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Tuesday, June 14, 2016

Interview with Kerri Mansicalco + Giveaway!


Brittany: Hi guys! I'm back with the 2016 YA Debut Authors Bash with another awesome author, Kerri Mansicalco!

Kerri Maniscalco grew up in a small town just outside of New York City where her love of the arts was fostered from an early age. In her spare time she reads everything she can get her hands on, cooks all kinds of food with her family and friends, and drinks entirely too much tea while discussing life’s finer points with her cats.
STALKING JACK THE RIPPER, her debut YA gothic horror, is coming September 20, 2016 from JIMMY Patterson/Little, Brown. It’s the first in a new series and incorporates her love of forensic science and unsolved history.
Connect with Kerri: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Tumblr | Pinterest


Brittany: Hi Kerri! Thank you for doing this interview with me! <3

Kerri: Hi Brittany! Thank YOU for interviewing me :D

Brittany: Could you share what your writing process is like? Do you outline? Do you just write and see where your mind takes you to? Do you have a specific routine or things you need in order to write?

Kerri: Usually I like to come up with a small blurb, kind of like what you see on the back of a book, and then let my muse take me from there. With Stalking Jack the Ripper, I immediately knew who my villain was going to be and how I wanted it to end, but allowed myself the freedom of how to connect the dots. I was also able to use the historical timeline of events from the murders, so it was interesting filling in the blanks between the crimes.

Brittany: What made you interested in Jack the Ripper?

Kerri: I’ve always been intrigued by the psychology behind serial killers, and forensics was a field I considered in college. The Ripper case was so interesting because it was one of the first times in history where forensics were applied and used widely. And the mystery? Goodness. The mystery that still lingers around it today is something that just BEGS to be explored more. “What if?” is like creative catnip to a writer. Once I’d figured out that I wanted to write a Victorian Era CSI with a strong female lead, there was really only one case for her to become embroiled in.

Brittany: What is the scariest or creepiest thing you’ve ever done for fun?

Kerri: Oh my gosh. I’ve got a hefty list. But I think the scariest thing I’ve ever done for fun was go to the Headless Horseman Hayride when they had a killer clown theme. I am TERRIFIED of clowns and as we were coming toward the end of the hayride, a bunch of chainsaw-wielding clowns jumped out and “attacked” our group. (There were no chains on the chainsaw, but they were loud and scary and smelled like gasoline and terror. I seriously wanted to DIE when the killer clown brought it down on my leg.)

Brittany: What are some of your pet peeves?

Kerri: Hahah oh man. These are embarrassing. I usually take a deep breath when I see people tossing around insults on the interwebs and they use the wrong your/you’re, or there/they’re/their. It takes most of my willpower to not be the one who points out “you’re* being a jerk.” Also, whenever I see text shorthand or no punctuation I kinda cringe.

Brittany: What is your favorite non-spoilery quote or scene from your book?

Kerri: One of my very favorite quotes comes in chapter one. It’s at the end of the closing scene and my main character, Audrey Rose, promises her uncle that she’ll be as silent as the dead when attending his forensic class in disguise the next morning. His response is:

“Ah,” Uncle said, putting a hat on and tugging it low, “the dead speak to those who listen. Be quieter than even them.”

It’s such a true statement coming from this forensic professor/medical examiner, and it’s delightfully creepy and wonderful at once. I think it really captures the essence of SJTR.

Brittany: Who was your first OTP?

Kerri: My first? Hmmm. This is hard because I ship so many characters now. Sherlock and Watson were my first one true pairing for friendship. As for first romantic pairings? That will forever be Romeo and Juliet. (Followed closely by Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.) I am clearly awful with sticking to the first one…

Brittany: What would automatically make you stop reading a book?

Kerri: This is really tough because I don’t think there’s a book that I’ve DNF’d. I’m an eternal optimist who keeps going with the hope that it’ll get better in the next chapter. However, if I ever came across a rape scene used solely as a plot device or reason for a young woman (or any woman or man) to start kicking ass, I’d probably stop reading. To geek-out for a second on The Force Awakens, one of the reasons Rey was such an amazing character was because she was simply good at being a mechanic, and she didn’t apologize for her skills. I like seeing female characters who are empowered to just be themselves and live authentically.

Brittany: What is one material possession you could not live without no matter what?

