Artist Arthur Interview

Here's part two of a recent blog tour I hosted for Artist Arthur's Manifest (released yesterday by KimaniTru). Different bloggers were able to submit their questions for Artist (yes, that is her real name), and super-publicist Lisa Roe put them together into an awesome community interview! Here are a few of my favorite questions:

Me (Bookworm): What drew you to the paranormal genre of YA?

Artist: I've always been a fan of the paranormal genre adult and YA. I like that there are no boundaries to the world that can be created.

Diva's Bookcase: Is the character of Krystal based on yourself or someone that you know?

Artist: Krystal is a combination of myself and my daughter. We are extremely moody and stubborn, but once you get to know us you can't help but love us. OK, that might be exaggerating, but yeah, I drew a lot of my own experiences and feelings as a teenager and then on some moods I've seen my daughter in to create Krystal.

Star Shadow: How did you come up with the amazing idea for the basis of the book and the Mystyx group/their powers?

Artist: I love watching the weather channel. I kept thinking that something has to be left behind after all these storms and natural disasters. My daughter came up with the names of the Mystyx characters, and I gave them powers. I wanted different powers, ones that would fit each character specifically.

LuAnn: What sort of research did you need to do for your novel?

Artist: I had to find books on the weather that would back up what I'd seen on the weather channel. Books on Greek mythology that I already had because I love the subject in general. Then, I just wanted to spend time with teenagers to get a real feel for their lives, loves, issues, dreams.

Faye: The paranormal genre is big in teen/YA literature right now. Most bestsellers feature vampires, werewolves, faeries, angels or the like as a main character. In your opinion, why are teens currently fascinated with all things paranormal?

Artist: I think, like everyone else, they want a break from what's currently going on. They want to be taken away to another time, or another place, or the same place with a different cast.

ladystorm: If Manifest became a movie, who would you like to see play the main characters?

Artist: I've actually been asked this a lot in the past month so I've been thinking about it. I like Selena Gomez for Sasha. Zac Efron would be great for Jake but I think he might be too old. Keke Palmer for Krystal.

Sherry: What, if any, are your writing rituals (certain lighting, room, food, etc)?

Artist: I can write just about anywhere at any time, but I really like to write to music.

Jami: Who are some YA authors that inspire you? Can you name any YA novels that you read and loved recently?

Artist: I'm so in love with Rachel Vincent's Soul Screamers. I really enjoy Laurie Halse Anderson and Alyson Noël as well. Just recently I read Fallen by Lauren Kate and enjoyed her voice.