I met K.J. Cales via Facebook. There was just something about her, about her book that made me reach out for an interview. I think you all will connect with her in some way or another. You may even decide to look up the sign you were born in to see how it can help or hinder your writing and style.
Below are the questions I asked her:
1. In your bio you
mention that you are a Taurus. How have the virtues of that sign helped you in
your writing career?
My loyalty to my father has kept me writing since
his passing. A gift that I believe helped to keep me from considering
unthinkable options. At our last meeting, he told me in a firm tone to get my
book published. Now that I have, I cannot justify going to another career.
Part of what steered me into self-publishing is
my stubborn rebellious traits. I really have to hold a person in favor before I
take their opinion of my works in high account. The stubborn side of me
prevents me from giving up on my projects.
My senses are strong I think from in part my sign
and that I am an earth child. This translate into defining emotions and
physical touch more than I should in some situations. I had to cut this back
much in Rachel’s first book. Next one will have much more.
2. Why should we read Passing
of the King?
In a jest? Really, even a child at times can use
a release from reality. While not aimed for children, Rachel’s first novel
gives the parents a break from the doldrums of reality: the bills, the
obligations, and the stress. While a physical vacation often is worse than
work, a good novel can give the mind a needed break with no need for
transportation or lodgings to get away from the stress of life.
Add on that were the reader to think their life
is bad, I believe the twists in Rachel’s life could give a reader time to
reconsider.
3. Describe your writing
in 5 words:
anti-ordinary, personal, unexpected, stratified, untrodden
4. What time do you get
up and what do you eat for breakfast?
I get up dependent on when I get to sleep, but
hate to wake in the early mornings. As with Rachel, I find when I wake early in
the morning bad situations like to hit me. Breakfast is a matter of
availability and preference. Most of the time, I am grabbing the cereal bowl.
5. Who is your favorite
character in Passing of the King, and why?
This is the evil question akin to asking a parent
which child would they save if they could only grab one. All of my characters
are my children. Yes, even Jennifer and Payne (though they are the children who
live in the time out corner).
Not because she holds the camera of the novel’s
focus, Rachel has suffered as I have in my life. She has taken her trauma and
made herself a better person for the lessons. I find days where I can’t
understand what keeps the girl moving forward. Of course, I am concurrent with
her timeline and know the fires readers have not witnessed Rachel’s suffering
through yet.
When my life falls apart, I see that Rachel holds
more to complain about than me. That tends to shut my mouth’s complaints and
returns my focus back to work.
6. How has living in West
Virginia and Florida influenced your writing?
Living in the mountains, I was the kid you could
never keep out of the woods. I also had few friends due to geography and my
background. The woods offered me an escape from the trials outside while the
places nurtured my imagination.
Still feel those places in my bones far from
home. Yet, I learned too that the dictionary does not define our world. Just
because people’s titles and situations have a given definition, this is not
always how the world will work.
In Florida, I learned the truth about justice
before I was out of school. Not in a positive way, mind. This is really where
the situation of Rachel finding so many turned against her in the madness. I
simply took my life in middle and high school superimposed onto a huge chunk of
the world. Just as much, I have learned about finding support in places you
wouldn’t expect at first glance.
7. What's the funniest thing
someone has asked/ or said to you about your book?
I’m not sure if this counts as funny, as I find
the observation annoying. One of my readers mentioned out how the cover does
not represent West Virginia.
May I point out that the cover is not an advertisement
for my birth state. Rather, I emulated Rowling a bit while upping the value
from childhood to the mental exercises for adults. Secrets to the series as
much as to the novel itself lie within the cover. The same will be said about
the next novel. When the two are compared … I quote River Song here,
“Spoilers.”
8. Where does your cat
hang out while you write?
Most of the time he is either at my feet or in
the window. He likes to protect me, especially since we lost Dad. Excluding, of
course, at naptime – then my left arm and leg becomes his bed.
9. Is it easier to find readers? Or more
difficult due to all the self-publishing?
I have found this vexing because as a new writer
as well as on limited funds, I cannot advertise to as wide an audience as I
would like. There is also the first novel learning curve – every writer has
this.
