I’m delighted to welcome YA author Katlyn Duncan onto my blog today. Soul Possessed, the second book in The Life After trilogy is out at the end of this month.
1. Soul Possessed is the follow up to your debut YA, Soul Taken. Can you tell us a little about it?
Soul Possessed takes place roughly two months after Soul Taken. Without spoiling too much… Maggie is in training and she goes on a mission with Cooper, Ally, and Jackson to find the Shadowed.
2. Did you always plan to write a series? And will there be a third book?
I didn’t plan on writing a series. I knew I had to sell one book before the next. The story I originally submitted was neatly tied up in one book, but I am so thrilled that I can explore this world through three.
3. Did you always want to be a writer? How did you get started?
It wasn’t a conscious choice to “be” a writer, I’ve just always written. Whether it was movie scripts, plays or short stories I just had a lot of ideas I wanted to share, even if it was just for the fun of exploring the characters and world I thought up. I think my love for books was what started everything. The more books I read, the more ideas for stories came to me.
4. I love YA literature and am always looking for new recommendations. Can you give us your top five YA books?
Oh geez! I love so many books, but if I have to pick five… in no particular order… The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins; Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick; Rampant by Diana Peterfreund; The Iron King by Julie Kagawa; Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
5. Could you tell us a bit about your path to publication?
I tried the traditional route of getting an agent but I didn’t have any success with that. I might have jumped the gun a bit when submitting but I did learn a lot in the process. I submitted to a feedback request from Mills & Boon late last year and they offered to sign me. It was quite a pleasant surprise and I am so thrilled Maggie’s story found a home!
6. What advice would be you give to aspiring writers?
Write as much as you can and read as much as you can. Writing is a daily activity for me whether it is 300 words or 3000 words. You can’t publish an empty document. Being a reader and a writer, I can see what I like and what I don’t like in books and I constantly strive to bring out the emotions that other authors bring out in me.
