2013 Debut Authors Bash: Kasie West

Welcome to my stop on the 2013 Debut Authors Bash, hosted by Y.A. Reads! Here you will find my interview of the amazing author, Kasie West (which includes her Pivot Point Love List), three things we can look forward to in its sequel, Split Second, and the answer to question we've all been wondering about the author herself! 

THE AUTHOR

KASIE WEST is a young adult author published with HarperTeen. Her debut, PIVOT POINT, released in February 2013, and its sequel, SPLIT SECOND, releases in February 2014. She also has a YA contemporary which released this summer, entitled THE DISTANCE BETWEEN US. She graduated from Fresno State University with a BA degree that has nothing to do with writing, and earned her masters in Junior Mint eating (which is awarded after eating your millionth King Size box - she's now working on her PhD). She loves sappy alternative rock ballads and reading way past her bedtime.

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THE BOOK

Title: Pivot Point (Pivot Point #1)

Release Date: February 12, 2013

Summary: 

Knowing the outcome doesn’t always make a choice easier . . .

Addison Coleman’s life is one big “What if?” As a Searcher, whenever Addie is faced with a choice, she can look into the future and see both outcomes. It’s the ultimate insurance plan against disaster. Or so she thought. When Addie’s parents ambush her with the news of their divorce, she has to pick who she wants to live with—her father, who is leaving the paranormal compound to live among the “Norms,” or her mother, who is staying in the life Addie has always known. Addie loves her life just as it is, so her answer should be easy. One Search six weeks into the future proves it’s not.

In one potential future, Addie is adjusting to life outside the Compound as the new girl in a Norm high school where she meets Trevor, a cute, sensitive artist who understands her. In the other path, Addie is being pursued by the hottest guy in school—but she never wanted to be a quarterback’s girlfriend. When Addie’s father is asked to consult on a murder in the Compound, she’s unwittingly drawn into a dangerous game that threatens everything she holds dear. With love and loss in both lives, it all comes down to which reality she’s willing to live through . . . and who she can’t live without.

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(You can read my review of Pivot Point here.)

THE INTERVIEW

Pivot Point in one sentence:

Pivot Point is about a girl who has the power, when faced with a choice, to see two futures.

  

What was the initial spark that created Pivot Point? 

This book was inspired by the movie Sliding Doors. I love that movie. It’s so intriguing to me to think that one little missed train or simple choice can change the path of our lives. I thought it would be fun to explore the possibilities of a girl who could actually control seeing her alternate realities.

Who was your favorite character to write in Pivot Point, and why? Who was your least favorite?

My favorite character to write was Duke. He is such a ham. He was so easy to write. Every time he was on the page, words just flowed. Trevor on the other hand was a big butt to write. It was harder to get inside his head and understand how he would react to or view things. But you know how they say that you appreciate the things you worked the hardest for?….yeah, I love Trevor.

What were some of the subjects you researched for Pivot Point? 

I researched Texas. I even visited Texas. What an awesome place. I also researched some of the advances in technology to try to figure out what a world of advanced minds might look like. Some of the things I researched but didn’t necessarily use were real life people claiming to have superhero-like abilities. Have you ever seen that show? I can’t even remember what it’s called now. It should just be called “Awesome” because it’s so crazy/cool to see what people can do that seems to be almost an advancement in genetics. I like thinking about what the next step in an advanced brain might equate to as far as abilities. 

Kasie West's Pivot Point Love List - Top 5 

• I love the friendship between Laila and Addie in Pivot Point. Best friends are super important.
• My favorite scene: (I’ll try to keep it spoiler-free) When a certain boy tells Addie that there’s no way she would pick a certain path. That everything is going to be okay. Love him for that.
• A movie-watching scene with the other boy.     
• Addie’s love of books and relating them to her life.
• Getting to use the words ‘hairless cat’ in a book. Ha.

You announced earlier this year that Pivot Point is to have a sequel: Split Second! What are three things we can look forward to in its pages?

I’m so excited about Split Second! I love this book. 3 things I hope you love about it as much as I do: 

1. A hot new boy.
2. Falling in love all over again.
3. Secrets revealed.

You released another book this year: The Distance Between Us. Tells us about it!

The Distance Between Us is a contemporary romantic comedy. I always cringe using the word “comedy” because I feel like I’m saying, “I’m so funny. Now laugh, people.” So maybe what I should say is that I hope it makes you laugh and smile and feel giddy. It’s about a girl who works in a porcelain doll store and meets a rich boy. She has no patience for the rich based on a lifetime of experience. So of course we all know that this rich boy has to change her mind.   

Final (and most important) question: You openly admit to having a Junior Mint addiction. When and how did it start?

