Ask the Author: Chelsea Cain
Answered Questions (26)
Chelsea Cain
That is an excellent question. 1.) Post unapologetic and deeply sincere manifestos on your social networking sites recommending the book to all your friends. 2.) Review the book on Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, every other place you can review books, etc. 3.) Come to one of my events (see the events page on chelseacain.com for details). 4.) Fuck the chain stores and corporate websites and tell your friends to buy a copy at a local indie bookstore. Thank you for asking.
Chelsea Cain
Well I am in Decatur (getting ready to go to sleep in my hotel room) so I figured I'd better answer this question. I was pregnant and I saw an episode of Larry King about the Green River Killer. It included footage of one of the Green River Killer task force detectives interviewing Gary Ridgway (the GRK - a guy who'd been at large for 20 years and pursued by the task force for most of those). Ridgway cut the same deal that I have Gretchen cut in the books - in order to avoid the death penalty he agreed to tell the task force where more bodies were. And so the detectives from this task force (many of whom had spent their careers hunting Ridgway and had known him from early on as he was an early suspect) were faced with having to now spend even more time with him, trying to coax confessions out of him. In the footage I saw that night the detective and Ridgway looked like old friends. If you'd just come across them in a bar you'd have thought they were buddies. They had the easy banter of people who've known each other for a long time. They were laughing. But underneath that was this incredibly complex relationship, layers upon layers of manipulation and so much at stake. I was immediately fascinated by it. And I thought, what if the killer were a woman? Because that obviously adds a whole other element of sexual tension to an already electric situation. And within a few days I had come up with Archie and Gretchen and I was writing Heartsick. I actually wrote all the back story of Heartsick first. The present-day plot was just an excuse to explore Archie and Gretchen's relationship.
Chelsea Cain
That is the nicest thing you could have said. So thank you. Okay. To answer your question, honestly I think of each book as a chapter in a larger - very large - story. Both the Kick series and the Archie/Gretchen series are concerned with events that occur before we meet the characters (Kick's abduction as a kid; Archie's abduction by Gretchen). Each book is just an excuse to put the characters in different situations that will reveal more of their back story, expanding and contradicting what we think we know. The challenge is to know how much to reveal when. Character motivations and relationships are similar. I really like subverting what we think we know about someone, having a character do something unexpected. That's the real mystery, right? You might turn pages quickly to see if Archie catches the killer, but it's his relationship with Gretchen that drives the books. Kick and Bishop will solve a crime or rescue someone in every Kick book. But that's just an excuse for me to explore what I'm really interested in: Kick's relationships with the people around her (Mel, her mother, Frank, James, her sister Marnie, Bishop) and her back story, which I promise you is much more complicated than we think it is. Basically I play cards close to my vest and reveal as little information as possible. That's my secret. Don't tell anyone.
Chelsea Cain
I am actually very charming and bubbly by nature. HA. I'm not bubbly at all. Well sometimes - but only when I'm being sarcastic. But no nightmares. I feel very safe in the world. That's why I can write the stuff I do. It's all in good fun. Like the haunted house ride at the amusement park. When the ride is over I get off.
Chelsea Cain
Do not fret! There was a computer glitch that allowed you to order the UK digital edition - which is illegal due to rights issues blah blah blah. So the "system" cancelled your order. All you have to do is re-order the US edition. (If you have any trouble, try manually deleting the original order if it is still in your in-box.) If you still have trouble, try buying it somewhere else.
Chelsea Cain
Absolutely! I have to launch the baby series first (ONE KICK, followed by another Kick book) then I will returned to Archie & Gretchen and my plan is to alternate between the two. A lot of this depends on if Kick can bring some new readers to the Archie & Gretchen series, which has many fans but few readers if that makes sense. So if you love Archie & Gretchen the best thing you can do is share the love with your friends. I do realize that waiting for me to publish two Kick books is a lot to ask from Archie/Gretchen fans, so I will figure out some extra chapters or short stories to post at some point. I'm not a monster!
Chelsea Cain
I agree with your astute assessment and appreciate the wise counsel. (TV is TOTALLY the way to go. Why try to tell a story in 90 min when you can do it in 90 episodes?)
