Interview: Kirsten Miller



Kirsten Miller, the butt kicking-ly fabulous author of the recently publish The Eternal Ones and the awesome Kiki Strike series, kindly answered a few questions.



A cool New Yorker, the author
Kirsten Miller



Q)What would you say the music tastes would be of the characters in The Eternal Ones?

Haven: The Smiths and Joy Division. (But also latest indie rock as well. She strikes me as the kind of girl who’d have a full Ipod.)

Beau: Elvis Presley, old school country like Patsy Cline, and Bollywood musicals.

Iain: Because he remembers so many lives, I’m sure he enjoys a wide range of music. But for some reason, I see him as a Rolling Stones kind of guy.

Adam: Classical music. Probably Wagner.


Q)Which talent would you most like to have from your ‘past life’?
I wish I’d been born a medical savant. (I considered pursing a career as a doctor, but I didn’t want to spend my youth in school.) I think the best doctors are often very good detectives. And that really appeals to me. I’d love to go around solving puzzles and saving lives.


Q)All your characters (from Kiki Strike and The Eternal Ones) have unique/different names. How do you go about naming a character?

MUST READ PEOPLES!
Kiki Strike: Inside the Shadow City.

Naming characters is always extremely difficult for me. Kiki Strike wasn’t all that hard. (My nickname + the last name of my best friend in sixth grade.) But it took ages to come up with names for the characters in The Eternal Ones. I do keep a long list of interesting names that I’d like to use someday. (The latest addition? Cash Worthington. Believe it or not, that’s the name of a real person.) But nothing on my list seemed right for TEO. My sister finally suggested the name Haven for my protagonist. I chose it because it sounds Southern (as in the southern US), and it doesn’t really suit her personality. I figured someone who feels like she’s been born in the wrong town would also have a name that isn’t quite right.

Q)What do you think the Irregulars (Kiki Strike) and Haven (The Eternal Ones) would discuss over coffee if they were to meet each other?
Excellent question! I think the Irregulars could teach Haven a thing or two about tailing people (without getting caught) or disguising her appearance. Oona would probably volunteer to hack into the Ouroboros Society computers, which could prove quite helpful. Betty would want to know all the mushy details about Haven and Iain. Luz would offer to punch Adam in the nose.


Q)What would be your preferred era to live in and why?


James Franco
(the dude from Spiderman).

I would love to see ancient Rome. Or the Mayan empire at its height. Or China during the reign of the first emperor. Unfortunately, these weren’t exactly the best times to be female. (I’m not sure there have been many good times in history to be female.) So I think I’d choose 1920s New York instead. I’m fascinated by flappers and speakeasies. A girl could live a little in the 1920s. And the dresses were super cute.





 Q)Who did you seek inspiration from to create the character of Adam?

I had the actor James Franco in mind when I wrote the book. I find him quite interesting. He’s handsome and charming, yet you sense there’s something quite dark and dangerous beneath that dazzling smile.

Thank you for your time Kirsten! Anyone out there who is interested, check out The Eternal Ones blog (where you can get past life readings) and the cool/creepy/wowsers/informative/weird Ananka's Diary.