We chat with author Kalla Harris about The Ground That Devours Us, which is perfect for YA readers of paranormal romance and fans of The Vampire Diaries and Twilight where vampires turn humans by infecting them with venom through a scratch.
Hi, Kalla! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi! Thanks for having me! I’m a young adult author who loves writing complex, morally gray characters, high-stakes plots, and emotionally charged romance. When I’m not writing, I’m likely baking, re-watching The Vampire Diaries (hi, Damon!), or spending time with family and friends.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was eight years old! My elementary school teacher put a creative writing prompt on the whiteboard as busy work in the morning. Instead of writing the allotted two paragraphs, I filled out an entire composition notebook about a boy who was caught in a floating bubble that traveled through far, distant lands.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
- The one that made you want to become an author: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena
Your debut novel, The Ground That Devours Us, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Destructive, emotional, gritty, humorous, grief
What can readers expect?
A dystopian, post-apocalyptic world teeming with vampires, a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, a central focus on sisterhood, the brutal reality of propaganda and manipulation, and morally gray characters who toe the line between good and evil. Expect darker themes but lots of humor and hope.
Where did the inspiration for The Ground That Devours Us come from?
A writing prompt (I seem to have a track record for those, ha!) where I had to use the word “blood.” From there, I wrote about a teenage girl fighting a (frustratingly attractive) paranormal monster named X to the death in a battle-worn world. The rest is history!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I really enjoyed exploring the main character, Ruby. She’s a product of her environment. Tough as nails, angry, and hiding behind humor so no one sees the grief and suffering she’s dealing with internally. Ruby is a very impulsive, broken, and nuanced character. A lot of the decisions she’s made and will make often come back to haunt her, but at the end of the day she is fiercely loyal. It was so interesting to see the lengths she would go to protect those she loved, even if the fallout would be disastrous.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
I had to do a lot of character work on the villain of the story. Ruby has a close relationship with this individual and there are a lot of complex layers involved, so ensuring their relationship—and the villain’s backstory and motivations—was executed properly proved to be very important…and difficult. In the end, it involved a lot of detailed rewriting in various scenes.
This is your debut novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
Long! I think people get so caught up in the “unicorn” cases where writers suddenly get a literary agent and a book deal within months, but that wasn’t the case for me. I gutted The Ground That Devours Us multiple times during a mentorship and a revise and resubmit from an agent (which didn’t end in an offer, by the way!) before I secured a book deal and the wonderful agent I have now.
What’s next for you?
I can’t give too many details, but I’m working on another young adult for my publisher. You can expect a fun setting, high stakes, my trademark humor, and a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. I’m also working on an adult urban fantasy and an adult paranormal romcom.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year?Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
So many! Blood Moon by Britney S. Lewis, Watch Me by Tahereh Mafi, Climate of Chaos by Cassandra Newbould, Bound By Stars by E.L. Starling, and House of Hearts by Skyla Arndt were all incredible reads! I’m eagerly anticipating Bound by Fury by Noelle Monet, An Arcane Inheritance by Kamilah Cole, and Moonrising by Claire Barner.
