*squeeel* OMG! I am already done reading Ungifted, book two of the Supernaturals series of +Kelly Oram and I just love that I started to like Russ! As you all know I don't really like him in book one, Chameleon. Why? He's such a jerk there and for the life of me, I can't handle it. LOL. Well... now, I do. I love him. Love all the guys there! :P
I asked Kelly if she could indulge me an interview. And guess what?! She happily answered ALL my questions and fangirling over the HOT men, yes you read that right - MEN - and I can't wait to let you guys read what she has to say! So without further ado, here's Kelly Oram!!! :)
LEX: Hi Kelly! Welcome to my blog, Fastidious Reader! :) Been a fan of yours since 2012 when I've read your book, Being Jamie Baker. Read ALL your books until this upcoming book, Ungifted. Yeah, you read that right. LOL. You're definitely one of my favorite authors. ;)
KELLY: Thank you! I’m happy to be here today.
LEX: Please tell us about your upcoming book, Ungifted, the second book of the series Supernaturals.
KELLY: Ungifted is a paranormal/urban fantasy that features many different types of supernatural species. It stands on its own, though I feel you definitely get more out if it if you read Chameleon (book one) first. Ungifted features an all new cast of characters from the first book with only a couple of exceptions. While it is still a sequel, you’re getting an entirely new story. In Chameleon you learn all about a supernatural council and the people involved with it. In Ungifted you get to meet members of a resistance group who opposes the supernatural council. It should give you a new perspective on the things you read in book one. The two different sides will then come together in book 3.
LEX: What maked you write the series Supernaturals? I mean, why did you put ALL kinds into one book and not just about Vampires, Werewolves, Angels, etc.?
KELLY: I did it because I tend to write the types of books that I love to read. Books that feature all the different supernatural races in it are usually my favorite type of urban fantasy. I love seeing all the different types use their different strengths to work together, and it’s always interesting to see them clash. But I still enjoy all different kinds of paranormal books. I might one day get brave and attempt a straight werewolf book or vampire book, and I have plans to write a fantasy book featuring leprechauns and dragons after I finish the Supernaturals series.
LEX: Where did you get your ideas of Ungifted?
KELLY: There was no specific story as to where the ideas for this series came from. I simply had never written a fantasy before and wanted to try it, so I sat down with my sister and made her have a brainstorming session with me.
LEX: I noticed that while reading the book, there's a LOT of HOT boys in here. What makes you decide to make it like that?
KELLY: When I started planning this series I had to build a world of my own. When I did, I always pictured that there were two different types of people: humans and supernaturals. I imagined only a tiny fraction of the population to be supernaturals and when I see it in my head, I imagine that supernatural people stand out in a crowd because of their power even if humans don’t understand what makes them different. I imagine them as strong, graceful, dangerous and mysterious people. I imagined these differences made the supernaturals look beautiful and intriguing to someone like Grace (and to most humans used to normal people). It’s part of the allure of the supernaturals as well as what makes them so dangerous. Because supernaturals are the minority, I never imagined everyone being so good looking. Of course, once Grace became the only human in a group full of supernaturals, it did suddenly turn into eye-candy central. LOL. I hadn’t meant to do that on purpose and not all of my books will be that way in the future. Plus, in book 4 there will be more humans involved in the story, so the balance will swing back a little.
LEX: This is really not a question... I don't like Russ in Chameleon. He's such a jerk that it really gets into me and I dislike him a lot. lol. But here in Ungifted... I think he actually showed a different side of him. I tolerated him in here and I come to quite love him. :)
KELLY: LOL! Aw, poor Russ! I’m glad you softened up to him though, because he is actually one of my favorite characters that I’ve ever written. I totally voted Team Russ in the Battle of the Book Boyfriends.
I really think that Russ is just misunderstood in Chameleon. People are so caught up in what Dani’s going through, that they don’t try to see things from Russ’s perspective. No one really stops to realize that Russ has had his entire life stripped away from him every bit as much as Dani. The girl he’s loved his entire life was taken from him and (as he sees it) was brainwashed into loving someone else and working for the very enemy that kidnapped her and tortured her to almost death. I can completely understand why he acts the way he does. He’s hurt, scared, alone, betrayed, and trying to be strong while his entire life falls apart without anyone to support him. He loses everything in Chameleon. In Ungifted you finally get to really take a look at what he’s been through. You get to see him in a different light, so while he’s the same guy he’s always been, you’re more open to him. You’ll really get to know him even more in book three when you learn why and how he’s involved in all of this.
LEX: Just curious, who is your favorite character in Ungifted? And who is your least?
KELLY: I think I just answered this one in the last question. Russ is my favorite character in all of the Supernaturals series. He’s got so many layers and is a lot of fun to write. He’s a very complicated guy. I think my least favorite probably ended up being Caleb. Not that I don’t like him, he’s just very…typical. There’s not a whole lot more to him that what you see on the surface. There are people like that in real life, and I intended him to be that way, but when he’s such a regular, typical kind of guy mixed in with a group of extraordinary people he feels a little annoying or boring.
