Interview with K.A. Emmons Author of The Blood Race
That’s an excellent question. I truly think that what defines me as a person and as a writer are definitely one and the same… for me, writing is simply part of who I am. It’s how I understand myself and the world around me. Writing is how I think and live. It helps me in every imaginable way. I’m a very faith-oriented person, and my writing is much the same; the stories I weave create themselves, springing from this idea that anything is possible, and that we are innately powerful beings with limitless potential. It’s ideas like these that totally power me as a person, and as a writer.
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer?
I’ve been writing seriously since I was around 11 years old, and my family was actually instrumental in inspiring and encouraging me to write. I have incredibly inspiring artists for parents, and they were always motivating me to find my own path and pursue my dreams in unconventional ways. On top of that, my sister and I have always been very close. She’s a writer herself, and we spent most of our childhood sitting around our family’s dining room table with pots of tea and ink on our fingers; scribbling away at some new story idea.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books?
If even one of my readers takes away this idea that we are powerful and made for so much, well, I’d be thrilled. In my stories and characters I see a common race toward something bigger – a concept that fills me: that we are far more powerful than we realize, and that, no matter who we are, or where we come from, there is a warrior inside each and every single one of us, just waiting to break out.
Where do your story ideas come from? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down?
Ideas typically come flying at me like a rabid goose from out of left field, and I’m frightfully notorious for never writing anything down. I’m a brooder, so I typically just spend 90% of my time and energy thinking about the story and turning it round in my mind like a gem until the story is written and finished. I’ve always been fascinated by the illusive randomness of inspiration, actually – and how it often does come out of “nowhere”.
A peek between the pages of The Blood Race, Book One:
where I was or who I was really speaking to, in fact. Up until the car
incident, Sensei had simply been “the crazy old guy next door.” Now he was
beginning to feel like my only connection to sanity. I had no reason to trust
him, but something in me gravitated towards it.
you know about me?” I asked. “Hawk said that you’ve been watching me—how did
you find me? How did you know about my powers?”
eyes studied my face. “You still have not answered the question.”
for a moment, then let go of a sigh. “I don’t know the answer to your question.
I don’t even know who I am.”
to know who you are?” I nodded slightly.
the answer to the question,” he said. “You wish to learn who you really are.
Where you have come from. And it is for that reason that you have been brought
here.”
asked.
were created to protect that which is to come, Ion.”
it for a moment before shaking my head. “I don’t get it.” “Every generation to
walk the earth has, hidden within its repetition and
who will resist. A few who will realize that they are inherently different from
others,” Sensei replied. “Most will follow the pattern cut through the density
of the forest, because they are afraid to stray from that which is familiar.
But a few will stray—the anomalies. Those who recognize their own powers and
allow their abilities to guide them.”
word again. The word that had provoked me to the point of driving a knife
through Hawk’s hand only hours before. Coming from him, though, it didn’t have
the same effect.
dimension to protect you. Because you are the only ones who have awakened to
protect the future from what it has become.”
what the future is going to be like?” I asked. “You talk about it like it
already exists.”
said, “I have seen it.” “You’ve seen the future?”
I looked for the right word. “Dimension. You created it?”
“Wait, what?”
Hawk, when you altered reality with your very thoughts, you projected that
which is within you into that which is without. When you practice that for
eternity, this,” he gestured towards our surroundings, “is the result.”
every one of us… every one of the anomalies?” “From past, present, and future.”
starting to hurt.
one who fixed my face, weren’t you.” It wasn’t a question. Sensei nodded. “I
could imagine how much it hurt.”
imagined correctly.” I laughed mirthlessly. “God, this is
choice to make, Ion. Hawk will teach you how to utilize the portals, and you
may come and go.” He folded his hands. “Or you may return to your world
permanently—but you must tell no one what we have discussed or what you have
seen here.”
stay,” I said, without hesitation, surprising myself.
A peek between the pages of Worlds Beneath, Book Two:
if I said I wasn’t scared. The very things that were potential beacons of hope
were also bright red warning flags. There was no way for me to know what I was
walking into.
nightfall. Until the sky was dark and the stars were like sparkling pinpricks
in satin overhead. I watched him light a fresh fire after failing to rekindle
the last, using two rocks. It reminded me of my own newly acquired ability to
channel fire. When I thought about it, I could practically feel the heat
tingling in the tips of my wings.
cross-legged, by the fire, and the black wolves dispersed into the woods,
seeming on edge as the starlight flickered down through the trees. I heard
distant howls on occasion.
features were illuminated by the crackling fire. He seemed to have all but
forgotten I was there. He held a small journal in his hand and seemed to be
writing or making a sketch with charcoal.
again and went inside the shelter, and the opportunity for me to make my
entrance presented itself.
branch and flew several yards into the forest. I landed softly on the ground
below and transformed back into my human form. I didn’t want him to know I
could shift; that had to remain a secret.
