Interview With Zenobia Southcombe

It's been a while since I've interviewed anyone, so when Zenobia Southcombe asked for one, I jumped on it. Not just because it's been a while, but because Zenobia & I have something very special in common. We are Jills Of All Trades.

While most people are just writers, or just artists, or just musicians, we do it all. People like us were told when we were young that we could do anything we put our minds to, & somewhere deep inside we took that to mean we could do EVERYTHING we put our minds to. So, we do. Or at least we try to.

In Zenobia's case, it seems to be working. 

What IS her secret? & what is it that puts the fire in her veins? 

Find out now in my interview with her:

Kylie: Your book "What Stars Are Made Of" (which looks amazing) proves that a picture really IS worth 1,000 words. No words in the book? None at all? I'm impressed! How did you go about telling a story using only illustrations, & what gave you this brilliant idea?

Zenobia: I'd liked the idea of a wordless book since I “read” Shaun Tan's The Arrival so I guess the idea came from there. At that point in time, The Caretaker of Imagination was with my illustrator and its final beta readers and I needed a project to sink my teeth into.

Part of it was down to a stubborn streak, too - my writerly confidence could do with a boost and I really wanted to have something published by the end of the year.

In terms of telling the story, I did have to change the illustrations around a few times (I checked with some teacher-friends to see if the narrative was clear) and I added an extra couple in. I storyboarded the whole thing first and tried to use images and symbols that were simple and universal.

K: For me, music is an essential part of writing & illustrating. Do you use music to get the creative juices flowing? & if so, what bands or songs tend to be your go-to for inspiration?

Z: Yes, definitely! I noticed while drafting that I tend to listen to nineties music. Don't ask me why! Disney music does it for me while I'm brainstorming, and Robert Mile's track Children gets me focused no matter what. I swear it's magic. My all time favourites are the Beatles though (talk about creativity and imagination) and at the moment I'm going through a Paul Simon phase.

K: Being a fellow Jill Of All Trades, I know it can be extremely hard to stay focused & to not go crazy. What are some methods you use to stay on track when you've got so many different things going on at once? Do you schedule different projects for different times of the day? Do you make a list of everything you're working on? Do tell, because I MUST know your secret :)

Z: Ha! I don't have a secret - sorry! I do have a few strategies though, and it's probably easier to list them:

• People! I find that surrounding myself with other creatives - people who get excited about the same things that I do - keep my energy up so I don't burnout before the end of a project.
• Accountability - social media and blogging is great for this. If I'm sharing progress on a project, people become involved in the project as well, so if you don't pull through then you're letting them down as well.
• I do have a yearly planner. I've actually just changed my schedule a bit, but it means I'm not trying to keep timelines in my head.
• I also have a daily planner, where I write my to-do lists. I usually cross off 50-75% of the tasks, and the rest carry over to the next day.
• …but I give myself days off as well. Every now and again I'll scratch a page out and that's my 'day off'. I usually end up doing some sort of work, but it's whatever I feel like doing at the time - not what I think I should be doing.
• In terms of daily routine, I'm trying to build a morning walk in first, then I do my day-job prep work for up to an hour, and I'm left with four hours of writing work. I don't break this down further - it just depends on what project I'm working on at the time.

K: Most writers tend to worship coffee as the bringer of life (insert choir of angels here) but you prefer tea. What's your absolute favorite kind of tea?

Z: Aw no fair, I have to choose ONE? I'm going to be a rebel and choose two - one is Twining's New Zealand Earl Grey which uses mandarin instead of bergamot, and has a very subtle sweetness. The other is chai masala (literally 'spiced tea') which I make with Irish Breakfast or Assam tea and add black pepper, star anise, cloves, cinnamon and honey… yum!

K: I love chai too! Good stuff :) Speaking of favorites, out of all the visual art you've done, what is your favorite piece? & can you share it with us? Pretty please?

Z: What's up with the hard questions, Kylie!? My favourite is actually one I ended up throwing away! It was an antique-style map, and was a project I did during the school holidays when I was a teacher. The reason I loved it is that it got me back into painting after a LONG hiatus, and the reason I threw it away is the same - it became a big reminder of a person that I didn't want to become again.

K: Your next book "The Caretaker Of Imagination" looks like a fun read. & this one DOES have words, right? Other than that, how is this book different from your last one, & how did it come about?

Z: Yes, thousands of words in fact! It's definitely more commercial, as it sits in the MG Fantasy & Adventure genre well, whereas What Stars Are Made Of sits outside of customary genres. Having said that, The Caretaker is still a bit 'offbeat' - I mean, it's a kid's story with a grown-up protagonist, and it's got a cake-loving pirate. Not your stock standard fantasy.

There is similarity in the themes of both books though: the essence of What Stars Are Made Of  is about the beauty and creative light that is within all of us, and in many ways that is what the protagonist's journey is about in The Caretaker of Imagination as well.

