Help me welcome author Ketley Allison to the blog today!
Thanks so much for agreeing to be with us today, Ketley!
Thank you for having me, Becky! I’m so happy to be here.
What 5 things should readers know about you?
- I wrote my first book when I was 14. A full blown 300 page novel. It was a birthday present for my best friend with herself as the lead, and little did I know what dragon I unleashed. The popular birthday present demand became stories of themselves with sexy leads and crazy-wonderful storylines—the pressure was intense!
- I’m a sucker for romance, yet when I try to write a straight up love story I end up with all these subplots that I hadn’t initially thought of. It happens Every. Damn. Time. Take Snapped, where it was meant to only be about Charlie and Slade and the fight to maintain their relationship despite his fame. But nope, my brain couldn’t be happy with that. There had to be murder and obsession and shady motives coming from every character. There had to be another man who made Charlie question everything she was doing with her life—thank goodness it all comes together in the end (revisions are my savior!).
- My boyfriend is certain of his impending death. Every time he borrows my computer and happens upon the internet history or walks by me as I’m working, results such as “committing the perfect murder,” “how to cover your tracks after accidental death,” “knife versus gun,” “successfully destroying evidence,” pops up. Hey, I research heavily!
- I have no fingerprints. Well, not any that a computer can read. Not because I’ve been involved in criminal endeavors. More for taking the bar purposes. I have no idea why. I don’t use industrial cleaning products, I haven’t been burned on my fingertips as a child…they’re just too faint for technology. I can’t even use the fingerprint feature on my iPhone (I’ve tried). L #passcode4life.
Another valid suspicion of my boyfriend’s, I suppose.
- I love crime books. Hmm, I guess there’s a theme here. I read all genres, but crime and thrillers are ones I can really curl up under a blanket and not put down until I’m finished. John Sandford, Harlan Coben, Karin Slaughter and Lisa Gardner, to name a few. They never disappoint.
LOL—your poor boyfriend! Research is VERY important, though. 😉
Tell us all about your main characters—who are they? What makes them tick? Most importantly, what one thing would they need to have with them if stranded on a desert isle? 😉
Oooh good one. I have a few main characters in Snapped, mostly because in order to have motive a character must have depth. So here we go (sorry for the essay!):
Charlie: She’s the main protagonist, a 23-year-old fresh off college and going straight into law school. She chose New York because her college boyfriend, Jason Sladerman, has just been drafted into professional football. She quickly realizes the price of his fame equals her exposure to the public and begins to wonder why Slade chose her—why she’s worth it. All the while there’s someone in the shadows watching her, waiting for their chance to come out the winner. And they just might do something drastic to get there.
Charlie would be smart on a desert island and bring a water purifier or something. This girl plans things out.
Slade: Charlie’s boyfriend, the Golden Boy, a sweet guy who suddenly finds himself in the spotlight. He’s happy to reach his dream but understands that sacrifices must be made in order to maintain it. Is he willing to give up Charlie to continue on his path? Will he be there to protect Charlie when she needs him the most? Or should his needs come first? This distraction will be his greatest mistake.
Slade would bring protein bars. They’re always on his person and at least he’d survive a few days.
Lara: Charlie’s best friend joins her in New York City. Never fallen in love, a spontaneous sexpot, she’s happy to breeze through life and not take simple things too seriously. Until one guy catches her interest with his badboy appeal and don’t-give-a-damn attitude. He’s just what she’s been looking for. Too bad he’s falling in love with someone else.
And lipstick—she’d definitely take that with her to an island. Forget being pragmatic—her lips ain’t ever gonna be parched.
Nate: A man who does what he wants and achieves his goals effortlessly. He can do anything, be anything, and loves to be the center of attention. Charlie enters a bar his band is gigging at, and everything stops. Suddenly he’s unable to succeed at something. Arrogance gets him nowhere. He might have to be tender, to expose his vulnerability, and ultimately do what he fears most: fall in love with someone who’s not a sure bet and do things he’s not very proud of.
This one’s tough because he’s savvy and would be able to live off the wild, craft his own hut, fold leaves in order to collect rainwater…hmm. He’d probably bring his drumsticks, because a life without rhythm is not worth leading at all. And it’s an awesome way to pass the time.
Reagan: A sweet, sheltered girl who befriends Charlie on the first day of law school. Smart, quiet and driven, she doesn’t make waves until the man she’s been celebrity-crushing on actually stands in front of her face. A prospect she’d never dreamed of reaching is now within touching distance. Does she dare? Is ruining her friendship with Charlie, her only friend, worth it? Hell, yes.
