Author Interview: Kerri Davidson, part 1

Hello friends! I have an amazing interview with the lovely Kerri Davidson. It is one of two interviews with Kerri- this one focuses on her most recent novel, "Beneath the Snow" and upcoming release of a co-authored piece, "Eyes on the Road".

Peace!
J.E.

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When an unprecedented September blizzard sweeps through the town of Hazelton on the Canadian Prairies, the citizens hunker down to wait it out. It's not just Hazelton. Hurricanes, floods, and even bigger snowstorms are raging across the globe. Maybe their town got off lucky.
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Thinking the worst is over, a brave few dig their way out. They need to get on with their lives. They need to go to work. They need to go shopping.

Twyla sets out in expectation of a quiet day at the linen store. Horace reports for duty at the grocery store with something more sinister in mind. Little do they know, their world is about to be reduced to this single shopping mall.

Because the storm wasn't over. It was only napping.

Will Twyla, her fellow mall employees, and the would-be-shoppers find a way to come together and survive in their new society beneath the snow?
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Or will hell freeze over?

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JE: Hiya! I know we've seen each other on the Twitterverse for quite a while, but I'm glad to spend time with you here. Now, about "Beneath the Snow".  Residents of Hazelton tough out a severe storm, but many soon come to realize...it's not over yet, and Twyla get stuck in a shopping mall. How did you come up with this concept?
KD: The idea...came from my vault of stories that I’ve always intended to write “one day.” I was born and raised in the Canadian Prairies but lived in many different locations. My father (now retired) was a member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. His job required us to move every few years. When I married, lucky me, my husband chose the same career path. Honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing, but let’s just say I had been looking forward to getting out of that lifestyle.
I’ve worked in a couple of shopping malls similar to the setting of "Beneath the Snow". Canadian winters can be brutal and highly unpredictable. I remember being at work, observing shoppers and fellow coworkers, when one winter storm or another would roll through. There was always that element of what if… What if the power went out and didn’t come back on? What if the whiteout conditions left us trapped in the mall overnight? What if the storm didn’t stop? How long could we survive in here together with such limited supplies? Who would take the lead and ensure all were provided for and chaos didn’t ensue?

JE: This gripped me: "They need to get on with their lives. They need to go to work. They need to go shopping." This reminded me of how many people felt when the COVID lockdowns first started happening. It's a huge conflict people have- at what point/cost do we continue our daily lives in the midst of a disaster. How has COVID impacted your writing?
KD: Ah, the COVID question. As a writer in general, COVID has not affected my writing much at all. I’m agoraphobic and work seven days a week on various writing projects, so not a lot changed there. The first and second drafts were completed before COVID was an issue. Looking back, I see the connections that could be made because some of the situations my characters found themselves in. There's even a part that deals with a highly infectious illness that runs through their mall world. All purely coincidental. In fact, one beta reader suggested I delete or dial down the illness part after COVID became worldwide news, but I decided to leave it as written.

JE: I'm personally glad that you did. But what a odd coincidence! Now, who is the intended audience for this novel?
KD: Every human I have ever so much as heard of. [JE: Literally laughs out loud] I kid. Sort of. The novel is speculative fiction, and it does contain some not-so-pretty moments and a smattering of f-bombs. Therefore, I wouldn’t serve it up to the kiddies. However, as with all my books, I encourage everyone I know to give it a try, if appropriate. My favorite feedback and reviews never fail to come from people who begin with, “This is not normally my genre…”

JE: How long did it take to write this?
KD: Cripes. This book fought me. I began writing it in the fall of 2019. After sending it out to critique partners, I rewrote it. Thrice. Then I set it aside in January of 2020 to write "The Soul Must Go On", a sequel to my debut full-length novel "Soul’s Choice". The 85KWriting challenge no longer exists, but it was similar to NaNoWriMo, and I had done it the year before. I’m straying off topic again. The point is I wrote this other book in January, sent it off to betas and my editor, and published it before finishing my final draft of "Beneath the Snow" in the summer of 2020. To this day, I can’t understand why "Beneath the Snow" took a full year to write and polish while another novel (and graphic novel) were released with ease during the process. I’m gonna call it special and move along.

JE: It happens! I've had some works that took no time and others...Yeah... Moving on. A bit about yourself- describe your ideal writing space!
KD: Simple. Me plus laptop plus coffee mug filled with water and a dash of silence. Make that a large dash of silence. In reality, I do have a lovely little spare room that functions as my office where I am quite content.

JE: You are also prepping the release of a book you co-authored. Could you share your experience on what it's like to write a book with someone else?
KD: I never thought I would see the day. In fact I used to laugh aloud at the concept. I’ve always been one of those people who would not allow anyone to peep anything until it was drafted and edited at least once.
Mark Gelinas and I met through the Twitter #WritingCommunity. He had approached me and asked me to help him be held accountable for his writing progress. So it began as a daily Tweet from me, prompting him to report what he had written that day. Our writing relationship went from writing buddies to beta readers to critique partners and our online friendship also grew. Despite the miles that separate us from the Canadian Prairies to the Southeastern U.S., we ended up speaking most every day about writing or life in general.
One day last summer, my husband and I were having a few drinks and talking about my writing. He’d heard a lot about Mark by then. I jokingly suggested I should just go ahead and write a book with Mark. Then I stopped laughing and sent Mark a message saying such. Of course, he thought I’d lost my mind. However, we did decide to have some fun and try it, calling it a writing exercise. We built our plot and our characters and many, many emails and video chats later, we ended up with an outline.
When writing the book, we took turns writing chapters in the POVs of our characters Morgan and Josh. By the time we were on the fourth chapter, this book took on a life of its own. And by that, I mean it took over our lives. The synergy was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. We were each writing a chapter or two a day and finished the first draft in twenty-three days. All in all, I can’t say I think I could work with another writer like I do with Mark. 

JE: What is this book about and when is it coming out? 
KD: Eyes on the Road is a YA novel, and is printing as we speak. The expected release date is March 25th. 

JE:  The 25th is around the corner, isn't it? I'm so excited! Well, thank you for taking your time to answer some of my burning questions! See you around for interview number two in April ! Hint hint to the readers ;)

I hope everyone enjoyed the interview! HAPPY SPRING!

Take me to amazon!

Visit Kerri's Website for more!

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Coming Soon...
Eyes on the Road

Morgan Parker has had enough.

She just graduated from high school and what is she doing? Looking after her mother’s mid-life child. No one understands her dreams. No one supports her interests. She has to get away. Maybe meeting her dad, her real dad, will change her life.

Across town, Joshua Hampton is also fed up.

His father brought dishonor on the family and he wants to make amends – by joining the U.S. Marines. But first, he wants to visit his uncle who served. He’s a hero.

Josh and Morgan barely know each other, and have nothing in common except their destination: Seattle. After a drunken declaration at a party, they find themselves thrust together on the open road.
Seattle is a long way from their home of Bathurst, New Brunswick, but they’re certain they can make it.

They’re grownups now. What could go wrong?

Almost everything.
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However, when you keep your eyes on the road you never know what you might see at the end. Join Morgan and Josh in this riveting coming of age story that will keep you buckled in until the last page.

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About Kerri...

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​Canadian, multi-genre author Kerri Davidson currently lives in Elbow, Saskatchewan with her husband Travis. She has lived in numerous other locations throughout Saskatchewan and Manitoba. She used to list all the communities in her bio but has finally run out of room.

A reluctant vegetarian, she loves vodka, potato chips, all animals, and some humans.
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You can find her published works at her online store Bagoflettuce.com. E-books are available at all the e-stores.

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