K: I know you have another project up your sleeve (people like us always do). Can you divulge any information about what we can expect from you next?

Z: Well, there are two more (stand alone) books the The Caretaker series, which will hopefully be released in July & October this year. The second book, Lucy's Story: The End of the World is in its 4th round of revisions, and currently with my illustrator, Jane Thorne. The third book is being drafted as we speak!

There's also another project that I'm working as an illustrator on, and I haven't said a lot about this one yet. I do drawing sessions with my friend Anne, and she's an amazing story teller. My illustrator is working on a kid's book that she wrote years ago and we're going to publish that this year, and she has a wordless book (yay!) project for me to illustrate. It's called Animal Heaven and you'll hear more about this after The Caretaker is released!

AND I'm working on merchandise at the moment! Ain't no rest for the creative :)

Ain't that the truth! 

Thanks to Zenobia for taking the time out of her busy schedule to answer my (sometimes hard) questions! For more on this wonderful Jill Of All Trades, you can check out her website, & you can follow her on Twitter & Google+. 

Thanks for reading! 

Be The Lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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Artist Interview: Miguel Alvarez

Today I'm doing something a little different, because this guy is an awesome artist, and I really want to spread the word to anyone reading this. He pumps out these sketches (yes, SKETCHES) of such intricate and detailed stuff, and I've never seen anything like it. A while back, he held a contest on Twitter for one of his drawings, and to win it you had to guess the number that was written on the back. I figured I'd give it a shot and guessed the first number that came to mind, and to my surprise, ended up guessing  right! So he sent the drawing, and I still have it nearby to remind me to always trust my instincts (something I've struggled with many times in the past). So it's pretty important to me, and I'm so grateful to own such a gorgeous piece of art. Here is that drawing:

Anyway, I wanted to let you get to know the artist a bit, through an interview. I've interviewed authors before, but this is my first artist interview, so bear with me. ;) And enjoy!

1. I've always been fascinated with how much detail goes into even your simplest sketches. How DO you do it? And what is your preferred method?

 The simple answer is that’s just the way my brain is wired. Even when I set out with the intention to sketch something simple my mind will just start adding complexity and detail. The creative process for me is different for every drawing. Sometimes the idea/image pops into my mind fully formed and then I just have to draw it out. Other times I just grab a sketchbook & a pen and just let whatever creative idea come out of my stream of consciousness.



2. Who or what are your biggest artistic inspirations? (I'm sensing some Giger influence, but I could be wrong)

 A lot of people assume Giger is one of my influences and looking at his work I can understand why that comparison is made. Although I am flattered by the comparison and think he’s a great artist with a tremendous body of work, he was not one of my influences. The only time I remember seeing Giger’s artwork was in a book once at a Barns & Noble for a few minutes, and seeing the alien designs from the movie. Most of my influences came from comic books. The first comic book book artists that began to captivate me were the guys who broke off of Marvel and start Image Comics. Guys like Marc Silvestri, Jim Lee, Todd Mcfarlane, and Erik Larson. Over the years I’ve come to admire the art of Jack Kirby, John Buscema, Jae Lee, Joe Maduereira, J Scott Campbell, Humberto Ramos, Leinil Yu and so many others. I’ve also been influenced by Salvador Dali and other surrealist artists.



3. Have you had any professional training? Or does it just come naturally?

 I've not had any formal training. I learned a lot of drawing techniques through how to books and magazines. There have also been tons of hours spent every day working on my craft. There’s just no getting around it, if you want to become great at anything you have to believe you can achieve it, and then prove it to the universe by investing the time.



4. Well said! Now I have to ask, Have you ever done commissions? And how would someone commission you to draw something for them? (Totally hypothetical question, I swear) ;)

I have done commissions before and actually made quite a bit of money doing so. I stopped taking commissions because I didn’t enjoy it. I felt that it was killing my creativity. The majority of the time the customer wants you to draw or paint them, their family or some subject matter your not interested in. With commission your usually drawing or painting from a photograph which takes a lot of skill, but allows for little creative expression. Art for me now is about expressing my creativity with freedom to go in any direction the universe takes me. I want to draw worlds and figures from my imagination and not from photographs. I want to sell art on my own terms and not have my creativity stifled because I want to make a quick buck. Let me add that I do think it’s important for new aspiring artists to draw from life and study the things around them to build a base on which to build a creative foundation.
  


5. Totally agreed! Do what makes you happy, not anyone else! And last but not least, can you tell us more about yourself? Who is the man behind the art?

I’m a man who loves God, loves his family and loves life. I wake up every morning grateful that I get to spend another day in a world filled with creativity and with people who love me. I’m grateful that I have the opportunity and freedom to explore my creative ideas. 

