Miranda Kavi - Rua
• Pub Date: August 28, 2012
• Publisher: Black CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Format: Paperback/Ebook, 248 pp
• Age Range: Young Adult
A girl with an unknown destiny.
A boy from a hidden world.
When Celeste starts at a new school in a small, Kansas town, she hears whispering voices, has vivid nightmares, and swarms of blackbirds follow her every move. She is oddly drawn to aloof Rylan, the other new student who has his own secrets. The exact moment she turns seventeen, she wakes to a bedroom full of strange creatures, purple light emanating from her hands, and Rylan breaking in through her bedroom window. He knows what she is . . . Intriguing and deeply romantic, RUA is page-turning YA novel with a supernatural twist.
The Story Behind Rua
by Miranda Kavi
As writer, Rua was different for me from the beginning. I had a few books under my belt and wanted to push myself as a writer. I normally get into these crazy writing modes where I get furiously write during coffee-fueled late nights and finish a very rough draft in several weeks. With Rua, I took several months to finish. I planned, researched, and outlined first.
The first deliberate decision I made with this book was to make it YA. I didn’t have a “traditional” high school experience (if there is such a thing). I worked after school and long shifts on weekends starting at fifteen so I could pay my bills. I finished high school in three years so I could start college and began my adult life. Writing YA allows me to experience those years in a different and exciting way.
I really wanted a unique story. I researched several mythologies in Indian, Greek, and European culture. When I stumbled across a reference to Irish legend of “The People of the Mists,” I was intrigued. That just sounds cool, right? I had discovered the foundation on which I very loosely base the world in which Celeste lives.
The characters came naturally. It was very organic for me. When I write dialogue, my mind produces the voice and image of the characters. Celeste needed to be adopted so she would have an unknown past. I wanted her adoptive parents to be amazing and supportive, so I did just that. I also wanted her to have a loyal friend that would add some variety and flair to her life, thus creating Tink.
I wrote after work, sometimes staying up until two or three in the morning. I finished Rua in late 2009. I put it away for a few months before looking at it again. After some major revisions, I sent it off to some beta readers. I got amazing, enthusiastic responses. My sister, who is very blunt, even said “This book is good. That other one sucked, but this one is really good.” Coming from her, that’s the equivalent of a standing ovation. I took the critical feedback and made some major changes.
While I was pregnant, I was exhausted. I came home from work and slept. My daughter was born early and required extra care and support. As a result, I didn’t touch Rua (or any other project) for about a year and a half.
I returned to Rua late last year. I loved it. I still love it. I refined it. I changed the title. I decided to share it with the word as my debut. So, here I am!
That’s the story of Rua. I never intended it to be a series, but here I am, still writing about Celeste. We shall see. . .
Miranda Kavi is a YA and Urban Fantasy author. She has worked as an attorney, an executive recruiter, and an assistant in a biological anthropology lab. She loves scary movies, museums, and is hopelessly addicted to chocolate. She lives in the Houston area with her husband and daughter.
Find Miranda:
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