Interview with Barbara Casey

Interview with Barbara Casey

What genre do you write and why?

I started out writing young adult novels. Then I switched to adult novels. After my sixth novel had been published, one of my publishers asked if I would consider writing a nonfiction book for adults. As it turned out, I really enjoyed writing it, especially the research that was involved. That book is Kathryn Kelly: The Moll behind Machine Gun Kelly, and it has been optioned for a major movie.
Tell us about your latest book.
Interview with Barbara Casey
http://amzn.to/2FAItcd
Even though my writer’s voice was adult, I kept thinking about an orphanage I used to drive by on my way to class when I attended NC State University in Raleigh. Eventually, a story started to form, and it was in the voice of a young adult. That is when I created Dara, Mackenzie, and Jennifer, the FIGs—Females of Intellectual Genius—and the story of three orphaned girls with IQs in the genius range. In order to survive in a world where she doesn’t fit, each girl has developed a special talent that is enhanced by her genius. Book 1, The Cadence of Gypsies, takes the FIGs and Carolina, their teacher and mentor, to Italy where Carolina searches for the truth about her own birth. Book 2, The Wish Rider, is Dara’s story, how she came to be abandoned as a young child, and her search for her birth mother that takes them to a hidden, secret society deep underground Grand Central Terminal. The Clock Flower is Book 3 in The FIG Mystery Series, and it is Mackenzie’s story. Once again, Carolina and the FIGs search for the truth, and this truth involves Mackenzie’s biological parents and why she was put in an orphanage right after her birth. As each layer is revealed, they travel to China where Mackenzie is faced with a horror she can’t understand or explain. Yet to those Chinese who believe, it is real.
What marketing methods are you using to promote your book? 
I really enjoy the I Read Book Tour because it allows me to connect with readers who are interested in my work. I also have several radio interviews scheduled, press releases which my publisher handles, and several book signings. The distributor has already been doing advance marketing for this.
What formats is the book available in?
All of my books are available in both eBook (Kindle, Nook) and paperback. The Cadence of Gypsies is also available in hard copy.
What advice do you have for other writers?
It is important to never give up if you really have a desire to write. Just assume that what you have written isn’t your best work, and that is yet to come. So many new writers send off their work to agents or publishers before it is ready, so editing is critical.
What's the best thing about being a writer?
I love the fact that I can work from my home office. Like most people, I really have a full schedule. I have always been a morning person, so I reserve the very early morning hours for my own writing before I move on to other things.
Where can people find out more about you and your writing?
Please visit my web site at http://www.barbaracaseyagency.com.
Who is you favorite character in your book and why?

This is really hard for me to answer. The FIGs have been a part of me for several years now, and we have been through a lot together. I love those girls, and I love Carolina. My husband likes to tell the story of how when I complete each book, he puts a box of tissue on my desk because he knows I am going to cry. It’s true. I will write one more book in this series, and it will be Jennifer’s story. It will also be the most difficult to write not only because of what I know Jennifer must face, but because it will be the last book in this series. It will be hard to tell the FIGs goodbye. When I finish it, my husband will put a box of tissues on my desk because he knows I will cry.

Interview with Barbara Casey
Why do you think readers are going to enjoy your book?

I hope they will enjoy the research I did on the connection between the dandelion flower and mortality, the archeological dig site that turns up ancient text that Dara also discovered underground Grand Central Terminal when she was searching for her mother, as well as the ancient Chinese dragon that I introduce into the story. It really is fascinating.

How long did it take you to write your book?

I started thinking about it several years before I started actually putting together the story. But by the time I started writing The Cadence of Gypsies, it only took me about four months to complete it. The same for the other two books in the series. I had thought about the FIGs and their problems for so long that I knew pretty much what I wanted to write.

Who designed the cover?

My publisher is also a wonderful artist, and she has designed all of the covers in The FIG Mystery Series.

Where can a reader purchase your book?

All three books in The FIG Mystery Series, as well as my other books, are available through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and anywhere that sells books.
           
Jo, thank you so much for your wonderful questions and for letting me be your guest. I wish you all the best.


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1 Comments

  1. Barbara Casey27 February 2018 at 13:29

    Jo, thank you so much for your interest in THE CLOCK FLOWER, Book 3 in The F.I.G. Mystery Series. I wish you and your bloggers all the best.

    Barbara

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