Meet S.J. Kincaid, author of Insignia

Welcome The Debuts, a series of posts introducing you to brand, spanking new authors you really should get to know.

Meet S.J. Kincaid!

Byrt: If one of the top Hollywood voice-over guys was narrating your book trailer (in a hammy Hollywood way), what would he say?

SJK: In a world where teenagers are the front line of a war waged in outer space…

Byrt: So what’s the story behind your story?

SJK: I was reading about future military technology for a previous manuscript, and encountered speculation that unmanned drone use would increase. It put this image in my mind of two people on opposite sides of a conflict who never meet in person, yet decide the fate of the solar system between them with this remote war they wage against each other. That was the beginning.

Byrt: If you like ________, you’ll like my book

SJK: The one that always comes up is Ender’s Game, but I’m going to be a rebel here and say Starship Troopers, the movie. It’s closer in tone.

Byrt: The silliest/craziest author moment you’ve had so far?

SJK: My book’s not out until July, so naturally, a few weeks ago, it really only had a few reviews. There was this great one my editor sent me. A few days after that, I stumbled into this last-minute invite to a conference, and while there, I was recruited to replace an author missing from one of the events. So, all around, I wasn’t even supposed to be there, much less doing this speed dating thing. The first person I talked to? Well, she happened to be the girl who wrote that review. It was just such a bizarre but awesome coincidence.

Byrt: Book you own with the most tattered, scotch-taped cover, the most battered spine? (And why you love it)

SJK: Legacy by Susan Kay, a novel about Elizabeth I. I’ve done a whole blog post on the awesomeness of this book, but essentially, I love it because it changed the course of my life—you know, intellectual awakening, new love of history, became a history major, studied abroad in the U.K… And all that started with a single novel.

Byrt: Book you’re reading right now?

SJK: Dark Summit by Nick Heil.

Byrt: Biggest Fangirl/boy moment you’ve ever had?

SJK: Meeting Katherine Paterson! I loved Bridge to Terabithia when I was a kid, and then at my first author event (ALA Midwest), there she was! And she was so nice and sweet! It was fantastic.

Byrt: The TV show/movie you feel guiltiest admitting you love?

SJK: Nip/Tuck, because people who only saw the later seasons snigger at me for having bad taste, but they usually never gave the awesome first season a chance, so they didn’t realize what a fantastic, twisty show it was early on. I have a friend who is constantly mocking me for having liked Nip/Tuck. He also mocks me for liking the first season of Vampire Diaries, now that I think about it.

Byrt: First song lyric that comes to mind right now. Go.

SJK: “We’re not gonna take it, no, we’re not gonna take it…”

Byrt: What’s up next for you?

SJK: I wrote the first draft of INSIGNIA, book two, and now I’ve got some intensive revising months ahead.

Thanks again to S.J. for stopping by the Yurt!

For more on S.J., check out her website here.

And you can read an excerpt of Insignia here.