Summary from Goodreads:
What if the secret to being charismatic were actually a gene you could inherit, and pass along to your children. What if this "X-factor" could make you a star? Welcome to the world of Cease de Menich, a sixteen-year-old actress in New York City who gets cast as Joan-of-Arc in a reality-drama, only to discover her "acting gift" has been passed down through her bloodline for almost six-hundred-years. Cease finds the plot of the drama reveals dark secrets from her past--an abusive mother, a brother who committed suicide--and the reader must decide if she's a reliable narrator or a terrified girl who's succumb to the pressure of fame and the abuse of her past.
Cease & Desist is a dark, contemporary YA thriller with a supernatural twist. Readers of books like I Let You Go and The Girl on the Train will enjoy this coming-of-age story, which struggles with the realities of sexuality, violence as entertainment, and mental illness. Cease & Desist has excellent crossover potential into the adult marketplace.
Cease & Desist Author Interview
Hello and thank you for little me interview you
today.
- It's great to
be here. I'm so happy to share with you today.
Was writing your first love?
- No. I was told
by some early teachers that I'd never be any good on the page. Reading was
my first love. And, as any good writing teacher will tell you, great
readers can become great writers. It was only until I moved to NYC and
studied with two influential teachers that I was told I had talent.
Where do you like to write?
- I teach and
have only a few hours every day to focus on my writing. I get up early.
Usually no later than 5:30am, and write. When I get a few days break I
like to travel to remote, tranquil places along the California coast and
stay overnight. There's a monastery south of Big Sur that is my favorite
place to begin a story.
Is writing everything you thought it would be?
- Yes. Mostly
because I never entered this profession with the starry-eyed dream of
creating a bestseller. My debut novel, Cease & Desist features
characters who've been horribly abused, and for anyone who knows my
personal life, that's pretty accurate. I don't consider writing a gift,
but a compulsion, a place where I can deal with all the personal demons I
just can't talk about "in real life."
Who is/was your favourite character to write
about?
- Troubled teens
are my favorite characters. I want them to understand they are not alone,
and that writing can help them through just about any problem.
How do you form your story ideas?
- I cast a wide
net. That means, although I write contemporary fiction, I look for
exciting ways to get people interested by choosing paranormal plot twists,
such as having a reality drama TV show that gets horribly out of control.
Or having a character find out that she is in real life related to a
character she's supposed to "play."
Do you keep notes during the day, in case
something inspires you or, if you had a lively conversation and thought Hey
that would be great in a book?
- I used to keep
notes and try outlines but I usually throw most of it away if it conflicts
with the plot that comes to me when I really get into character. I was a
professional actor in NYC for nine years and most of my character training
comes from the stagework I've done, not from books on how to write
fiction. Yes, I listen to dialogue a lot during the day, because certain
words, and phrases really help me nail a character's voice.
What was the last book you read, did it live up
to your expectations?
- Gone Girl was
great. Mostly because I love unreliable characters. My protagonist, Cease
de Menich lies a lot and without giving anything away, she confesses in
the end.
Do you like warm or cold day?
- I spent years
in New England at high school and college, (Deerfield, Tufts) where we got
real winter weather. I prefer the warm days of California.
Tea, coffee, or rum? (or preferred drink, I’m a
wine person myself but I do love a good latté)
- I drink coffee
and tea during the day. I had to quit alcohol as it just didn't help the
writing process.
Halloween is coming up, do you like scary stories?
- The first story
that really got under my skin was Conrad Aiken's "Silent Snow. Secret
Snow"--speaking of unreliable narrators, this story scared me more
than all the horror films friends would drag me to. Both he and his
daughter, Joan were legendary in my opinion.
Finally
Do you write in one sitting or in bursts?
- My stories
evolve so slowly, but I do write compulsively (see above for reason why).
I revised the first ten pages of my novel's part II ("Desist")
forty times over a two year period until I was told by the editor I'd
finally nailed the voice of Cease.
Stephen David Hurley teaches middle school and blogs about
fiction, faith and young people. You can find his blog at—you guessed it—fictionfaithandyoungpeople.com
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