Spacedock19 is part of a new feature where I chat with other sci-fi and fantasy authors.
Today I’m chatting with young adult sci-fi paranormal
author, Susan Kaye Quinn. She’s been publishing her Mindjack Trilogy, the
second in the series, Closed Hearts, the latest release.
Thanks for joining me in the lounge of Spacedock 19 today,
Susan. It’s a pleasure to have you here. Can I get you a drink? Last year’s
vintage of Romulan Ale is rather nice.
I prefer a cup of Earl Grey,
hot, if it’s not too much trouble. Romulan Ale is one pretty drink, but my
tolerance isn’t what it used to be (I guess that’s what being a mom of three
kids does to you). :) Thanks for inviting me to Spacedock 19, though! I didn’t
know you could orbit this close to a singularity without collapsing the
structural integrity of the ship. (You have
checked for that, yes?)
Oh, yes, I’ve checked. We’re good. The idea of mindjacking
is unique. How does this play out in your world? What advantages and
disadvantages does it present?
I don’t think mindjacking is so
much unique - mind control is one of the oldest tropes - but I do try to give
it a fresh twist in my Mindjack series by creating a world where mindreading is
the norm, but only a few people can jack into your head and control your
thoughts, emotions, and memories. The biggest challenge in writing about
mindjacking is bringing a visceral feeling to what is essentially a mental
exercise - creating an experience that no one has actually experienced. (Also:
it’s a lot of fun.) The challenge for mindjackers in the story is that society
isn’t so fond of having people that control them, so they endeavor to even the
playing field by controlling the mindjackers first. That tug-of-war and the
larger societal issues that go with it, drive a lot of the story.
What sparked the idea?
The initial idea came for just a
mindreading world, and my main character Kira, being the one person who
couldn’t read minds. It wasn’t until the story started to unfold that I
realized she actually was a mindjacker. (Yeah, I pretty much pantsed my way
through that first draft.)
Did the world or the characters come to you first?
The world and the central
character occurred simultaneously, in one image: a girl sitting in a classroom
filled with mindreaders, but she couldn’t read minds. Everything, and everyone,
else evolved from there.
If you were to be transported into the world you created,
what attracts you to it the most? Which character would you most want to be? Or
would you decide to be someone else not in the novel?
I think I would be terrified in
this world, not wanting everyone to read my thoughts or control them. I wouldn’t want to be Kira - she has way too many
bad things happen to her (sorry, Kira!). If I was in the world, however, I
prefer to be a mindjacker and would probably end up signing up for Julian’s cause.
That guy makes a convincing case for revolution. :)
What appalls you about the world you created most? What
wouldn’t you want to deal with if you were there?
The idea of no private thoughts?
The prospect of anyone, anywhere, being able to jack into your head and make
you do anything? There’s a lot of horrors there that I haven’t explored, simply
because I’d like to keep this suitable for YA. And so I can sleep at night.
What drove you to create this series of novels? Is there a
theme behind the characters and drama?
There’s a couple of intertwined
themes, and I generally like to let readers take what they will from the novel.
It’s endlessly fascinating to me to see just what resonates with readers that
review or send me notes about the stories. But one obvious theme is
intolerance: the world’s intolerance of Kira when she’s a zero (someone who
can’t read minds) and later when she’s a mindjacker (and a threat of a
different sort). The way that society deals with the others in their midst shapes a lot of the story and drives
Kira’s character through the trilogy.
Thanks for the insights and for stopping by, Susan. It was
wonderful to learn more about your series and Closed Hearts.
Thanks so much for having me in
Spacedock! Which way to the zero-gravity holodeck? I’ve heard they have a good
extinct rainforest simulation. :)
Down three levels, then follow the arrows.
~~*~~
Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2)
$2.99 at Amazon, Barnes and Noble (ebook and print)
When you control minds,
only your heart can be used against you.
Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, which is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.