Kerri: I’m going to cheat here and say my mother’s Nancy Drew set. My grandmother was very, very poor, but with each paycheck she’d put pennies away and slowly add Nancy Drew stories to her collection for my mom every month. Without my grandmother’s love of reading—she even used to read to my mom while she was pregnant with her—I would not be who I am today. Knowing how hard she worked just to bring these stories into our lives, I could never live without those beautiful, tattered, used books. They mean more to me than all the money in the universe.

Brittany: What are some of your favorite hobbies?

Kerri: I come from a long line of family members who enjoy cooking. My grandmother, my uncles, my mom, the list goes on. When I’m not writing, I’m usually in the kitchen with my family or friends. I love the whole creative process of coming up with something fun and different. And beautiful! We eat with our eyes as much as our mouths, so I really enjoy making food look good too. I’m also really into music. I used to write about live shows when I still lived in New York, and I’ve always got some album on when I’m not working. I don’t get to go as much, but when I have downtime I try and get out to see live shows.

Brittany: Which fictional character (not from your own book) do you identify with the most? The character could be from a book, TV Show, Movie, Comic, etc.

Kerri: Great question! I think that I’d have to say that I identify with Jo March the most. (And my family would likely agree.) We’d be the very best of friends and have lots of things to discuss from time spent writing plays when we were younger, to our fierce belief in maintaining our individuality throughout our lives.

Brittany: Thank you again, Kerri, for doing this interview with me and being on the blog today! 


I hope all of you enjoyed this post. Be sure to check out Kerri's amazing debut novel, Stalking Jack the Ripper!



Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Mansicalco
Publisher: Jimmy Patterson/Little, Brown & Co.
Publication Date: Sept. 20th, 2016
Buy it: Amazon B&N | Book Depository | IndieBound
Presented by James Patterson's new children's imprint, this deliciously creepy horror novel has a storyline inspired by the Ripper murders and an unexpected, blood-chilling conclusion...

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord's daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father's wishes and society's expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle's laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

The story's shocking twists and turns, augmented with real, sinister period photos, will make this dazzling debut from author Kerri Maniscalco impossible to forget.


a Rafflecopter giveaway


43 comments:

  1. Great interview! I love Jack the Ripper stories. Is it sad that I hate the case is closed now? I'm a sucker for famous cold cases, and was bummed when they figured out the whodunit.

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    1. Thank you! Cold cases drive me insane, I want know that everything was solved. Unfortunately, that's often not the case.

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  2. This was such a fun interview! Glad to get to know a tad bit more about Mansicalco! I can't wait for this book! Why? Well, because I am a sucker for all that's been mentioned about this book. Jack the Ripper. The forensics. The era. Everything! And I just can't wait to see what happens! :D

    Thanks for the great interview! x

    ~L.@ Reading Against Time

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    1. I'm glad that you enjoyed it ^_^ Kerri is great and so is her book. I loved it so much and I hope you do too.

      Thank you for stopping by!

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  3. I love the idea of a female protagonist following one of the most famous serial killers of our time. What an original story to fall in love with!

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    1. That's Audrey Rose for you! I hope you love Stalking Jack the Ripper as much as I do!!

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  4. Thanks for joining the #16DABash!

    -N

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    1. My pleasure! Thank you for letting me be a part of it ^_^

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  5. Stalking Jack the Ripper sounds so good and intriguing! Plus it sets on Victorian era--one of my favorite setting. I've heard so many good things about this book and really excited to read it! :)

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    1. Stalking Jack the Ripper is amazing! I had such a great time while reading it.

      Generally, any book set in the Victorian era catches my attention haha.

      I hope you love this book as much as I do ^_^

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  6. Great interview! Sounds like a wonderful book.

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  7. What a great interview! I definitely need this book!

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    1. Yes, you do! Everyone needs this book because it's amazing ^__^

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  8. I want to read this book because it has a unique plot and character for me (I've never read about a teen forensicly-inclined girl before). Plus this is a field on one of my favorite TV shows--Bones.

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    1. I've never seen Bones but I think you'll love Stalking Jack the Ripper. Audrey Rose (the MC) is wonderful! Can't wait to see what you think ^_^

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    2. If you have the chance, check Bones out--many seasons are on Netflix if you have access to that. Science, mystery, romance (the best kind in my opinion--slow, strong relationship building first).

