Author Interview Monday with Gail Giles

--Can you give us a brief description of Dark Song in your own words?  Girl's life falls apart then she meets the baddest of the bad boys and it gets worse than ever.

--How did you get the idea for the story? Did you do much research for your book?  I read about a couple of cases where the good girl gets mixed up with a much older guy, her parents disapprove, insist they break up and then the girl enlists the boy in killing her parents.  It reminded me of the Charles Starkweather case long ago, in which the boy was the killer.  I did some research and found 18 of these cases that occurred with just 22 recent months.  It occurred to me that this might be the female kind of Columbine.  Males take their anger to the street or to the school, but outward and females keep it close--the family.
--Which character would you most/least like to have dinner with?  The Grandmother Robin or Earl.

--What are some of your favorite books? Do you still have much time to read?  I read a lot.  I love what a lot of people do  To Kill a Mockingbird, anything by Hemingway, The Lord of the Flies and A Prayer for Owen Meany are some classics.
--If a fairy godmother told you your life could be like a favorite book for 24 hours, which book would you pick and why?  I'd pick Pride and Prejudice and go back and experience that time period.
--Do you need anything to write (music, coffee, etc)? Are there any songs on the Dark Song "playlist-" songs that inspired you or that were playing while you wrote?  Nothing playing.  That bothers me.  Coffee.  I write early.

--If you could have any superpower what would you choose?  I'd fly.  For sure.
--Besides writing, what do you like to do in your free time?  Read.  Watercolor.  I'm very tame.
--Is there anything else you want to add or say to your readers?  Hello and thanks for reading.

More about Gail at her site


More about her novel Dark Song (my review can be found here)

 
"Mark said he heard the dark song when he creeped houses. The song the predator's heart sings when it hears the heart of the prey. I heard it now. Mark said it had always been in me. Lurking. Waiting for me to hear.
Ames is not the person she was a few months ago. Her father lost his job, and her family is crumbling apart. Now, all she has is Marc. Marc, who loves her more than anything. Marc, who owns a gun collection. And he'll stop at nothing--even using his guns--to get what he wants. Ames feels her parents have betrayed her with their lies and self-absorption, but is she prepared to make the ultimate betrayal against them?"