The dialogue between Lali and her four younger siblings came easily to me. I grew up the second of five children, so writing their sibling banter was almost second nature. It was also one of my favorite parts of writing the book.
K.J. McPike – 15 November 2015
The Back Flap
“Maybe we were both crazy . . . but what if we weren’t? What if my mother really could astral project? What if she wasn’t the only one?”
The first time it happened, Lali Yavari told herself it was just a dream. But when she starts flashing between realities during the day and seeing people disappear before her very eyes, she can’t deny that something is happening to her–something she’s sure is linked to her mother’s disappearance.
Then the unsettling Kai Awana shows up at school, and Lali discovers she has inherited her mother’s ability to astral project–with a surprising twist. Not only that, but Kai needs her help to get to a world she never knew existed. In exchange, Kai promises to help Lali find her mom using his own unique ability.
Now Lali must learn to control her budding power if she ever hopes to see her mother again. She’s not sure she can trust Kai, but with her mother’s life hanging in the balance, will she have a choice?
About the book
What is the book about?
In short, XODUS is about a girl who discovers she can astral project and tries to use her new ability to find her mother. The longer answer is that XODUS is a YA Paranormal Fiction novel centered around sixteen-year-old Lali, who finds herself flashing between realities and seeing people vanish from sight. Lali soon discovers that she has inherited the ability to astral project—and that there is much more behind her mother leaving than she could have ever imagined. When she meets a questionable boy with his own unique ability, Lali agrees to help him find his sister in exchange for his help finding her mother.
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing the book back in December of 2012. (Eek! It’s been a long time!)
How long did it take you to write it?
It took me just under three years to write it. I made some painful (and time-consuming) mistakes along the way, like jumping right into writing without a real plan and editing as I went. For the sake of my own sanity, I’m hoping all my future books will take much less time to complete.
Where did you get the idea from?
My first inkling of what the story would be actually came to me when I was trying to plot out another book. As I was thinking, I was rubbing the back of my neck, where I have a tattoo of a symbol I designed that combines the first initials of my four siblings with my own first initial. It hit me that it would be really fun to write a book about five siblings and a symbol they shared that had some kind of mystical power. The story has morphed a lot since then, but that is how it started.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Lots! Mostly, I had a hard time figuring out when and where to reveal pieces of the mystery. It is a balancing act trying to give the reader just enough information to stay hooked without giving away too much too soon.
What came easily?
The dialogue between Lali and her four younger siblings came easily to me. I grew up the second of five children, so writing their sibling banter was almost second nature. It was also one of my favorite parts of writing the book.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
Funny that should be the next question . . . I may have woven pieces of my siblings’ personalities into the characters. There are no exact replicas of any family members, but their dynamic and some of their interests and quirks are similar to my brother and sisters.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
J.K. Rowling is my hero. I would love to have just a fraction of her brilliance in world building. I definitely kept in mind how thoroughly she mapped out the wizarding world in the Harry Potter books. She was able to build a culture that feels so real and fantastical at the same time, and I tried to strike a similar balance when creating the alternate realm, Alea, in XODUS. Let’s hope I succeeded!
Do you have a target reader?
My target audience is girls (sorry, guys!) between the ages of 13 and 19. More specifically, girls in that age range who are on the artistic side and share my sneaking suspicion that there is much more out there than first meets the eye.
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
I don’t know that I have an official process. I start with scenes that I am excited to write or that match my emotional state, and then fill in the gaps when necessary. I’m trying to get better about planning, but it’s just not something that comes naturally to me.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
I want to be a person who outlines well—really, I do! But that is sadly not in my nature. I didn’t do much outlining at all when I started XODUS, so I wrote myself into a lot of corners. I tell myself that I won’t suffer through that again, but outlining is still a challenge for me. The best I’ve done is to write out a quick one-sentence summary of what needs to happen in the chapters before I start. Recently, I decided that writing a long synopsis of the book might have to serve as my substitute for outlining. We’ll see how that goes.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I edited as I went with XODUS, and I think for me, that was a mistake. I spent so much time perfecting scenes and rewriting the first ten chapters, but when I finally got through the rest of the book, I realized a lot of the scenes I spent so long editing would need to be cut. I have more deleted scenes than I do scenes that made the final cut for the book.
Did you hire a professional editor?
I hired multiple editors and proofread the book myself more times than was probably sane. Typos are my nightmare!
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
I used to write lyrics all the time when I was younger, and I find that if I listen to music with words while writing, I’ll end up either singing along or trying to learn the lyrics. So now, I just listen to instrumental music. The genre really depends on my mood; I listen to everything from classical to Bollywood to salsa.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
I didn’t submit anything to an agent this time around, but I haven’t ruled that out for the future.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I decided to go indie because I really struggled with the idea of having the story in my head changed or diluted. I know that’s probably not always the case with traditional publishing, but I’ve heard so many stories from people who felt they had to compromise their work for the sake of marketability, and I know the story behind XODUS so well that I knew it needed to go a certain way. I also wanted final say on cover design, trailers, etc. In truth, it’s probably just because I’m a control freak.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
Both. I had a professional design the cover, and then I tweaked the fonts and layout a bit from there.
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I am very fortunate in that my boyfriend works as an online marketer, so he is helping me plan out marketing the book. Thanks, fate!
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Start building your online presence and fan base early.
About You
Where did you grow up?
My family moved around a lot when I was little (I’d lived in seven different states by the time I was nine years old), but I spent the second half of my childhood in Virginia.
Where do you live now?
I split my time between Seattle and Valencia, Spain, with a lot of traveling in between whenever I can.
What would you like readers to know about you?
I will consider trading books for cupcakes, especially if said cupcakes involve cream cheese frosting.
What are you working on now?
I am working on the sequel to XODUS, which will be called XODUS Genesis. I’m also writing a novella from Kai’s perspective that takes place just before, during, and slightly after the events in XODUS.
End of Interview:
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Get your copy of XODUS from Amazon US (paper or ebook) or Amazon UK (paper or ebook).