And I'm grateful that there are wonderful artists like Miguel in the world, who's work inspires me every day. You can find Miguel on Twitter, Instagram, and his website. I leave you with a collage I made of some more of his gorgeous art:

BOOM. 

Be the lightning, 

Kylie Jude.

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Author Interview: Ray Davis

I'm so excited to bring you a new interview with one of my favorite online acquaintances, fellow writer and alien theorist, Ray Davis. If you haven't heard of him yet, don't worry, you will. His new novel series Anunnaki Awakening is going to be pretty epic. You'll want to check it out, believe me. I'm honored to host him and to have these questions answered so perfectly. Read on and you'll see what I mean: 

1. First things first! Can you introduce yourself for those who may not know you?

First of all, thank you, Kylie, for the opportunity to introduce myself to your readers. My name is Ray Davis and I'm a writer. I've done many things in my life to pay the bills. Writing has been the one constant from a very early age.

By day, I write sales training for a Fortune 500 company. At night, I write philosophical and motivational content encouraging people to take a second look at themselves and their world; on the premise there might be more there than their conditioning has led them to believe. Most recently, I have been engaged in writing Book 1 of my speculative fiction novel series - Anunnaki Awakening.

My wife, April, and I live in Kansas City area, but our hearts are always in Hawaii. We travel there each year and our big goal is to live there one day. We have two grown kids – a son and a daughter. We’ve got a wedding coming this November and another one likely in the near future. So, we're on the verge of being full-fledged empty-nesters.

I'm a “what you see is what you get” person. I love sports, music, and travel, but my life experiences have demanded that I look out into the cosmos and within to seek answers to life's big questions.

2. I'm loving the theme of your book, Anunnaki Awakening. I too have drawn on these beings (as well as others) for inspiration in future novels. Can you tell us more about why you decided to use the Anunnaki in your novels, and how that came about?

Thank you. The answer to this question alone might fill a book. I didn't set out to write this book. In 2007, I started a website called The Affirmation Spot. Until about eight months ago, most people in social media knew me for that endeavor. As I was encouraging people to follow their dreams, I realized I wasn't pursuing mine - to be a published author with something important to say.

I'm a life-long science fiction fan - especially Star Trek. I really enjoyed Gene Roddenberry's positive view of humanity and its future. I'd seen a string of dystopian science fiction movies - which I enjoy as much as the next person - but I began to feel as if the genre had gone rather negative on humanity's prospects. I wanted to write something brighter that pointed more to our potential than our doom.

I thought this book was going to be about building an interesting story around my mission of empowerment with The Affirmation Spot. I had already developed my heroine character - Maria Love - and began writing a book with a tentative title of The Future Possible.

I was home alone one Saturday in 2009 and turned on a new TV show I'd heard about. That show was Ancient Aliens. They asked, "What if it were all true?" I immediately followed with, "What if it were still true?" What if there was a common sense explanation for why humanity continues to be led against its best interest? What if there was a reason human beings have this negative default setting and go about their lives ignoring big questions and accepting our institution's simple answers?

As I watched, I realized this topic had been sitting in my life's waiting room for years. I'd always gravitated to shows like Coast to Coast A.M. I'd read the works of people like Von Daniken and Sitchin. The seed was planted at the age of six. My father took me to see Von Daniken's Chariots of the Gods in its original theater run. I was hooked and it all made so much sense to me.

This topic - with its philosophical, religious, and scientific overtones - demanded my mind share. Within a few days the Inanna character showed up. She’s the co-heroine in Anunnaki Awakening. She's the member of the Anunnaki elite who is rebelling against the age-old control of humanity by her race.

The purpose, storyline, and tone of the book shifted. It still presents a hopeful vision for humanity and our future, but we have to clean some old wounds first.

3. Will you be taking the traditional publishing route, or the independent route? And which one would you recommend for 'noobs' like me?

This is actually my first novel too. I considered many options and have wavered back and forth on this topic. I see benefits to self-publishing and today it's a great way to break in, prove your audience, and get picked up by a major publisher. It's also the best way to maintain control of your work.

Traditional publishing offers the benefits of a backer that knows the ropes and can help you promote the work. However, you also lose your artistic control and there is a lot of subject matter - important subject matter - medium to larger publishers won't support.

I'm fortunate in that a friend in Hawaii started a publishing company a couple years ago. He's publishing both serious authors and those who have a story to tell and want to publish it. He has a mission to help hundreds of thousands of people tell their story and earn income from it. His name is Larry Czerwonka. He owns the LarryCzerwonka Publishing Company of Hilo, HI. He will be publishing my first book.

4. Could have fooled me! Already a pro. :) Changing the subject a bit, you've posted a lot about aliens and your belief that we aren't alone (with which I agree wholeheartedly). Can you summarize your theories on this topic?

I don't know if it was Star Trek from the age of three or something I was just predisposed to know. I've never doubted for a moment that our universe is bursting with life. To me that's a given.

