1. What drew you to YA fantasy? Have you always wanted to be a writer?

I’ve always loved fantasy, sci-fi, and paranormal-pretty much anything under the umbrella of speculative fiction-and I never stopped reading young adult novels after my teens. When I was thirteen or so, I became obsessed with the idea of being a teen prodigy writer, so I sat down and started banging out novels. Well, the beginnings of novels, which inevitably petered out far before “The End.” It wasn’t until I was eighteen before I had a finished manuscript, and it wasn’t until I was twenty before I started the novel that eventually became Other , my published debut.

2. Why did you choose Washington as the backdrop for your series?

I’m a Washington native, and I grew up in Snohomish. If you’ve ever been to Snohomish, or feel inclined to Google it, you’ll quickly discover that I ripped off my hometown for the fictional town of Klikamuks, where the characters in Other live. In the second book in the series, Bloodborn , we start in Klikamuks again, but soon go farther afield, thanks to outlaw werewolves and police on their tails. In Foxfire , book three, we leave Washington far behind for Japan.

3. What drew you writing a book about a shape-shifting half pooka?

I’m a total shapeshifter fangirl, and for Other , I knew I wanted to write about a rare paranormal creature that hadn’t been done before. I settled down with several large tomes and flipped through the pages until I hit upon pookas. I was hooked by the idea of mischievous, sometimes malicious, spirits who most often appear as pure black horses with glowing golden eyes, but can choose any shape they wish, including humans. Besides, who doesn’t like a good shapeshifting scene?

4. How would you describe Other to someone who isn’t familiar with it?

A shapeshifter girl discovers the paranormals in her town are turning up dead. The police look the other way, so it’s up to her to catch the killer before she’s next. If you like the sound of werewolves, werepuppies, sexy Japanese fox-spirits (well, one fox-spirit by the name of Tavian), and lots of pooka shapeshifting action, you won’t be disappointed by Other .

5. Can you give our readers a brief description of Gwen ?

She has wild, flaming red curls and freckles to match. She passes off her eyes as pale hazel, but when she’s feeling emotional, she can’t hide their glow. If you catch Gwen shapeshifting, you might see her as an owl, cougar, fox, or her old standby, a black horse-all of them with golden eyes. Personality-wise, she’s outgoing, often reckless, and more than a little snarky, but definitely insecure about hiding who she is from everyone outside her family-including her boyfriend.

6. Can you give us a sneak peek into Bloodborn? 

It isn’t working. The doctor said it would, but it isn’t, even though I keep taking the pills, and I keep seeing Dad sneak into the bathroom and count how many are left. As if I would stop taking them. As if I would let myself become a beast.

God dammit.

I tacked a heavy blanket over the blinds, but an icy pale glow trickles through a crack. I lurch out of bed to yank the blanket straight. My hand slices through the moonlight. The animal inside me leaps to the front of my eyes, and everything becomes bright and sharp until I close my eyes and stagger back into the darkness.

I tighten my abs against the twisting in my gut. No. I’m stronger than that.

7. What’s next on your writing schedule after Foxfire ?

Who knows.? (looks mysterious) Well, actually, I do know. I’m working on what I like to call my Super Secret WIP, the title of which I revealed on my blog: Deadly Delicious . You’re going to have to hunt down some teasers at karenkincy.com to learn more, because it’s still secret right now.

8. Where can readers find you on the internet? Do you have any upcoming scheduled appearances?

You can find me lurking, Gollum-like, on my website, killing time on Twitter (@karenkincy), or avoiding eight zillion requests on Facebook (Karen Kincy, of course). I keep my events page updated on my website here: http://www.karenkincy.com/events/

9. How did you land your literary agent? Were you part of the ‘slush’ pile or did you meet at a writers conference?

I went the slush route, though I had interest from my editor first. That definitely sped things up. I sent my agent a query in the morning and got a request for a full within a few minutes, along with a promise to read it overnight. She ended up reading it over her lunch break, and I made my decision that afternoon. After years of querying, to have it happen in one day was giddying, to say the least!

10. What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever been given? If you can’t think of anything specific, then what advice would you give someone who’s trying to break into YA fantasy?

Best writing advice: Write what you love to read. This may sound like a no-brainer, but I mean not to get lost chasing trends or what you think you “should” write thanks to the bestseller list, or maybe some misguided feedback from critiquers. Sure, once you’re writing for publication, you have to make sure your writing is marketable, but if you passionately love what you’re writing, chances are someone else will, too. You just have to get lucky and connect with the right agent and publisher.

A shameless nerd and lover of snark, Karen lives in western Washington, where she recently graduated from The Evergreen State College. She ripped off her hometown of Snohomish, WA for the fictional locale of Klikamuks, where Other takes place. When she’s not at her computer, writing, she’s probably out in the forest with her notebook, writing, or on a photography expedition with her trusty digital camera. She likes to imagine werewolves lurking among the trees.

Karen is represented by Sara Crowe at Harvey Klinger, Inc. She is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators.