MFT Guest: Kim Harrington and Giveaway of Clarity (International!)

Today for My Favorite Things I have Kim Harrington on for an interview and a giveaway of Clarity, which I LOVED!  I found it to be an awesome paranormal mystery with some very fun characters.  I hope you enjoy the interview and stay tuned for the giveaway at the end for a copy of Clarity (open internationally).

If your not familiar with Clarity here's the description:

When you can see things others can't, where do you look for the truth?
This paranormal murder mystery will have teens reading on the edge of their seats.
Clarity "Clare" Fern sees things. Things no one else can see. Things like stolen kisses and long-buried secrets. All she has to do is touch a certain object, and the visions come to her. It's a gift.
And a curse.
When a teenage girl is found murdered, Clare's ex-boyfriend wants her to help solve the case--but Clare is still furious at the cheating jerk. Then Clare's brother--who has supernatural gifts of his own--becomes the prime suspect, and Clare can no longer look away. Teaming up with Gabriel, the smoldering son of the new detective, Clare must venture into the depths of fear, revenge, and lust in order to track the killer. But will her sight fail her just when she needs it most?

Now let's welcome Kim to the blog!

What was your inspiration for Clarity (the story, not the person)?  Did you get an idea and the rest came from that little bit?  Or was it more complete in your head all at once? 

The first inspiration was one line (which is now the last line of chapter two). I heard it, said in a snarky sarcastic voice, and wondered why someone would say that. From that grew my main character and her unusual family. After I had the characters fully developed, I worked on the plot points. At each turn, I wondered what was the worst thing that could happen to them, and then I went ahead and did it!

How long have you been writing?  Were you a kid that wrote stories in 2nd grade?  Or did it come to you later in life?

I’ve wanted to be a writer since I could hold a pencil. I wrote stories in grade school. It has always been my dream. It just took a while to come true. A long while. :)

The thing that *really* stands out to me in Clarity is your characters.  You did an unbelievably good job in creating them.  Clarity was more clear to me than most books I've read.  Her personality was so strong and it all fit her perfectly.  I guess what I mean is that I just got her because you created her so well.  So my question is, is she based on someone?   Or is anyone in your book based on a real person?

Thank you! None of my characters are based on real people. Though Clare does share a few similarities with me (namely, a fondness for sarcasm). But I do spend a lot of time thinking about the characters and what makes each of them tick. And hopefully that results in them being more “real” on the page.

Oh yes!  They are definitely 'real'!

Clarity's family is great and I love that they were all so important to the story.  I LOVE that they all have psychic 'powers' but are all different.  If you could have one of the abilities in your book which would you pick?  

I’d rather have none because they all come with complications. But if I had to choose, I’d pick Clare’s. Perry’s gift would creep me out. And I would tend to overuse Starla’s gift and listen to people all the time. So, Clare by process of elimination!

Yeah, I think I'd overuse Starla's gift as well ;)

I think a story from Perry's POV would be fascinating.  Would you ever consider doing that?  

I won’t rule anything out at this point!

You have two more books coming in this series, correct?  Do you have any other projects that your able to share with us?  

I have two books coming out in 2012. The first one, in March, is the sequel to CLARITY, called PERCEPTION. But the second one, in the fall of 2012, is actually a standalone. This one’s a ghost story and I’m very excited about it!

So excited for more Clarity, but the ghost story sounds awesome too!

And last one, what are a few books that you’re always recommending to people?

Definitely THE HUNGER GAMES series by Suzanne Collins. And favorite books from my fellow Elevensies like Myra McEntire’s HOURGLASS and Lisa & Laura Roecker’s THE LIAR SOCIETY.

I've read all of them and agree that they are all amazing! 


Thanks so much for being on Kim!








Bio (from her website):

Kim Harrington lives in Massachusetts with her husband and son. When not writing, she's most likely reading, watching one of her favorite TV shows, or fantasizing about her next vacation. She has no psychic powers and is cool with that. Her debut young adult novel, Clarity, came out on March 1, 2011 from Scholastic. 

You can find Kim Harrington on her website: http://www.kimharringtonbooks.com

The Giveaway:

One finished hardback copy of Clarity to one person.
This is open internationally to those who The Book Depository delivers to.
Must be 13 or older to enter.
Ends July 5th, 2011

To Enter:

Answer this question: If you were to pick a supernatural power what would you pick for yourself?  Remember to leave contact info!

 

For the schedule of The Favorite Things event check out the schedule post.  And make sure you head over to My Bookish Ways to see what she has going on today as well!