Kes Trester
Author Interview - Kes Trester
Author of THE NINE series. Book 3 TO THE NINES
THE NINE revolves around Blake Wilder, an eighteen-year-old clairvoyant whose visions reveal the most traumatic moments in other people’s lives. Having seen so much of the darker side of human nature, she’s nobody’s fool, but when a premonition compels her to save a classmate’s life, she’s drawn into The Nine, a centuries-old paranormal society on the brink of civil war. As she struggles to find her way within a savage world ruled by magic, power, and passion, her path is complicated by a budding romance with Nicholas Thorne, the chancellor’s son, and her attraction to nightclub owner Jessie McCabe, a man who makes up the rules as he goes. When she witnesses a series of bizarre murders that have yet to occur, Blake will be forced to fight for her life, her future, and the destiny of The Nine.
Author Interview - Kes Trester
Author I draw inspiration from:
Deborah Harkness (The All Souls Trilogy). I write in the YA/NA space while Harkness’s books are aimed at adults, but I love how she weaves a smart and compelling female MC with history, literature, and so much more. The female MCs in my books are always smart and badass, and in THE NINE, the protagonist is the daughter of a history professor—very useful in giving current events a historical perspective and adding depth to the MC’s inner monologues!
Author Interview - Kes Trester | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
I live on a beach in Southern California with a balcony overlooking the ocean, so no matter the season, every book is a beach read!
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games series, written by Suzanne Collins. I figure we’d have about three minutes before she lost patience with the repair efforts and climbed up through the ceiling hatch. During our short time together, I’d ask her how she braved the physical and psychological torture of the hunger games and beyond without losing her humanity, empathy, or ability to love. Her response would probably be somewhere along the lines of go eff yourself, but if she were in a sharing mood, I’d hope she would give me a glimpse into the psyche of an enduring and heroic character.
(HBL Note: You might also be interested in this list of Books Like The Hunger Games)
Author Interview - Kes Trester | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I spent the early part of my professional career as a creative executive in feature films, but moved into producing TV commercials and music videos when I started my family. Unless you’re on set, it’s a more family-friendly lifestyle.
One day, I was producing a commercial for a popular line of dog food. Our team had a creative call with the client’s advertising agency, and we spent 45 very long minutes discussing the various colors of golden retrievers and what shades of fur looked best on camera. When the call ended, I realized how bleak my future would be if debating the merits of dog hair was the limit of my creative involvement. I went home that night, signed up for a course in writing a novel at UCLA Extension, and never looked back.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I like to travel, and I used to debate whether I could make do with a single pair of shoes in order to squeeze a few more books into my suitcase. On the day I bought my first tablet and realized I could bring an entire bookshelf with me wherever I roamed, the thrill was equal to getting my first library card. It’s harder to read on a tablet if you’re in broad daylight, but since most of my reading happens at night, it’s rarely an issue. And now I get to pack at least two pairs of shoes!
I must also give a shout out to audiobooks. My dogs probably bless the day I discovered how much fun it is to walk and listen, turning a thirty minute walk into a “one more chapter!” outing.
The last book I read:
If I’ve learned anything from the epic beef between Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian, it’s to never say anything you don’t want sung back to you in an amazingly catchy lyric. Therefore, I only speak publicly about books I unequivocally love. In this case, my most recent 5-star read was the audiobook of Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. How that author can open a book centered on a man alone in space with no memory of how he got there and end it with me in joyful tears over the possibility of friendship, humanity, and love is an alchemy I hope I achieve in my own writing.
Author Interview - Kes Trester | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
As a kid, I wrote endless short stories by hand before getting a computer of my own, and now I can’t imagine writing without one. My typing speed allows my fingers to almost keep pace with my brain, and digital files keep me organized and efficient. Plus my laptop goes wherever I do, so I can access my current work in progress, outlines, and notes anytime, anywhere. In fact, the outline for the upcoming book in THE NINE series was written on a boat in Portugal!
Speaking of outlines, I’m a plotter. Since all of my books have an element of mystery, I couldn’t imagine writing an engaging who-done-it without a road map of red herrings, misdirects, and clues.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I’ve always been curious who Jo March would be at various stages of her life. I first read Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott, as a teenager, and I was inspired by Jo’s feminism and desire to tell stories that could change a reader’s perspective. We can presume she had a successful writing career, but how did the expectations and demands of society at the time change her? Did she, like me, raise a family while still maintaining a professional identity? I think the two of us would have a blast comparing our journeys and anticipating the fun to come.
(HBL Note: You might also be interested in this list of Authors Who Would be Best Friends with Little Women Characters in Celebration of Louisa May Alcott's Birthday)
Author Interview - Kes Trester | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I’m incredibly grateful that I can say I’ve pretty much lived my dream life. I’ve made fun movies, produced music videos with major rock stars, and shot commercials with a variety of people and wildlife (ask me about the time I got stalked by a lion!). Working as a full-time writer is the next step in that dream. At some point I may return to my roots in screenwriting—after publishing three books in three years, I’m sort of yearning to shake it up a bit—but my job allows me to sit on a beach and spin stories. How lucky can you get!
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I start most days with a workout, so I couldn’t go back to a time before yoga pants! In summer I live in linen shifts, and in winter it’s a long sweater over leggings. I wouldn’t do well with corsets, long skirts, or anything else confining that would prevent me from running on the beach with my dogs.
Place I’d most like to travel:
Egypt. I’ve traveled extensively, but the few times I’ve been close to getting there, geopolitical upheavals have prevented it. I love the region’s rich culture and history, and yearn to walk in the footsteps of people who created such amazing art, architecture, language, and a belief system that fires my imagination.
My signature drink:
I became so well known among my friends for kicking off a girls’ night out with a cosmo on the rocks that now everyone else orders one too!
Favorite artist:
In popular culture, it would have to be Taylor Swift. As a woman who has successfully competed in industries dominated by men, I admire how she has excelled by embracing the essence of being female. Her lyrics capture the lived experience of a modern woman navigating love, friendship, career, and societal expectations, and her music elevates it to art. As historians look back on the downfall of the patriarchy, it is Taylor Swift who will provide the soundtrack.
Number one on my bucket list:
One of my books—A Dangerous Year—has been optioned for TV twice, and is on the verge of being optioned again. If it should go to series, I can’t image anything more thrilling than to see the characters who’ve lived in my head for so long become fleshed out human beings. I’m dying to meet them!
Anything else you'd like to add:
Thank you for the opportunity to share a bit about myself and my writing. I love crafting stories about smart and capable female characters navigating worlds filled with danger, romance, and intrigue—and emerging the stronger for it. If this sound like a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon, please check out my books!
Find more from the author:
IG, Twitter, and TikTik: @kestrester
About Kes Trester:
Author Interview - Kes Trester
A native of Los Angeles, Kes Trester is a veteran of the film and TV commercial industry. Her debut novel, A DANGEROUS YEAR, is currently being developed for film/television. THE NINE, the first entry in a multi-book, contemporary YA/NA romantasy series hit shelves October 2022, with the sequel, ALDER HOUSE, released September 2023. The third book, TO THE NINES, comes out October 22, 2024. She is a four-time Pitch Wars mentor and an SCBWI Susan Alexander Grant award winner. When she’s not writing, she can usually be found in the company of an understanding husband, a couple of young adults making their way in the entertainment industry, and a pack of much-loved rescue dogs.
