Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl are ‘Beautiful Creatures'

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl have been friends for eight years. After years of loving the same types of books, the two tried their hand at collaborating on a novel, 'Beautiful Creatures.'

In 2009, their debut novel was named by Amazon as their No. 5 book of the year and their No. 1 teen book of the year.

'Beautiful Creatures' can be found anywhere books are sold. Garcia and Stohl will be at Blue Bicycle Books from 4-5:30 p.m. Jan. 21 for a book-signing party.

Q: Where did the inspiration come for 'Beautiful Creatures'?

Garcia: A long lunch together with too many Diet Cokes and a love of Southern Gothic literature. We also knew we wanted to write a young adult supernatural romance from a boy's perspective.

Q: Word is that a movie is in the works. Any inside info you can give us?

Stohl: Warner Brothers optioned our book for the Academy-Award nominated writer/director Richard LaGravenese and the exceptionally talented producer Erwin Stoff. We couldn't be happier.

Q: 'Beautiful Creatures' is the first of a five-book series. How will the story change throughout the series?

Garcia: We've just finished the sequel, which will be out next December. With each book, the stakes are higher, and we learn more about the supernatural world that lives within the small (fictional) town of Gatlin, South Carolina, just north of Charleston!

Q: You're based in Los Angeles, but the book takes place in the Lowcountry. Why did you decide to base your story in the South?

Garcia: My family is originally from a small town in North Carolina.

I grew up in the same house with my grandma and great-grandma, so there was a lot of the Southern influence there.

I still make my biscuits by hand and my pies from scratch! We both felt the Lowcountry was a place with a rich history, where magic can still happen. And there's some really great pie!

Q: What obstacles do you face when collaborating on a story with another person versus writing solo?

Garcia: The hardest part is coordinating our schedules. We've had a really unified vision for the story from the beginning. We fight like sisters, but never once about the book!

Q: What advice would you offer fellow writers in the area?

Stohl: Don't give up. As my old friend, the writer Pseudonymous Bosch ('The Name of This Books is Secret') once said, there is no such thing as a bad book, only a bad draft. Just keep going!