Author Interview: Becca Ritchie

Becca Ritchie
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Becca Ritchie's Books
Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy [Buy]
Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity [Buy]

What made you decide to write a novel at the age of fourteen?
When I was 10, I had a contest with my twin sister to see who could read the most YA books. I read more as a kid than I could even imagine doing now. There was no deadline, and it went on until I realized that finding a YA book that held my interest proved to be a challenge. So at 12, I wrote a 300 page book. The story was absolutely horrible. But I kept writing, and two years later my sister asked me to write something supernatural for her. And so Wynter Chelsea was born purely for my sister’s entertainment. It’s basically everything I wanted to find in a book as a fourteen-year-old YA nut.

Being so young, did you find it very challenging to get published?
Extremely. I debated putting my age in the bio section of the queries I sent. I figured agents would laugh and think I wrote some silly illegible story. But I read and watched TV so much that I understood plot and structure enough to create something entertaining. It took three years before I finally published Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy. That time span alone illustrates what kind of work it took just to see this book in print. I could have given up after a couple months, but I just fought for it.

Could you tell us a little about Wynter Chelsea?
Wynter Chelsea is about two families, the Wynters and the Chelseas who fight demonic beings that other people in the world know nothing about. Amanda Chelsea vies to become part of this legacy of invisible heroes, but since she’s the first girl born into either family, she’s guarded and protected all her life and shoved out of the one thing she wants most. But when both sets of parents go missing, Amanda joins her older brother and two lifelong friends on a journey across the United States. Along the way, they run into a slew of demonic horrors, and buried family secrets surface. Amanda has to confront the reason she’s living as well as her growing affection for her best friend, Dustin Wynter. I'm not very good at pimping out my book, so you can probably find a much better description at Goodreads.com or Amazon.com.

Your book is packed full of creatures and history. Did you have to do a lot of research, or was most of this just from your own mind?
I went on MapQuest to see how far away cities were to have an accurate travel time frame. And all the demons are from demonology. But that scared me so much as a kid that it became hard for me to sleep at night, so I started making up different supernatural beings like creatures and half demons. That being said, I did not consult demonology for the sequel. Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity is all from my mind.

One of the things that I absolutely loved about this book was the deep friendship between Amanda and Dustin. How did the idea of their relationship come about? Did you always know they would be that close or did it develop as the story went along?
This is going to be embarrassing. I can’t believe I’m going to admit this. But I had a crush on my older brother’s best friend. I said it. Wow, I hope he doesn’t read this. So at 14, I guess I just loved the idea of these two people having a connection rooted from a young age. This guy that Dustin is kind of modeled after lived down the street from me for as long as I can remember. I knew from the beginning that Dustin and Amanda were going to be close on a deeper level since they grew up together, and making them best friends just seemed natural as the book progressed.

How many books do you plan to have in the Wynter Chelsea series?
Currently I have five in mind, but as I write, things always change.

Do you have any upcoming projects that we should know about?
The sequel, Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity was just released, so there’s no excruciating wait to jump from the first to the second. I’m touring middle schools and high schools to speak about writing and promoting the book as well, and if anyone wants to see me at their school, go to my website www.beccaritchie.com and shoot me an email or comment on my blog. The third installment is currently in the works.

Any final words?
I am absolutely obsessed with comic book superheroes. And movies this summer are littered with capes, powers, and just pure superhero lust. So, I’m going to plug X-Men: First Class even though I’m not getting paid or any recognition for this. I just simply love X-Men like a person loves a domesticated animal. Go to the midnight premiere of X-Men! Dress up! (You don’t have to dress up) Go! I’ll be there, probably in civilian clothes but pretending on the inside that I’m a mutant.

Review: Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy, by Becca Ritchie

Wynter Chelsea: The Legacy
by Becca Ritchie

Publisher: Outskirts Press
Release Date: October 19, 2008
Series: Wynter Chelsea
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: Paperback, 384
Source: Author
Rating: 5/5 (Avg 4.5/5)

Four hundred years ago a creature descended upon the Earth. The supernatural hunted innocent lives wanting blood and vengeance. Two families, the Wynters and the Chelseas, knew of the darkness that reigned over the world. For thousands of years they hunted and killed to protect those who knew nothing of the dangers.

Amanda Chelsea vies to be a part of the Wynter Chelsea legacy, constantly craving the thrill of a lifetime that her older brother, Jack, and the two Wynter boys experience. At seventeen, Amanda’s passion to fight is overwhelming, and she cannot come to grips with why the boys are protecting her. Abilities are cast upon the new generation of Wynters and Chelseas, only in hopes of guiding them to vanquish the impenetrable creature. Even as Amanda Chelsea receives the power of empathy, feeling other people’s emotions, it brings more harm than a vital potency. Through the turmoil in New Jersey, Dustin Wynter is the only one able to relate to Amanda with a similar gift. As Jack’s rage boils over the edge, Dustin must put the pieces back together and hold the legacy up with a shaking arm and a quirky brother by his side.

When the world couldn’t seem to become anymore dangerous, both parents of each family go missing. Now with no choice but to bring Amanda along, she finally is able to fight without hassle, but is it worth it? Is the disappearance of the ones she loved a price that she has to pay for her dream to join the legacy? Traveling across the United States, the four young adults must confront their hidden emotions and ultimate reason for living.

I went into this book pretty much on blind faith because of the lack of reviews online, but I couldn't really say no when (1) the synopsis of the book was so intriguing, and (2) the author was so courteous and sweet. After reading the book, I was glad I decided to go with it.

This book was completely amazing. There's action from the very beginning and it doesn't let up until the very end. There's demons and other creatures around every bend, each different yet just as evil as the last. When the action lulls, you're still completely swept away learning about Amanda, her family, friends and the history of the Wynters and Chelseas. Throughout the entire story is the mystery behind the disappearance of the parents, which is never strayed from in any way. There's also a bit of a romantic interest sprinkled in there as well.

Every once in a while, I would get a little frustrated with Amanda and her choices. They seemed a little irrational to me. But as I was reading and saw the way she was raised and treated, I eventually came around to understanding why she reacts that way that she does. I can't say that I wouldn't do the exact same things if I was in her place. Her relationship with Dustin makes my heart swell so much. Both Amanda and Dustin love each other completely, depending on one another as much as they consider one another when making decisions. They complement each other perfectly. As a matter of fact, I think all four of the kids are very complementary of one another - though not as much as Amanda and Dustin. Jack is definitely the big brother type that has to juggle that with being a leader as well. Sometimes he struggles doing both at the same time, but his decisions are definitely leader-worthy. And Trevor is just ... Trevor. He's definitely the jokester, but can be more serious if the situation calls for it. I think he was one of my favorite characters, aside from the two leads. You don't see much of the parents, but you can feel their presence throughout in different ways.

I honestly can't tell you whether I thought this book was more character- or plot-driven when you have so much of both. "Chock full" doesn't even begin to describe how much action, history and intrigue there is in this book. Yet, it doesn't feel overwhelming at all. Becca did an incredible job at writing the story. You never feel frustrated by everything crammed into the book, nor do you feel confused because everything is explained in its own time in the book. I think the part that blows my mind the most is the age Becca was when she wrote this -- fourteen. Incredible, right?

This is a book that has flown under the radar for long enough. It's one of the most highly recommended YA paranormal books that I've read this year. Once you finish, you'll want more... and thankfully you won't have to wait because Wynter Chelsea: The Sublimity is already out and available for purchase!

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