my clothes and took a shaky breath.
halt at the very edge of the clearing, waiting to see if and when he would
emerge from the shelter. When he didn’t, I finally stepped forward into the
clearing.
in towards the flickering shades of yellow and orange. The snap of a twig under
my foot disrupted the chorus of crickets and the distant, occasional howls. It
was enough to cause an audible stir from within the shelter. A moment later the
curtain parted. The dark eyes met mine from across the flames. He stared at me
like someone who hadn’t seen another living soul in a hundred years.
completely. The connection between our eyes didn’t falter.
he asked, in a curious voice edged with an accent. “Where did you come from?”
deep breath, debating what kind of cover story to give.
replied slowly. “I followed one of the black wolves, and it led me here.”
watching his expression closely. “Where exactly is this place?” I asked.
for a moment longer, seeming puzzled by the question, and then he looked around
us. “Must everything have a name?” He seemed to be musing more than asking. “It
is reality. I know nothing beyond it.”
questioned. “You’ve always lived here?” He nodded. “It certainly feels like
it.”
here?” He nodded again. “How is that possible?”
turning his attention back to me. “Could I not ask the same of you?”
come up with something to say.
place like this, but covered in snow.” I thought back to the tunnel in the
embankment. “And then the wolf led me here. The wolves you talk to.”
moment longer and then smiled. “I talk to them because they are mine.”
the fire, picking up the journal and closing it. “It is hard for you to
understand, but if you stay, you will learn that no one knows where exactly
this place is.”
pick up a stick with which he began prodding the fire. “And no one knows how to
leave,” he said, seeming to muse once more to himself. “Or should I say,
escape.”
for a moment. “I don’t want to stay.” “You wish to find your way home, then?”
It was wonderful having you with us today. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Blood Race Trilogy!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged KA Emmons, Paranormal, SciFi, The Blood Race, The Blood Race Trilogy and Worlds Beneath, Urband Fantsay Time Travel, Young Adult by Tena Stetler with comments disabled.
Interview with Judith Marshall Author of The Cauldron Stirred
Give a warm welcome to Judith Marshall, author of The Cauldron Stirred just released on July 21, 2017!
Pull up a chair, grab a drink of your choice from the cooler, or there’s fresh lemonade on the counter. Choose a Chocolate Chip or Peanut Butter cookie from the plate, and let’s find out a little about Judith and The Cauldron Stirred.
Judith, tell us inspired this particular story? A deep love for Ireland, my travels there, and paranormal events in my own life.
What defines you as an author? As a person? Are they one in the same? As an author: passion, empathy, and a magical view of the world. As a person: those same qualities, but also an eye toward adventure and a desire to understand, love, and heal people I encounter.
What secret do you use to blast through writer’s block? I step away for a bit, then return and poise my hands over the keyboard, signaling my muse that I’m ready to go!
Who is your favorite character of all of the books you’ve written and Why? Maybe Sir Robert le Donjon, the hero in Shadow of the Swan (The Novels of Ravenwood, Book 3) which I just turned in to my editor. He has wit, patience, and a generous heart.
What inspired you to write? An instinctive urge that’s always been with me.
How long have you been writing? Since I was three years old. By age nine, I was writing chapter stories and elaborate scripts for my dolls to act out. Of course, I played all the parts!
Did you tell friends and family that you were writing a book? Or did it take a while to come out and tell friends and family you were a writer? Friends and family have always known my passion for writing.
What do you want your readers to take away from your books? Interconnection. A sense of the mystical. Warm memories of a beautiful world.
Where do you find your story ideas? If they come to you in the middle of the night, do you get up and write them all down? It’s hard to pinpoint exactly how and why inspiration strikes, but I always use old-fashioned pen and paper for brainstorming and outlines. If I sit in front of blank paper with my pen poised above it, images and ideas just start to flow. Sometimes they’re connected to my own experience; other times, not. And yes, I have jumped out of bed to jot down ideas!
Do you find it easier to write from a male or female point of view? Why? If I had to choose, I’d say female, because I am one! But I also empathize with my male characters.
Why do you write what you write? Contemporary, paranormal, suspense, etc. I write what I love: the paranormal, history, romance, and mystery. I enjoy weaving stories, and sometimes, writing a scene can be cathartic.
If writing is your first passion, what is your second? The paranormal.
What do you like to do when you are not writing? Hang out with my family, visit historic sites, watch classic movies and favorite TV shows, walk through the woods, read, travel, cook, bake, and EAT!
Alright, one last question, and it’s my favorite. You’ve got a time machine, a cloak of invisibility, and one hour. Where would you go, and what eavesdropping would you do? Ooh! There are so many events I’d witness if given the chance. The building of Stonehenge. The moment when Antony met Cleopatra. The coronation of Elizabeth I of England. The filming of Hitchcock’s Rebecca, The Birds, and Rear Window. And of course, I wouldn’t mind spying on the set of the TV series, Supernatural!