It's a topic we, as species, must become more adult about. It’s treated in juvenile ways belying its critical importance. All of our institutions are so Earth-centric. We may have discovered the Sun doesn't go around the Earth, but our mindset still is that everything else does.

I've never understood why religious and scientific people seem so threatened by this concept. Aliens don't preclude God, but God doesn't preclude aliens either. Why must it be one or the other?

As for the scientific point of view, there seems to be this overwhelming disposition towards denial rather than acceptance on this topic. There’s more effort at ridicule than research. Large segments of mainstream science simply will not even follow the scientific method related to evidence on extraterrestrials and UFOs. I find that puzzling.

I've talked to numerous scientifically minded people online that LOVE science fiction and thinking about alien life in that context, but run screaming when you try to have a serious conversation about its reality. I can only chalk that kind of behavior by intelligent people up to fear and conditioning. They don't want someone to put the proverbial "tin foil hat" on their heads. So, the topic goes largely without discussion.

In Anunnaki Awakening, I play heavily on these themes. One must ask why this is the conditioning? Why are human beings - inquisitive as we are - not eager and ready to embrace other life in this universe? When you watch the pattern of media and other "official" comment on this topic, it's almost universally ridiculed. People in our culture are very conscious about being cool. It’s a very powerful societal control mechanism. If it's clearly delineated as uncool, people stay away.

I see extraterrestrial life to be a VERY sober and important subject for our planet and our species. My question is how can civilization that relies on internal combustion engine definitively conclude interstellar space travel impossible? They can't, but they are.

Then there's the separate - but possibly related - issue of UFOs. I've had several sightings in my life that defy explanation. Both the object's appearance and behavior were extraordinarily bizarre. Two of my sightings felt very personal and happened within a few weeks of each other in 1991. I've described these in various places online.

The third happened during a red-eye flight from New York to Chicago in December 2007. While over Lake Michigan, a bright, undefined light rose rapidly from below right in the middle of commercial flight pattern with at least three other planes besides ours waiting to land in Chicago. Two objects, easily identified as fighters, appeared to be in pursuit of the object. The first object was faster, more maneuverable, and eventually shot straight up leaving the two fighters in the dust. The big question for me, if this was just some kind of experimental aircraft, is why the military would be conducting such maneuvers late at night in the midst of several commercial jets?

• Do I think we’ve been visited by extraterrestrial beings? Absolutely. 
• Do I think it's been going on throughout our history? Yes.
• Do I think all UFOS are aliens? No. I think there’s a mix of causes that may include life forms that inhabit this planet without our knowledge.
• Do I think there are millions of civilizations out in that vast darkness? Yes. Many of them are probably wondering if they’re all alone too. They’re going about the daily life of their civilizations thinking they, too, are the center of everything.
• Do I think our governments are aware of this phenomenon? Some governments, I believe, know more than others. It probably depends on what you mean by "the government.” I posit some possibilities in the novel.

5. Well said! And, last but not least, what can we expect from you in the future?

I’m so appreciative, Kylie, for your kind interview request. I’m honored to have a chance to share ideas with your readers.

I've already begun Book 2 in the Anunnaki Awakening series. I've set my personal goal to become a full-time author living and working in Hawaii in the next few years. Book 3 is outlined, but I enjoy letting the story come to me rather than mapping it all out ahead of time. It will probably change.

After this series, I may return to a novel I started in 2004 titled Weather Wars. I stopped writing it when Hurricane Katrina too closely mirrored an event I'd written just weeks before in that book.

I'm hoping Anunnaki Awakening will catch on with readers. My beta readers are giving me great feedback about how the story is pulling them in. I'd like to see it become a hit and be turned into a movie. I figure if vampires and child witches can hit it big, why not aliens?

I definitely see that being a good possibility! And I definitely know the feeling! I truly hope it happens. It's awesome to know there are other people out there on the same page as me about this stuff, and maybe even on the same mission ;)

If you're on the same page too, please follow Ray on Twitter and like his Facebook page. He posts great thought-provoking stuff, and is a really nice guy. And you'll want to be up to date with the latest on his books, which are coming soon! He's also founded a great site for writers (and everyone) with tons of positive affirmations and more, if you want to check it out too. I'm truly excited about everything he's doing, and I can't wait to see him take the world by storm. :)

Be the lightning,

Kylie Jude.

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Author Interview: Eric Jude

That's right, for this post I'm interviewing my wonderful husband (who also happens to be an author) Eric Jude (also known as D.R. Acula). Eric has been so supportive and helpful over the years, and he is always the first person I run to with my crazy novel ideas, and he always gives me his honest opinion. He is the brain power behind a lot of the technical stuff in my coming Science Fiction novels, and I'm so grateful for his help. But I'll bet most of you didn't know that he is an author himself! He wrote his first Ebook "How To Successfully Cope With Life" a couple years back, and has recently started a series of short stories in the Horror genre, called #AlderdiceTales (which I had the pleasure of editing for him). And yes, I do use the hashtag every chance I get. And you should too. ;) 

Anyway, obviously I know most of these answers, but for the sake of readers who don't, I decided to ask Eric some questions. Enjoy! 

