Author Kayelle Allen
S: Good morning, Kayelle! Thanks so much for stopping by!
You seem to have a very active imagination. Can you name one person, book, or song who/that inspires flights of fantasy?
K: Just one? Hmmmm. I'm going to go with Nik Nitsvetov, the Russian cosplayer who portrayed Pietas from "Bringer of Chaos" last year. He and I are planning another cosplay event this year. To see the kind of work Nik does, check out the Ritual of Strength video. This is taken from scenes in both my books. (https://kayelleallen.com/gateway/pietas-ritual/) If this guy doesn't inspire flights of fantasy, nothing will. I'm going to add a second inspirational person here, Zack Black. He's literally the voice in my head when I write Pietas. He narrates this video. Zack completely captured the way Pietas sounds and even his voice. Surreal to see the physical person I imagine and hear his voice -- both come to life. This was an incredible undertaking and I can't wait to do it again. Links to both men are on the page referenced above. Okay, and one more thing. I listen to a playlist of songs while I write and that is a huge inspiration. The music includes "Nameless Heroes"" by Audiomachine, "Master of Time" by Epic North, and "Asimov" by Nick Phoenix. There are more songs, but those get played over and over.
S: What should people
know about you?
K: I am a super busy person. Who isn't? However, I love cosplay
and most of the people I follow on Instagram are cosplayers. But I don't dress
up or take part in cosplay myself. I just photograph and enjoy it. They
should also know that I love art and create my own banners. I have a creative team
of designers with whom I work, which includes Nik, Zack, NanoCore (a digital
weaponsmith), and Zealot6 (a video designer). You'll be seeing more videos in
the near future. I'm producing several. I also own two book publishing
companies, each built to feature my own books. Romance titles come from Romance
Lives Forever Books and future science fiction titles (without romance) will
come from Lucsondis Books. I also manage Marketing for Romance Writers, a
peer-mentoring group for authors, and host authors on my daily book blog,
Romance Lives Forever.
S: (Chuckles.) Geeesh! When do you find time to sleep?
Complete this
sentence: "When one of my books is released, I..."
K: ...I am amazed I actually finished the thing. I must write.
It's in the blood. But it takes so much to create a book that it's just a
miracle when it's finished. I can't just write it and throw it out there. I
plot, plan, edit, rewrite, edit again, send the book through multiple channels
of beta readers, story editors, and final editors. If needed, I repeat steps.
I'm never satisfied until it's as exciting and as perfect as I can make it. So
maybe I should say that when one of my books is released, I'm exhausted and
ready for vacation.
S: (Chuckles.) I don't believe my books have been published until I actually hold them in my hands.
What's the best
advice you have ever been given?
K: Write what's in your heart. No one can write only what they
know. If they did, there would be no science fiction, no ghost stories, no
Arthurian legends -- you get the idea. We can prepare and research and
speculate, but we can't know. So do what you can to be accurate, but you are a
writer. You are the one who says "In my world, it works like this."
Best advice ever. Despite my penchant for perfection, I believe this with all
my heart. It's my world. If I want it, I make it happen.
S: A little self-belief in your ideas goes a long way. What's the best
advice you have ever given?
K: If you want to be a writer, don't let anyone steal your
dream. Don't quit. Don't give up. Don't stop. The people who keep going and
finish are writers.
S: Exactly. There are so many out there eager to crush your dreams. Believe in yourself and forge ahead!
If you could
"seize the day," how would you do it?
K: I would not be flat on my back in bed thinking about writing
a story. I would be up writing it. Plotting it. Making notes. Time is getting
away from me fast. I don't have time to waste thinking about what I want to do.
I need to do it. Now. Today. That's how I seize the day. I just do it.
S: (Smiles.) Spoken like a true writer. Writing is not only what we do, it is who we are.
Tell me about your book, "Origin of Pietas."
K: This is Book 1 of the Bringer of Chaos Series, which is about military genetic engineering in a dystopian world. Here's the blurb--
K: This is Book 1 of the Bringer of Chaos Series, which is about military genetic engineering in a dystopian world. Here's the blurb--
A captive of the people he loathes, the immortal Pietas is
left for dead on the planet Sempervia. Six, a human soldier who is abandoned
with him, offers food and water. A human, offering friendship? Surely, this is another
trap, but to survive, Pietas must do that which he most detests. Trust a
human...
"Forged in Fire" (Book 2) continues the saga and "Watch Your Six" (Book 3) is in
progress.
S: Where can readers buy your book?
K: It's available on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited at--
S: Kayelle, thanks so much for joining me today. To learn more about Kayelle, please visit--
Homeworld: https://kayelleallen.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kayelleallen/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kayelleallen/
Facebook: https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
You can also join one of Kayelle's Reader Groups, download four free books, and get news about books coming soon. You can unsubscribe at any time. Here's the link--
Next week in The Loft: Christina Lynn Lambert!
Wow this is fun! I'm used to having you come visit me on RLF :) So nice to be at your place for a change. Thank you for letting me come visit! I should add that when you join one of my reader groups, two of the books have Pietas (Nik) on the cover. And he looks gorgeous!
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