Meet the Author: Kory M. Shrum

Item: Dying by the Hour
Author: Lillian

Posted September 9, 2014 by Lillian in Interviews / 0 Comments

Today on the blog I am so excited to have Kory M. Shrum, the author of Dying for a Living and its newly released sequel Dying by the Hour, here to answer a few questions.

Lillian: Thank you so much for being here today Kory 😀 Tell me a little about yourself.

Kory: My life revolves around books. When I am not reading them, writing them, or looking for them—I’m teaching them 🙂

Lillian: What inspired you to become a writer?

Kory: I’ve always loved stories and can remember having a passionate argument with someone regarding the Little Mermaid when I was 5 or so, particular Ariel’s motivation for leaving the sea. I didn’t consciously start writing until college—and didn’t complete my first novel until 2009. But my cousin recently drummed up a poem that I’d written around age 10—so I have a feeling that this whole writing biz was going to happen no matter what.

Lillian: Was there an author that influenced you growing up?

Kory: I read Nancy Collin’s Sonja Blue series (way too young, might I add), and was totally blown away. It was the most bizarre and amazing thing I had read.

Lillian: The first of your stories that I read was a short called Blind and it was so unique! Where do you get your ideas?

Kory: I have a whole blog post about this: http://korymshrum.blogspot.com/2014/08/where-do-you-get-your-ideas-amwriting.html. But the short answer is everywhere.

Lillian: Is there anything in your books based on real-life experience or is it purely imagination?

Kory: It’s a steady mix of both. A lot of the places I describe are real places. And a lot of the character motivations are real—as in I’ve felt them at one time or another. The rest is imagined to fill in the blanks.

Lillian: What was your favorite part to write and why?

Kory: Jesse is fun to write. I won’t tell you where she gets her snark from 😉

Lillian: Is there a character or theme from your series you’d like to go back to?

Kory: Yep. I’m fairly certain there will be a Dying for Her: Brinkley’s Story that spans both before he met Jesse, during and up until—the end of Book 2. It would focus on all that he knows about Caldwell, the agents and even Jesse, that Jesse doesn’t and also on Rachel.

Lillian: If you could go back and do it all over again, is there anything you would change?

Kory: Je ne regrette rien

Lillian: Are you working on anything now?

Kory: I need to finish up some short projects and a poetry collection, then I think I’ll be writing more Jesse.

Lillian: Being a writer criticism comes with the job. What’s been the hardest criticism and how would you say you got through it?

Kory: Hardest? Well most people have been really kind about Jesse and overwhelmingly positive. I love it. But a couple of people made comments about the editing in Book 1. It made me feel like I’d produced an inferior product or that I’d somehow done my book an injustice just because I couldn’t afford an editor. But thankfully these criticisms were few and far between. I can only hope as I get more $, I’ll be able to funnel that back into the books. I think that is why Book 2 is a lot better than book 1 in quite a few ways. As to best compliment, character development. A lot of people love that Jesse is “real” or flawed. That this helps the characters come alive for them—and I think that is amazing. And I feel really good when readers think that.

Lillian: That’s always wonderful to hear! Do you have any advice you’d like to share with aspiring writers?

Kory: Don’t stop writing. When you do the muscles get cold and it just gets harder!

Lillian: I like that 🙂 Is there anything you would like to share with your fans?

Kory: You are literally making my dreams come true. Thank you for that.

Lillian: Now for the hard questions…..Favorite color?

Kory: Baby blue or purple

Lillian: Favorite movie?

Kory: The Fifth Element—though Guardians of the Galaxy was AWESOME

Lillian: Favorite TV show?

Kory: Of all time? Buffy or Charmed

Lillian: Girl after my own heart!! Favorite place to write?

Kory: In bed

Lillian: If you had to choose just one book, what would it be and why?

Kory: I’d pick one of those really big books that I intend to read but have not yet: The Stand by King, Moby Dick, War and Peace—something like that. So I could be like “Well, I have to read it now!”

Lillian: 😆 Last question and possible the most important….What brand of cereal best describes you and why?

Kory: Good question! I love cereal. For that reason alone, it’s hard to choose! I’d say it’s a toss up between Lucky Charms and Froot Loops (maybe fruity pebbles).—or Honey Nut Cheerios!…excuse me while I go eat a bowl or two…

Kory’s new novel Dying by the Hour is available now!

Dying by the Hour by Kory M. Shrum
Series: ,
Published by Timberlane Press on 2014-09-02
Length: 444 pages
Reviewing eBook

After 83 deaths, Jesse Sullivan knows how to die. As a Necronite, she is one of the population’s rare 2% who can serve as a death replacement agent, dying so others don’t have to. But using her NRD to save lives is why she’s being hunted.

For Ally Gallagher, death is permanent. If she fails to protect Jesse again, there will be no third attempt. After a quiet year the signs of serious danger have returned. People connected to Jesse are disappearing. Her home is vandalized and threatening messages are turning up in the safest of places.

Then Jesse is taken and Ally has only hours to get her back. But no salvation comes without its price.