An Interview with Kellyn Carni

Kellyn Carni lives in the mountains near Asheville, North Carolina, with her husband, baby boy, dog, cat, and chickens. When she isn’t cuddling one of the aforementioned (usually not the chickens) under a blanket with a good book, she enjoys camping, yoga, and live music. She works as a physical therapist assistant and holds a degree in International Politics. While Kellyn has been writing since childhood, Ricochet is her debut novel.

What inspired you to start writing this book?

It had actually been a long time since I’d written anything when, on a whim, I decided to enter an online short story contest. The prompt was to write a dystopian story involving a necklace. My mom suggested that I write something about Anastasia Romanov, because wouldn’t she be the coolest YA dystopian heroine? She would, but somehow I ended up abandoning the dystopian requirement and running away with the necklace part, creating this story in which Anastasia’s magical necklace transports her to a parallel universe.

The short story was the original first chapter of the book. Most of the beginning has been rewritten now, but there are still a few lines from that short story—that first bit of writing I’d done in years—that made it into the final draft.

Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?

Ricochet was the name of the original short story that eventually turned into the book, and I’m in love with it because it works on multiple levels. The bullet ricocheting off Anastasia’s necklace is what transports her to another realm. But “ricochet” also represents unintended consequences. As Anastasia tries to find new meaning for her life in this new world, she has to question whether or not everything happens for a reason.

Describe your dream book cover.

I love my book cover so much, and am so grateful to the designer, Maryann Appel, for working so hard to bring my vision to life! Ricochet‘s cover features the outline of a palace and its upside-down, skewed reflection—representing our world and the parallel universe in which the story takes place.

What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?

I read A LOT of YA fantasy. I haven’t had as much reading time lately as I’ve been writing and preparing for debut novel’s release (and working full time and mothering my toddler and infant and occasionally, sleeping) but my latest reads have mostly been advance review copies of other debut authors’ work. Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing and Iron Flame have also claimed quite a bit of my reading time this year.

Where is your favorite place to write?

On the couch, under a blanket, snuggling my dog!

Do you have any writing rituals?

There must be tea. Or coffee. Or occasionally, hot chocolate. Really the rule is that there must be a hot mug of something!

What is one thing you hope readers take away from reading your book? How do you envision your perfect reader?

While Ricochet‘s historical basis is the horrific execution of Russia’s last imperial family, the book is really is story about hope, resilience, and second chances. Anastasia loses everything that defines her: her family, her role, her home, her world. In Ricochet, she has to discover who she is without all of that and find new meaning in life (while also just trying to survive in a harsh new world full of danger and high-stakes adventures!).

So, while I hope that readers learn a little history, and while I hope they are entertained, I really hope that they are inspired.

Are you a writer, too? Submit your manuscript to Atmosphere Press.