There are small pieces of other people I love or admire sprinkled across different characters, but the most fun thing about creating characters is watching them take on lives of their own that you didn’t plan for and certainly never imagined. 

Kate Keridan – 10 October 2024

The Back Flap

Sebastian Sayre and Kyra Valorian, the former Felserpent King and Queen, thought they knew what reuniting the divided realms of Aeles and Nocens would require of them. But fulfilling their promises to stop Tallus and bring peace between those with silver and gold blood will require sacrifices they didn’t expect to make.

Furious over Kyra’s refusal to help him turn Daevals into Astrals, Tallus assumes control of Aeles and announces he’s developed a weapon capable of killing everyone with silver blood. Kyra discovers a way to defeat him, but it will require her to perform a terrible act she isn’t sure she can live with. Sebastian loathes becoming a recognized public figure, and given his dark past, there are those who don’t trust him to hold a position of power, even as he and Kyra race to reunite the realms.

About the book

What is the book about?

This book is the third and final book in the Felserpent Chronicles trilogy and it follows enemies-turned-lovers Kyra and Sebastian as they attempt to stop an ancient enemy and reunite their realms…but bringing peace between those with gold and silver blood may require sacrifices they didn’t expect to make.

When did you start writing the book?

I always knew this series was going to be a trilogy, so I started this book as soon as I finished the second, Blood Divided.

How long did it take you to write it?

I had a solid first draft after 3-4 months. That draft went to my editor, who provided feedback, and then I dove back in and attempted to live up to their belief in me. Once I went as far as I could go on my own, the manuscript went back to my editor for a second time, they provided final edits and suggestions, and then I incorporated that feedback and ultimately arrived at a finished manuscript. The entire book took about 8 to 9 months from start to finish.

Where did you get the idea from?

I knew from the beginning I wanted to write a series that focused on the main characters’ relationship as much as it focused on typical fantasy-related tropes (like enemies-to-lovers, a dragon, magical sword, star-crossed lovers saving their realms, etc.). Romantasy wasn’t a very popular word when my series first came out, but now it’s truly the best term to describe these books. The relationship between Kyra and Sebastian is almost its own character. Prior to becoming an author, I worked as a pediatric neuropsychologist, and having a doctorate in psychology makes me very interested in human relationships, which of course extends to fictional relationships. I wanted to give readers a realistic relationship that grew and changed over time, but also offered them something to aspire to, to want for themselves. A lot of YA books feature toxic or unhealthy relationships, and I wanted to show readers something different…it can be really hard to trust another person and let yourself be vulnerable with them, but if you’re both committed to making your relationship work, there’s nothing better than knowing someone truly loves and supports all of you.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

I learned so much about pacing while writing this book, and 100% credit for this education goes to my phenomenal editor, AR Capetta. They helped me understand when a quiet moment can be really impactful and when you need to break up those quieter, more introspective bits with fast-paced action. I’m really happy with the balance we struck, because left to myself, my books would be 90% getting to know characters and 10% plot (which wouldn’t actually make for an exciting book to read).

What came easily?

I knew from the beginning the things that needed to happen…it really just became a question of arranging them in the most interesting order that would keep people turning the pages. This book was really easy in some ways because it’s wrapping up things I’ve put into motion across the first two books. But at the same time, this book was the hardest of the three to write because I had to tie up every loose end, solve every plot hole, and answer the most pressing questions readers would have. But even the most challenging days, I love every step of the writing journey, and I still can’t believe I get to create worlds inside my head every single day.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

I borrowed heavily from myself in creating Sebastian. He had a traumatic childhood, experienced abuse from people who should have protected him, had to learn to take care of himself at a young age, and struggles to trust other people. He is kind to animals, has a strong work ethic, and is more pragmatic than optimistic. I always tell people that Sebastian is who I am and Kyra is who I would like to be, but a lot of readers tell me they see parts of me in Kyra, so who knows what pieces of myself slipped in as I was creating these characters? Some of the conversations Kyra and Sebastian have are very similar to conversations my husband and I learned to have when we first started dating because it’s not easy to talk about your emotional needs or your fears or how you’re going to make it through a really tough situation. There are small pieces of other people I love or admire sprinkled across different characters, but the most fun thing about creating characters is watching them take on lives of their own that you didn’t plan for and certainly never imagined.

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?

Garth Nix was the first writer I read who featured a female main character rescuing the crown prince, and I’ll never forget that. There’s a lot of Sabriel and Lirael (characters from Nix’s Old Kingdom series) flowing through Kyra. From reading Suzanne Collins and Neal Shusterman, I’ve learned so much about creating memorable villains. From reading Nancy Drew and The Baby-Sitters Club books as a child, I saw strong girls taking risks, solving problems, and working as a team to do things they couldn’t achieve alone. I’m a huge animal lover, so I adored the Old Mother West Wind series by Thomas Burgess and anything by Beatrix Potter (which probably explains why I have talking animals in my books!).

Do you have a target reader?

