Reading | WANDA S PARYLA

This interview is with the author of Kydona, T.K. Krug III.
I hope you enjoy the interview.

Please check out the book review here after you read the interview: https://wandasparyla.com/?p=454&preview=true

*Tell us a little about Kydona.
Kydona is a hard fantasy told through the eyes of Marcus Audric de Pilars, a prince who stands to inherit a nation teetering on the brink of collapse. Why this is the case, you see playing out as Marcus explores a court mired in debauchery and conspiracy. It’s a human story, meaning it’s built around its characters. The plot moves to their beat. Whoever likes a twisting, character-driven story would like Kydona. If I had to compare it to another series, I’d say it possesses the elegant setting of Jacqueline Carey’s Kushiel’s Legacy series, married to the raw grit and pragmatism of Joe Abercrombie’s First Law trilogy.

*Why did you choose this particular cover art? (Feel free to plug the cover artist.)
Sam Carr at SamCarr.net was kind enough to draw this up for me. It’s a picture of Kaelyn, one of the main characters of the book. Why did I choose picturing her over the actual protagonist? A combination of factors. She was, in several cases, one of the key plot drivers. She’s the cause of a lot of angst and turmoil, and she’s actually my favorite character in the book. And also, I had to be realistic and admit to myself that few things draw attention as well as sex appeal. A thumbnail of an attractive woman will get people clicking to, at the very least, see her in more detail. Women will sense a romantic subplot, possibly some steamy love scenes (which Kydona has) while men will likely go, “Oh hey, pretty girl!” and bam, click. I have to say, the gambit has worked well, so far.

*Tell us a something about yourself both on a personal level and as an author.
It’s tough for me to talk about myself but I guess that’s everyone, too. I’m currently riding out the last few months of my U.S. Army deployment in Afghanistan, and I’m really looking forward to getting home to my fiance, Cait. Between her and the Army, I have plenty of inspiration to base my writing on. People I’ve met in real life directly inform my characters. So be careful of getting on my bad side; you might just find your name immortalized forever. And not in a good way.

*Do you outline or write a synopsis before you begin an actual story?…Or do you just start writing to see where it goes?
I just write and see where it goes, but that didn’t work so well. The first two books of Kydona took 7 years to write. Jeez. I think it’s time to switch gears for book 3. I think that’ll speed the pace much more.

*Please tell us about any current projects you are working on.
I’m set to publish Kydona: From Ashes on June 1! Book 3 is in the works. The first chapter is partially written and there’s a vague outline in shape. I know exactly how I want the book to end and how to get there. It’s the interim between plot points that gets me.

*If your book(s) was being made into a movie or TV show/series, who would you choose for the main character role of Marcus? I honestly have no clue! It’s kind of embarrassing, but I’d have trouble picking an actor or actress for any of my characters.

*If Marcus was a real man today, who would be his favorite author? (Besides you, of course.) Joe Abercrombie. I think he’d learn a thing or two from the fight scenes.

*What advice do you have for writers who are struggling with getting those first lines down on paper, or are filled with self doubt about the potential quality of their work?
I’ve learned that it’s very difficult to write a story from start to finish. While I was writing Kydona, I always had this certain scene floating around in the back of my head–a scene that would define both books. It nagged at me constantly. I fell asleep ruminating on that unwritten scene. What I ultimately did was pause in my manuscript, create a new word document, and punch out that nagging scene. Then I filed the document away. What do you know, getting those words down on paper brought my muse roaring back, and my writer’s block just evaporated. And when it came time to finally cut-and-paste that scene into the manuscript, it wound up being the best part of the entire series–without any edits at all! So my advice to new writers like me: just write the part of the story that inspired you to write in the first place. Get it out, and the rest of the story will soon follow.

*Give us any links to learn more about you and your books (i.e. Amazon links, personal pages &/or websites, etc.).
My blog: http://kydona.blogspot.com/
My twitter tag: https://twitter.com/TKKrug
Amazon purchase link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7VZTGU
Smashwords purchase link: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/302931 (it’s free!)

Hello Readers!

I recently finished reading Crystal Promise: The Shattered Crystal, by indie author, James Funfer, and left my review on Amazon and Goodreads. I’m copying it here to share with you as well.

I am not great at reviewing. Some reviewers like to start with “This story is about a…”. I don’t do that because I’ll end up retelling the story and spoiling it for everyone. So here’s my review. I’d like to add that this book is a quick read and it keeps one questioning. There was barely a dull moment. It’s a little YA, a little fantasy, a little sci-fi. Happy reading!

My review re-posted from Amazon:

“When I read the blurb on the back cover, I was not sure what to expect. It didn’t relay the same message as the description here on Amazon. I was a bit confused at first. When I downloaded the book, I knew it would involve or center around young people, but at the same time I expected a whole lot of adult conspiracies going on, weaving in and out of the story, and more of an adult-packed novel with elders trying to take over this world. I expected a lot of young victims from the story in my head.

While there are young victims, it’s not the adults who totally stir them, but they, themselves, who do the stirring. I did not get what I expected. What I found is a pleasing array of personal stories nicely intertwined into the fabric of a place I’ve never been (and in the case of Novem, a place I’ll never go except in Funfer stories!) along with history, culture and war. Not just former war, but looming revolt. I saw a truth about how everything we do affects others down the line, in the fabric of time, and how no matter what, we have to do what’s best for us at any given moment. Yes, it’s a good thing to be selfless, yet at the same time we sometimes – given the circumstances – have to do what we need to in order to live. Oh how love, survival, and friendship can be thorny roses, indeed. I found myself racing through the pages to see what would happen next and to whom and was barely bored a moment.

I was drawn to several of the characters, my two most favorites being Jacoby and Julio. I was even angered by some of the characters to the point that I talked out loud to myself! When a character incites me in such a way, the author’s done their job. I’ve read books by well-known best selling…I mean, really best sellers with high sales…and their characters didn’t evoke feelings like some of these characters did for me. I tend to observe characters more than story in books; I have to know they’re not the author. I want to see that they are themselves, and are alive and well. James Funfer does that in this story. He lets these characters live.

Because there’s truth behind it, I thoroughly enjoy when an author includes young people facing situations that might change their lives drastically, forever, and there are seemingly no level-headed adults around to lend guidance. And the ones who try end up sucked up in the darkness. It’s like this for the teens in this novel. Dare I say, although it’s not described this way here on Amazon, this makes a great young adult or coming of age novel that adults, both male and female, can enjoy.

I refuse to add any spoilers, so let me just say… I got to the end and did not find the result I anticipated, or assumed I might find. I also realize that while this book is a story in and of itself, and some of the tales told in it have been tied up, this story is also a seed. It’s not meant to be an end, but a beginning. This is not a tale of what was, but what will be. If you like a series with a “book 1″ that plants the seeds for more…that will only get better…this one’s for you.

I’ll be waiting for the next book.”

Link to the book & other reviews on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Crystal-Promise-The-Shattered-Book/dp/0615665195/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1364917068&sr=8-6&keywords=crystal+promise

The author & this book are also on Goodreads. Incidentally, it’s listed as a Giveaway. Enter to win March 19 – May 1, 2013. Link to the book on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790188-crystal-promise?ac=1