Ha. This is the most important question. Yes, I’m an addict. I have loved them for as long as I can remember. I mean, who does not love the perfect combination of mint and chocolate? (If you don’t, just don’t tell me.) When I was little I was the mint chocolate chip ice cream lover. When I discovered Junior Mints though, there was no turning back. A friend texted me the other day and said, “Kasie, have you tried freezing Jr. Mints?” I laughed long and loud then told her I might as well have invented that. It’s like she thought I was a Jr. Mints amateur or something (love you, Jenny). If I could use Jr. Mints as a topping on any and all things, I would. Unfortunately, it doesn’t necessarily enhance all food.

Congratulations on your debut, and thank you for being on my blog! I hope you had fun! :)

Thank you for having me! Great questions! They were fun to answer. :)

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The 2013 Debut Authors Bash blog tour continues all this month - be sure to check out all the stops to find out more about this year's debut authors!

September 1st

YaReads - Geoffrey Girard

Swoony Boys Podcast - Jane Nickerson

Kristi's Book Readery - Page Morgan

September 2nd

Book Bandit - Laura Lam

The Word Mineur - Mindee Arnett

My Friends Are Fiction - Samantha Shannon

September 3rd

Nose Graze - Jessica Verdi

Between Printed Pages - L. M. Augustine

You've Been Blogged! - Jody Casella

September 4th

Skye's Scribblings - Kasie West

Lose Time Reading - Emily Murdoch

The Eater of Books - Kelsey Sutton

September 5th

Book. Blog. Bake - Lauren Miller

Bookend 2 Bookend - Jennifer Salvato Doktorski

Musings of a Blogder - Heather Reid

Allodoxophobia: The Fear of Opinions - Lindsey Scheibe

September 6th

Magical Manuscripts - Shaunta Grimes

The Reading Vixens - Sarah Ashley Jones

September 7th

Books for Birds - April Genevieve Tucholke

Book Blather - Romily Bernard

September 8th

The Unofficial Addiction Book Fan Club - Kara Taylor

Inspiring Insomnia - Stephanie Kuehn

September 9th

Kissed by Ink - Ellen Oh

Sleeps on Tables - J.R. Johansson

Always YA at Heart - Amanda Sun

September 10th

Lisa Loves Lit - A.G. Howard

whYAnot Reviews - Liz Fichera

Samantha Clark - Claire M. Caterer

September 11th

Rampant Readers - Leah Miller

Emily's Crammed Bookshelf - T. Michael Martin

September 12th

The Uninterrupted Reader - Cat Winters

The Book Beacon - Christina Mercer

September 13th

Read & Reviewed - Lindsay Ribar

Paranormal Book Club - Kit Grindstaff

September 14th

Books as You Know it - Mary Gray

Paranormal Reads - Elsie Chapman

Bibliophilia, Please - Helen Douglas

September 15th

The Book Cellar - Erin Bowman

Fantasy Book Addict - Miriam Forster

September 16th

Pond Across the Pond - Laurie Crompton

YaReads - Debra Driza

September 17th

Teen Librarian Toolbox - Mindy McGinnis

Le'Book Squirrel - Kimberly Ann Miller

Finding Bliss in Books - Lydia Kang

September 18th

Rachel Reads - Errica Lorraine Scheidt

Kentucky Geek Girl - Holly Smale

September 19th

Turning Pages - Amy Butler Greenfield

Beauty and the Bookshelf - Alison Cherry

September 20th

Synchronized Reading - J.L Spelbring

Reading is My Treasure - Kristin Halbrook

A&C Book Junkies - Carey Corp

September 21st

Playing Jokers - Lenore Appelhans

Lizzie's Dark Fiction - Elizabeth May

September 22nd

Sandwich Making Book Bitches - Anne Applegate

Little Bookwork Reviews - Jennifer Iacopelli

September 23rd

Moosubi Reviews - Megan Shepherd

Little Miss Trainwreck - Julianna Scott

September 24th

Fictionators - Emma Trevayne

Pimples, Popularity, and Protagonists - Corey Ann Haydu

September 25th

Breath of Books - Steven dos Santos

Jennzah - Chelsea Pitcher

September 26th

Nightly Reading - Liz Coley

Pandora's Books - Kelly A. Barson

September 27th

Forever 17 Books - Amie Kaufman

My Bookopolis - Jamie Blair

September 28th

Nick's Book Blog - Jennifer McGowan

Curling Up with a Good Book - Leila Howland

September 29th

Ex Libris - Mindy Raf

Adventures in YA Publishing - Carly Ann West

September 30th

YaReads - J.J. Howard

Fiction Freak - Kate Karyus Quinn