Author Interview: Aimée Carter

Aimée Carter was born and raised in Michigan, where she currently resides. She started writing fan fiction at eleven, began her first original story four years later, and hasn’t stopped writing since.

I'm really not very interesting at all. I attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and received a degree in Screen Arts and Cultures (a fancy way of saying I was forced to watch a lot of old movies) with a subconcentration in Screenwriting. I write. I watch a lot of new movies. Read a lot of books. Tweet too much. Love dogs and have two spoiled Papillons.

Aimée Carter, the author of The Goddess Test, The Goddess Hunt, Goddess Interrupted and The Goddess Legacies (released August 2012) answered a few questions that I had for her.



YABR:  What inspires you when you write?

AC: I write the stories I want to read. And really, I want to write the best stories I possibly can. The thought of someone enjoying them is enough to spur me on.

YABR:   Do you base your characters off of real people?  Do you have a process for coming up with characters?

AC: I never base them off of real people, though I do steal names quite a bit. The plot comes to me first, so I always build the characters around that. But that's only in the outline stage. Once I'm writing the story, the characters dictate how the plot unfolds.

YABR:   In The Goddess Test series, it relies heavily on mythology, is this something that you have always been interested in?  How did you come up with this concept?

AC: I've loved mythology from an early age, and the reason I chose to focus on the myth of Hades and Persephone was the character of Hades in the myths. He's such a neutral character, except for this one terrible incident where he kidnaps her. I wanted to explore what made him do that - I wanted to know more, and much of the plot of The Goddess Test stemmed from that.

YABR:   What do you wish was different about the book(s), if anything?

AC: I think I would change a few of the names, most notably Diana's. Originally it started off as a joke to show two characters' relationship, but it didn't work well, and I feel like it's more confusing than anything. Other than that, thinking about things I would change is really only asking for trouble and discontentment, if that makes sense. Especially since I can't!

YABR: What is your favorite item on your work space?

AC:  My Nivea "A Kiss of Milk and Honey" lip balm. And/or my Rubik's Cube.

YABR: What type/genre of books do you like to read?

AC:  Everything and anything that catches my attention. I'll read anything with a plot that appeals to me.

YABR:  Favorite color

AC:  I don't have one, but I prefer deep jewel tones.

YABR:  Favorite holiday/season

AC:  I don't have a favorite season either - I think there are great aspects to each of them, and I enjoy them all. But as for holiday, I love Christmas Eve. That sense of togetherness and warmth and family is one of my favorite things ever.

YABR:  Word that best describes you and why?

AC: Just one word? Gah! Discerning? Tenacious? Selective? Spunky? How about layered? Yes, let's go with that - layered. (And the four others before it. :) )

YABR: Optimist or pessimist?

AC: Optimist, except when it comes to my own success. Then I am incredibly pessimistic.

YABR:  Favorite author/book/series

AC: Harry Potter, hands down.

YABR: Favorite food/drink

AC: Hot chocolate, when it's done right.

YABR:  Favorite place to read/write

AC:  I can read or write anywhere as long as it's quiet. It isn't so much where I am as it is where the story takes me.

Goddess Interrupted comes out today!  Happy book birthday!

 Kate Winters has won immortality. But if she wants a life with Henry in the Underworld, she'll have to fight for it.Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future. Henry's first wife, Persephone.