When did you start writing? 

 I've written for years. Started writing in elementary school, but I've never finished a writing project until now. 

What inspired the Alderdice Tales? 

I just wanted to write... I was sitting around and decided I wanted to write a story. And I played with a few ideas... Then the opening lyrics of a My Dying Bride Song called "My Hope, the Destroyer" gave me a burst of creativity and I went with it for the opening of 'Bennet'. The name 'Nettie' wasn't inspired by the Type O Negative song of the same name, but once I came up with the name, elements of the song started finding their way in the stories. After that, the story inspired itself...

How many more stories do you plan to release under Alderdice Tales? 

I have two written so far, 'Bennet' and 'Nettie' and I plan on finishing at least two more. I say at least, because these stories seem to have a life of their own now, so who knows what could happen. I sure don't...

Planning on writing anything else after this? 

Sure, I plan on writing and releasing another short story series. Don't want to give too much away yet though.

What advice do you have for writers or those who want to write? 

Just write... You may come up with tons of stuff you don't like, or stuff that isn't very good, but it's all in the name of practice and refining your skills... Eventually you will know yourself and your style... That's when you can really sit down and let the creativity pour out of you. 

What non-writing projects are you working on? 

Music, photography, gardening... Various little projects that I work on in my spare time. I spend a great deal of my time photographing wildlife and nature in general. Flora and Fauna, mostly... I also compose a little music here and there for the purpose of passing the time... I enjoy the rewarding bliss of the rural countryside over the hectic city. Been doing lots of farming and yard work, camping, fishing, pretty much all of the outdoor activities. I even sometimes write outside.

Well, there you have it. He gets straight to the point. 

And, like me, music inspires his stories.

If you want to check out his #AlderdiceTales, here are all of the links: 

Book One - Bennet:

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

ibooks/itunes

Amazon

Kobo

Bilo

 Book Two - Nettie:

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

ibooks/itunes

Amazon

Bilo

Be the lightning,

Kylie Jude

(Previously Kylie Kerosene)

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Blog Hop: The Writing Process.

If you happen to have any questions about the extremely secretive Science Fiction series I've been working on, some of those questions are about to be answered... Sort of. ;)

This is my very first Blog Hop! I was tagged by a fellow writer from Google+ named Emma Lindhagen in this blog. Thanks Emma! I love answering questions, especially about my passions, so I'll never turn down something like this. :)

Blog Hop Rules:  

Answer the four questions below, link back to the person who invited you, and link to the people who will be posting the following Monday.

1. What am I working on? 

I recently finished draft 8 of my very first novel, the first in a Science Fiction series of graphic novels (sort of). So right now I'm working on draft 9, and on getting draft 8 ready for my beta readers. Finishing this book is taking a lot longer than I thought it would, but it's getting there! And I'm already working on some illustrations for the next novel in the series, so that I can have those out of the way and save lots of time. Always something in the works for me, and not just writing related, but that's what I'm working on writing-wise right now. 

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

Well, first of all, the fact that my novels have illustrations is pretty different. It's not a comic book, and I'm not sure it can even be classified as a graphic novel. It's a novel, with illustrations included every now and then. Also, it's more than just Science Fiction (which will be more apparent once the second book comes out). It could also be classified as Romance (Although there isn't much of that ewey gewey sex stuff in it, it is romantic. It's been referred to as "Twilight for robots" if that tells you anything, LOL); Young Adult (which I guess is more of a target audience than a genre, although it's not just for young people - I like to think there's something in it for everyone); and maybe even Horror (lots of gore in both the novels and the illustrations - not so much that it's hard to read, I hope, but just enough to turn the stomach a bit). But I suppose lots of books do that... I think... Which reminds me, I'm probably the only writer on the planet that doesn't like to read books. It's not that I don't want to, I just don't have the patience. Too much going on in my head. So, that probably makes my novels different from writers who do read (hopefully in a good way, but we'll see). 

