Louann Carroll
 Welcome Kay! So nice to have you on my blog today. Tell me, what inspired you to write Heirs of Power? There were lots of inspirations that added up, it’s my first book and it was a message given at my church that pushed me from wanting to publish a book to actually doing it. The speaker asked ‘what is your passion?’ I immediately thought ‘fantasy’ and then felt bad for having a response that wasn’t garnered towards charity or something else helpful, but she said that we should do something with what’s inside of us, not discount it. So, I did ;) Amazing. Why this series? I decided on this series in particular because I wanted to create something that was different from all the things I’d been reading recently. I wanted magic powers that were unique, characters with flaws and weaknesses and that weren’t stunningly beautiful, a group of heroes that relied on each other instead of there being a chosen one that is the most important. I wanted older characters than the usual teenagers, people that have a little more experience so don’t make the sigh-inducing decisions that many protagonists do. I wanted to write a book knowing that if I was the reader, I wouldn’t be able to predict what was going to happen- I even purposely changed some things I’d decided to do in case it was the most obvious route to take, so even I didn’t know what was going to happen sometimes! Don’t give away any secrets, but what’s your book about? Kitty finds out that she’s a Constellation, someone who has inherited the powers of an ancient spirit, and that her world is being invaded by creatures from another plane. These Tenebri use life energy to fuel their magic and have drained their own home to the point of destruction, now they are determined to lay claim to a new one. There are others that hold similar powers to Kitty and they need to work together to face not only the threat of invasion, but also humans that have traded their loyalty to receive gifts of magic from the enemy. Anyone could be a traitor and the Constellations are scattered and vulnerable, Kitty and her friends are in race to first save themselves and then the rest of the world. How did you come up with the title? Even though Kitty is the ‘main character’, and we see most of it from her point of view, I wanted the novel to feel like it was about all of the Constellations. By calling it Heirs of Power, I think it shows that they are all just as vital to the story, they all have the same calling, and none are the most important. Asher certainly thinks he is though haha. Do you have plans for a new book and/or is your book part of a series? Yes! I’m most of the way through the second book of The Constellation Saga, I’m hoping to release it by the end of the year. I plan for the series to be four books long, but it was three originally and the characters are still surprising me with things they desperately need to say, so I won’t set that in stone. I’ve even promised them some short stories but they are very demanding! How long does it take you to write a novel? Heirs of Power took about ten months for the first draft. The next one, The Mage-Lord’s Legacy, will be a little over a year because I’ve been doing it between redrafting, editing and promoting the first one. I work full-time and insist on writing 125K+ word fantasy novels, so probably much longer than most authors! What do you think makes a good story? For me, characters are everything. If I find a character I like, I’ll read everything they are in just to get to know more about them. I love someone that is witty and sarcastic, and as cocky as possible- if they are in a hopeless situation and still laughing in their enemies face they will be in my heart forever! Add in a good tragic backstory and heaps of emotional baggage and I’m smitten… Oh and no obvious plots please, I like to be kept guessing ;) Do you have a day job? Unfortunately, yes *sigh* the necessary evil of paying my bills means I am cruelly dragged away from writing most of the week. But I dream of the day when I can spend all my time in my own worlds instead of just most of it while my poor customers or colleagues are trying to get my attention. What is your work schedule like when you're writing? Hectic! I haven’t really stopped writing since I started, I mean, sometimes I sleep but that’s optional- right? I have to make to-do lists and drag every second out of my day, I’ve always got more things I want to achieve and there are so many stories in my head striving to get out. I try to factor in regular things like social media, interviews and blogging too, because if no-one knows about my books then they won’t read them. I’ll maybe take a break one day, probably when they decide to release a new Dragon Age game. Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing? Description is a big thing for me, I am a very oblivious person and my hearing and sense of smell are just terrible. I wander through life constantly surprised that I haven’t been run over/kidnapped/gotten lost because I just don’t pay attention to what’s happening around me. So, when I need to describe something I have to really focus on what I’m saying to make other people feel like they are there. Strangely, I’ve had quite a few compliments on my descriptive writing and I think this is probably because I’m so conscious that it needs work! Do you work from an outline or just write? Both! I love planning so much, I do character sheets and maps and timelines and bullet point chapters. And then I let it go where it wants, safe in the knowledge that I know exactly where I’m heading but that I have the freedom to take the scenic route. How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre? I’ve done several things but I’m not planning on pushing too hard until there is more of the series out for potential readers to get their hands on. I mainly use social media at the minute but the best tool I’ve found so far is Goodreads. There is so much you can do on there and I’ve met some great people that have helped me a lot. You can do giveaways, find reviewers, meet bloggers or learn from other authors, I highly recommend it to everyone. Fun Questions: If you were a car, what kind would you be? A small one that was easy to park, likely decorated with Pokémon stickers and filled with dragon plushies. My grandchildren would love you. White wine or red? I’ve never found any alcohol that I enjoy, I’d be happy with a ribena please :) Coffee or tea? ....................Oh! Yes, the question! Sorry, I had to go make myself a cup of tea when I read that word. Vanilla or chocolate? Chocolate! Mainly white chocolate but any kind will do. Dogs or cats? Kai, my tuxedo cat, would be very offended if I said dogs. Cats are so much funnier and cuter, you can pick them up for a cuddle and enjoy them purring. There, he’s happy now. Sleep in or get up early? Get up early, if you asked my friends for a quote that I use most often they would say ‘sleeping is for losers!’ Links (add more if necessary) Website- http://kaymacleodbooks.com/ Goodreads-https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15975307.Kay_MacLeod Amazon US-https://www.amazon.com/Kay-MacLeod/e/B01MDSNQ0A/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1 Amazon UK-https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kay-MacLeod/e/B01MDSNQ0A/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1486248511&sr=8-1 Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/KayMacLeodFantasy/ Twitter- https://twitter.com/KayMacLeodBooks Pinterest- https://uk.pinterest.com/KayMacLeodBooks/ Thanks so much Kay. I love your answers. Best of luck with you and your new venture.  Confession time, I’m a fantasy addict!
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the concept of magical worlds. I was the kid with dragons doodled around the edge of her school work, the one with her head constantly buried in a book. As a teen, I shunned partying to play Magic the Gathering and DM Dungeons and Dragons games. Through the years, I’ve always made up stories and took characters on amazing adventures, in the privacy of my own mind. Now I want to share them with other people. I live with my husband and cat in Nottinghamshire in England. When I’m not writing (or planning something I’m writing) I’m usually working, reading, playing bass for my church’s worship team, playing computer games (World of Warcraft, Dragon Age, Pokemon, Minecraft) or drinking tea. Mmm, time to put the kettle on… Comments are closed.
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