At just sixteen years old, she managed to do something that not many authors have. Kelly wrote Insperatus, her first novel, from ideas that she had thought about for years--She infused the tale with historical accuracy in an effort to create realism. I have read the first book and thought the arc of Rein and Traith had a very cinematic feel to it. The recently engaged Kelly is, as you'll discover, a very bright family oriented person who is not afraid to express herself...
Tell my readers a little bit about yourself. When did you catch the bug to write?
I've been writing since I can remember! I always wrote and illustrated stories when I was little; in 3rd grade, that was all I did with my spare time, and it never really stopped from there. Come middleschool, I started writing something that I assumed would be another of my short stories - until it ended up at 15 pages long which was insane for 7th grade, then grew to 30 after my first round of editing, then 100... and that became my first novel, Insperatus
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Which Writers(s) had the greatest influence on you and Why?
This is actually a hard question. Believe it or not, I was never actually a huge reader. As I got older I began to fall in love with classic literature by The Brontë Sisters and Jane Austen (Jane Eyre is her favorite book of all time). I adored classic horror novels too, like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man; I love the connection between history and the supernatural or unusual. Those things, in addition to the fact that I grew up on 90's superhero shows like Gargoyles and X-Men, which really made their mark on me while every other little girl was watching My Little Pony.
How did Insperatus come about? What inspired you to write it?
It's a funny story. One of my best friends and I took a weekend trip to some hotel where we were playing in a pool, pretending we were on some grand adventure. I had always been a storyteller, and the outlets I used (mostly playing with her) consisted of role-playing or Barbies. We decided to make up characters - first it was just Rein (me) and Saria (her). Then we started playing a game that magically weaved into a story that I liked so much, it needed to be written down. I drew every character we made up, started a plot, developed their backstories, and decided I needed to learn more about the history--I wanted it to take place in the 1840s. It took off from there.
This kind of story is everywhere in pop culture--What makes your tale different? Why should people read the book?
Insperatus IS vastly different from other vampire tales out there. What most people don't realize when they see my book is that it was written before Twilight even existed - before such stories were even popular! When I first started my story, I had no concept of vampires aside from the classic Dracula tale, which I adored. I made a point never to watch Twilight, Vampire Diaries, or any other teen vampire fads because I didn't want anyone to have grounds to say I copied another idea.
But in short? Insperatus is it's own brand of paranormal romance. It takes place in England, in the 1840s; were it not for the supernatural elements, it would be a historical romance. I utilized the more traditional concepts developed by Stoker, and even created some of my own. Without giving too much away, Insperatus centers on vampires, but the more you read, you realize that there is a larger picture of dark and light; two councils, representing good and evil - which include many other supernatural beings and creatures aside from vampires. Vampires are represented as being afflicted people, cursed, but still human. But evolution can occur. Curses can be intertwined. And despite my age when I wrote it, Insperatus was always meant for adults, not teens. The characters are older, and the plot is much bigger than some high school love story. I guarantee there isn't another novel like it.
Talk about the best and worst day of the writing process
Best day? Sitting with a cup of coffee (nowadays maybe a glass of wine instead) with some violin music and a good storm, while submersing myself in another world fabricated from my mind. It's so much fun to be able to lose yourself like that, getting into a character's mind and feeling what they feel. It's all I do with my free time.
Worst day? Besides writer's block--it's awful and feels like it will last forever, going through the publication process and then marketing the books. I write because I enjoy it; the fact that other people enjoy it too is just a bonus. I was never looking to make money or gather a fan base - while both would be great, there can be so much maintenance in marketing that it loses the fun. I love to write. Everything else that comes of it,I just try to enjoy in the moment!
What's the reaction been like to the book overall?
The reaction was wonderful. I had all the support in the world. As a teenager, my parents and family were so proud that I was able to achieve something like that they promote it however and whenever they can (more than I do, honestly). My friends have been amazing too.
What was the biggest surprise to you while writing or after the book was published?
I think the biggest surprise is always the ending - even to the author. You have this outline, these ideas, and you know where you want them to go, but somehow the story always ends up taking on a mind of its own and things inevitably change to accommodate. Once that ending is put on, it's amazing to sit back and take in how it all came together, after 400+ pages and years of writing. Somehow, it just ends, with a bow on top. It's super gratifying, and certainly always surprising.
Since this is a film blog--If you had the chance to cast the film version of your book who would star as the main characters and why?
I love this question! I'm a closet celebrity stalker for this very reason. Sticking with my two main characters, I look at stars like Megan Fox, Olivia Wilde, and Lynn Collins as good representations of Rein. For Traith, I always thought the late Paul Walker or Scott Porter. If nothing else, matching celebrities to my characters allows me the closest thing to a true visual I'll ever get of my characters, aside from my drawings. Trust me, I could go on with choices A, B, C, and so on for every one of the dozen characters!
Which Writers(s) had the greatest influence on you and Why?
This is actually a hard question. Believe it or not, I was never actually a huge reader. As I got older I began to fall in love with classic literature by The Brontë Sisters and Jane Austen (Jane Eyre is her favorite book of all time). I adored classic horror novels too, like Frankenstein and The Invisible Man; I love the connection between history and the supernatural or unusual. Those things, in addition to the fact that I grew up on 90's superhero shows like Gargoyles and X-Men, which really made their mark on me while every other little girl was watching My Little Pony.
How did Insperatus come about? What inspired you to write it?
It's a funny story. One of my best friends and I took a weekend trip to some hotel where we were playing in a pool, pretending we were on some grand adventure. I had always been a storyteller, and the outlets I used (mostly playing with her) consisted of role-playing or Barbies. We decided to make up characters - first it was just Rein (me) and Saria (her). Then we started playing a game that magically weaved into a story that I liked so much, it needed to be written down. I drew every character we made up, started a plot, developed their backstories, and decided I needed to learn more about the history--I wanted it to take place in the 1840s. It took off from there.
This kind of story is everywhere in pop culture--What makes your tale different? Why should people read the book?
Insperatus IS vastly different from other vampire tales out there. What most people don't realize when they see my book is that it was written before Twilight even existed - before such stories were even popular! When I first started my story, I had no concept of vampires aside from the classic Dracula tale, which I adored. I made a point never to watch Twilight, Vampire Diaries, or any other teen vampire fads because I didn't want anyone to have grounds to say I copied another idea.
But in short? Insperatus is it's own brand of paranormal romance. It takes place in England, in the 1840s; were it not for the supernatural elements, it would be a historical romance. I utilized the more traditional concepts developed by Stoker, and even created some of my own. Without giving too much away, Insperatus centers on vampires, but the more you read, you realize that there is a larger picture of dark and light; two councils, representing good and evil - which include many other supernatural beings and creatures aside from vampires. Vampires are represented as being afflicted people, cursed, but still human. But evolution can occur. Curses can be intertwined. And despite my age when I wrote it, Insperatus was always meant for adults, not teens. The characters are older, and the plot is much bigger than some high school love story. I guarantee there isn't another novel like it.
Talk about the best and worst day of the writing process
Best day? Sitting with a cup of coffee (nowadays maybe a glass of wine instead) with some violin music and a good storm, while submersing myself in another world fabricated from my mind. It's so much fun to be able to lose yourself like that, getting into a character's mind and feeling what they feel. It's all I do with my free time.
Worst day? Besides writer's block--it's awful and feels like it will last forever, going through the publication process and then marketing the books. I write because I enjoy it; the fact that other people enjoy it too is just a bonus. I was never looking to make money or gather a fan base - while both would be great, there can be so much maintenance in marketing that it loses the fun. I love to write. Everything else that comes of it,I just try to enjoy in the moment!
What's the reaction been like to the book overall?
The reaction was wonderful. I had all the support in the world. As a teenager, my parents and family were so proud that I was able to achieve something like that they promote it however and whenever they can (more than I do, honestly). My friends have been amazing too.
What was the biggest surprise to you while writing or after the book was published?
I think the biggest surprise is always the ending - even to the author. You have this outline, these ideas, and you know where you want them to go, but somehow the story always ends up taking on a mind of its own and things inevitably change to accommodate. Once that ending is put on, it's amazing to sit back and take in how it all came together, after 400+ pages and years of writing. Somehow, it just ends, with a bow on top. It's super gratifying, and certainly always surprising.
Since this is a film blog--If you had the chance to cast the film version of your book who would star as the main characters and why?
I love this question! I'm a closet celebrity stalker for this very reason. Sticking with my two main characters, I look at stars like Megan Fox, Olivia Wilde, and Lynn Collins as good representations of Rein. For Traith, I always thought the late Paul Walker or Scott Porter. If nothing else, matching celebrities to my characters allows me the closest thing to a true visual I'll ever get of my characters, aside from my drawings. Trust me, I could go on with choices A, B, C, and so on for every one of the dozen characters!
 |
| Former Friday Night Lights star Porter |
Talk about your love of Comic Books--where did that come from? Favorites? Your opinion of films based on comics heroes.
I love Marvel comics! I even told my fiance I need a Marvel room somewhere in our new house. I was my Dad's tomboy; I watched superhero shows with him, read comic biographies as bedtime stories with him, and went to Comic Cons with him since I was little. I always loved to watch such powerful women which definitely leaks into my writing, especially when they could use afflictions like mutant powers to help humanity. I thought I WAS Rogue--her name is my car license plate now. She is strong and sexy at the same time, stoic and honorable - it was something I strove for as a kid and still do as an adult. To be a superhero.
Although it isn't Marvel, one of my favorite comic series was G.I. JOE by Devil's Due.Scarlett was another strong female presence who was in love with a scarred, voiceless man and somehow saved the day with the team in each issue. She's as cool as it gets. Getting back to Marvel, I read many mini-series like "Rogue," "Tigra," and "Hawkeye & Mockingbird." I'm currently reading Uncanny Avengers
The newest films like Avengers, Iron Man, Captain America, and Guardians of the Galaxy are awesome, and had very little deviation overall from the comics in my opinion. Looking back at the movies they did of my absolute favorite superhero team of all time - "X-Men" - I wanted to kill someone when I watched that trilogy, and even the new ones. I am still livid about how far the X-Men films strayed from the original comic plot. Not to mention my favorite white-streaked brunette is a helpless pansy and [played by a] terrible actress...(Anna Paquin) but I digress.
Your chance to say anything else...or talk about your future plans
There are always future plans! While the Insperatus & Infectus are ended as a pair, I am now working on a new novel that is strictly historical and based out of the American Civil War. I don't think I'll ever stop writing novels at this point, and I can tell you that I certainly have enough material to go on for years! Thanks for this interview, and I want to encourage everyone to like my Facebook page "Insperatus by Kelly Varesio," and also check out my website, www.kellyvaresio.com. Reviews are as good as gold for authors, so I like to throw that in too!
You are very welcome! Congrats on your engagement. Best wishes to you and Daniel. Thanks for taking the time.
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