Smoke and Key by Kelsey Sutton
Synopsis
A sound awakens her. There’s darkness all around. And then she’s falling…
She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she’s dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.
She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll’s silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn’t utter a word. There’s Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key’s instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can’t remember why.
Then the murders start; bodies that are burnt to a crisp. After being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was—and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden—before she becomes the next victim…
Publication Date: April 2 2019
Interview with Kelsey
Top three things readers need to know about the book.
One, it’s historical fiction. Namely, the Victorian era. I’m not sure if the synopsis reveals that in any way, so it’s something I make sure to mention whenever I get the chance.
Two, despite the title, the focus isn’t entirely romance. There’s mystery and suspense sprinkled in among the deliciousness.
Three, Smoke and Key is a standalone. I’ve already had some wonderful readers ask if a sequel is in the works, but I’m very content with where the story ended.
Who or what was your inspiration for becoming a writer? How long have you been writing?
I have been writing ever since I can remember. As a child I would come home from school, pull out my plastic bin full of markers and paper, and arrange everything around me in a circle. I would then fold some paper in half, staple the side three times, and proceed to fill the white spaces with words and pictures. It only got worse as I grew older.
SOME QUIET PLACE is not the first book I finished. The first novel I ever wrote was so thick it could have served as a doorstop. It was about Victorian vampires. It was 2008, and I was sixteen years old. It wasn’t good enough to show anyone, so I took another year and wrote a completely new novel, a contemporary-suspense kind of story. It was 2009, I was seventeen and on my own. I did try querying that one, and it got me in touch with my agent now, Beth Miller. But it still wasn’t quite where it needed to be.
Time passed. I graduated high school in 2010, and immediately afterwards ran off to California and wrote another novel. Then I came back to my beloved Minnesota and got responsible, enrolling in college and finding a job. And in the beginning of 2011, I queried Beth again. I was eighteen years old, with a story that was new and strange and exciting. I had written it during a time when I was living with people I didn’t know that well, in a place that was a little frightening, during a time when absolutely nothing was certain. Beth quickly got back to me. The subject of her e-mail read, RE: Query: SOME QUIET PLACE.
The rest, as they say, is history.
Which of your characters would you say you are most like?
Great question! I actually sat and thought about the answer for a while. I don’t know if this is allowed, but I don’t see myself or relate to any of the characters in Smoke and Key. This is the first time I can say that. Key is so logical and driven to find answers. Smoke is charming and wild. Ribbon is a mother figure. Journal is consumed by his research and his solitude. None of that is me. Which is such a new and exciting sensation; I feel like I’m growing as a writer!
What was your inspiration for the name of the characters?
When Key arrives in Under, the only clue to her identity hangs around her neck. A single, rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they awaken.
If your book was to be turned into a movie who would you cast as your leads?
I actually haven’t thought about this yet! I hope it’s not cliché to say that Emma Watson would make a wonderful Key. As for Smoke, it would have to be someone with dark hair and piercing eyes. I just spent way too much time Googling that. Maybe Ian Somerhalder? It doesn’t hurt that I’ve always held a torch for him.
Did you have to research anything for your book?
Yes, mostly when it came to the era. What kind of transportation would there be at this point? What would a Cockney accent sound like? What kind of undergarments would need to be removed? (Wink.)
In five words, how would you describe Smoke and Key?
Historical, eerie, suspenseful, gritty, dark.
If your characters were in the hunger games who would win? Which Hogwarts house would your main character be in?
What a fun question! I feel like I can’t truly answer this without spoilers, though. You’ll understand when you read it!
As for which Hogwarts house she’d be in, despite her bravery throughout the story, Key would probably come from Ravenclaw! She highly values learning and intellect.
What’s on your playlist? Does the music go with your book?
I have a playlist on Spotify that I’ve been cultivating for years, appropriately dubbed “Write Those Words”. It’s mostly comprised of movie soundtracks, and this is what I listen to whenever I’m writing. Sometimes I’ll skip a song if it doesn’t match the scene I’m writing, though!
Thank you so much for having me on Falling Down the Book Hole!
Meet the Author
Website: kelseysuttonbooks.com
Twitter : @KelseyJSutton
Instagram: @KelseySuttonBooks
Goodreads
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