I'd like everybody to welcome Karen Metcalf to WORD!
Haven't heard of her? I'm not surprised. She's a full time student - and her first novella, In the Storm, just came out on the 15th.
Abandoned by the world around her, Carly believes she is fated to a life of torment at the hands of her stepfather and is desperate for an escape. When she can bear the abuse no longer and gives in to a thunderous rage, she suddenly finds herself in an unfamiliar, yet beautiful, storm world. This limbo between dimensions appears to be her private sanctuary, but it may just be her purgatory.
No one escapes fate without sacrifice, but is the price more than Carly is willing to pay?
I got the chance to ask her a few questions - about writing, about school, and about puppy sized elephants. Check out the interview below - and don't forget to come back tomorrow for a giveaway!
Nicole: Welcome to WORD, Karen! In the Storm is a novella. What made you decide to go with the shorter format rather than stretching towards the full length novel?
Karen Metcalf: Honestly, when I started writing In the Storm, I had no idea what would come of it. When it began to wrap up I knew it was still extremely short, and I thought a lot about extending it. I sat on it for a long time, but it felt complete to me as it was.
N: Where did Carly spring from? Is she based on anybody you know?
KM: I think if anything, parts of her are based on a younger me. I was a very, very angry kid. Sometimes I felt like it got the best of me. Like most kids, I wanted the world to just swallow me up. I wanted to write about someone who actually had the ability to do something about it and see what happened.
N: I must have been in the minority of kids, then. Where did the idea for a 'storm world' come from?
KM: I love thunderstorms; always have. They used to roll in late at night in North Carolina, and I would fight to stay awake to watch them. I was always fascinated with the way the world looks at night when lit by lightning. That vibrant purple just makes everything look so different. Nothing else looks like that.
N: Would you want to live in the 'storm world'? What worlds would you want to live in?
KM: Absolutely. If it wasn’t for the pain of dealing with rain, I’d want it to storm all day, every day. I am also fond of waves, and have pictures of them all over my house. But if I could really live anywhere, I can’t imagine the view from outer space. I don’t think I could ever get tired of that.
N: In your bio, it says you love science fiction and horror. Favorites of each genre?
KM: I am a big Stephen King fan. My favorite is The Long Walk, which he wrote under his pseudonym Richard Bachman. I also read all of The Dark Tower series, which is the best journey an author has ever taken me on. Years ago, a friend lent me The Forever War, by Joe Haldeman. I fell in love and never returned it. I bought my first copy of I Am Legend when I was in Elementary school, at a book fair. It is by far the most re-read book in my library. (Though, I think the movie did a horrible injustice.)
N: Really? I've never read the book, but I love the movie. You grew up in North Carolina, but you've moved since then. How was it different?
Arizona was such a culture shock to a country mouse like me! It doesn’t have anywhere near as many storms, and no ocean, which breaks my heart. There also isn’t much to mark the changing of the seasons. However, it does have such a beautiful open sky, and breathtaking sunsets. I feel a bit claustrophobic when I visit back home.
N: You're now the size of a hamster. What do you do?
KM: Hide from my 20 lb cat!
I think I might mail myself around the world, like a new-age “Flat Stanley” (if anyone even remembers that reference). It is really expensive to fly these days.
N: I loved Flat Stanley! Would you rather have a puppy sized elephant or an elephant sized puppy? Why?
KM: I’d have to go for the puppy sized elephant because that just may be the cutest thing I have ever imagined.
