Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Kay Davault (Misfit Mansion)!
Meet the Author: Kay Davault
Kay Davault is an illustrator and comic artist based in Nashville, Tennessee. She is the author of the graphic novels Star Knights and Misfit Mansion. Kay spends her time creating stories about cute characters in vibrant worlds, which may or may not contain a monster or five. Visit her at KayDavault.com or @KayDavault.
About the Book: Misfit Mansion
Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends meets Hilda and the Troll in this spooky and sweet middle grade graphic novel about a monster girl who sneaks out of her foster home and into a human town in search of a forever family but finds more than she bargained for.
Despite her monstrous appearance, Iris has never felt like she belongs in a mansion filled with kelpies and gorgons and unicorns. She longs to find a family. Unfortunately, she and her housemates are trapped in a “foster home for horrors” run by former paranormal investigator Mr. Halloway. So, when a human boy named Mathias breaks the house’s sealing spell, Iris and her companions are set free upon the town of Dead End Springs.
What Iris doesn’t know is that Mathias is also a paranormal hunter (the kind who seeks to capture and destroy the horrors), or that there are other dangers ahead. As Iris searches for a home, she makes human friends, explores a brand-new world…and stumbles upon a dark secret that Halloway has kept locked in the basement of the house. Will this long-slumbering mystery destroy the family Iris so desperately seeks?
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~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
I grew up in a single parent household, so I always felt like my life was different from other kids who had two parents. It was like I was missing out on a “normal” family, or even that I somehow wasn’t worthy of one. I wanted to write something for kids who have gone through similar things, and show them that true family comes in many forms.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
That’s a tough question! Picking favorites out of your own characters is impossible… but I do love drawing Kel, the kelpie. He is the cutest character in my opinion.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I love how the final clock tower scene turned out. It’s the finale of the book, where the main character Iris faces the antagonist Larkspur, a fellow monster who’s also felt betrayed and rejected by their shared guardian. Larkspur and Iris are parallels of each other, though while Larkspur is overcome with rage, Iris believes in forgiveness and second chances. And she wants to help Larkspur find happiness too. Their meeting was what I was most looking forward to when creating the book, and I hope readers enjoy it.
YABC: What came first, the concept, landscape, characters, or something else?
Iris’s character came first, though I wasn’t sure what her story was back then. She was just a design I drew for fun one day. The story went through a bunch of different versions, like one where Iris had to stop other horrors who escaped the house and started causing trouble in the human town. Eventually it was fine tuned into the story it is today, and all the characters and settings fell into place after that!
YABC: If you could only write one genre for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
I really like horror and mystery, but I’d probably pick fantasy. There’s just so much you can do with fantasy worlds… and they can always have their own dose of mysterious and horrifying!
YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
I write what I would have liked to read as a kid. There weren’t as many graphic novels back then, especially not ones I would have enjoyed. I’m always aiming to write for kids who are maybe struggling with things I struggled with at that age. I want to show there’s always good even in bad situations. Even if it’s coming from younger characters, I think that message can still easily shine through.
YABC: What can readers expect to find in your books?
Cute characters and creepy monsters, always.
YABC: What is your favorite snack when writing?
Definitely tea or coffee. Specifically rooibos or earl gray… anything hot!
YABC: If you were able to meet them, would you be friends with your main character?
If Iris was real, she would be my daughter for sure haha.
YABC: What do you do when you procrastinate?
I’m awfully addicted to app games. I’d be embarrassed to know how many hours I’ve put into CookieRun… but I also enjoy reading and taking walks.
YABC: What fandom would you write for if you had time?
Probably something with a huge world and unique world building. Or something you can flip on its head… like writing a story about Animal Crossing, but making it scary. I guess I would just write for anything that could be both sweet and scary!
YABC: What’s up next for you?
I’m currently working on my next graphic novel series, Oddity Woods. It’s a paranormal mystery series about a girl detective lost in a huge spooky woods. This one is dear to me, so I hope people will look forward to it!
YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition and why?
Halloween. I know, a very surprising choice for me. I love that time of year, and the fall in general. Nothing better than a bonfire and chilly weather.
YABC: Is there anything that you would like to add?
If you’re looking for a found family, spooky-sweet book this fall, please check out Misfit Mansion! I hope Iris’s story can serve as a positive message that family comes in many forms.
Title: Misfit Mansion
Author: Kay Davault
Illustrator: Kay Davault
Release Date: July 25th 2023
Publisher: Antheneum Books for Young Readers
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Age Range: 8 & Up