LEX: What can we expect on the third book of Supernaturals series?
KELLY: The third book is called Scion. It’s told from Russ’s point of view. In this book the two different groups of characters from Chameleon and Ungifted will meet, but more than that, a new side of this mystery will be discovered. Now that we know what Dani and Grace’s roles in the grand scheme of things are, we’ll get to figure out Russ’s story and how he fits into this puzzle. We’ll also spend more time with his father, Alexander Devereaux. We’ll get to learn a lot of his history and motives. It should be a pretty exciting book.
LEX: The real question would be how long are we going to wait? lol. Sorry! I know you still got lots of other books to write... Like, *cough* Jamie Baker 3. :P
KELLY: HA! This is the question I get asked the most. In fact, I get it daily. I completely understand, of course. There are plenty of books I am waiting dying for. The answer to your question is: I’m not sure. There have been things in my life beyond my control for the last few months that have prevented me from writing as much as I would like. Life happens, you know? But, in spite of it all, I am working hard to get these books to you. I am hoping to have Scion out before the end of the year. I will have a much better idea of this as soon as I have Jamie 3 finished.
LEX: What are your future plans? Are there a lot more books to come? :)
KELLY: Yes! I have a lot in the works right now. :D Obviously there are the Jamie Baker books and the rest of the Supernaturals series, but I also have a couple of contemporary romances in the works that I’m not ready to give you information about yet. I should have more details about these books in a few months when I’ve figured out my schedule for the rest of the year.
LEX: Any parting words?
KELLY: Thank you for letting me join you today, and thanks for reading Ungifted! I love this book so much and am so excited to finally share it with everyone. (And I hope I can convert you all to Team Russ with me!) I hope people give this series a chance and love the book as much as I do. Check back on my blog or my social media every now and then for updates on my future books. I’ll keep everyone posted as I get answers for you.
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Thank you, Kelly for being so nice and answering all my questions. I do have lots still but that'll spoil the book to the other readers who have yet to get their hands on Ungifted. :P I'll always be one of your loyal reader! :)
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TITLE: Ungifted
SERIES: Supernaturals, #2
AUTHOR: +Kelly Oram
GENRE: Young Adult, Supernatural, Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: 25th February 2014
BOOK BLURB:
Even though her father is running for President of the United States, Grace St. Claire is as normal a girl as they come. She’s clumsy, shy, and an outcast among her peers. She even manages to nearly die in a freak accident in front of the entire school. But when Grace survives a vampire attack she quickly learns that she is anything but ordinary.There’s something about human Grace that has all the supernaturals around her going crazy. Her best friend’s brother suddenly wants to date her. Her worst enemy has sworn to protect her even against her wishes. Someone with very powerful magic wants her dead, and the vampire that attacked her has developed an obsession with making her his eternal mate. In order to survive—and not as Count Dracula’s undead bride—Grace dives head first into the terrifying world of the supernatural. She teams up with a charming but mysterious warlock who strolled into town causing trouble and spouting stories of a Prophesy and Chosen One that looks exactly like Grace. Together they must figure out why Grace is different, who wants her dead, how she’s connected to the Chosen One, and who they can really trust.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
I have been making up stories for as long as I can remember. I have endless notebooks and journals full of old stories that are so bad they make me laugh until I cry. Among those is my first novel, which I completed at the age of fifteen. It was a Backstreet Boys fan fiction. (Yes, it's okay to laugh. My family always does.) I love fan fiction. I wrote fan fiction for a number of years in such fandoms as The Backstreet Boys (obviously), Smallville, Supernatural, NCIS, Castle, Firefly, and Veronica Mars. (VM THE MOVIE!!!! HELLS YEAH!!!!)Despite my writing habit, I never recognized myself as a "writer" and never had any clue what I wanted to do when I grew up. I went to college at BYU Idaho (Ricks for those of you as old as me) for three semesters and was three different majors. I started with voice performance, then switched to general education because I hated music theory that much, and finally I ended with outdoor recreation. (I swear it's a real major.) I probably would have stuck with that one, but I ended up getting married and dropped out of school to move with my husband to Los Angeles.It wasn't until I became a full-time mom and found myself stuck home all day in a 600 sq. ft. apartment with no TV, no cell phone, no Internet and no car (yeah, we were that broke) that I started writing a lot again. After a few years of people telling me I should get published I decided to self publish and let the chips fall where they may.Four years later I am truly humbled at the response I've received for my books. My writing is paying my bills (miracle!), my books are hitting lists (Avery even hit the top 20 on Amazon for teen romance! Yeah!), and V is for Virgin was a Whitney Award Finalist!On a more random note, yes, my hair really is naturally that red, but I never look as good as that picture in real life. I'm a huge dork. I love to role play and own my very own 10-sided dice that no one else is allowed to roll. I hate the Twilight movies but adored the books. Have a husband, three sons, a daughter, and a cat named Mr. Darcy, but no partridge or a pear tree. I'm obsessed with reading, talk way too much, and love to eat frosting by the spoonful.
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