5 Questions: author Elizabeth Cody Kimmel (Suddenly Supernatural)

This is how it all went down - the interview and book review should have been up and posted by the official release date of Suddenly Supernatural: Unhappy Medium back on April 1. The thing is, though I bought the book and read it by March 20, life was getting in the way of my sending the questions to the author and then deadlines and life got in the way of her responding. We corresponded many times in between, but then both lost the original email with the questions listed! To quote Beth from one of her emails "I guess it's a good thing you and I are not running the world..." (So true!) But here it is! My 5 questions with Elizabeth Cody Kimmel and my review! *blares trumpets*1. How did you come up with the idea of a teen medium? With all the other supernatural books out there, yours really stand out with a unique main character! Thanks! The idea of a teen medium came from mulling over the dramas of 7th/8th grade and the idea of feeling 'not normal'. I also wanted to explore a mother/daughter relationship that was very strong, but by the nature of the mother's work tended to test the waters for the daughter. A snippet of a scene came into my head - of a girl bringing the 'popular' student home, only to have the supernatural erupt around them in the most uncool way. Having Kat also come into her second sight at this time upped the stakes in her struggling with being true to the person she is, and with trying to fit in, and not ruffle feathers at school.2. How much of your beliefs echo those of the characters? Are you a believer in spirits and the ability to contact them?I certainly believe in the existence of a supernatural world, and I personally have interacted with a medium who simply could not have known things that she did without tapping into some kind of outside energy., whether she was communicating with a person or reading some kind of energy imprint they left behind. At the same time, I think there are many people out there billing themselves as psychic who either consciously or unconsciously are faking it. My sense is that authentic mediums are somewhat of a rare breed. As an aside regarding my beliefs, I'd like to suggest that my readers AVOID experimenting on Oujia boards. Irregardless of what Parker Brothers says, they are not toys, and it's not a good idea to open yourself up to that kind of energy.3. The Suddenly Supernatural books are great for Young Readers (9 and up) did you consciously start off with the idea to write for young readers? Most of the books listed on your website are in this age group. Do you have a preference for the Young Reader group?I do love writing for this age group, and feel very connected to the self that I was at that age. I was and remain an obsessive reader, and some of my favorite books are from the same age group (such as Lloyd Alexander's Prydain Chronicles, Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series, and the Narnia books.) When I worked in publishing it was with writers for this age group, and so that is what seemed most natural to write. But I can guarantee you that one of these days I'll be writing books for adults as well.4. Do you have any say over your cover art? One of the things that drew me to your books was the binding and great covers. I know many authors do not have anything to do with the look of their books, but sometimes you get lucky! :) It depends on the book and the publisher. With Suddenly Supernatural, my editor was kind enough to send me samples of some of the illustrators they were considering. I absolutely fell in love with Tuesday Mourning's style, particularly the way she drew girls. The green and purple coloring of the first book, SCHOOL SPIRIT, came as a delightful surprise, as purple is my favorite color, and the color combination I like best is green and purple. Very serendipitous! Tuesday Mourning rocks! (Cat interrupt: Me too! Purple is my favourite colour and I love the combo of purple and green the best!)5. If you could be an animal, vegetable or mineral, which would you chose and why? Actually, it would be a plant. I would be an old tall tree in Tibet, in the shadow of the Himalayas, with a monastery nearby.Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions! And for all of our Laurel & Hardy type emails back and forth!The fourth book will hopefully be out soon, it's called Suddenly Supernatural: Crossing Over. I have my fingers crossed for a Fall release - this is just my own personal guess because I am so eager for the next book!You can visit the author's website here.You can visit Suddenly Supernatural on YouTube here!And you can find my Suddenly Supernatural reviews here!