Chelsea Cain
Every time I answer this question, it changes. Sometimes it's in development as a feature; sometimes it's in development as a TV series. It always gets to a certain point and then stalls. Right now we're back in the TV arena - there's a pilot script I really like and a writer I really like. We'll see if anything comes together. I think I'd prefer a TV adaptation to a film one. I love TV! Plus the format would allow more time to dig into the characters. Right?
Chelsea Cain
I ignored all my research and allowed my imagination to take over. Gretchen is larger than life. She has no self-doubt. She knows what she wants. She's my favorite character to write because she always has a good one-liner ready and she doesn't suffer fools. But I think a lot of her power comes from the fact that she keeps us guessing - we never know quite what she's thinking. Once a character like that is explained (a la Hannibal) it changes everything; they become people. That would be the worst thing I could ever do to Gretchen, to humanize her.
Chelsea Cain
Maker's Mark, neat. Unless it's morning. Then coffee.
Chelsea Cain
Hi, Natalie. I'm sorry, but no one in the UK seems to want to publish LET ME GO. I have a new UK publisher for ONE KICK, so ideally this kind of bullshit won't happen again. I imagine it's frustrating when you're reading a series. Happily, you can order it from a U.S. store and have it shipped. Sorry for the hassle.
Chelsea Cain
I am well into writing book two! In fact I just finished writing a chapter right now. I love Kick and Bishop - is that weird to say? - and I plan to write many, many books about them. ONE KICK just scratches the surface on what I hope will be a lengthy and fruitful partnership. I'm so glad you enjoyed the book. Thank you so much for the nice note. The weeks before a book comes out are a strange time and cheerleading is much appreciated!
Chelsea Cain
Oh, Amanda. I'm SO sorry. Thank you for the kind comment. I am immensely gratified that I can provide even a glimmer of distraction right now. I'm thinking of you, and your little niece. You make me want to write more, and faster. Take care of yourself.
Chelsea Cain
What a great fucking question. Archie wouldn't be much fun - he'd just sit there brooding. Susan would probably want to snack, which would annoy me. And you know she's one of those people who is constantly checking their phone during the movie. It would have to be Gretchen, because she'd offer a very clever and cutting commentary and if anyone sat in front of us she'd kill them. The movie? JAWS. We'd root for the shark.
Chelsea Cain
F/X ended up balking. But the project is still alive. I can't really talk about specifics, but hypothetically what would you think of Tricia Helfer as Gretchen?
Chelsea Cain
Thank you! That is an incredibly lovely post.
Chelsea Cain
I haven't read that one yet. But I read The Colorado Kid, the noir/hard-boiled novella he did for Hard Case Crime and thought it was great. (It also has a terrific cover.) So I should give Mr. Mercedes a try. Hey...I should add it to my "to read" shelf! See. I'm getting the hang of this good reads stuff.
Chelsea Cain
That is incredibly nice of you. Thank you. Weirdly enough, I had thought that the TV deal was dead, but within hours of when you sent this question I got an email from the writer of the pilot and it appears that there may be some more life in the show yet! So please keep reading my books; I think you may be good luck.
Chelsea Cain
... And here is my answer! It's funny, because I just answered a similar question - it was the one right before yours. So if you look at this answer thread you should be able to find the applicable response. Clearly there is some demand for this. But it's not going to be me writing it. Hello? What does a person have to do to inspire some Gretchen Lowell Fanfic? Gretchen Lowell's first babysitting gig? Gretchen Lowell tries out for the cheerleading squad?
Chelsea Cain
Never. Ever. Ever. Don't get me wrong - I think that fans of the series would buy it. But that book would be the death of the character. Gretchen's power comes from the fact that we don't know exactly what to make of her. I will continue to tease out her motivations and backstory, because it offers shading and contradictions, but I'll never lay it out from point A to B. One of the things I've always liked about Gretchen is that she is unapologetic and never experience self-doubt. She also never explains herself. She kills because she likes it. And any other reasons are her business. I don't want to simplify her or reduce her to a diagnosis or a childhood trauma. Also, Gretchen never has a point of view in the books. I think people overlook this because she's such a strong presence. But we only ever see Gretchen from Archie or Susan's perspective. We never get inside Gretchen's head. So who would tell the story of her childhood? Don't worry. I still have a few cards up my sleeve I have yet to play that I think will satisfy some of what you're looking for. But it won't be the story of Gretchen Lowell's High School Years. Though I have to admit that would be a great young adult series.
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