3. Why do I write what I write?

Because the writing gods demand it, and would probably drive me completely insane if I didn't write what I write. Also, this isn't just a hobby for me - it is my purpose. It feels good to finally be able to say that with confidence.  If I do nothing else before I die, I want my books to be read. Not because I want money or fame, but because I know they will change people. That is the real purpose of my novels. Each of them has a message for specific people. People with a purpose, like me. I want to ignite a generation of dreamers and thinkers, of warriors and peace-keepers. I want to change the world in some small way... But doesn't everyone? (I hope that's the case anyway) 

4. How does your writing process work?

3 words: Music, music, MUSIC. It is what inspires the stories in my novels, it is what keeps me writing when I feel like quitting, and it is what reminds me that this is my purpose. Even as I write this blog, "Like A Ray" by Ki: Theory is blasting in my ears. It's the song that inspired a huge event in my novel (which was also forged in the fires of music from LIVE, Ours, Coldplay, M83, and especially 30 Seconds To Mars, who's music has inspired over half of this trilogy). The very first thing I do when a novel idea comes to me is make a playlist of the music that inspired it, and listen to it while I write (and illustrate). More on my writing process can be found in this guest blog I wrote for a friend a while back, in which I also give writing advice (to the best of my current noob-ability, LOL). 

Well, there you have it. My first Blog Hop. :)

I now direct you to some awesome writer friends from Twitter. 

R. James Stevens (author of Clarity), and

Andrew Baker (author of H.C. To Light State), 
who also has a cool fanboy profile here.

Both these guys are great writers, as well as great friends who have been so supportive. They really are awesome, and I can't wait to read their answers to these questions next week! I hope you'll check out their blogs and read them too ;) 

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Guest Blog: Madeline Courtney

You might remember Madeline Courtney from my last interview with her. Well, since then, she has written another book, and has asked for another interview. I'm excited to bring this fresh young writer to you again. Enjoy!

1. How was writing Firelight different from writing your last book,
The Case of Irene Adler?

Madeline: As you may know, IRENE ADLER takes place in the late eighteen hundreds while FIRELIGHT has a modern day setting. So that's fairly different. The characters are also very different. Jonelle Watson was shy, but angered easily. Alice Rosewood (FIRELIGHT heroine) is a worrier, but also annoyed easily because of her anxiety. Everything is very different and I hope fans of my SUPERNATURAL SHERLOCK HOLMES book 1 will like this.

Kylie: I love your attention to personality traits, in both novels. It makes for memorable characters!

2. Obviously Firelight features fairies, something that has been done
a lot in the fantasy genre. Are your fairies the cute and bubbly kind,
or the dark "careful she bites" kind? (My fingers are crossed for the
latter, but either way it sounds awesome)

M: My fairies or "Fae" as they call themselves in the book are pretty awesome! They do Earth Bound Magick (which is a fancy way of saying Wicca) and it's their job to protect the creatures of the Earth. The Pixies, however, are shrewd fairies, gone evil for power. They feel they should control the world instead of saving it. After all, aren't they doing all the work while humans sit on their asses destroying the planet? There's a lot of Magick and a war is rising in this novel between the Fae and the Pixies.

K: Yesss, evil fairies. Check. LOL, and I prefer the term "Fae" as well. ;)

3. What was the inspiration behind this novel?

M: I went to school with a set of beautiful (if you don't mind me saying) native American twin girls and I knew I wanted to write about twins. And I've always had an obsession with fairies. They sort of merged together one day while I was taking the two hour car ride to KC (read my blog on the subject)

K: It can certainly be surprising to see where we get our inspiration from. Sometimes a novel just wants to be written, and we just have to go with it. Which is kind of awesome.

4. How do you plan to market Firelight?

M: I wanna sell it on Ebook and Amazon (and any other site that will take it for that matter!) But I also want to put it up for free download on my site and on WATTPAD (a lovely writing society).

K: Very cool of you to want to make your book free! I hope it will help bring you more readers :)

5. What can we expect from you next?

M: I have absolutely no idea. FIRELIGHT is taking up all of my brain. Literally, everything I do links back to fairies.

K: That's dedication! I wish I could stick to one project, LOL.

6. What is your advice to fellow writers?

M: READ. WRITE. TWEET. REPEAT.

K: Good advice! I usually get stuck on the "tweet" part, as I think many writers do. Social media can be such a distraction, but it's also a great way to stay in touch with readers and let people in on your progress :) Thanks for letting me interview you again, and good luck with everything! 

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Guest Blog: Melissa Scholes

A new author named Melissa Scholes was recommended to me and sent me an email asking to do a guest blog the other day. I didn't hesitate. I'm excited to share her interview with you. I'm trying a new format starting with this one, so I hope it works and isn't too confusing! Here is her interview:

1. I read the first chapter of your novel "The Unknown" and I'm very
intrigued. What else can you tell me about the plot?

Melissa: The plot is very unique. Each character is a part of me that shows my personality, so I'm putting them in a jumbled mess of being grown ups when they should really be out having fun. Cindy really helps those four characters relax and have some fun, but eventually the fun has to stop. Isabella has this special ability to see the future with the help of Shadow People. The Shadow People are these black mist that come to her in her dreams to guide her in the right direction. Isabella has support by her two best friends Camille and Lupin with her older brother Joseph to take out the cruel scientist, Septimus. Unfortunately it will be a long unraveling journey for the four friends, for they will come to some pretty enormous walls that will possibly change their lives even more. I also like to put tension between Lupin and Isabella because I love juicy romances.

