Well today I am happy to introduce you to a new author out on the block, Cale Dietrich! His first book, Institution is pictured right. You can buy this book for the Kindle here. Without further-a-do, on with the interview!Can you tell us a little about your book?
Institution is the first story in a big, epic series that documents the Third World War, which is the battle between humans and "demons", a broad category that includes people with superpowers and many mythical creatures such as werewolves, nature spirits and Valkyrie.
At the centre of this brewing conflict are two siblings, Amber and Darren, who, at the beginning of the story are ordinary teenagers. Darren is in his final year of high school, and he is in a constant state of worry about the future. Amber is a university dropout, and she is wasting her life by working in a dead end job all day and partying all night. Throughout the story, these two normal kids become extraordinary, and their actions are what cause The Third World War to erupt.
Do you feel you vary from the average author?
I feel I vary from (some) authors because I honestly write these stories because I love to write them. I know that a lot of people write YA because they think it's easier than adult fiction (they're crazy) but I write YA because it's what I love to read and writing these stories is my favourite thing to do. Additionally, I think my age is an advantage. I am still a teenager (I'm 19) so the memories of those years are fresh in my mind, which makes me different from other writers, who tend to be middle aged or older who have to think back decades to remember what it is really like to be a teenager. You will never hear dated slang in any of my books.
Do you have any similar traits to one of you characters?
I think there are aspects of my personality in each character. I was pretty quiet and reserved as a young teenager (which is similar to Darren) so I kept asking myself what fifteen year old me would do in the situations that Darren was presented with. Then again, now, I am a pretty independent and headstrong person, so Amber's thoughts and actions are more similar to how I would react if I was going through those events now.
Where did you get your inspiration from?
Unfortunately, the story never appeared to me in a dream or while I was sitting on a train. The story evolved because I decided I wanted to write the most awesome series in existence, a series that, if I hadn't written, I would obsess over. I noticed that many of the books I love involve some sort of big epic battle (for example Harry Potter, with the battle appearing in the Deathly Hallows) so I decided that I wanted to write a series that focuses on that war more than anything else. After dwelling on this for quite a while, the story just fell into place.
If you could disappear into any book (apart from your own), which would you choose and why?
Harry Potter is the obvious answer, so I won't use it. I would love to just exist in the world of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, or possibly I could live in Camp Half Blood (Percy Jackson) or the Cirque du Freak.
If you could choose your own superpower, what would it be?
The powers of Wiccan from The Young Avengers. He can fly and shoot lightning. He's awesome.
How does it feel to know you have your own book out?
Completely surreal. This is something I have been thinking about for years, so now that it is finally happening it really doesn't feel real. But it is awesome and I am loving every minute of it!
Quick Fire Questions:
Historical or Dystopian? Dystopian.
Hardback or Paperback? Hardback.
Writing or Reading? So difficult. But Writing.
Fantasy or Contemporary? Fantasy.
