Today I am pleased (!!!) to have one of my favorite author's on the blog. Kimberly Derting, author of
The Body Finder series, has dropped by for an interview for the
Teen Book Scene Desires of the Dead Tour (click link for other stops on the tour.)
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Kate: Who is your biggest influence in writing?
Kimberly: My biggest influence has always been Stephen King. My mother would leave his books lying around the house, so I started reading them at a pretty young age…probably too young. In my opinion, he was the ultimate master of suspense.
Kate: Do you use any media (music, etc) to influence your writing?
Kimberly: I don’t listen to music
while I’m writing, but I definitely listen to certain songs to get in the mood for writing, especially if I’m stuck on a scene.
But even without a particular song, sometimes just listening to music (whatever’s in the CD player at the time) while I’m driving will clear my thoughts and get the creative juices flowing. Unfortunately, what’s in the CD player can be anything from Eminem or Lil Wayne (I have a 17-year-old son) to the Jonas Brothers or Miley Cyrus (I have a nine-year-old daughter too!).
Kate: When writing The Body Finder, did you intend to make it a series?
Kimberly: I definitely always wanted it to be a series. I even had half of the sequel written when TBF first sold.
Kate: Did you take any personality traits or names from your real life and incorporate them into The Body Finder or Desires of the Dead?
Kimberly: Yes and yes. For the names, my close friends and family can find their first and last names sprinkled throughout both books. As for the character’s personality traits, they are all still trying to figure out which traits I may or may not have borrowed from each of them. And of course, I’ll never tell if they’re right or not!
Kate: I graduated with a degree in Forensic Science and Biology and I found your book (The Body Finder) to be accurate on many levels. Did you try to incorporate your scientific background into the books? And did you put much research into the novels?
Kimberly: Before I answer, I have to tell you what my 9-year-old daughter just read your question and said: “So, Kate is like Temperance Brennan from Bones, right? (I believe you have a new fan!)
Honestly, I’m not sure my biology background helped that much when I was writing TBF and Desires of the Dead, but I did interview two friends of mine about all things police, fire, and Search & Rescue. So if you find anything wrong, just let me know and I’ll give you their home phone numbers ;)
Kate: That is awesome that your daughter watches Bones. I am not a forensic anthropologist but I have seen a number of dead bodies in my schooling. I am very grateful to hav
So many people have already reviewed The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting, I’m not sure how much I can add to the conversation. But whatever. I’ll give it a try anyway.
Violet has the ability to sense not only the remains of people and animals that have been killed, but also those who are responsible for the killing. Her powers manifest in several different ways and are an open secret in her family and with Jay, Violet’s best friend and crush. They’ve been best friends since the first grade, and although Violet’s feelings recently moved well beyond friendship, she is desperate to hide them from Jay. When several teenaged girls in the area are abducted and killed, Violet is determined to help with the investigation.
I thought there were a couple of occasions in which Violet was, if not actually TSTL, then on the verge of it, and this eventually kept me at a distance from the story and characters. My exasperation with some of Violet’s actions aside, I did appreciate the way Derting’s writing style complements the story; it’s assured, fast-paced, and maintained a high level of tension for most of the book—both in terms of Violet trying to identify the murderer and Violet and Jay’s changing relationship. The third-person narration, with occasional forays into the point of view of the villain, added to the suspense. As for Violet and Jay’s relationship, the chemistry between them is strong and it’s obvious how much they care for each other, even when they’re “just friends.” From the beginning of the story, the reader is aware of Violet’s crush on Jay, so their developing romantic relationship seems natural and essential to the story.
The Body Finder is the first in a series, which is…well, a bit unnecessary, in my opinion. The book will appeal to many teens and fans who enjoy series will be pleased, while those who don’t want to commit to another series will be glad to know that the book ends with no cliffhanger and no loose ends.
Book source: public library.
The quasi-feminist critique: Okay, Jay is very protective of Violet. Then again, I can’t blame him for it. Violet is pretty headstrong and she doesn’t let Jay tell her what to do, even when what he’s saying makes sense. Though at times, I did appreciate Violet’s refusal to automatically obey Jay. **minor(?) spoiler** Like when she told Jay off for ignoring her for a week, then expecting her to do as he said after he rescued her from Grady. Speaking of, this might just be me, but I was a bit irked that the long-awaited first kiss between Violet and Jay happened in the direct aftermath of Jay rescuing Violet from being assaulted in an, “Oh no, don’t tell me they’re getting together right after he saves her” way. But this is a minor quibble, because I have no doubt Jay woul
The winner of the Body finder book and swag never contacted me!
So I drew another name....
Suzette Saxton - you won!!!!
If you don't mind - sloppy seconds :) then email me to claim your prize at [email protected]
Roundup coming later today!
Leave a comment on this post telling me what ability you'd love to have if you could. (you must be a follower to win!) At midnight tonight (PST), I will do a random drawing. If you sign up for my new book marketing newsletter (on the left hand side) - let me know and Ill add your name in the hat an extra time!
And the prize? You will get a free Body Finder package that includes a tote bag (filled with swag) and a signed book of The Body Finder (Just to be clear - it is signed by Kimberly not me :)
Elana Johnson pulled together some authors to talk about their favorite book recently read.
I chose Kimberly Derting's The Body Finder. Seriously, go buy it!!!
A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her.
Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers. Now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him. Jay reluctantly agrees to help. As she falls intensely in love for the first time, Violet gets closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.
O.K. so this book is the kind of book that keeps you up late - even when you know your kids will be up at dawn - reading. I read this book in 2 days because I COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. Every minute of sleep I lost was sooooo worth it. If you like James Patterson and paranormal stuff, you will love this because it mixes the two nicely. In addition, the way she writers in third person feels so personal and intimate - attributes I attached more to first person than third.
I met Kimberly last year at SCBWI LA. We were blogger buddies and had never met in person. We exchanged emails and took a chance on rooming which I think was not in character for either of us. I mean she LOOKED normal enough, right? :
HarperCollins recently added their Winter 2010 books to their catalog site, so we have a a WoW extravaganza today.
Tangled by Carolyn Mackler (HarperTeen, 12/09)
Jena, Dakota, Skye, and Owen are all at Paradise—the resort in the Caribbean, that is—for different reasons, but in Paradise their lives become tangled together in ways none of them can predict. Over the course of four months, through four voices and four stories, what happened in Paradise will change them all.
In this extraordinary novel, the Printz Honor–winning author brings us her most accomplished work yet. Tangled is a story of the secrets we keep, the risks we take, and the things we do for love.
Because it’s Carolyn Mackler (moving from Candlewick!) and I like the cover. That blurb by Daniel Handler doesn’t hurt, either, and this is coming from someone who only made it through the first book in The Series of Unfortunate Events.
The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting (HarperTeen, 3/10)
Violet Ambrose can find dead bodies. Or at least she can sense those that have been murdered. She locates them by the echoes they leave behind…and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren’t enough to deal with during her junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.
And now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet’s small town…and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Filled with suspense, a gripping romance, and deadly consequences, The Body Finder is an impressive debut novel that’s impossible to put down.
Let’s see, psychic powers + trying to stop a serial killer + romance = must read!
must read! + what?! this got postponed until next year? = is it March yet?
A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner (Greenwillow, 3/10)
Charlotte blogged about this last month, but it’s worth mentioning again because 1) it’s a new Eugenides book!, and 2) the HC site has a different description.
Sophos, heir to Sounis, doesn’t look like much of a prince. At least, according to those in power. At least, to those who do not know him or the size of his heart and the depth of his courage, loyalty, and love. But Helen, Queen of Eddis, knows him, and so does Gen, the queen’s Thief, who is now King of Attolia. Gen and the queen believe that Sophos is dead. But they also believe in hope, especially since a body was never found. So when Sophos is discovered in Attolia, climbing a lamppost, peashooter in hand, the obvious question becomes: where has Sophos been all this time?
Forget-Her-Nots by Amy Brecount White (Greenwillow, 3/10)
just sounds so quietly charming. Also, flowers.
Delicious and magical, here is a debut novel about a new (and slightly misunderstood) girl at an exclusive boarding school. Laurel has always loved flowers, but when a class project calls for research into the Victorian language of flowers, she makes a potent discovery. Her affinity for blooming things is actually age-old magic, passed from one generation to the next-a bittersweet gift from her beloved mother, who’s recently died-and it gives Laurel the power to make people fall in and out of love. Laurel’s introduction to the secret society of flowerspeakers is rife with complications and mishaps-especially when her classmates convince her to use her magic at the prom. This evocative coming-of-age story lingers in the air much like the fragrant blooms that determine Laurel’s fate so mysteriously.
A Golden Web by Barbara Quick (HarperTeen, 4/10)
Alessandra is desperate to escape—from her stepmother, who’s locked her away for a year; from the cloister that awaits her if she refuses the marriage plans that have been made for her; from the expectations that limit her and every other girl in fourteenth-century Italy. There’s no tolerance in her village for her keen intelligence and her unconventional ideas.
In defiant pursuit of her dreams, Alessandra undertakes an audacious quest, her bravery equaled only by the dangers she faces. Disguised and alone in a city of spies and scholars, Alessandra will find a love she could not foresee—and an enduring fame.
In this exquisite imagining of the centuries-old story of Alessandra Giliani, the world’s first female anatomist, distinguished novelist Barbara Quick gives readers the drama, romance, and rich historical detail for which she is known as she shines a light on an unforgotten—and unforgettable—heroine.
Do you even have to ask why?
And from the adult side, woohoo! The Devil’s Star by Jo Nesbø (Harper, 3/10).
Waiting on Wednesday was created by Jill at Breaking the Spine.
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Yeah, this was DNF for me. The whole thing just felt . . . unnecessary. As you said.
And can I just say, OHMYGOSH, you have THE ROAD HOME in your review queue!!!
Ahem.
Yes, it is in my review queue! And it’s because you recommended it for the most romantic YA list at Flashlight Worthy. Obviously, recommended by Angie + written by Ellen Emerson White = Trisha needs to read the book. I need to finish my review of The Agency first, since that’s been in there for, like, at least two weeks. But! My goal for this week is to finish that review *and* a review of The Road Home. And, assuming my requests come in quickly, read the four Echo Company books.
Re: The Body Finder, I liked it a lot in the beginning, then less so as the book went out. Obviously, I liked it well enough and was engaged enough to finish it, but that’s about it.
Oh boy, oh boy! I can hardly wait. And the Echo Co. books are grrrreat. Especially those last two…