Kylie: Me too! Gotta have that tension ;)

2. What was the inspiration behind this novel?

M: My nightmares, dreams, and my bestie, Madeline Courtney, helped inspire me to write such a novel. It's based on science fiction that goes beyond our own time, but not for long. I have always had an open mind to any possibilities, and this was one of them.

K: Definitely cool that it's Science Fiction (my favorite genre of course) and I love anything that explores the unknown (such as dreams etc) so it sounds awesome!

3. I noticed "The Unknown" switches between past tense and present
tense a lot. What was it that made you decide to take this route?

M: With Isabella's dreams, she has to show through her past why she put up such strong built walls around her heart. I also have a tendency to mix up my past tense with present, but since this is the first draft right now, I'm writing down to wash it out of my head. Once done editing it will all be fixed, with the help of Madi of course.

K: Ah, okay, that makes sense now. Sorry, but I just had to ask! 

4. Any future novels currently in the works?

M: I'm not currently working on another book, but ideas pop into my head for this one particular book I want to produce. It's called Imperfections. I will be typing up real life experiences in this novel that will portray my struggles that tragically have played a big part of my life. I wasn't the best kid in the world to suck up to peoples good side. I was rather the  naïve child clawing at the edge of dangers.  Ultimately those wrong decision have made me a stronger, better person now to where I can give others advice.

K: That sounds awesome. I would love to read it. Good luck writing it!

5. Got any advice for fellow writers?

M: My advice to other writers would be to write until your hands feel numb, don't give up no matter what, make time to write, don't make excuses of why you couldn't write, and to always write down the plotline, characters personality traits, and how that specific chapter would go.

K: Definitely agree, and I for one will be taking your advice to heart. 

6. Last but not least, can you tell us more about yourself, for those who might not know you?

M: Hi, my name is Melissa Brooke Scholes. I live in Carthage Missouri, but was born in Pittsburgh Kansas. I've always enjoyed writing ever since fifth grade. I made a trilogy of superheroes, but then tossed it out because it all sounded so childish. Of course that all was written when I was 12. Naturally when I was younger I was the girl outside playing with the neighborhood kids. When the weather was horrible I was inside building forts and exploring my imagination. There was a period in my life were the dangerous troublemaker dared to challenge the consequences. I'm better now and proving to people that I'm not that person anymore. I write books, poems, and stories to prove them wrong. My best friend Madeline Courtney helped me with all that shadiness and we joined in each others raids of writing. Thanks to Ksenia Anske, Amy Good, and bestie, Madeline Courtney, who has helped me better improve my book and gain readers.

K: Thanks for sharing, Melissa! Sounds like we would have gotten along well as kids ;) And I agree, those are some great people you mentioned! I wish you luck with your novel and all your endeavors. :) 

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Guest Blog: Madeline Courtney

Madeline Courtney is currently 16 years old, living in Missouri, and self-publishing her first novel, THE CASE OF IRENE ADLER. When she asked me to interview her for my blog, I was more than happy to. I asked her a few questions, and she answered them beautifully. Enjoy:

1. How long have you been writing? 

"I've been writing since I had this school project in the first grade. We all had to write a short story about our favorite animal. Mine was a cat named Mykin. In the end it got run over by a car. It was very sad."

2. What inspired you to start writing? 

"Um... I've always been writing really. I think what inspires me to keep writing is my life. It's pretty terrible and I'm not just saying that because I'm a teenager. I was sexually assaulted and tortured by a family friend from ages 3-13 and I did not have justice. Everything was settling down when my parents decided to move. At my new school I was again sexually assaulted by football players, told to commit suicide, brutally bullied so bad I had to drop and be home-schooled. Now, I am doing homeschooling online at the library and have absolutely no high school experience. Which is why I am moving out next year so I can have a senior year in my home town, Carthage Missouri. Basically to shorten the answer, I write to disappear. To escape reality and FINALLY live a peaceful life."

3. Your book "The Case of Irene Adler" is a retelling of "A Scandal in Bohemia" by Arthur Conan Doyle. How does your book differ from the original? And will Sherlock Holmes be making an appearance? 

"My book is Urban Fantasy. It's much the same as the original, except Irene Adler is a vampire controlled by the evil James Moriarty. John Watson is actually a female Witch Doctor named Jonelle Watson... I can't really say much about Holmes without giving away the ending. Yes, he's in there. Yes, he's super badass vampire killing awesomeness."

4. Do you have any future novels in the works? If so, can you describe them in a nut shell?  

"YES! Obviously this book is the first in a trilogy. The next book is called A STUDY IN MORIARTY which has something to do with THE HOUNDS OF BASKERVILLE, and then a modern retelling of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, set in the deep south."

5. You're still 16 years old, with your whole life and career ahead of you. Where do you see your writing career taking you in the next 10 years? 

