Featured Author: BR Kingsolver

[Tawdra Kandle]

1. Tell us about your latest book.

Broken Dolls is a paranormal mystery/thriller about a telepathic detective who is hired to find a missing girl. The world of the Telepathic Clans incorporates a new explanation of the British myths about the Faery people and the Druids. Within this world, telepaths with powerful Gifts live alongside normal humans in today’s world, hidden and with their own subculture. What RB Kendrick, the detective, finds is a global ring of human trafficking where telepathic girls are being sold both as sex slaves and as breeders for rare telepathic powers.

 

2. Where did the idea for the book come from?

I have three previously published novels set in the world of the Telepathic Clans. A friend of mine kept asking me to write a mystery book. I had a character I’d created, but didn’t have a story for her.

When I was traveling in Eastern Europe, I became aware of human slavery and women searching for a better life becoming prey for sex traffickers. It’s now a $40 billion industry. Reading the stories of women forced into this life makes me sick. So I gradually developed the idea of highlighting the problem in a way that hadn’t been done before—through fantasy fiction.

 

3. Who and what inspire you to write?

I’ve always made up stories for my own enjoyment, but never tried to write them down. A couple of years ago, I was discussing the new phenomenon of self-publishing with a friend, and mentioned that I had a story I thought people would like. She encouraged me to write it down. To my surprise, when I asked people to read it, they liked it. Of course, it wasn’t very polished, and they had lots of criticism, but several friends helped me to make it better. I’ve now published four books and a short story in an anthology about cat shifters. 

5. What has been the most pleasant surprise about writing? How about an unexpected down side?

The most pleasant surprise is that people like my stories, and the critical response has been very positive. I was hoping for 3 star reviews on my first book, and received mostly 4 and 5 star praise.

The downside is that I have very little time for writing. I never imagined how much work goes into promotions and publicizing my books. If I had time just to write, I could turn out 4-5 books a year. In practice, I’ve only been able to finish 4 in two years.

 

6. Do you have any writing rituals?

I read about authors who have a set place to work, need to have a certain kind of music playing, etc. If I have the time and the story is flowing, I can write anywhere. I’ve written in cafes, in airports, on planes and buses. Mostly I write sitting on my couch. It can be quiet, or music playing, or even the TV on. It doesn’t matter.

 

7. Do you write your books in order?

That’s kind of a funny question, considering how I got here. My first manuscript was bordering on 800 pages when I sent it to some friends to read. The feedback from another author was that I needed to break it up, and the feedback from most of my readers was that I needed to condense it and cut out the boring parts.

As a result, the first two novels were originally envisioned as one book, and the third novel is half of what I thought of as the second book. Upon finishing the first three books of what will be a four-book series, I was burned out on the story. So I set it aside and wrote Broken Dolls.

 I currently have three different books in various stages of completion. One is the final book in the Telepathic Clans Saga, one is a YA/NA paranormal romance about a Valkyrie, and one is a contemporary NA romance without any paranormal elements at all.

Oh, and I have my cat shifter short story about a lady jaguar that was recently published in an anthology, Here, Kitty Kitty, edited by Mia Darien.

 

8. What is on your writing playlist for this book?

I don’t really listen to music when I write. I don’t have a soundtrack in my head for my book.

 

9. Any favorite writing snacks?

I tend to eat when I get hungry. I try not to keep too many snacks in the house. I do snack on nuts and chips, though.

 

10. What advice would you give writers who aspire to be published?

It’s a great hobby. Don’t expect to get rich, and definitely don’t quit your day job. Most of the authors you see on the shelf at the bookstore aren’t feeding themselves on their writing. Do it because you enjoy it. And do not ever believe you can do without an editor. No one is qualified to edit their own work.

 

11. Are you working on anything new right now?

Book 4 of the Telepathic Clans Saga, the Valkyrie book, and the NA romance. I also have been thinking about a romance thriller—think of the Pelican Brief but with drug lords, corrupt FBI and DEA agents, and the couple on the run falling in bed together.

 

12. Who is your favorite character in your current book?

I like the main character, RB Kendrick. There’s also an appearance from a character from my other three books, Rebecca Healy, but she’s a minor character in this one and only appears near the end of the book.

RB (Rhiannon Bronwyn) is a powerful telepath, but she’s also a klutz who has daddy issues (she hates him). She’s a mix of kick-ass and vulnerable, a stunning beauty who doesn’t care about clothes and impressing other people. She’s intensely loyal to those she loves, and yet a loner.

 

13. What is your favorite book of all time?

That’s the hardest question yet. I learned to read when I was three, and I’m an eclectic, voracious reader. Time Enough for Love by Robert Heinlein, The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov, The Morgaine Saga by CJ Cherryh are books that immediately come to mind.

 

14. Tell us in one sentence why we should read your book.

A completely different twist on the Fae, the Druids, and paranormal urban fantasy, brought to you by a female detective unlike any character you’ve ever read before.

 

Follow BR Kingsolver on FaceBook | Twitter | Website | Goodreads