Today I am interviewing the lovely Jill Kaelin, author of the upcoming YA paranormal novel, Hunted: Cycle Thirteen, available in digital edition from Inkspell Publishing, August 17, 2013.

The blurb:

8;That’s how old I was when I found out I was special. I was given my rose quartz gem and taught about my past.

13;That’s how many times I’ve lived in this world. This is my thirteenth life cycle as a human.

1;That’s how many seconds it took me to fall in love with Mike. It’s also the amount of time I had to say goodbye to him just before he was killed by Reggie, the hunter that’s been after me for months.

Will Reggie succeed in killing me too, and possibly eradicating the planet of the unicorn race forever?

Yep, you read correctly! UNICORNS! Are you as excited as I am for this book??

Tell us about your writing habits. Are you a carefree pantser or a methodical outliner? What’s your writing space like?

My writing habits are a bit unusual. I work a lot of hours a day so the only time I have to write is in the early mornings. I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. and use that quiet time in the morning to play with my characters. I’m a “carefree pantser” for sure. It’s interesting how the characters come to life for me and lead me into places I never thought of. That’s my favorite part of writing. My space for writing is pretty casual, laptop on the couch with my feet up and complete silence.

Who or what inspires you?

I’m constantly inspired by my daughter. She has no fear. I want to be her when I grow up.

What are you reading right now?

I am currently reading two books right now. I’m desperately trying to finish City of Bones before the movie comes out. (Doesn’t look hopeful, though.) I’m also almost finished with the Star Child by Stephanie Keyes. She’s another awesome author from Inkspell.

The young adult market is HUGE right now. Why is YA so special to you?

The young adult market is special to me because it’s really what got me back into writing. Here’s a funny story…I live in Florida and there was a year where a series of hurricanes struck our area so naturally, as a teacher, we were off from school due to weather. I was bored so I picked up my daughter’s Twilight book. I couldn’t put it down. We only had the first two books in the series at the time and when I finished New Moon, I was desperate for Eclipse. Being the beginning of the school year, my teacher friends can relate, I was super broke. That’s when I resorted to digging around the house for loose change to purchase the next book and find out what happened. I remember distinctly walking into Wal-mart to purchase the book and wondering how everyone could walk around so normal when Edward and Bella had just gotten back together! We should have been rejoicing! Admittedly, I was a little lost in the world of Twilight.

Hunted: Cycle Thirteen sounds so interesting. What is your favorite part of your book?

So many parts of Hunted were fun to write. I think my most favorite part would have to be where Skye shares her secret with her friend Jules. I think everyone should have a friend like Jules to confide in.

How has becoming published changed your writing and your life?

Becoming published hasn’t changed my life, but it has definitely changed my writing. Just going through the editing process alone taught me so much about writing. I think writing is like life, with more experience comes a greater wealth of knowledge.

What author would you like to have coffee with, and why?

I don’t drink coffee, but I would suck it down in a heartbeat to sit with J.K. Rowling for ten minutes! She is so talented as a writer, but inspiring as a human being, too.

Compare Hunted to other books out there. What kind of readers should snatch it up?

Hunted is unique. I have yet to find a story about unicorns that relates to mine. I hope readers find it that way as well. As for the romance portion of Hunted, I think it relates to a story like Unearthly by Cynthia Hand or Divergent by Veronica Roth. It’s the kind of love that is just meant to be  and you find yourself rooting for the characters to find one another and fall in love. The kind of reader that should snatch it up is a reader that likes a little action, an interesting and surprising plot, and enough romance to keep it heated.

What is your greatest fear when it comes to writing?

I honestly have no fear when it comes to writing. My fear surfaces when it comes to other people reading my writing! Writing is so personal and very subjective. What one person may love another may despise and find boring. But when an author pours their heart into a story as I have in Hunted, it’s frightening to think others may not like it.

Here’s your spot to plug Hunted. Give us something juicy!

Here’s a blurb that didn’t make it to the back of the book:  Enjoy!

As a descendant of the unicorn race, Skye Kelley has specific powers related to the gemstone she received when she was eight years old—rose quartz. This gift soon becomes a magnet for the opposite sex, which she manages to repel until one specific boy changes her idea of attraction. 

 Mike Evans, a prep from another town, notices Skye one night while she’s working at the Hot Topic.  Their lives soon mingle together and Skye finds herself feeling things for him she didn’t think possible.    

 Together, they battle an ancient enemy that threatens to kill them both.  Regnir Vingus, III has dedicated his life to hunting unicorns.  His sights are set on the Kelleys and Skye is his first target. 

 Will their crusade against evil be enough to defend the unicorn race?  Or will the wickedness of Regnir succeed in eradicating the planet of unis forever? 

I want to thank Kacey Vanderkarr for these AWESOME questions and for taking the time to interview me! I hope everyone loves Hunted as much as I do. Thank you!!!

Jill Kaelin is a graduate of the University of Central Florida with a degree in elementary education, and Nova Southeastern University with a graduate degree in teaching. She currently lives and teaches elementary school in Florida with her talented daughter Justyce, playful dog Coco, and three cats. She enjoys quiet mornings in front of her computer plunging into the lives of her characters. Her favorite things to do include inspiring young writers, reading paranormal romance novels, and watching her daughter dance on stage.

Can’t wait for Hunted? Get a glimpse into the world Kaelin has created in the free short story, Cycle 13: Approaching Skye.

Preorder your digital copy of Hunted here.

You can contact Jill at all the following places:

Goodreads

Blog

Twitter

Congratulations, Jill. I am eagerly awaiting the release of Hunted!