I defy any author to say their characters are complete works of fiction! I’m a girl’s girl with solid female friendships, so it’s no accident the friendship between Blake and her bestie Scarlett has generated a lot of love from fans. 

Kes Trester – 27 October 2024

The Back Flap

Hidden truths are revealed and loyalties questioned in the third book of The Nine series.

When eighteen-year-old clairvoyant Blake Wilder unwittingly stumbles upon a secret that should have stayed buried, her discovery sets off a chain reaction she won’t fully comprehend until fellow Nines try to frighten her into silence—and a friend turns up dead.

Blake’s troubles continue to mount when a vision paints boyfriend Nicholas Thorne in a duplicitous light, and Jessie McCabe, the man who haunts her dreams, finds love with another. When almost everything she cherishes is tarnished or stripped away, the person she relies on most—her best friend, Scarlett—goes missing.

With her back against the wall, Blake will do anything, risk everything, to divine friends from enemies as she races to uncover the truth behind Scarlett’s disappearance.

About the book series

What is the book series about?

College freshman Blake Wilder—a powerful and rare clairvoyant who sees traumatic events in other people’s pasts and futures—has lived her life as a loner and outcast. Discovering she is part of The Nine, an ancient society dedicated to preserving the safety and secrecy of the paranormally gifted living among us, changes everything. As she struggles to find her way within a savage world ruled by magic, power, and passion, her path is complicated by a budding romance with Nicholas Thorne, the chancellor’s son, and her attraction to nightclub owner Jessie McCabe, a man who makes up the rules as he goes. When murder is added to the mix, Blake will be forced to fight for her life, her future, and the destiny of The Nine.

When did you start writing the book?

The first book I wrote fifteen years ago contained the magic system of THE NINE. While the rest of that first book got shoved in a drawer, the paranormal aspects of the story kept calling to me. When I had a window of time after my first book was published, I knew it was time to develop the characters and stories that inhabited the world of The Nine. To the Nines, released October 22, is the third book in the series.

How long did it take you to write it?

Funny enough, each book in The Nine series takes about nine months to write. Then it goes off to my talented editor, Olivia Swenson, who not only keeps her eye on the characters and plot, but understands the mythology sometimes better than I do!

Where did you get the idea from?

There was a TV series in the mid-2000s called Heroes, starring Hayden Panettiere as a paranormal teenager. The show’s tagline, “Save the Cheerleader, Save the World” was on every other billboard on my way to work, and I kept thinking, “Why can’t the cheerleader save herself??” The idea for THE NINE was born.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

The main character, Blake Wilder, is a clairvoyant who channels the darkest moments in other people’s lives. Seeing so much of humanity’s darkness has changed her, yet she is only eighteen-years-old. Walking the fine line between innocence and maturity, secondhand knowledge versus personal inexperience has been a balancing act.

What came easily?

Writing the character of Jessie, a gorgeous man who takes what he wants with little concern for others. I always liked the idea of taming the bad boy (think Spike’s character arc in Buffy The Vampire Slayer), and with an extended series like THE NINE, I have the luxury of time to do exactly that.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I defy any author to say their characters are complete works of fiction! I’m a girl’s girl with solid female friendships, so it’s no accident the friendship between Blake and her bestie Scarlett has generated a lot of love from fans. Their close relationship echoes some of my own, and while they sometimes argue and disagree, they will always have each other’s back.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

I am a lifelong reader of every genre. I love romance for depth of emotion, murder mysteries for inventive plotting, and fantasy for expanding the boundaries of my imagination. Asking me to name one author who has been my guiding star is like asking me to name a favorite child (although my daughter will tell you it’s her!).

Do you have a target reader?

