real life Irregulars. Wait a second! That kind of sounds like the beginning of a secret society!)
3. Beau was definitely one of my favorite characters in The Eternal Ones. What inspired you, when you wrote about this character?
I had a very good friend in high school who grew up gay in our small Southern town. (Actually, he’s still my friend.) I saw first-hand how tough it was for him, and that provided a great deal of inspiration. But I didn’t want to base Beau on him, because my friend has a very beautiful and powerful story to tell, and I really hope he writes it himself.
Instead, Beau is a mixture of two other people I’ve long admired. The first is my brother, who shares Beau’s sense of humor. The second is another person who grew up gay in the South. I didn’t know him that well, but I was always awestruck by his refusal to be anyone other than himself. Even as a little boy he showed more guts and confidence than most people will ever be able to muster. (The Barbie lunchbox scene was “borrowed” from him.)
I know the “gay best friend” is a bit of a cliché in YA literature, but I think of Beau as more of a real person than a character. He’s not just in the story for witty repartee or comic relief.
4. Kiki Strike is based most on girl power and the story of six girls, while the Eternal Ones was mostly about romance. How different was it for you to be writing a story that is romantically centered, then your previous books?
The search for love is the ultimate adventure, isn’t it? I don’t know about you, but I’d rather risk my life than my heart. And poor Haven . . . just like the rest of us, she has to go through it all alone! That takes some serious guts.
The truth is, I don’t really think of The Eternal Ones as a “romance” in the classic sense. I think of it as a romance/thriller. I like books with a little lovin’ in them, but I need some adventure mixed in as well. Hopefully The Eternal Ones will provide readers with a satisfying helping of both love and adventure.
But writing this book was a much different experience. The Kiki books are a reflection of how I see the world. The Eternal Ones really forced me to enter another person’s life. It was much harder to write, but I’m glad I set myself the challenge!
5. Is there anything else that you would like to add?
Thanks so much for the interview! I had a blast!

Penguin is offering a Penguin 5 Box for a contest here.
Anyways here is what books are included in the Penguin 5 Box:

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Matched by Ally Condie

Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

I have read four of these books and they are amazing, if you want to learn more visit here. The contest will end on September 2nd and is open to US Addresses only. Just fill out the form below.