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  9. Lovely interview Brittany :D Thank you for sharing about this book. <3 Hugs. It looks SO PRETTY. And sounds pretty interesting too :D Hope you are doing great. <3

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    1. It's even better inside, I hope you check it out.

      I'm doing well, I hope you are too!

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  10. oh wow! This is so amazing! Now I am even more obsessed with this book! I just want the release date to come sooner!

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    1. Yay! I find that authors always make me more excited for their books. I hope you enjoy it!

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  11. I want to read Stalking Jack the Ripper because I love books that focus on things that we wouldn't think of ordinarily. Forensics is definitely one of my areas of interest (I've studied it and partially work in it) and so I like to see how authors approach such a scientific subject. I've seen the sneak preview of the beginning, and I'm just too excited to wait! Plus, who doesn't like a shiny book cover! ;)

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    1. That's so cool that you are studying and working (even partially) with forensics! I've always been interested. I hope you love this book as much as I do because it's amazing ^_^

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  12. Love this interview! Omigosh I totally imagined this book to be a Victorian version of CSI LMAO (also since sequels are coming out and they sound like extra adventures for the main characters). I absolutely love how she's sticking to the historical timeline for Jack the Ripper and everything about this case. Once I watched a documentary on this killer and it was morbidly interesting, y'feel? Like I would be terrified at some of the things the forensics scientists discovered but couldn't stop watching.

    - Aila @ One Way Or An Author

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    1. It totally is a Victorian version of CSI but with a swoony romance! I'm the same way, since I'm a huge scaredy cat but when it comes to forensic science and documentaries on serial killers I can't look away haha.

      I hope you love this book as much as I do! Thanks for stopping by <3

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  13. I want to read Stalking Jack The Ripper because it sounds like it's going to have a lot of originality to it, as well as ya know...creepiness! Being from London, there's not many people who don't know about the case, and wandering around the city you kind of think about it and what it would have been like back in those times, and I'm fascinated by the way crime was solved or in this case not solved back in those days. Basically I'm a total history nerd and blame it on my city because....full of history! Plus I love theories about who the Ripper was and it drives me up the wall that it will never be solved categorically -_-

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    1. You're from London? That's so cool. I really want to take the Jack the Ripper tour there. And London has soo much history, I hope I get to see it someday. Being from New York, a lot of the historical places have been destroyed and replaced, unfortunately.

      I hope you love Stalking Jack the Ripper!

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  14. Stalking Jack the Ripper sounds like an awesome adventure ♡ Thank you

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  15. For once again, I'm putting this out in the internet: I AM SO FREAKIN EXCITED FOR STALKING JACK THE RIPPER!!! THE FIRST CHAPTER KILLED ME AND ALL OF YOUR TEASERS OF SJTR LAST BOOK CHAT AND OMG I CANNOT SERIOUSLY WAIT.

    And since words are not enough to convey my excitement: kjavskjrgb;fg43ui;fgvi4tgrf9owbd NEED fkjg;o

    Thank you for the giveaway also, Brittany! :D

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    1. You should be excited because this book is AMAZING!! AHHHH!

      The giveaway is not provided by me but I wish you good luck on the giveaway!

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  16. Woo hoo!
    Victorian Era CSI - sounds super awesome,looking forward to read :)
    Thanks for the great interview :)

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    1. It is super awesome! I hope you enjoy it ^_^

      Thanks for stopping by!

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  17. Audrey Rose just sounds like such a great rebellious and fearless heroine, so that definitely appeals to me and also I haven't read very many thrillers set in the Victorian era, and I always like to branch out with my reading.

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    1. Audrey Rose is definitely as you describe her! Anything set in the Victorian era has my attention and this was a great thriller! I hope you love it as much as I do ^_^

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  18. This book looks so awesome! I'm seeing amazing reviews everywhere so I'm getting really excited for it! :D

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  19. I love the idea of the heroine bucking convention and studying what interests her. Combined with a little CSI style mystery and what sounds like some suspense this sounds like a great read!

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  20. The history of Jack the Ripper fascinates me. That the mystery has never been solved makes it extra spooky. I loved the movie From Hell. I can't wait to read this author's take on it.

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  21. Of course, first I want to read it because the whole Jack the Ripper story has always fascinated me. Secondly because I do enjoy a good forensic science mystery, probably due to my interest in science from being a science teacher.

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  22. You had me at YA Gothic horror and Jack the Ripper.

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