Interview with Vanessa Barger

 

Thanks so much fo the interview! I always enjoy talking to people, and I hope that you get a chance to read Slack Tide and that you enjoy it!

 

1. How did your book come about? What was the inspiration?

 

Well, I'd known about selkies for awhile and thought that there were few books that featured them, and those I'd read that did didn't delve much into their mythology. After a strange dream one night, the story sort of emerged into what it is now. Starting mostly with the idea of the skin and the idea of it being able to transform something. And then it wasn't a far stretch for me to wonder if a skin could belong to more than one person.....

2. Selkies are starting to become just as trendy as merpeople. What drew you to them?

 

I think it was because I've always had a special interest in the UK and celtic folklore and mythology. Selkies just captured my imagination, and I figured they had so much more potential for merging my own take on them into what already exsisted. 

 

3. I always ask this question simply because it gets some weird answers, but what did you eat while writing?

 

What did I eat? Hmmmm... There was probably some chocolate in there. (Isn't there always), but I do remember that on at least two occaisions, there was tea, scones, homemade strawberry jam and clotted cream. The whole nine yards.

4. If any, what music did you listen to while writing and/or inspired moments or scenes? I love book playlists.

 

There's a ton of songs on the playlist, but I can tell you that the ones featured most prominently were Running Up That Hill by Placebo, Moonlight Sonata, Imogen Heap, Tomanandy, Voodoo by Godsmack, and The Call by Regina Spektor, to name a few.

5. Just for fun, what was the last movie you saw and book you read?

 

Let's see... I just finished Fade by Lisa McMann last night, and I'm trying to start What the Night Knows by Dean Koontz. (though my overactive imagination demands that one be read in daylight!). as for movies, I watched the Vicar of Dibley Wedding Special last night. Hilarious, if you like Dawn French and/or Brit Coms!

 

6. Halloween is coming up. What are you doing on All Hallows Eve?

 

Every year we host a big Halloween party for all our friends (my roommate and I). So that's this weekend. This year we're doing a murder mystery and then heading to a flashlight corn maze. It should be fun. Each year the activities change. Sometimes its ghost tours through Williamsburg, sometimes its just hanging out around the house. This year is pretty low key, with only 15 guests, and only a few staying over. (There was one year we had about about 10 people speniding the night. Suffice to say, you had to be careful where you walked!)

 

On the actual night, I'll probably watch the Ghost Hunters Live event, and keep some candy, just in case any children brave the dark to get to our house out in the boonies. Its never happened yet, but its a goode excuse to buy candy!

7. What's your next writing project?

 

I'm in the middle of two, actually. I've got five more chapters left to write in a new thriller/mystery based very loosely on Hamlet, and I've got a romance/horror I'm outlining to use as my NANOWRIMO project.

8. Zombies or Unicorns?

 

oooo.... tough one. Zombie Unicorns? Think of how odd that would be!

 

Thanks again, and let me know if you need anything else - URLs, pics, etc.

 

:) Have a great night!

 

Vanessa