Celebrating Debutantes 2016: Frayed by Kara Terzis (Author Interview + Giveaway)

Hi guys! This is the third feature for #CelebratingDebutantes2016! Maricar and I are posting alternately from August 5 all the way to September 30. Keep coming back for more features and giveaways. It's listed in the main Celebrating Debutantes page, which you can access by clicking the post over here >>> (top right). Today, we are featuring a wattpad favorite, Kara Terzis and her debut Frayed.

Based on the reviews I read about Frayed, it was mentioned that there was a lot of coffee. Could you share us a bit about Ava and Kesley's caffeine fix?
This is an interesting one, because personally, I don't even drink coffee. But... yes. It's mentioned a few times in the novel, and there's a coffee shop where a few pivotal scenes happen. With Ava and Kesley, I always imagined they'd skip first period to have coffee together--to sit and talk as sisters. No animosity, no arguments. Just sit and talk like sisters.

How different was the original manuscript from the final version? What changed?
A lot changed! I wrote the first draft of FRAYED in NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) 2012, and then, in the following year, I rewrote it completely. After some more self-editing, it was picked up by Sourcebooks, and underwent through three or four (I can't remember exactly) rounds of edits with my fantastic editors. What changed specifically is probably a little too spoilery to mention, but the novel is SO much better for it.

Which scene was your favorite? Why?
I had the most fun writing the climax/ending chapters, so probably them. They’re very suspense-driven (I hope!) where there are a lot of reveals for both plot, and character motivation. I wrote FRAYED with both real-time narration and letters where Ava would write to Kesley--which was a way for her to process her sister’s death. While it’s not a scene specifically, Ava’s letters were a chance for me to dig deep into her emotion, and some of my favorite parts of the novel come from those letters.

If you could write a short story about Ava and Rafe outside of the story world you created, what would it be about?
Ooh, I love this question. Out of the story world--I'm not sure. The characters are so deeply embedded in my mind with that story it would be hard to untangle the two. But I think it would be fun to explore what happens after FRAYED. Because it's a fairly open-ended novel, there's theoretically lots more to explore. The ending of FRAYED turned everything that happened on its head, and it would be interesting to delving deep into the repercussions of the story's ending and how it effected the characters (Ava, in particular) in more detail.

Do you have advice for aspiring writers?
Keep writing--and don't give up. A lot of being writer is persistence, and even when the going gets tough (because it WILL), not to quit. But most of all, ENJOY what you do. Find the love in creating stories... and trust me, everything will be easier.

Thank you, Kara!

About the Author:

Kara Terzis was twelve when she wrote her first novel, and hasn’t stopped writing since. Later she started publishing her work on Wattpad, where in 2013 she won the Sourcebooks Story Development Prize, leading to the publication of her debut novel, Frayed (June 7th, 2016.) She adores fairy tales, photography, rainy days, and film soundtracks. When she’s not writing, you can find her buried in a good book and daydreaming. She lives with her family in Sydney, Australia.

Find Kara: Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook | Blog

Book Description:

Paperback, 304 pages
Published June 7th 2016 by Sourcebooks Fire

Dear Kesley,

My therapist tells me I should write you a letter. Like flushing all my thoughts and feelings out of my system and onto paper. I tell her it's a stupid idea.

But here I am, writing a letter to a dead girl. Where do I start? Where did our story begin? From the moment you were born...or died?

I'll start with the moment I found out the truth about you. Your lies and my pain. Because it always begins and ends with you.
And that end began when Rafe Lawrence came back to town...

Ava Hale will do anything to find her sister's killer...although she'll wish she hadn't. Because the harder Ava looks, the more secrets she uncovers about Kesley, and the more she begins to think that the girl she called sister was a liar. A sneak. A stranger.

And Kesley's murderer could be much closer than she thought...

A debut novel from Wattpad award-winner Kara Terzis, Frayed is a psychological whodunit that will keep you guessing!

Giveaway

Thanks to Kara for this giveaway!
What's up for grabs: Copy of Frayed via the Book Depository
Scope: International

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Treat yourself to a complete #CelebratingDebutantes2016 experience. Click the image below for the full schedule and links to the posts!