"Honestly, I would just be happy working as a librarian and writing on my down time. Actually, that's my plan. I want to either work at Books-A-Million or a library, and write when I come home. I was debating on giving my novels away for free on Ebook and perhaps also selling them on Amazon, giving people the choice on if they want to buy them or not. Is that good answer?"

YES, those are ALL great answers! It's awesome of Madeline to want to give her books away for free. It shows that to her, writing isn't just a money making scheme, but a true passion and something she is willing to share with the world just because she loves it. Being a sexual assault survivor myself (and Founder of RISE) I sympathize with Madeline and truly hope things get better for her. And I agree - Writing IS a great way to escape, AND a great path to healing! 

 If you want to keep up with Madeline and her work, you can follow her on Twitter HERE. 

Thank you for sharing, Madeline, and good luck with everything! I'll be looking out for your work :) 

Keep Rising, 

Kylie Kerosene. 

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Guest Blog: Author Ksenia Anske

If you're a writer and you've never heard of Ksenia Anske, you've probably been living under a rock. Don't worry, I was living under a rock too, until a few months ago when I started looking for fellow writers on Twitter. I didn't expect to find much, but boy was I wrong. I have found some of the coolest and most inspiring writers through Twitter, and Ksenia is one of them. She has a wonderful website and a blog in which she often gives great writing advice, which I appreciate, and she is one of the sweetest writers I've met. She is also a survivor, which comes across in her book series Siren Suicides, and she is someone every survivor can look up to because she is speaking out about it and trudging fearlessly down the path to healing. She recently finished a new book, Rosehead, which I'm sure will be a fantastic read.

I have never done a guest blog before, and when Ksenia mentioned it I knew I wanted her to be the first person I featured on my blog. I talked to her and asked her a few questions, which she answered brilliantly. Here they are:

1. How is your new book Rosehead different from your last work, Siren Suicides?

"It's different in several ways, actually. Number one, I planned Siren Suicides inside and out, before starting to write it, meaning, I plotted it, I wrote out Chapter summaries in a notebook, I rewrote chapter summaries in the notebook, and then rewrote it again. With Rosehead, I didn't plan anything at all. I had a picture in my mind, an image, I started writing from there, and every day I would sit down in front of my laptop, not knowing what would happen or where the story would take me. Number two, Siren Suicides is told from the 1st person perspective, and Rosehead is more of a classic 3rd person tale. I like 3rd person better, I think. Number three, Siren Suicides is very dark and dreamy and full of teenage angst, as well as some heavy underlying topics like suicide and domestic violence. Rosehead is more of a funny story with dark undertones, not unlike the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, but with a spin of YA. Number four, Siren Suicides I wrote for therapy. Rosehead I also wrote for therapy, but mostly I wrote it for fun, to get my head clear for the next heavy book I'm getting ready to write, a literary novel called Irkadura."

2. What is the message you hope to convey with Rosehead?

"Oy. What message. Well, probably that kids imaginary world is very valid and deserves a 100% attention from adults, which it doesn't get, most of the time. Adults don't like believing in kids tales, but kids often see things adults don't, and that was my own personal experience growing up, so of course it spilled into a whole book. In the book, Lilith Bloom, a 12 year old girl, suffers from a certain disorder that causes her parents to dismiss her observations. Alas, they realize at the end of the book that they were wrong. And, of course, love wins over everything."

3. How have recent events in your life impacted your writing?

"I would say, my life's events impact my writing in general, all the time, every day, because I write to process my life, to make sense of it, and to make myself believe that I can continue living, despite things that happen to me. I mostly store things that happen to me, to reuse in my stories later. That's how I survived the bad things that happened to me, by tuning out, packing them deep inside, to process later. Maybe that's why I have so many stories sitting inside me, waiting to get out? I dunno. That must be it."

4. Any new projects on the horizon?

"Oh yes, I have about 8 novels planned out, to write after I'm done with Rosehead. Well, 2 of them are more fleshed out than the others, Irkadura, a literary novel that is based on my growing up in Soviet Union, and Page Turner, a fantasy novel about kids who discover that the world has pages and they can be turned, like the pages of a book."

5. Any advice for new writers?

"Yes. KEEP WRITING EVERY DAY, no matter what anyone tells you. And after you're done writing, read every day. Without reading, you will hardly be able to write. There are a million books out there on how to write. I would suggest you read only one, ON WRITING, by Stephen King, and do everything he says. That's what I do, and so far, King's advice has been golden."

* * *

Being a fairly new writer myself, I will certainly be taking Ksenia's advice to heart, and I look forward to reading her books, especially Page Turner! I hope you've enjoyed my first guest blog, and I hope you will check Ksenia's work out, as well as follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her blog.

Thanks for the inspiration Ksenia!

Keep Rising, 

Kylie Kerosene.


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