This week OBS owner/reviewer Dawn brings us an all new interview with ‘Poison’ (Keeper of Light) author Dejana Vuletic. Here they discuss the inspiration behind the story, music, her characters, her upcoming projects and some fun facts you might have not known. Enjoy!

• Read the review for Poison by OBS here.

Dawn: Where did the inspiration for Poison come from?

Dejana Vuletic: When I was younger, my cousins and I had really overactive imaginations. Needless to say, we used to make up all kinds of fun games to occupy ourselves during the summers. One of those games revolved around the ability for each of us to control a specific element based on the month of our birth. One day I figured that I would write down this game to remember it when I grew up, and what do you know, a few years later I decided to go back and turn it into a novel. Poison was born that day. 🙂

Dawn: You described being in a band so eloquently that I’m sad I have no musical ability. Do you play an instrument and were you in your high school band?

Dejana Vuletic: As a matter of fact, I was! I’ve played the flute since 5th grade and played that (and the piccolo) in the marching band. Dessa and I have a lot in common, since I was also the Drum Major at Hopewell High School my junior and senior year. They always say, “Write what you know.”

Dawn: I loved that you made Dessa a flawed character who had to overcome herself to move forward. How important is it for you to have a strong female lead and why?

Dejana Vuletic: Strong female leads are extremely important to me. I like a girl who can think for herself, stand up for herself, and learn from her own mistakes without having people shelter her. Dessa is quite the independent young woman with a view of the future, and when all of that is shattered for her, she needs to adjust. Life is about finding out who you are and who you want to be. There’s relaly no way you can figure that out without having to overcome some of your own insecurities and trying to move on from there. Dessa and I are quite similar in that regard. We’re both pretty darn stubborn, and sometimes I feel like she argues with me. It’s quite fascinating.

Dawn: Dessa and Ricky’s parents are pretty much absent from the story. Will we learn more about them in the next book?

Dejana Vuletic: The parents are always an issue with people! It isn’t Dessa’s and Ricky’s parents who are really important in this story, but rather, Christopher’s parents, who deserve to be investigated. Dessa and Ricky never revealed their secret to their parents, and in the second book we will begin to understand exactly why her parents were never around. Both Dessa’s and Ricky’s parents, as well as Christopher’s parents, serve a huge role in the events that will play out in the rest of the trilogy. You’ll definitely learn more. 🙂

Dawn: What can you tell us about the next installment in the series?

Dejana Vuletic: Well, book 2 of the trilogy is called Possession, and this book is set about twelve years after the conclusion of book 1. Dessa’s life has progressed, and all of the characters have grown up a little, but their problems have also grown. Dessa’s daughter, McKenna Christiana Calder (named after Chris’ mother), becomes the primary target of the Korinthos brothers, a quadrant of demigods who seek something that only Kenna can give them. More of Dessa’s past becomes revealed as her memories come flowing back, and these memories complicate her already stressful life. Chris and Dessa’s relationship is tested on several different levels, and Ricky and Pa also experience new depths to their relationship. Skylar finally reunites with his lost love from the past, bringing with her the secrets and keys to the motives of the enemy. So much is going on in this second installment! I’d love to sit here and talk about it all day, but alas, I don’t think anyone is patient enough for that.

Fun stuff:

• favorite ice cream: BLACK RASPBERRY ALL THE WAY BABY!!!
• favorite literary villain: I would totally say my own (Balthazar Korinthos), but since that’s a little unfair, I’ll have to go with Voldemort from the Harry Potter Series. That man’s cruelty and cunning know no bounds.
• favorite place you’ve visited: My homeland in Serbia. It’s absolutely beautiful there, and I hope to return with my grandfather this coming summer to visit once more.
• favorite time of day to write: I can write at any time, any place, but my all-time favorite time to write is in the evening just when the sun is setting. It’s such a beautiful time of day, and I feel that it inspires me to create beauty of my own.
• favorite candy bar: Hmmm…I’m not a huge fan of chocolate (shocker, I know…) but if I had to choose one, I’d go either with Snickers (’cause it’s nutty like me) or Milky Way because my sister is addicted to them and always makes me eat one.

 

Thanks to author Dejana Vuletic for an amazing interview!