Books! She’d bring lots of books to make being on a deserted island much less stressful. She’d rather transport herself into fantasy than remain in real life.
I think Reagan and I are kindred spirits…
Where did the inspiration for this book come from?
Many things, but mainly relationships. This drives me—the intricate workings of connections, love, anger, will. My characters will never be perfect. They’ll be weak, break down, but hopefully have enough fight in them to come out strong. That is what Snapped is ultimately about. What kind of person would you become in a situation of murder and betrayal? Hopefully you’ll never know! That’s why fiction is so amazing—especially if I can tie it into the potential of real life, which I hope I did.
LOL, I sure hope I never know! Reading about other (fictional) people finding out is MUCH safer!
How long have you been writing, and what (or who) inspired you to start?
Since I could form letters of the alphabet into actual words! It might be a cliché thing to say, but it’s true. Writing is in my bones. It makes me happy and I love figuring out different worlds and different people.
That’s great!
What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
Bringing fantasy into some sort of reality—not only for my readers, but for me too. Sometimes you just want to get away. The art of story-telling is an ancient thing, and I think it’s just inside us. To want to read it as well as write it.
The most challenging part is curbing myself. I can write large word counts but will have to narrow it down, which is tough because every scene is close to my heart. Sometimes it just doesn’t work and you have to make that sacrifice in order to punch your plot forward.
“Kill your darlings…”
What are you working on right now? What can readers look for from you in the next year?
A few things, both paranormal and contemporary. I plan to finish my Dark Souls trilogy by the end of this year, and I’m also working on two standalone contemporaries. One is a Bonnie and Clyde type plot, and another is also an intended love story turning into a crazy crime adventure. I’m excited about ALL of it, and hopefully I can get most out by the end of this year!
Sounds fantastic!
What authors and/or books have inspired you?
Everyone from Nora Roberts to Laini Taylor to Harlan Coben…intertwining the heart of relationships with an action-packed plot is what I strive for, and these authors (while seemingly different) do exactly that.
🙂
What are you currently reading? What are your thoughts about it so far?
I just finished The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas. HOLY. The writing is wonderful, the wit is on point and the characters truly jump out of the page and grab you.
Good to know—it’s on my TBR!
If you had to “sell” this book in a single Tweet, what would you say?
All the romance you expect with the killer that you don’t. WHO SNAPPED?
Perfect!
Thank you again for having me, Becky! It was a true pleasure 🙂
Thank you, Ketley!
Ketley Allison began her career by writing books as birthday presents for her friends (with her friend as the main character and opposite a super sexy lead, of course) before ending it in order to walk down a path she thought she was supposed to follow.
The writing bug never left her–and, in fact, would often bleed into the official papers she was supposed to write–so now Ketley’s putting down her suit and finally following her dream. While her friends are no longer the stars of her books, she still throws in bits and pieces of them into each and every one of her characters.
As a result, her books tend to focus a lot on friendships as well as love, because let’s be honest, friends are what really get you through–especially when your epic love turns into epic heartbreak.
Learn more about Ketley by visiting her website at www.ketleyallison.com
“We have someone who saw you struggling with the deceased before using that knife. Your best friend, and our eye witness.”
In nine weeks Charlie Miller’s life goes from high-rolling perfection to a crypt of sin. All it takes is one night, one blade, and her boyfriend, best friend and new friends all either end up as suspects or dead.
Nate Westcott, a pierced, tattooed, charismatic lawyer, is a man she can’t have—but a seductive danger she can’t ignore. He’s cocky, infuriating, brilliant and wrong, yet he makes her question whether she really is the good girl she wants to be or more like the selfish killer everyone thinks she is.
And her body wants him in ways she’s not supposed to crave.
As the weeks close in, cracks start forming in her everyday world of pro football golden boys, law school domination and New York City nightlife. Everyone she cares about is at risk because one of them doesn’t love Charlie back. In fact, they want her out of the way. Disposed of. Set up.
One more step, and all Charlie has to do is fall through.
Week 1 starts now.
WHO WILL SNAP?
Snapped is Ketley’s New Adult Contemporary series with all the romance you’d expect, but the killer—and lovers—that you don’t.
Thank you so much for hosting me today, Becky! I love the post!
Thanks for being on the tour, hun! 🙂
My pleasure 🙂 Thanks so much for visiting!