About the Book
Book: Flight
Author: Kristen Young
Genre: YA dystopian sci-fi
Release date: September 13, 2022
On the cusp of graduation, Cadence is finally feeling in control. She’s about to become one of the prestigious Elites working in the Hall of Love. Plus, she can take her place as a full member of the underground Sirens who meet secretly in Love City. She’ll finally be able to use her memory skills for good, instead of reporting people as a Watcher.
But a dangerous trap is set, throwing Cadence into unwelcome and unfamiliar territory. Someone in the Collective remembers things that could very well get her killed. The Muse is by her side, after all, but will she be protected when someone powerful wants her dead?
Cadence just wants to be normal, free from politics or squad intimidation. Will she be able to achieve her Elite dreams, or will sinister forces leave her running for her life?
Author Interview
Interview with Kristen Young
Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes you?
Usually a bit of both. I know where I am heading, and I will often set out a series of plot stepping stones to get me there. But along the way my characters make choices that I didn’t expect at the beginning, and so it can be a bit of a wrestle to get them to the end point. They say that your first draft is you telling yourself the story, and that’s usually what happens. Then I finesse it in the later drafts.
What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?
The middle-of-the-book slump. There’s always a moment in the novel when things aren’t flowing the way I want them to, and it’s always tempting to give up and move onto a different project. Persevering through that is always worth it in the end, but it’s a battle!
What would you say is the easiest aspect of writing?
Imagining new scenarios and characters. I have a notebook full of unwritten ideas. I had to create the notebook because of the middle-of-the-book slumps…
Do you pen down revelations and ideas as you get them, right then and there?
I ‘download’ them into a notebook so that I can come back to them another time. I use an app called Goodnotes, which I have on my iPad (nearly always with me) and my laptop (not always with me). If I don’t write them down, they keep interrupting my WIP with shiny new things. Downloading gives me a chance to come back to the ideas later and see if they’ll fly.
Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you can just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?
I move around a bit at home. My mind wanders if I sit in the same place for too long. If you see me pacing the floor and talking to myself, I’ve hit a roadblock in my plot and I’m trying to talk my characters off the ledge, so to speak.
I’m too self-conscious to be able to write in a café. But I have been known to write on a long train ride every now and then.
When did it dawn upon you that you wanted to be a writer?
I wanted to be a writer way back when I was a kid. But reality kicked in during my late teens and I thought I’d never make a living as a novelist. So I went off and trained in Psychology instead. ;)
How long does it usually take you to write a book?
Depends on my living situation. These days, since I have a day job, writing is done in little snatches, rather than on a daily all-day basis. So I’d say it now takes a few months to get a first draft sorted.
Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Usually in the form of “what if?” questions that arise out of things I’ve seen in life. The Collective Underground series arose out of thinking about language and the power it has to control people. The ‘what if?’ question became, “What if a totalitarian regime used the word “love” as a means to control?” Then in the normal run of planning, I add the thrilling plotline to go with the question.
What is your work schedule/routine when you write?
It’s changed over the years. I used to have a routine of writing before my family got up for the day, so I’d grab a few hours in the early morning. Then I had a specific few days in the week that were designated as my writing days. Now I set aside an hour or two after work some days and some time on the weekends to get the writing in.
Do bits of yourself/friends show up in your characters?
I think it’s hard for bits of yourself to not show up, because the characters are products of your imagination and worldview. There is one specific case in Elite where I used an incident from my life that involved a very good friend of mine. But in general I try to avoid putting people I know into books. It can end up looking more like a caricature, which can be a bit cruel.
Anything else you'd like to share?
Thanks for asking the questions!
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
More from Kristen
Interview with Kristen Young, author of Flight
Okay, so Flight is the final novel in the Collective Underground series. Was it hard writing the conclusion?
The funny thing is, Flight was originally book 1! I wrote the story ages ago, and the manuscript won a Caleb award for unpublished fiction. The prize for that was a manuscript assessment, which came back with the comments, “This is good, but it starts a little fast. Can you add some backstory?”
So the backstory turned into two books?
Yes! Of course, by the time I came back to Flight, there were so many more story threads to follow, so the final result is very different to the original.
What did you change?
Some of the characters in Apprentice and Elite needed to re-appear, and so I had to change some of that. Like Hodge, who didn’t exist when I wrote the first version of Flight. There was also quite a lot of unfinished business that carried over from the first two books, and I felt that they needed some resolution, too. I can’t tell you too many details, though, because that would spoil the fun.
What can we look forward to in the final installment?
More thrills, more plot twists, and maybe some love. Just a whole lot of excitement, really. But seriously, Cadence is thrown into some pretty difficult situations this time, and she has to re-evaluate her whole mission. There are also some pretty high-level plots going on in the government that might send her a bit of trouble, too…
Love? Does that mean what we think it does?
I’ve already said I can’t spoil the fun of reading.
Oh, go on. Tell us.
Sorry. You’ll just have to read it. 
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, September 30
Artistic Nobody, October 1 (Author Interview)
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 1
Inklings and notions, October 2
For Him and My Family, October 3
Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 4
Adventures of a Travelers Wife, October 5 (Author Interview)
deb’s Book Review, October 5
Locks, Hooks and Books, October 6
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, October 7
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, October 8
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 9
Blossoms and Blessings, October 10 (Author Interview)
Blogging With Carol, October 11
Simple Harvest Reads, October 12 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
A Baker’s Perspective, October 13
Giveaway
To celebrate her tour, Kristen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/21c36/flight-celebration-tour-giveaway
This sounds like a fantastic read. Great cover.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your interview, bio and book details, this is one of my favorite genres so Flight is a must read for me and I believe that my teen-aged grandchildren will enjoy reading this book and series as well
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading about authors like this. Thank you.
ReplyDelete