The Turning by Helen Ellis Blog Tour

We're excited to have an interview with author Helen Ellis, author of The Turning: What Curiosity Kills, published by Source Books, on our blog today.

Plucked from foster care, May Richards hit the jackpot with a loving family, an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and as pot in the elite Purser-Lilley Academy. But she might lose it all if people find out about The Turning.

Something not human is inside Mary. Her mind is reeling and her body is rebelling. She succumbs to urges and desires she never imagined. And then there's the bizarre physical transformation....

Struggling with her metamorphosis, May is sought out by two boys who share her secret. Will she reject the destiny they swear is hers? Or will she find out what curiosity kills?

You only get one chance to decide if you'll never turn again....

What inspired you to write, The Turning?

I dreamed that I woke up with an inhuman face. Looking in my medicine cabinet mirror at 3:00AM, I could see in the dark. And what I saw was that I was in need of some serious electrolysis.

Which character did you enjoy writing the most and why?

I loved Yoon, the older bad boy who in turning terms is “on the fence.”

He loves to turn because it offers him freedom from his litany of chores at his parents’ Upper East Side deli. The downside is side effects. There’s a reason why Yoon always wears yellow dishwashing gloves.

If we were to ask Nick to describe The Turning in three words, how would he describe it?

Great question!

Answer: Invasive. Crippling. Hot.

I liked that you were diverse with the characters and that you gave Mary and her sister a lovely home after years of being in the foster care system. Are their characters inspired by people in your life?

Honestly, their characters and home life are inspired by my husband and my interest in adoption. We have talked about it for years and always thought we would adopt older children. When I created a family for Mary and Octavia, I created an extension of the family my husband and I already have. Mr. and Mrs. Richards are close versions of us. The apartment they live in is ours. I took our very true scenario, added Mary and Octavia, and then made believe.

Do you have any writing advice you could share with our followers who are aspiring writers?

Don’t waste your writing time researching. Write. Rewrite.

What inspired you to be a writer?

I’m at the point in my life, where I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to be a writer. I think the desire was born in me—a trait like blue eyes and an inexplicable fear of whales.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Today, I’ll give you two: Ann Napolitano, author of Within Arms Reach and A Thousand Eyes (2011), and Hannah Tinti, author of Animal Crackers and The Good Thief. I met these novelists in graduate school and they have been my writing workshop for nearly fifteen years. Their writing makes me write better. Their friendship makes me a better writer.

Thank you Helen for taking the time to answer our questions!

You can find out more about Helen by visiting her site here-helenelliswrites.com and following her on Twitter here twitter.com/theturningbooks.