• Savvy Seven with Erin Kellison

    by
    Dawn McClure
    Published: March 5th, 2012 04:00 AM  Views: 417  
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    Please welcome Erin Kellison, author of the Shadow Series.

    Savvy: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us today.     J

    Erin: Thank you so much for having me! I’ve got a FREE download right now of HOTTER ON THE EDGE, a science fiction romance anthology at Smashwords (in all eformats) with fabulous authors Jessa Slade and KC Klein. Just use download code UW37U. For blurbs and excerpts go to HotterOnTheEdge.com.

    Savvy: Tell us a little about your Shadow Kissed series. What can readers expect when they dive into this world?

    Erin: The Shadow Kissed series is a spin-off from my Shadow World series, focusing on magekind, a race of people who are born with magic in their blood, but have no souls. Magic is seeping into the world, quickening the abilities of the mages and ushering the world into the Dark Age. The passions of the mages are quickened as well, and amidst the great changes wrought, alliances are formed—in the bedroom and out. Long ago, mages might have been kings or gods, but now the angels of the Order will stop at nothing to control their rise to power. Readers can expect a love story amidst a mix of contemporary life, magic, and old world structures. The romance emerges in a clash of wills as my characters struggle with the paradigm shifts.

    FIRE KISSED, the first in the Shadow Kissed series, releases July 1

    FAE FIRE
    It is Kaye Brand's power to wield. But outcast from her kind, she's been selling herself to the highest bidder - money for her survival in exchange for a magic glimpse into the flames of the future.

    ANGEL ICE
    One of the angelic Order, Jack Bastian has no use for a female like Kaye, as provocative and unexpected as her blazing beauty. Yet he has no choice but to hire her to uncover the secrets of his sworn enemy and her former fiance, Ferrol Grey.

    MAGEKIND
    War is inevitable between the defenders of the Order and the mage Houses who threaten to engulf the world in Shadow. For Jack, mage-born Kaye is off limits, no matter how hot the impossible attraction between them. But in the coming darkness, beset by danger and desire, everything is about to change...


    Savvy: What is your writing process like? Are you a pantser or plotter?

    Erin: I’m a combo. I don’t start writing until I know the overall structure of the book—believe me, this is half the battle. I know basic plot points that I want to hit, but they are changeable. And I have spent some serious time working on my characters so I know who they are and why before hand, but I am open to surprises. Once I have this in mind, I can write. Every chapter has story or character reason, but how it plays out is a surprise to me. The pantser in me receives more gifts from the characters, but the plotter keeps me on track.

    Savvy: What authors inspired you to write?

    Erin: All of them? I am tremendously grateful for books, for the ability to read, for the transport from this world to another. I was shopping at B&N last week and I bumped into an Anne McCaffrey book that I hadn’t read (The Rowan). I spent the next two days reading it and remembering way back when I was introduced to Pern and the family vacation when I read Crystal Singer. I also picked up a book by Juliet Marillier—it’s going on a trip with me. And I reread a part I really liked in The Hunger Games (where Katniss shoots the apple out of the roast pig). Now my daughter is reading the seventh book in the Potter series, and I get to share that magic all over again. I get to live in a place populated by stories. I’ve wanted to tell my own since I was a kid.

    Savvy: What is the best piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

    Erin: Kill your darlings. Sometimes it takes a long time to see a darling for what it is. But murdering it always helps the story. The story comes first.

    Savvy: When one of your books release, what social media outlets do you focus on?

    Erin: So far Facebook and Twitter. I need to do more on Goodreads, and I’ve just discovered and have been having fun with Pinterest. I do think that there is a lot of social media noise about releases and contests, so I think it’s important to keep interactions personal.

    Savvy: Have you ever experienced writer’s block? If so, how did you overcome it?

    Erin: I actually don’t know if I’ve experienced writer’s block. I have written some scenes over and over (and over) because I felt that they didn’t work. And I’ve stared a long, long time (days) at a blank computer screen trying to figure out what to put on the page. And I’ve written myself empty (after writing like crazy for a deadline). But I don’t know if any of that constitutes writer’s block. To me, those kinds of fits and starts are part of the process. When I feel a disconnect between myself and the page, I know deep down that I need to start writing but I take the pressure off what it is I need to write. I write other stories, other ideas, and then come back to my current project. And sometimes I just need to read, which usually sets the wheels turning in my head. I think a true writer’s block would be very frightening.

    Savvy: What are you working on now?

    Erin: I am writing MAGE KISSED, the second book in my Shadow Kissed series. I’ve just segued from the plotter stage—imagining the story as a whole and creating my characters—to writing. I’ve already killed my fair share of darlings, which means I’ve attempted a few different ways to start the story (I thought each was a great idea at the time), but now I have settled in and am caught up in the action.

    Savvy: Thank you so much for your time! You can learn more about Erin Kellison by going to her website. You can also follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
    Categories:
    1. Craft
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