Author Crush Friday: Kelley York
Glitter girls, you have pressing questions for your favorite authors and we have their answers. Welcome to our weekly segment, Author Crush Fridays.
We love asking questions and we love the answers from some of our favorite authors. Today we’re talking to Kelley York, author of Modern Monsters (June 2, 2015; Entangled Teen). Thank you for talking to us today, Kelley! We’re honored! Did you know that as a teenager Kelley used to work at a mortuary? I bet she has some amazing stories from that!
GLITTER: How did you come up with the plot for Modern Monsters?
KELLEY: I really wanted to show an underdog character people would really root for. In the past, I’ve written a lot of very flawed characters that aren’t always easy to love. (Archer, Vincent, and Chance, to name a few.) So Vic is a little different. He’s average in his mindset and his everyday problems. He’s perfectly ordinary. I wanted to throw him into a situation that turned his whole world upside down to see what he’d do.
GLITTER: Was there one question that sparked the whole plot?
KELLEY: This ties into the last answer, really. “What happens to the person accused of doing something horrible when they’re innocent?” Of course…that evolved. I couldn’t answer just that. It became more than Victor’s story. It also belongs to those around him who are involved, and how one night was capable of altering so many lives.
GLITTER: If you could have any of your books turned into a movie, what one book do you hope makes it to the big screen and why?
KELLEY: Modern Monsters would make a pretty kick-ass film, but overall…I’d have to say Made of Stars. I think the mystery and tense scenes would translate especially well on screen.
GLITTER: What character do you relate to the most?
KELLEY: Vince from Suicide Watch. It’s still a book near and dear to me, and it was a very therapeutic journey for me to write Vince. While our diagnoses and stories are different, there is so much of me in him (and Adam and Casper, too!) that they all hold a very special place in my heart.
GLITTER: You also freelance as a cover artist. Do you have a favorite cover that you’ve done so far?
KELLEY: Oh, I have so many! Tracy Clark’s Illuminate is one that sticks out to me, as well as In the Blood by Sarah Hantz. I loved those covers from beginning to end. I’m happy to say I don’t think I’ve ever done a cover I’ve absolutely hated.
GLITTER: How much does your life imitate your art?
KELLEY: I have a big passion for psychology and mental disorders. In part because I’ve dealt with depression since I was young, and so has my partner. On top of that, our daughter is autistic, so mental health plays a huge part in my day to day life. There are times where my depression hits so hard even now. Good news for those of you who are younger and suffer from anxiety and depression and the like: it may or may not get better as you age and your hormones level out…but it will get easier to manage as you learn those coping skills.
GLITTER: What has been the hardest character you’ve ever penned?
KELLEY: If we’re talking about main characters, this award would still go to Archer from Hushed. He was such an anti-hero, and it was a very fine line to walk between getting readers to love him but not seeming like I wanted to justify his actions.
GLITTER: What one YA novel do you wish you had when you were a teen?
KELLEY: The Perks of Being a Wallflower. It came out when I was in high school and I so wish I had known to pick it up. It would’ve been a book I immediately connected with.
GLITTER: Tell us one random fact that your fans still might not know about you.
KELLEY: I used to work at a mortuary when I was a teenager. It was pretty crazy. I’ve always been a little morbid. I also have five cats (Irish, Noel, Grimm, Elle, and Light) but anyone who follows me on social media probably knows that because of the three thousand pictures I post of them…
GLITTER: What are you currently working on?
KELLEY: So, so much, oh my goodness. As of the time of writing this, I have a book I’m finishing up called Car Crash Hearts, and another about halfway done that is currently without a title that I’m so super excited to finish. I’m also working on a collab with a best friend of mine, who happens to be an incredible author.
Once upon a time, Kelley York was born in central California. And it’s there she she still resides with her lovely wife, step-daughter, and an abundance of cats, while fantasizing about moving to England or Ireland. She has a fascination with bells and animals, is a lover of video games, Doctor Who, manga and anime, and likes to pretend she’s a decent photographer. Her life goal is to find a real unicorn. Or at least write about them.
Kelley is a sucker for dark fiction. She loves writing twisted characters, tragic happenings, and bittersweet endings that leave you wondering and crying. Character development takes center stage in her books because the bounds of a person’s character and the workings of their mind are limitless.
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