Mundie Moms

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Author Interview: Anna Dressed in Blood author Kendare Blake

Today I'm thrilled we have Kendare Blake on the blog! Her debut book Anna Dressed in Blood was released August 30th, 2011 by Tor Teen and you can read my review for it here.

Here's a little bit about Anna Dressed In Blood:

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.



Anna Dressed In Blood is such a fabulous debut. It's a creepy, horrifying ghost story mixed with excitement, murder and romance. What was your favorite element to write into the story?

My favorite thing to write is always the characters and the dynamics between them. Action scenes can really make the fingers fly across the keyboard and horror can raise the hair a bit, but I love writing dialogue maybe the best. And also, thank you for the compliments!

I really liked the way you allowed me to get to know Anna. She starts off as a terrifying ghost, but by the end of the story I really liked her character and I felt sympathetic towards her. What is something you admire the most about Anna?

I admire that fact that she's not completely off her nut. Because that's what I would be, if I was her. There's a real strength to Anna, and not only in her arms. She's very strong willed, strong-minded. I always admire that in people. Even if they're not dead.

I adore Cas and his voice. Did you find it hard to write a book from a guy's point of view?

You know, I didn't. What does that mean? People seem to think I'm pretty butch. And my name isn't crazy feminine, so one or two have actually thought I was a dude. The hardest part to write from inside a male head was probably the mushy parts. Because who knows about that? Personally, I think boys are just as neurotic and obsessive as anyone, at the start. But until we have confirmation, it's a tad difficult.

Which of your characters surprised you the most in terms of how much they changed from when you first started writing Anna Dressed In Blood to finishing the book?

Probably Carmel. The queen bee. I didn't really know what she was when she first showed up, thought she might just hang around until Cas met Anna and disappear, but she's persistent. There's a pragmatism to her I didn't count on, and I like her so much more than I thought I would.

Anna Dressed In Blood has setting that's both beautiful and creepy, but in a good way. What inspired your setting?

Well, I went to Thunder Bay to do location research. It's a beautiful, varied area and I didn't need to do much to it besides set the tone. With Lake Superior, clusters of old Victorians, bleak cemeteries and a number of haunted waterfalls, that town did all the work for me. Thank you, Thunder Bay!

Are you able to give us a little hint about what we can expect in the sequel, Girl of Nightmares?

Weeeelll....I don't know how much I should say. Uh, you can expect to learn more about the athame. You can expect more ghosts, and more magic. And travel. Anna's story isn't quite over yet.

Thank you for being with us today Kendare! We really appreciate it!

Thank you so much for having me at Mundie Moms! Maybe I can stop by again, if you enjoy Girl of Nightmares?

And of course!! We'd love to have you back. We're looking forward to reading Girl of Nightmares!
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Be sure to visit Kendara on her: website| blog| twitter| facebook| goodreads

You can purchase Anna Dressed in Blood from: Amazon| Barnes & Noble

7 comments:

  1. Great interview! I really enjoyed Anna it was an awesome book and I've been recommending it to all my friends :) The author sounds great and i can't wait to continue the series.

    Giselle
    Xpresso Reads

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  2. Oh I haven't read this but this is a great interview. Thanks for putting it together.

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  3. Giselle- Thank you so much. Anna is a great read. It's one of those reads that made me think about it days after I finished it. I can't wait to read the sequel.

    Pam- Thank you and you're welcome! I recommend picking it up!

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  4. I can't wait to read the sequel. Absolutely fell in love with Cas and Anna. <3 Great interview!

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  5. This is one of my favorite books now! I can't wait for the sequel!

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  6. I cant wait, great interview!!! cant wait until the sequel:)

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  7. Awesome interview. I just finished reading Anna the other day, and it was soo great, so when I saw this interview, I was on it! ;) Can't wait till the next book. Currently working on a spooky full length sims trailer for this to go with my review.

    this is the best ghost story I have ever read. :)

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