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Angeline Kace Interview 12/18/2011 7:51:33 AM
Paranormal romance author Angeline Kace discusses her debut novel and the writing life! LTS: For my last author feature of the year, I’d like to introduce you to YA Paranormal Romance author Angeline Kace. I’d like to begin by having you share a little information about yourself with our readers, Angeline. What do you enjoy doing when you’re not writing?
AK: First, I want to thank you for having my on today, Lorna. I look up to you as an author, so this is quite the treat. J
Oh, man. My life is so hectic and busy with work and school that writing is mostly what I do in my spare time. However, when I’m not writing, you could find me reading, going to movies or the shooting range with my husband. I’ve never been big into guns, but it’s something that we’ve found we both enjoy.
LTS: I’m flattered you'd look up to me, considering I’m so vertically challenged! ;-) I know you’re working toward a degree in accounting. Is writing stories something relatively new to you or has it always been a part of your life and becoming a published author a life-long dream?
AK: I always figured that one day I’d write a book. Maybe a biography. lol But I didn’t seriously consider being an author until 2009. I searched and search about what I had to do to get there, and the possibility of ever being published seemed so daunting that I gave up on the idea and focused my time on a more “reasonable” career.
When I learned about self-publishing, what it is today, I decided I’d move forward with my dream. And I set out to find a good story and came up with Descended by Blood.
LTS: Your debut novel, Descended by Blood, Book 1 of the Vampire Born Trilogy has been receiving great reviews. What was the inspiration behind this story and can you tell us a little bit about your protagonist, Brooke Keller?
AK: Thank you, Lorna. The inspiration behind the story was basically that I wanted to write something I loved to read about: Vampires. I knew going into this genre there would be a TON of comparisons to other vampire novels out there, and I wanted my book to be original enough to limit those comparisons. The first thing I added to the story was that my vampires would be born. I ended up adding a species that can be made, but it’s not the way vampire myth says for it to happen. No biting and turning in my vamp world, although, I do enjoy reading about it, that had just been done too many times. Then I set out to make my vampire politics different from the norm. You can really do some fun and creative things with politics.
Brooke starts out as a shy and almost timid character. Her mother has moved her multiple times while growing up, so she doesn’t really have a place she belongs. She finally has belonging with her best friend and a new boyfriend, so when the vampires upset that, it’s kind of a big deal for her.
LTS: Without giving away too much, can you reveal what’s in store for the readers when they crack open Descended by Blood?
AK: I love my paranormal with a little romance, so Descended by Blood does have a romantic plot thread woven in. There are two love interests; Jaren and Mirko. And Mirko is a vampire. It has love and fear of losing those Brooke loves, along with some twists and turns as the story progresses. I really emphasized how Brooke uses her powers (she’s a vampire, so she has to have some powers, right? lol). And there is some action in there, too, to give the reader a quick, fast paced read.
LTS: The road to publication is difficult at the best of times. What made you decide to go the self-published route?
AK: When I heard about self-publishing, something within me clicked. It was like a door opened and destiny called me forward. Cheesy, I know, but you asked! lol I decided to self-publish before I even had an idea for a story to publish. I wanted to create and I wanted people to read what I had created, and self-publishing was the perfect fit for that.
LTS: What is the most important lesson you’ve learned on the road to publication?
AK: Whoa! I’ve learned a TON! Of course, there is the lesson to never slack on your final product. Self-published authors are really fighting an uphill battle against many negative stigmas. But the one lesson I would say is the most important is that it isn’t so much where you end up that matters, but the relationships you cultivate along the way. I have so many writer and review blogger friends who I’m much closer to than some of the people I see on a regular basis.
LTS: When you held your proof copy of Descended by Blood for the very first time, what was running through your mind?
AK: “OMG!!!! It came!! I need to tweet a pic!!” The feeling of accomplishment was amazing. And I wanted to share the beauty of it with the world.
LTS: I’m curious about your writing style. Are you one of those disciplined writers who must dedicate a certain time each day to producing so many words, or are you more relaxed and tend to write when it strikes your fancy?
