Drumline By Stacy Kestwick - Author Interview
Drumline audiobook Blog Tour - Author Interview
STACY KESTWICK
Let's get to know Stacy Kestwick a little better. I got questions here and I know you're dying to know the answers to them!
Tell us about the process of turning your book into an audiobook I have to admit, I was a complete newbie to the audiobook process. I knew nothing. I learned some of the basics from my author buddies who were seasoned pros, and then trusted my narrators to steer me along the right path. They were both beyond patient as they guided me through the steps. I think Tracy even went so far as to send me screen shots with step by step instructions at times.
How did you select your narrator? Tracy had actually reached out to me after reading my debut novel, Wet, but at the time, I was in graduate school and the thought of exploring audiobooks was too overwhelming. But once I finished Drumline, and started exploring the various narrators out there, I stumbled upon her again by chance and loved a sample of hers I found, then remembered we’d already talked once and it was clearly meant to be a match. To find my male narrator, I searched my author friends books on audible and listened to their samples to see who jumped out at me. I heard Stephen Dexter on a sample of one of Krista and Becca Ritchie’s books, then realized my critique partner Lex Martin had used him too. She gave him a glowing recommendation, and that sealed the deal for wanting to use him.
Were there any real life inspirations behind your writing? Well, for Drumline, I was in the marching band both in high school and for two years at the college level. I played cymbals my first year, then switched over to colorguard the rest of the time. Hazing did play a role in my college experiences, although nothing so bad as to make the nightly news, and it seemed like a relevant topic to explore -- without going too dark with it.
Is there a particular part of this story that you feel is more resonating in the audiobook performance than in the book format? Oh, the sexy scenes for sure. Especially the first time Laird and Reese have sex. I blushed so hard listening to that chapter, and had my eyes half covered. It’s so much more deliciously dirty in audio than it will ever be in black-and-white.
What gets you out of a writing slump? What about a reading slump? Talking to other authors and readers gets me out of a writing slump. Authors understand the feeling and the pressure of the looming deadline, and I’m lucky enough to have a really fantastic network of author friends to lean on when I need it, who are great at peptalks and ass-kicking, depending which I need more. And my readers group - Stacy Kestwick’s The Wreck on Facebook - is my safe place. It’s a super active bunch of the readers who buoy me up every day. I always want to make them proud and they help keep me going. Honestly, I haven’t been in a reading slump in ages. There are so many good books out there in every conceivable trope just waiting to be devoured. But certainly, a reread of a perennial favorite is a good way to beat a slump. I reread Jay Crownover’s Rule and Sierra Simone’s historical Ivy Leavold series this year.
Was a possible audiobook recording something you were conscious of while writing? While creating an audiobook for Drumline was one of my goals with this project, it wasn’t something I really thought about as I wrote. The characters were telling their story and I was simply making sure I did it justice. I was more concerned with word choice, pacing, sexual tension, side plots, vivid descriptions, and all the various ingredients that go into the recipe for a great New Adult romance.
If this title were being made into a TV series or movie, who would you cast to play the primary roles? I’d love to see Blake Lively as Reese and Colton Haynes as Laird. :-)
Have any of your characters ever appeared in your dreams? Of course! And they usually do something unexpected and brilliant that I’m scrambling to remember in the foggy reality of morning.
What’s next for you? I’m starting a co-writing project with the amazing Hazel James that we’ll release under the pen name Rory Hale. And I’m starting a new trilogy that I’m still in the midst of the background research for, but I’m so freaking excited about it. It’s going to be hotter than my previous stuff, with some voyeurism and exhibitionism coming into play.
I hope you enjoyed this Interview!
