BooksChatter: ℚ♫ The Colony: Rasper [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Kathleen Groger to talk about The Colony (31 March 2016, Leaf & Thorn Press, 292 pages), a Young Adult Science Fiction novel, book one of the Rasper series.

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

A very warm welcome to Kathleen Groger; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

To start with, Kathleen has shared with us her writing playlist for The Colony - enjoy!

What was the inspiration for The Colony?

"My older brother was into aliens when I was a kid. He always talked about them and how it would be cool if he got to go to their planet with them. The thought of aliens scared me and I spent a number of years worried that aliens would abduct me and turn me into an alien.

I came up with the idea for The Colony by flipping my fear of abduction into how a teen could survive if the aliens took over Earth."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"The premise and certain plot points (like part of the ending) are things I personally fear or have a deep interest in and have researched since I was a kid.

While Val is so much stronger and independent than I was as a teen, not to mention she has a better sense of direction (I would have gotten horribly lost without anyone or GPS to help me), I do see a lot of myself in her. She’s a planner and organized. She knows where to get her supplies and keeps a running inventory of her stock levels. I’m an over-planner and make lists of everything."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover. Can you tell us about your cover for The Colony - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"Kitten from Deranged Doctor Design created the cover based on a short synopsis of the book. I love it. And having Val in black silhouette creates a sense of mystery while displaying her despair and determination. The colors remind me of how the world might look after a post apocalyptic event.

DDD is also creating the covers for my Seam Stalkers series that release in September."

Why should we read The Colony and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your book unique?

"This is hard to answer without mentioning spoilers! If you like books filled with action, adventure, otherworldly creatures, and characters on an emotional roller coaster, this book is for you.

The Raspers make my book unique. Aliens usually land and have a massive invasion, but my aliens have been on our planet a long time. I can’t tell you the how’s or why’s without giving away some of the book’s twists. :-)"

Can you tell us something quirky about The Colony, its story and characters?

"I include ham radios in the story. A ham radio is an amateur radio where users can talk to people all over the world. My dad had a room filled with radio equipment when I was a kid and he kept a map of the world on a wall where he put pins of locations he talked to someone from. And we had a HUGE (think 2-3 stories tall) tower at the top of our driveway."

Who would you recommend The Colony to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I would recommend this to anyone age 12 and up who enjoys fast-paced, action survival stories. I did include curse words where it was organic to the character and/or situation. (The book is F-bomb free.)"

If you could / wished to turn The Colony and the Rasper series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"What a great question! I think for director, maybe Steven Spielberg or Chris Columbus. And characters, probably unknowns who would get propelled to stardom from the movie! But I would love to have Chris Hemsworth as a character. Not sure who, but I could add someone for him to play! :-)"

Oh, I am sure you could find a part for Mr Hemsworth LOL

What do you like to write and read about? Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love to write survivor characters in the sci-fi, dystopian, post apocalyptic, horror, and paranormal genres. I love creating worlds or situations that push my characters to their edge. All my stories so far, have been Young Adult.

For reading, I like all the previously mentioned genres, but also love thrillers, especially dark, psychological ones."

What is your writing process?

"I’m a bit of a plotter and a pantser - a planser. An idea comes first, then I research. Sometimes the research involves long hours searching the internet or reading books. Sometimes talking to people. And in fun cases, I get to visit the setting of the book.

Before I start to write a story, I know my main characters, the setting, the conflict, and the ending. Everything else comes as I work through the story, which in some cases leads to lots of editing."

What is in store next?

"I’m working on Book 2 of the Rasper series – I promise lots more Raspers and conspiracy theories. I hope to have Book 2 out in early 2017.

The first two books in my Seam Stalkers series, The Shattered Seam and Silencing The Seam, both YA horror, paranormals, will be coming out in September of this year."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"I have two dogs. A somewhat chubby Beagle named Nittany and an energetic Siberian Husky named Neko. They are my writing buddies and great listeners when I need to work through ideas aloud."