We recently caught up with the brilliant Jackie Morse Kessler, author of The Horsemen of the Apocalyse series. In this interview she discusses her books, NEDA, death and strip clubs.

 Where did you get the idea for The Horsemen of the Apocalypse series?

I’ve wanted to write a story about an anorexic teenage girl who becomes the new Famine for a very long time—like, 10 years. My agent finally convinced me to write it (and thank goodness!). She’s also the one who said to me after HUNGER went on submission, “So what’s the next Horseman book going to be about?” And that’s when I started thinking about stories for the other three Riders.

I understand that a portion of the proceeds of HUNGER will be donated to the National Eating Disorders Association. This is a wonderful thing. What made you decide to do this?

If there’s a theme to the Horsemen books, it’s how we choose to destroy ourselves—and how we can choose to save ourselves as well. For HUNGER, the more that people are aware of eating disorders—what they are and what they’re not—the more likely it is that someone who needs help and support will be able to get it. (If you bought a copy of HUNGER, thank you for helping to make a difference!)

I found the books in parts a real eye-opener. Did you struggle with some of the issues of the book when writing it?

For HUNGER, no — the book was extremely cathartic. I used to be bulimic, and I still have self-image issues; it was extremely important to me to write about eating disorders in a raw, realistic way. At least Death lightened things up a little.

Did you have a favourite character to write about in Hunger?

Death. Totally. He’s a lot of fun to write. I figure that if you’ve been around for millennia, you’ve got to have a sense of humor about things. (The Kurt Cobain thing was a complete surprise. I really have no idea where that came from. I wasn’t even a Nirvana fan before I started writing HUNGER.)

Have any of your characters demanded more page space than you had originally planned?

In this series? Death. Totally. He plays more of a role in RAGE, which is War’s book and looks at self-injury. In Pestilence’s book, which I’m writing now, it’s safe to say readers will see a completely different side of Death. And then there will be Death’s book. **rubs hands gleefully**

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

You can’t fix what you don’t write. Get it down. Finish it. And then take the time to make it right.

What is your writing process like?

When I’m in the zone and things are going well, it’s like the story has already been written and all I’m doing is typing the words. But when things aren’t flowing so well, it can be a struggle. I used to be a pantser (that is, writing by the seat of my pants, no outline), but now I’m much more of a plotter with pantsing tendencies.

Has researching for a novel ever got you into any funny situations?

Well…for my first adult novel that was published, I had to go to a strip club. For research purposes. My Loving Husband, God bless him, insisted on accompanying me, because, as he said, he completely supported my research efforts.

As a writer, who are your main influences?

Biggest influence, hands down, is Neil Gaiman. He’s the reason I believed I could become a writer in the first place. I also greatly enjoy the works of Christopher Moore, Jim Butcher, and Rachel Caine. And the reason why I first started writing for teens was because of Heather Brewer, my amazing critique partner.

It seems that more and more adult readers are finding their way to YA books. Why do you think that is?

Speaking for myself, I didn’t have a teen section in the bookstore when I was a teen, so a lot of stories that I would have inhaled I simply never had the opportunity to read…until now. So I think part of it is making up for lost time. And part of it also is that as with adult fiction, teen fiction really has no boundaries other than what the author sets, so it can be extremely emotional and powerful to read about teenage protagonists discovering their inner strengths and truly coming of age.

What is the best part about being an author?

Meeting readers who enjoyed my work. Readers rock!

And the worst?

There’s a huge amount of uncertainty in publishing. First, you don’t know if you’re going to get an agent. Then you don’t know if your book is going to get sold. Then you don’t know if your book is going to get good reviews. Then you don’t know if your book is going to get placement in the stores. Then you don’t know if your book is going to be well received. And THEN you don’t know if you’re going to make your numbers. This is not a business for the weak of heart. The self-doubt can be crushing at times. That’s why it’s vital for authors to have a support system of other authors who are there to cheer for your successes, however big or small, and offer a shoulder and a creative curse or two when things unravel.

What books have you recently read and loved?

You must, must, must read PLEASE IGNORE VERA DIETZ by A.S. King. Brilliant, amazing, fabulous book!

RAGE is out April 2011, can you tell us a bit about it?

Missy Miller is a 16-year-old self-injurer who is tapped to be the new avatar of War. A portion of proceeds will be donated to To Write Love On Her Arms.

Can you tell us a bit about what you are currently working on?

Currently working on LOSS, which is about a bullied teenage boy who is tricked into becoming the new Pestilence. I also have two other projects I’m tinkering with: a middle-grade urban fantasy story and a YA paranormal romance. (Who needs to sleep?)