Q. Earlier this fall the first book of your new YA series, My Soul to Take, was released. Where did you get your inspiration for making its main character Kaylee a bean sidhe, or banshee?

A. I did a lot of research, intentionally looking for a fantasy or mythological creature that hadn’t been explored much in the fiction I’ve read. I knew a little bit about bean sidhes already, but when I started looking into the lore, I was surprised by how open to interpretation the details were. There was plenty to play with in bean sidhe lore, if that makes any sense. I’d just found a new creative playground!

Q. What are the challenges and perks of writing supernatural fiction?

A. The biggest perk is that you get to make a lot of stuff up. Nothing’s impossible, so you can really let your imagination go. But that leads to the biggest challenge: making the impossible seem possible. The rest of the story—the emotions and day-to-day stuff—has to be really well grounded, because if readers find flaws in the stuff they know about, they’re going to assume that there are also flaws in the fantasy part, and that ruins the illusion.

Q. In your latest book, My Soul to Save, Kaylee and Nash are on a mission to literally save the soul of a famous pop star. Is this book a commentary in some ways on what real-life pop stars will do to get ahead?

A. Um … yes and no. I don’t know any real life pop stars. I’m not that cool. But I’ve seen a lot of ordinary people do some really stupid things to get ahead—figuratively selling their souls—and that’s just as scary in the real world as in the fictional world. You have to believe in something, or life is meaningless. One of the things I believe in—as cheesy as this might sound—is integrity. Staying true to who and what you are, even if it might be more profitable—in any sense—to do otherwise.

But ultimately, the book was written to entertain. So you don’t have to follow it any deeper than that, if you don’t want to.

Q. Nash seems like the ultimate high school boyfriend. Were you fortunate enough to ever date anyone like him?

A. Oh my, a personal question … Let’s hope no one I went to high school with is reading this.

I did my fair share of dating in high school, but no one quite like Nash. Nash is kind of a composite of the guys I went out with, or wanted to go out with. I dated a really smart under-achiever. I went out with a football player. I dated the drummer for a local band. And I went out with, or had serious crushes on, several other guys who aren’t so easy to typecast.

Nash is both all and none of those guys. He’s smart, confident, and a bit over-experienced. On the surface, there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with him, but Nash has his problems, and they’re more serious than Kaylee could possibly imagine when she meets him …

Q. Would you rather have the powers of a bean sidhe or a reaper [another supernatural creature in the Soul Screamers series]?

A. Oh, I’d much rather be a reaper, if that didn’t mean I’d died! Who wants to scream all the time? Plus, I’d love to be able to hang out when people couldn’t see me. Just listening. And maybe playing pranks.

Q. For those of us who have already read My Soul to Save, can you give us a hint as to what the future may hold for Tod and Emma?

A. Tod and Em both have some rough stuff coming. Tod didn’t deal well with the way My Soul to Save ended, and that’s ultimately going to get him—and a lot of others—in trouble.

Emma is … I love Em! She’s a good foil for Kaylee, and so loyal to her best friend, even though that puts her in a lot of danger in the books after My Soul to Save. I can’t say too much about that yet, but I will say that there’s a scene in My Soul to Keep (Soul Screamers book 3, June 1, 2010) that made me very uncomfortable on Emma’s behalf. She’s a major player in that story, but this one scene in particular… I kept wanting to apologize to her.

Q. Did you ever have nightmares about the Netherworld while you were writing?

A. No, I daydreamed about it! I love writing the Netherworld! It’s my favorite fictional setting so far, and the Netherworld scenes are my favorite in the entire series.

But then again, I love scary movies, so … take that as you will.

Q. What are you working on right now?

A. I’ve just turned in the revisions for My Soul to Keep. Next month I’ll be writing two short stories (one set in my adult Shifters universe, one set in the YA Soul Screamers universe), then I’ll be starting Soul Screamers book 4.  I’m very excited about that one!

Q. If you could tell us to read one book this year (other than your own!), what would it be?

A. My favorite YA of 2009 was probably The Forest of Hands and Teeth, by Carrie Ryan. Beautiful but accessible language, and way-post-zombie-apocalypse setting! Stunning.