Author Interview: Kate Kaynak

Kate Kaynak is the author of the Ganzfield series. Minder is the first book in the series (my review is here) and Adversary is the second.

She kindly took the time to answer a few of my questions...

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What was the inspiration behind Minder and the Ganzfield series?

Minder started as a thought experiment. I'd recently completed reading the Sookie Stackhouse books and the Twilight saga, and I realized both series had telepathic characters who could only fall in love if they met someone whose thoughts they COULDN'T read. I started to consider what kind of a person a telepath COULD love…as well as what kind of a person wouldn't mind being in a relationship with someone who knew their every thought.

I love all the different psychic abilities. What kind of research did you do for the novel?

Most of the special abilities found in the Ganzfield world are found in parapsychology, which is a fringe area of psychological research. I used a few books like Reading the Enemy's Mind to learn more about the U.S. government's former psychic spy program: Project Star Gate (yes, it really existed). I also looked into historical claims of special abilities such as those of William Underwood; he was the first person to claim to have pyrokinesis, the ability to control fire. I've got a background in psychology, so I drew on that to work out how to enhance and control special abilities in the brain. The settings are real places in New Jersey and New Hampshire. Oh, and I named most of the bad guys after ex-boyfriends.

I adored Trevor! Do you have a favourite character from the series – or one you find it easier to write for?

I love writing from Maddie's point-of-view, and I have a major book-crush on Trevor that my husband only tolerates because Trevor's partially based on him. The romance was a delight to write, since the emotions of a sixteen-year-old in love for the first time were so intense. Beyond that, I simply adore Drew; he cracks me up.

If the Ganzfield books were made into a TV series or Movie who would be your ideal cast?

I've only cast two people in my head.

Dr. Williamson would be played by James Pickens, Jr.:


http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1887144704/nm0681782

Trevor would be played by Steven R. McQueen:


 http://www.imdb.com/media/rm804620032/nm1997596

How many books are planned for the series? Can you give us any hints on what’s in store for the characters?

There are six books in this plot arc. I'm writing book 5 now and have the outline for #6. I may do a seventh from Seth's point-of-view, since his story diverges from Maddie's in the later books, and there's a character coming in book 4 who might narrate a book later on, as well. As for hints, the names of the later books give a few clues:

#4: Accused
#5: Operative
#6: Soulmate

What inspired you to become a writer?

I've been a voracious reader since I was six years old, and I started writing short pieces in high school and at Yale. The Ganzfield books aren't the first novels I've written--but they're the first GOOD novels I've written.

What is a typical writing day like for you? Do you have any ‘must-haves’ before you can start?

I have three kids under age six at home, so I do most of my writing after they’ve gone to sleep at night. I also have a playlist of songs that put me into the Ganzfield world, including Gary Jules' version of Mad World, Scissor Sisters' Fire with Fire, Muse's MK Ultra, Velvet Chain's Strong, Glenridge's Angels, and Regina Spektor's Fidelity.

Are there any YA books you would recommend? Perhaps something you have read recently that completely blew you away.

There's SO much great stuff out there these days, including some amazing series! I'm currently catching up with Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampires--start with Glass Houses. In the past year...Scott Westerfield's Uglies, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games, Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Garcia & Stohl's Beautiful Creatures, Kristen Cashore's Graceling, Holly Black's White Cat, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey, and Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. Keep an eye out for Jennifer L. Armentrout's Half-Blood; I loved the manuscript enough to pitch it at Spencer Hill--it comes out in September of 2011. Those are the stand-outs.

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Thanks Kate! I love that you use your ex-boyfriends names as the villains! Classic! And I love your pick for Trevor - it's just as I pictured him!

You can find Kate at the following places:

Her Website
Her Blog
Ganzfield Website
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads

And here's the trailer for Minder:

Minder by Kate Kaynak

For Review: Kate Kaynak.  Published 18 June 2010
Sixteen-year-old Maddie Dunn is special, but she needs to figure out how to use her new abilities before somebody else gets hurt. Ganzfield is a secret training facility full of people like her, but it's not exactly a nurturing place. Every social interaction carries the threat of mind-control. A stray thought can burn a building to the ground. And people's nightmares don't always stay in their own heads. But it's still better than New Jersey--especially once she meets the man of her dreams...

The premise for this one really appealed to me – I love anything to do with psychic abilities so this fits the bill perfectly.

After a traumatic incident Maddie begins realises that she may be different to other people. When she meets Dr Williamson and is asked to attend Granzfield she begins to realise just how different she is. But she’s not the only one...

All of the characters in this are wonderful. Maddie really grew on me – she has great inner strength as well as a strong moral compass. I absolutely adored Trevor – he is really sweet and caring and I really enjoyed the romance that develops between the two of them. It does get a bit mushy in places – but it's the kind that left a big goofy smile on my face so I’m not complaining! I also really liked the relationship between Maddie and Dr Williamson – there is obvious affection there and I really enjoyed their interactions. I also liked Seth – he comes off as a bit annoying at times but I’m really interested to see how he features in the future. The rest of the ‘gang’ are fun – and you get to know them all pretty well and there is definitely room for some interesting stories for them all.

I thought the storyline was really good and completely held my interest. It does get quite dark in places and there are some scenes that are uneasy to read – but they ground the story and give it a sense of authenticity. There is also some humour to even it out which works really well and makes the book fun to read. Minder does feel a bit of a world builder for the series, but it also has a great plot in itself. The scenes at the end had me tense and holding my breath - they were superbly written and it really sets up the story and the ‘gang’ for future

I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series. Not only am wanting more Maddie and Trevor but I have my suspicions on where Maddie gets her gifts so I am really excited to read more to see if I am correct! A great start to what I believe will be a really addictive series!