Okay, wow, you’d make good use of the cloak. LOL Tell us a little about The Cauldron Stirred.
Ashling Donoghue never dreamed moving to Ireland would rock her perception of reality and plunge her into a mystery that brings legend to life.
At seventeen, she’s never had a boyfriend, but she feels an immediate connection to Aengus Breasal, the son of the wealthy Irishman who’s invited her family to stay at his Killarney estate. For the first time in her life, a guy she likes seems attracted to her.
But Aengus is secretive, with good reason. He and his family are the Tuatha Dé Danann, ageless, mythical guardians adept at shifting between this reality and the magical dimension known as the Otherworld. Evil forces from that world threaten the Breasals, the Donoghues, and all of Ireland. Ashling must open her heart, face her fears, and embrace a destiny greater than she could ever have imagined.
How about a peek between the pages of The Cauldron Stirred?
The night air was deliciously cool. Moonlight and darkness held equal sway over the backyard thanks to the shifting clouds. I dashed across the lawn and halted in the exact spot where Aengus had stood. Panting, I looked around, willing some kind of clue to materialize.
The ruins in front of me darkened as large, heavy clouds swallowed the moon whole. The wind tugged at my long, loose hair and pajamas. Tiny raindrops spattered on my nose and cheeks. I turned my palms to the sky, and cold rain pelted them.
“Great.” Intending to return to the house, I swiveled around.
I gasped. My right hand flew to my chest. “Aengus?!”
The man himself stood an arm’s length in front of me. “Why are you here?”
“You scared the crap out of me!”
“Whisht!”
“What?”
“Shush!”
Pop!
The strident sound came from the ruins. I whirled around and stared at the dark keep.
Aengus grabbed me from behind. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. I reveled in the feel of his taut body, of his warm flesh against mine.
Suddenly, everything changed. The rain stopped. The wind died. The entire landscape was bathed in the soft hue of twilight. Breasal Castle looked brand spanking new, just as it had during the bizarre dream in which I brought Aengus to the cottage. But this time, I knew I was awake.
Dumbfounded, I gawked at the medieval magnificence before me. I had no idea what had happened and no desire to pull away from his embrace.
His lips brushed my right ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “This way.”
His right arm released me, and his left slid down to my waist. Maintaining body contact the entire time, he steered me toward the stand of oaks on our right.
Once sheltered by the trees, he turned us around so we faced the castle.
“Are we hiding?” I whispered.
“We are.”
“Why? And what just happened?”
“I can’t say.”
“Can’t or won’t?”
“Both.”
Until that moment, I’d forgotten I wore pajamas. Now I was acutely aware of it. Satin was pleasing to the touch, but something told me my attire had nothing to do with his grip on me.
I looked up at him. “Not that I mind, but why are you holding me so close?”
His hand tightened on my waist. “It’s necessary.”
“I don’t suppose you can explain that, either.”
With his gaze locked on the castle, he shook his head. He pressed his right forefinger against his mouth in a silencing gesture. Then he pointed up at the keep.
High on the battlements, the black-haired woman from my dream—and from Branna’s painting—paced back and forth. Her hair whipped about her pale face and slender frame.
She paused beside a gap in the crenelated wall and glared down at the fairy mound. Her colorless lips curled into a sneer. Then her human form morphed into a dark shadow, which fragmented into what seemed a million black particles. They swarmed into the air and shot across the twilit sky, disappearing into the distance.
I took a deep breath. “So she’s real.”
He nodded. “She’s real, to be sure. Come.” With his arm still hooked around me, he led me out of the woods and toward the fairy mound.
You can purchase The Cauldron Stirred at: Amazon
About the Author:
Judith Sterling’s love of history and passion for the paranormal infuse everything she writes. Flight of the Raven and Soul of the Wolf are part of her medieval romance series, The Novels of Ravenwood. The Cauldron Stirred is the first book in her young adult paranormal series, Guardians of Erin. Written under Judith Marshall, her nonfiction books—My Conversations with Angels and Past Lives, Present Stories—have been translated into multiple languages. She has an MA in linguistics and a BA in history, with a minor in British Studies. Born in that sauna called Florida, she craved cooler climes, and once the travel bug bit, she lived in England, Scotland, Sweden, Wisconsin, Virginia, and on the island of Nantucket. She currently lives in Salem, Massachusetts with her husband and their identical twin sons.
Learn more about Judith:
Website – https://judithmarshallauthor.com/
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/judithsterlingfiction/
It was wonderful having you with us today Judith. Please feel free to stop by anytime. Good Luck with The Cauldron Stirred!
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Posted in Authors' Secrets Blog and tagged Interview, Judith Marshall, Paranormal, Romance, Teen, The Cauldron Stirred, Young Adult by Tena Stetler with 20 comments.
