Please help me give a big Hoosblog welcome to Kelly deVos!
Kelly deVos is from Gilbert, Arizona, where she lives with her high school sweetheart husband, amazing teen daughter and superhero dog, Cocoa. She holds a B.A. in Creative Writing from Arizona State University. When not reading or writing, Kelly can typically be found with a mocha in hand, bingeing the latest TV shows and adding to her ever-growing sticker collection.
Kelly’s work has been featured in the New York Times as well as on Vulture, Salon, Bustle and SheKnows. Her debut novel, Fat Girl on a Plane, was named one of the “50 Best Summer Reads of All Time” by Reader’s Digest magazine. Her second book, Day Zero, is available now from Inkyard Press/HarperCollins.
Tell us about your book!
DAY ONE will be released on 12/1! It’s the sequel to DAY ZERO, where stepsisters Jinx and MacKenna must put aside their enmity and work together to rescue their little brother…and possibly save the world. A nonstop whirlwind of a read for fans of Marie Lu, Rick Yancey and Alexandra Bracken.
Pre-Order DAY ONE
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Changing Hands | Indigo | Indiebound
Now for the fun stuff!
What’s your favorite genre? Do you read what you write?
I tend to read a lot of thrillers and horror which is what I am currently writing.
Kudos to you for reading and writing horror. I would never sleep again.
What’s your favorite part about writing?
Plotting. I love to outline and plot and plan during the writing process.
That’s the part I’m in now and I do love when it all clicks together!
What’s the hardest part of writing for you?
Writing a character’s interiority or internal dialogue. I always feel like plot is character, but my top level note is generally something like, “What is this character feeling right now?”
I totally get this. I often underwrite the MC’s internal thoughts and emotions in the first draft because it feels so OBVIOUS to me.
What’s an activity unrelated to writing that you love?
I love to knit and I collect stickers.
I would love to learn to knit!
Who’s your biggest cheerleader?
It has to be my daughter. Whenever she goes to a bookstore she tried to hand sell my book. It’s pretty cute.
I love that.
Now I’d like to play a fun little game called This or That. As a writer, I find that a lot of interviews ask the same questions, so I always appreciate sharing something new about myself. I’m super excited about these questions—and I hope you enjoy them!
Introvert or extrovert? I asked my husband and my daughter for help on this one. He says I’m an extrovert. She says I am an introvert. So I don’t know. Maybe I’m like an introvert that really likes talking to people?
Morning or night person? I am totally a night owl!!
Coffee or tea? COFFEE!! Maybe in a giant jug.
Sweet or salty? Salty. Bring on the Cool Ranch Doritos.
Eternal summer or four seasons? I already live in perpetual summer, so please give me the four seasons.
Mountains or beach? Beach.
Dogs or cats? I have both a dog and a cat but, overall, I consider myself a dog person.
Over 5’5” or under? Ha! I am 5’5” 🙂
Left or right-handed? Right handed.
Hoodie or yoga pants? Yoga pants.
I think I’ve shared this with you, but my in-laws live very close to you and I don’t envy the year-round summer. I need my seasons!
Is there anything else you’d like to add?
If you like thrillers and horror, I hope you’ll also check out EAT YOUR HEART OUT coming 6/29/21 from Razorbill Books. It follows six disgruntled teens forced to spend two weeks at fat camp during the worst blizzard in a century, only to find that camp is even worse than they expected because it’s crawling with zombies.
That sounds amazing!! Kelly, thank you so much for spending this time with me and my readers. Readers, you can find Kelly at these links—and be sure to check out Day Zero!
Website | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads | Facebook
Pre-Order DAY ONE
Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Changing Hands | Indigo | Indiebound
If you missed the previous interviews, you can read them here.