My debut novel, the boarding school romantic thriller A Dangerous Year, is targeted to the traditional YA audience of 14 to 18, but with THE NINE, my publisher has given me the opportunity to grow my characters along with my readers. When we first meet Blake in the The Nine, she has little real world experience, particularly with boys. As the series progresses to book 2, Alder House, she expands her boundaries in love and life as any other modern girl might. This series will never contain graphic scenes of sex or violence, but later books, including To the Nines, graduate into New Adult territory.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

A perfect day starts with a Pilates class or a walk on the beach with my dogs, followed by a morning spent writing. I often have other obligations in the afternoon (family, home, management of our family business), but if I can dodge those responsibilities, I edit what I wrote that morning, and make notes for my next writing session.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

When you’re writing books with an element of mystery and murder, an outline is a must! I don’t know how you could craft a compelling story with clues, foreshadowing, and red herrings without one. I start with three paragraphs: the beginning, middle, and end. Then I build on the characters and story, expanding upon the sequence of events, determining agendas and motivations, and devising plot twists readers hopefully won’t see coming. When I finally start drafting, I have a 30-40 page roadmap to point the way.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

I’ve seen posts from newer writers who say, “I know I’m not supposed to edit as I go but…” and my response is always: who says you can’t?? There are no writing rules, only advice from those who’ve gone before you. So here’s my advice: do what works for you. In my case, my characters’ motivations often become more clear in the editing phase, so it’s where some of my best ideas happen. It also means when I finish a draft, it’s pretty solid.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I don’t know how people work in busy coffeeshops or with music blasting! When I write, I want to be in the room with my characters; to feel, see, and hear what they do, not the latest Starbucks mix. Plus I live on a beach, so the soundtrack of waves mutes everything else.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I’m very fortunate to be represented in publishing by Stonesong Literary and in film/TV by UTA, and they have handled my professional life since my first novel debuted.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Big publishing houses have been leery of the paranormal genre ever since the great glut of such content post-Twilight. However, paranormal stories are constantly in demand, both in fan fic and indie publishing, so I knew I would find a home for THE NINE. A friend of mine, the wonderfully talented author Jen Marie Hawkins, successfully published two of her books with Owl Hollow Press, so we reached out to them. As it turns out, it was a match made in heaven!

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My publisher paired me with a wonderful graphic designer who has done the covers for all three books in the series.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I have tried different marketing strategies with each book, but the results have all been the same: it is difficult to move the sales needle without the weight of a publisher or publicist behind you. There are the occasional breakout hits, of course, but if I should ever decide to self-publish, which is unlikely for me, I wouldn’t do it unless I could afford a publicist.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

TAKE YOUR TIME. I have been writing professionally for most of my adult life (ad copy to editing screenplays to writing directors’ treatments for television commercials) so I thought my skills were pretty solid while writing my first book. Ha! I look back on my early work with its cliché phrases, filter words, stereotypical characterizations, etc., and it’s no wonder I couldn’t attract an agent. It was my second book that made it out of the query trenches and my third book that was my first sale. I have now written eight books, and I recognize there is still room for improvement. Develop your craft, through practical experience and possibly additional education (I’m a fan of the UCLA Extension online program). Write what you want to read rather than to trend. Focus on what you can control (your writing) rather than what you can’t (the publishing industry or the reception of your books). Don’t let anyone tell you there is only one way to do things. And lastly, if you love writing, keep going. You never know what may happen!

About You

Where did you grow up?

There used to be the Queen of Angels hospital on Franklin Avenue in Hollywood, CA, which is now the Scientology Celebrity Center, and that’s where I was born. Considering I then spent a big chuck of my career working as an executive in Hollywood, it was a fitting place to start!

Where do you live now?

I’ve lived in So Cal my entire life and can’t imagine living anywhere else!

What would you like readers to know about you?

That I do my best to keep my promises. If I set something up, it will eventually pay off, whether it’s in the current book or farther down the road. I also try to give closure on the individual murder mysteries that drive each book, though in To The Nines, I am leaving it up to the reader to decide if the resolution is true or not!

What are you working on now?

THE NINE has consumed my writing life for the past three years, so I’m ready to shake it up a bit before writing the fourth book in the series (my publisher envisions it as a nine-book series). I’d like to return to my roots by writing a script. It exercises a different set of muscles because dialogue and action are key; you can’t rely on inner monologues or third person observations to establish character or motivations. After that, I’ve got a book idea to outline, and then it’s back to The Nine!

End of Interview:

Get your copy of To the Nines from Amazon US or Amazon UK.