I write the books I would have loved to read as a teen…like it says on my website, I write for the reader who finds comfort in stories where it’s okay if the main character is different because that probably means they’re destined to save the world. I write for the reader trapped in their bedroom, dreaming of escaping their family, their town, their life, and sometimes, their self. I write for the reader who wonders if anyone will ever truly understand them. As a neurodivergent author, it’s incredibly important to me to create safe spaces in my books where readers can just escape their reality, make new friends, learn something they didn’t know before, and maybe find a reason to start loving a part of themselves they thought was unlovable.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

It’s so not glamourous, but my writing process is to sit at my desk and write. I have zero control over whether the words flow fast or drip out of my fingers one at a time, but I have complete control over how I show up for my writing. Writing is my passion, but it’s also my job, and I treat it as such. When I was still working at a hospital, I wrote from 10pm to midnight every night, but now I’ve shifted to be less nocturnal and I usually do my best writing early in the morning.

Obviously this is going to be different for every single person, and what works for one writer in their life won’t work for someone else. I am incredibly fortunate to have a husband who works, so I’m not solely responsible for any bill, and my stepkids will both be in college this fall, meaning I have a lot more time available to me than someone with young children or children still living at home. There are seasons where it’s easy to make writing a priority and seasons where I fight to devote any time to writing. I think at the end of the day the best writing process is the one you can sustain that you keep coming back to.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I start by breaking things down into beginning, middle, end and determining a general sense of where something will go in the book. As I start writing, sometimes chapters naturally form and other times I have to make hard decisions. My writing and my outline change in response to each other and one definitely informs the other at any given time. I outline pretty extensively for plot points and character arcs (to make sure I cover everything), but even with a strong outline my writing still manages to surprise me; things will come up and find their way into the story in ways I didn’t expect but that somehow just work, and those moments of magic are indescribably fulfilling.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

If I’m inspired to write a particular scene, I dive in and write it without editing, whether it be an interaction between characters or a descriptive piece of world-building. I really try to have a solid first draft where I’m hitting all the high points before I dive into editing. Writing from scratch is a million times harder than editing to me, even though it’s also typically considered the most creative part. I can always go back and edit bad writing, but I can’t edit a blank page, so just getting things down onto paper is the first step for me.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I use headphones with a noise-canceling feature while I write because I can’t stand any kind of noise. Being neurodivergent, I experience noise sensitivity, which means I have a different relationship with sounds than a lot of people. Noises that don’t bother most of the population drive me up a wall and make me feel like I’m coming out of my own skin. I absolutely love pairing songs with characters and scenes, though, and I always make playlists for my books, but no music for me during the actual writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

I queried the first book in my series to a few agents, but I haven’t submitted work to agents since then.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

It was actually agent feedback that made me decide to go indie. I received positive feedback, but the book was still being rejected, and I got to the point where I almost wished there was something wrong with it because I could fix bad writing or a plot hole, whereas I couldn’t do anything about a book that was well-written but just not what that particular agent was looking for. And then I had three agents in a row tell me, “I love your writing and I love the story, but I’m not taking another YA fantasy author right now.” That really made me think, if the only thing keeping this book from being published is that I don’t have an agent, why should that stop me? The way I saw it, working with an indie publisher was a way to get my work out there and start building my brand as an author. I live in Silicon Valley, where everyone has a very entrepreneurial mindset and you’re encouraged to invest in yourself, so I try to have that same mindset when it comes to my writing.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

My publisher has an in-house team that handles creating the book cover, although I always appreciate that they ask for my input and involve me as much as possible.

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I’ve worked with BookSparks for PR/marketing for all three Felserpent books, and I truly could not be happier. They’re the most amazing company, and they really care about helping authors build a brand and connect with readers. Working with them has been one of my best experiences as an author, and I truly cannot recommend Crystal Patriarche and the organization she’s created enough.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Be honest with yourself about your goals as a writer and what you want to get out of publishing your work. Are you looking to publish one book so you can see your story on your bookshelf or are you looking to create a brand and establish yourself in a new career? If you decide to work with a hybrid or indie publisher, do your homework…talk to other authors who have used these services and get their feedback. Publishing will always be more expensive than you anticipated, so set a budget and stick to it. It takes time to get your book out into the world, so be patient and don’t judge your book’s success by any other author’s timeline. Also decide what success means for you and celebrate every win, no matter how small.

About You

Where did you grow up?

I grew up on a ranch outside of Austin, Texas. Books were my escape, and I read voraciously. The local library was my happy place, and I would take my books to the barn and read stories out loud to my horse.

Where do you live now?

I’m in Silicon Valley, about an hour south of San Francisco, California. But now that both of my stepkids are off in college, who knows where the winds of change may blow me and my husband?

What would you like readers to know about you?

That I LOVE hearing from readers! If you relate to one of my characters, tell me. If you create fan art of Adonis and Demitri, send it to me. If you write fan fic featuring any of my characters, please know that 1) I’m forever grateful and 2) I want to read it! I’m always happy to answer writing questions or talk about my writing journey, and I am so grateful for every review, every reel, and every share on social media. Connecting with readers is one of the absolute best parts of being a writer.

What are you working on now?

I’m working on a MG novel where a young girl with autism copes with the death of her beloved paleontologist grandfather with the help of an unexpected friend. Death, grief, coping with loss, and learning that you’re stronger than you think you are will continue to be important themes in my writing, but I’m excited to work on a stand-alone book for a while after being so invested in a trilogy.

End of Interview:

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