AK: I’m still so new to the process that I’m not really sure. Descended by Blood was my first book, and with that, I did have to allocate time every day to get those words in. You kind of have to when you work full time and go to school. Most of my writing is done on the weekends because I can really get into that mode where things flow. But I do try to write every day to keep the story and character’s voices fresh in my mind.
LTS: Still on the subject of writing styles, are you a plotter or pantser? The readers would like to know if you tend to plot out your story line in great detail or if your writing is more organic with the characters and events unfolding as you write.
AK: Hahaha! I’m both! I whole-heartedly believe in plotting, but I have this problem while I’m plotting when GREAT things come to me and I have to write it as I “see” it in mind. Right then. Before I lose it. So I end up pushing the plotting aside to get all that out until I reach a point where I get “stuck”. Then I go back to plotting again. I generally know the plot points at the beginning of the process, so that helps me from wandering too far from what I intended the story to be. When I wander, it’s not the good, find something great kind of wander.
LTS: Some authors meditate, others need to fuel up on coffee or listen to music. Do you have any rituals, ones that can be shared with the readers, that you must do before you hunker down for a writing session?
AK: I have tried the whole music thing. With several different types of music, and most of the time it distracts me. It wasn’t until recently that I found I could write to video game soundtracks, and I just had my first experience of writing to music with lyrics. It was something that happened without any thought on my part. I was surfing the web with some music on and a scene came to me. I opened up my writing program and wrote and wrote and wrote. That was when I understood how music affects the mood when a writer writes because that album was perfect for what I was writing.
LTS: At one time or another, most writers hit the wall and their work stalls because of the dreaded writer’s block. What do you do to get around or over this mental wall to resume writing?
AK: Whenever I have a hard time writing, whether it’s because of a block or simply because I don’t feel adequate to write something good enough to publish, I turn to books on the craft. Reading what “experts” say on plotting, or character, or structure will usually spur an idea or some crazy writing passion where I HAVE to write.
LTS: Who is your favourite author and how has he/she inspired you to write or influenced your writing style or choice of genre?
AK: I would say that Stephanie Meyer has inspired me the most. I never thought to actually sit down and write until I read one of her blog posts about writing.
LTS: What is the most profound discovery you’ve made in terms of your writing and how it has touched the lives of others?
AK: The most profound discovery would have to be that writing is my greatest passion. When I’m writing and I have a good flow going, there’s nothing more exciting to me or that makes me as happy as I am in that state.
Readers are amazing. I never thought that publishing a book would be rewarding in such a way. Sure, I wanted people to read my book and like it, but I didn’t realize the excitement the readers would generate over my work. Their support has been what makes the tough times of the job worth it.
LTS: What are you reading now, and how did this particular book make it onto your to-read list?
AK: I’m reading a ton of books right now. I don’t have much time for reading, so I squeeze it in when I can. And sometimes my mood really changes in what I feel like reading. Books can evoke so many different emotions and take you to so many different places, so I chose the book based on my mood. But one book I’m reading now is Death’s Hand by SM Reine. I originally chose this book because I’ve read her YA book, Six Moon Summer, so I knew she was talented. Plus, she’s a friend and I wanted to support her. However, as soon as I saw her book trailer, I couldn’t WAIT to get my hands on the book. She is very talented and creative.
LTS: What do you foresee in your future over the next five years and do you hope to branch out from YA Paranormal Romance into other genres? Can your fans expect a sequel to Descended by Blood in the near future?
AK: I hope to have a lot more books out by that time, but the one thing I really hope to gain in that time is a deep understanding in the craft. There are so many things that go into a book, and I would really like all those things to come more naturally and with a certain amount of grace.
I do plan to branch out of YA. I thought it would take me a while to do so, but I have been getting a lot of ideas for stories and some of them are outside of the YA genre. And not only that, but I do have plans to write a YA Contemporary soon, as well as some other books outside of the YA Paranormal Genre.
I am working on the sequel to Descended by Blood, Enemy Within, but I’m really not sure on a date of when it will be released. I still have a ton of work to do on it, so it will certainly be after Spring 2012.
LTS: Thank you for taking the time to share in your novel as well as your writing experience, Angeline!
AK: Thank you so much for having me. It was very courteous of you to host me. :)
