Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Meet Karly Kirkpatrick

Karly has recently joined me and a growing number of others in the indie/self-publishing world with her brand-new book, Into the Shadows.


Paivi Anderson has it all—friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn’t see coming.


Karly is a teacher and a mom, living with her family in the Chicago suburb of Elgin, Illinois. She's also pursuing a Master's degree. How she finds the time to do it all, I have no idea. Plus, she also blogs, hangs out at Facebook and on Twitter. Go follow her! And check out her book!

I haven't had a chance to read Into the Shadows yet, but it's definitely on my TBR list. Lucky you - you get a chance to win a copy of Into the Shadows. Just ask Karly a question in the comments and you're entered. I'll randomly pick a winner and announce tomorrow.

*For the Purpose Virtual Release Party, I'm paying it forward by highlighting books and their authors, blogs and their writers, and charities and causes. For a list of those I've featured, stay tuned to the party's page.

8 comments:

  1. Karly, how do you find the time to do all the things you do? That is amazing!!

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  2. Karly, this sounds like an amazing book and I can't wait to get my hands on it! As a fellow mom I have no idea how you find the time to do everything...and write a book!

    How did you first 'break' into writing? And what inspired you to write this book?

    astewart305(at)rogers.com

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  3. @Nookie and @Simple Love,

    Thanks, sometimes I feel a little crazed, but I think I'm one of those people that prefers being busy to having a lot of free time. I just try to make time, it doesn't always happen...right now I'm taking a writing break until Winter Break (next week) because things have been super hectic at school/home with the holidays, etc. But I did manage roughly half a book at the beginning of November for NaNoWriMo. Hoping to pull a writing marathon over break and finish it. :D We'll see if I manage to finish! That's the goal. But usually during down time (lunch, when my daughter is napping/sleeping) I'm writing/revising/blogging/reading instead of watching TV (like I used to) etc. Needless to say, my house is never super clean and the laundry piles up, but I'm having fun!

    About 3 years ago (after Harry Potter ended) I decided I'd always wanted to write something, why not do it. It took me about a year, but Into the Shadows was the result.

    I was inspired by that comment...'write what you know.' I know YA fantasy/paranormal and I know a ton about the Holocaust/WWII (German and History major in college). I teach high school kids and thought it would be cool to sort of repackage the themes of WWII and the Holocaust, because we're losing our connection to those times. If I could make something old, new again, I hoped kids would get something out of it.

    Thanks guys! It was nice talking with you!

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  4. I don't think people realize how much time they waste watching TV. I could never sit and watch it without doing something else at the same time (read, homework, workout, bathe the kids, etc.) until they were all a little older. Then I got into the horrible habit of vegging out for hours. Glad I got out of it! You really do find a lot of time to pursue your passions then.

    Your house sounds like mine, Karly. I think it's pretty standard for the profession. That's my story, anyway. :)

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  5. Wow, this looks great. Do you have any other works planned for the future? Plus, random, what was your last meal?

    Vivien
    deadtossedwaves at gmail dot com

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  6. Karly - your book sounds amazing. I can't wait to pick it up. Thank you for taking something like the Holocaust and WWII and making it alive again. It is a time in our history that should never be forgotten. Other than your education, what were your inspirations for this book?

    By the way, don't worry about the laundry - it never ends! Keep writing, loving your kids, and pursuing your education - they are way more important than a clean house and folded laundry.

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  7. Your book sounds very intriguing, Karly. :) I would love a chance to read it!

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  8. Thanks again guys!

    @Vivien...works for the future...I've got a YA contemporary finished, which I hope to release sometime in 2011. I'm halfway through my first YA paranormal with a vampire, which I hope to finish by the end of Dec. And I've got to work on a sequel for Into the Shadows, which I've sketched out, but I've only got a first chapter for it.

    Last meal...from the time you left the message, it was Home Run Inn frozen pizza. I could probably eat pizza every night of the week! And it doesn't help that I don't cook. :D

    @Shauna...my other inspirations...just capturing the high school experience really inspired me. I loved high school and I was able to sneak a few of my personal experiences/characters/likes into this book. People who know me pretty well pick up on some of them.

    Thanks again to Kristie for hosting me and good luck! I wish you all could win! Hope to talk to you all again soon!

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