By self-publishing, I have this twice over due to learning also the job
of agent and promoter. Where an agent has contacts and knows of channels I
might not yet have heard of, I face finding the more creative routes to attract
readers to Rachel.
10. Explain what NaNoWriMo is to the newbie
writer: And how can they get involved?
NaNoWriMo, as in the book, is the short form of
National Novel Writing Month. Every November, along with twice in the summer,
writers of all kinds join together in an effort to type out a masterpiece only
each participant could create.
The goal normally is to find the words The End
as close to fifty thousand words or better as possible. Even if a writer
doesn’t get that far, by the end of the month those who put out an effort have
more than they began with and showed the world they can write a novel.
The only person you compete against is yourself
while you connect with other writers who have either have just started or been
through this all before.
Getting started is not difficult. Sign up at
either nanowrimo.org
for the November session or campnanowrimo.org to join either (if not both
summer sessions). At the web sites you input your daily word count (1,667 words
for a goal of fifty thousand words), chat with other writers in the forums, or
even check out November’s comic pages.
November 30th, you validate your word count by
pasting the entire length into the site calculator. My advice is go past your
goal to ‘the end’ and don’t listen to those who mock writers at the beginning.
Even Rowling had to start somewhere.
11. Where's the best place to get a cup of Joe or
Tea in your town?
Like Rachel, I hate coffee. My favorite tea
spot (and even lemonade on a hot day) is Pies and Plates in Punta Gorda, in the
Publix shopping center.
12. What is your blog about?
My personal blog is about writing and life as an
independent author. I also have a blog just for updates and clues for Rachel.
My third is for my Doctor Who obsession. This keeps the last from overtaking
the other two.
13. What has been the best way for you to promote
your works?
Talk to people face to face. However, that is my
personal opinion along with my crux. I hate initiating conversations and
speaking in front of crowds.
However, when I do find the courage to talk
about Rachel and her situations, this is better than words on a page or screen.
My tone of voice, body language, gestures, and energy level give her life and
helps to show the depths of her universe.
14. Do you belong to any writer's associations?
Not yet.
15. What do you think about literary agents?
Still needed? Or dying dinosaurs?
In many cases, an agent is needed more than an
author is willing to admit. The key is to find someone worthy of trust who will
work hard as the writer.
16. Why write?
First answer that comes to mind: why not? The
fact is that inside of my head are many universes that deserve to be shared. A
state shared with anyone who has an imagination awake with stories only that
person is able to write.
17. Please give some writing advice to the newbie
writer:
The hardest part of the writing process before
editing is getting into your seat and doing the work.
The novel within you
another cannot write in your stead. Your novel needs you to come to the plate
and press the words into reality.
Everyone can describe a great story in their
head they wished someone would write. A few set to the work of craving that
story into a manuscript.
Of these, far fewer have the passion for their
creation to make a new universe real.
Sit down and do what others will only every dream
or talk about achieving one day.
18. How can my blog readers help you to become an
even bigger success?
Tell others about Rachel’s fight.
I have told her
story and woven her universe, now others are needed to give this new and often
crazy world a hold in reality. The more who read and think about the hidden
messages both in the words chosen along with the cover, the stronger Rachel’s
world becomes.
19. Who are you reading?
Really it is re-reading. Autumn Sabol’s
‘Elementary, My Dear’ and Laurie R. King’s ‘The Beekeeper’s Apprentice’.
20. What one word best describes you?
Unpredictable.
21. Who is your biggest cheerleader?
My fictive sister and her son in life. Mom and
Dad past the veil.
22. What are you working on right now?
Rachel’s next novel. Funny that she is not the
one in charge. She really hates the entire ‘princess in need of saving’. But I
have a hard time pulling her out of that role.
23. Any big news?
I will be making an appearance at the Punta Gorda
Public Library on August 6 from 10 to 1 for their ‘Meet the Author’ program.
Hope readers will have some interesting questions.
The Next
Big Thing is a global blog tour to showcase authors and illustrators and their
current work. I was tagged by the very talented Marcy Collier
Thanks for stopping in and sharing my “Next Big Thing.” I’ll tag two bloggers in the comment section once they confirm they are in. Check out their
blog entries after Monday, August 14th to hear
their answers about the Next Big Thing!
