Radiant
by Christina Daley
Publication date: February 12th 2013
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:
Mary is part Vietnamese. Carter is a complete jerk. Normally, they don't talk much.
But when Mary's in an accident on the way to school one morning, Carter nearly dies saving her life. The doctors say his chances of living are slim, and Mary's feeling the full weight of survivor's guilt.
However, Carter's back at school in a matter of days, as if nothing had happened. Although, he is a little "glitchy," and he's developed a sudden and intense interest in Mary. She thinks he's suffering from major brain trauma from the accident. Or that he's been possessed.
As it so happens, Carter really is possessed. And the thing controlling him is having the time of its life learning to be human.
Featuring a diverse cast of characters, RADIANT is a funny "paranormal-lite" story about being human, being in love, and being healed.
Christina Daley
1. What was your inspiration for Radiant?
I was working on another book called Seranfyll at the time, but I ran out of ideas about 20 pages into it and set it aside. I then came across these random science articles--some were about comets and others were about health, for instance. I can't remember where the possessing idea came from, but I started to wonder what it would be like for a person to almost die and then get possessed by something that wasn't a ghost or an alien. The story grew from there into Radiant. After I got Radiant out of my system, I came back to Seranfyll and finished that as well.
2. Do you have any other works in progress?
I always have WIPs! I'm working a historical fiction YA that I'm keeping under wraps for now (translation: I haven't gotten very far on it, lol!). And recently, I pulled out some of my old art supplies and started re-learning how to draw. I'm not very good at it, but if you're interested in seeing a sampling of what I've done since April, check out my blog at christinadaley.blogspot.com.
3. What is your writing process like?
I'm not entirely sure, lol! It's different for each project. I don't outline, but I may write a bunch of notes or even a working synopsis (that ALWAYS changes by the time the first draft stage). Sometimes I write the first few chapters long hand, and other times I'll go straight to the computer and start typing. Sometimes I write at my desk, but I've been favoring my couch lately because it's more comfortable.
4. Any writing tips you would like to share?
Read well and as often as you can! Certainly read in the genre you write in, but also read in other genres for the sake of enjoyment and perspective. I'm a pretty slow reader, so I don't get to read a whole lot of books each year. But I jump around genres a lot, from kids books and classics to manga. And don't shy away from books you think aren't well done, since those are valuable at teaching how you don't want to write.
The other tip I'd give is to do it for the love of the game. There is a business aspect to be aware of when you decide to publish your work for profit. But at the end of the day, write because you love to tell stories and because this is the medium by which your thoughts flow best. If you write for any other reason, you're probably wasting time.
5. What are your favorite books?
That's tough! But at the top of the list is C.S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I also really loved Ender's Game (looking forward to the movie when it comes out!). And this may be just because I'm learning how to draw right now, but two manga that I really enjoyed are Fullmetal Alchemist by Hiromu Arakawa and Bleach by Tite Kubo (although, I haven't read Bleach beyond the anime run).
6. How can readers contact you?
All my contact information is on my blog (christinadaley.blogspot.com), including my email and links to my Facebook page and Twitter. I tend to get really quiet on social media whenever I'm working on a project (like now!), but if you @ me on Twitter or post something on FB or email me, I'll definitely respond.
Christina Daley made her first book with neighborhood friends when she was four years old. They "wrote" out some semblance of lettering with crayons, cut up a cardboard box for the cover, and bound it all together with clear adhesive tape. It was brilliant.
Quite a few years later, Christina is trying her hand at writing "real" books. She lives in Dallas, Texas, with a pet plant named Herb.
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