Interview: J.B. Kantt, Author of Roses Are Red

Welcome to Howling for Books, J.B. Kantt, author of Roses Are Red!

J.B. Kantt is a debut author whose novel Roses Are Red was released recently. Take a look at her book before there's an interview with her!

Roses Are Red (The Blood, Sweat and Tears series, #1)
by J.B. Kantt
Published May 10th 2015 by Silver Rose Publishing

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years.

Aside from her crush showing up unexpectedly, the summer starts out as Isla expected: she participates in multiple activities with her friends, while her brother shies away from doing anything with anyone. But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome.

Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. Despite being annoyed that such a huge secret was kept from her, Isla has always questioned the loyalty of her own flesh and blood. But once more family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water.

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About J.B.

The first story J.B. Kantt ever wrote was for a creative writing class application during her college days. Little did she know that a step towards fulfilling her undergraduate language arts requirement would also be a step towards fulfilling a passion for writing she never knew she had. Now, despite her dreams of becoming a developmental pediatrician, not a day goes by that J.B. doesn’t think about becoming an author as well. When she’s not hitting the books, she’s working on her next book (in between volunteering and practicing taekwondo).

Her debut novel, Roses Are Red, is the first of the Blood, Sweat, and Tears Series. J.B. hopes that her journey to publication helps other writers realize that through hard work and dedication, anything is possible, no matter how old you are or how long you’ve been writing.

 

Now, here's an interview with lovely J.B.!

Can you tell us about your debut novel, J.B.?

I can tell you that it’s a young adult paranormal. In terms of any other details, I think the back blurb of Roses Are Red explains it well:

After her foster mother’s unexplained death six months ago, fourteen-year-old Isla Timearth just wants things to go back to normal for her and her twin brother, Monty. But “normal” can only go so far for a closed-off girl with abandonment issues and an anxious boy that gets frequent nosebleeds. Still, the troubled redheads give it a shot by returning to the summer camp they’ve been going to for years.

Aside from her crush showing up unexpectedly, the summer starts out as Isla expected: she participates in multiple activities with her friends, while her brother shies away from doing anything with anyone. But camp traditions get rained on when their biological mother shows up unannounced and, as far as Isla’s concerned, unwelcome.

Knowing that Mother Nature is the mother of all mood swings, Isla isn’t all that surprised to find out that her temperamental biological mother is the terrestrial goddess. What does surprise her is that Monty, the favorite twin, already knew but never told her. Despite being annoyed that such a huge secret was kept from her, Isla has always questioned the loyalty of her own flesh and blood. But once more family secrets start to unravel around her fellow campers, Isla finds out whether blood really is thicker than water.

What inspired you to write about Isla, Monty and terrestrial gods?

I was actually inspired by an anime called Black Butler. It was one specific scene towards the end of the series that sparked the idea for Roses Are Red. I won’t give away what that scene was because I don’t want to spoil it for those who plan on reading Roses Are Red and/or plan on watching Black Butler.

What would be the best compliment given to you by a fan of this book?

The best compliment would probably be that my book somehow made a difference in their life. To know that my work can have an effect on a reader would be amazing.

Do you prefer writing standalones or series? Why’s that?

I don’t really prefer one to the other; some books are meant to be standalones, while others are meant to be series. It really depends on how many ideas I have and/or how complex those ideas are.

How important are your peer’s opinions of your work?

I appreciate everyone that reads my book, whether they’re my peers or readers. I know that everyone has different opinions, some that are in favor of my work and some that are not, and that’s okay. At the end of the day, I like writing stories that I’d enjoy reading, and that’s what’s most important to me.

What books have most influenced your life?

I’d say my favorite books have influenced my life, just simply because I still think about them even though I read them years ago. My top two favorite books are To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and You Don’t Know Me by David Klass.

Are you busily working on the sequel / next book?

While I’ve created an (disorganized) outline for the sequel to Roses Are Red, I’m thinking about writing the first book in a completely different series before I write the sequel.

 

Thank you, J.B., for visiting Howling for Books and answering some questions!