Blog Archives
Starting A Wilde’s Fire – An Interview with Krystal Wade
The path that authors walk is as unique as the authors themselves, but there is one common thread we all share – we’ve always wanted to write. It’s just something we need to do to keep sane. Telling tales is as natural as our next breath.
And there are a lot of great tales out there, as I’ve discovered since setting up house in the writing community almost two years ago. Today I have the pleasure of introducing to you one of these talented authors. Krystal Wade has just released her Young Adult Fiction, Wilde’s Fire, the first novel in her trilogy. So let’s get to it.
Thanks for stopping by, Krystal! I love asking this first question, because it gets to the heart of every writer. When and why did you begin writing?
I’m not one-hundred percent sure why I started writing; the desire started too long ago for me to remember. But I didn’t always follow my dreams, and for a number of years I ignored writing. In 2011, I sat down and took my words seriously.
Do you remember your first writing creation?
I believe it was a poem about cats. I was in third grade.
I think a lot of writers start with poems! So, from poem to novel, can you tell us a little bit about your new release?
Wilde’s Fire is a story about a girl without a clue. Kate is not a bad person; she’s just been left in the dark. But when she goes on a camping trip with her sister and their friend Brad, Kate accidentally leads them into another world . . . a world where the sun doesn’t shine, but light is shed on Kate’s true identity. And if she doesn’t accept this new future, everything will be lost.
Wow! That’s a lot of pressure! What inspired you to write Wilde’s Fire?
I had an image of a young girl reaching out her finger to touch something shimmering in the forest. That was it.
Sometimes that’s all it takes! Who is your favorite character and why?
Flanna. She’s a fiery redhead who says everything I wish I could.
Now that Wilde’s Fire has been released, what project are you working on?
I’m working on Wilde’s Meadow, the third book in the Darkness Falls trilogy, and an unnamed urban fantasy . . . the main character shares my daughter’s name.
That must be way cool for your daughter! So, besides your family, who would you say is your biggest supporter?
Besides my family? Gosh, I have so many supporters. I would feel really bad naming only one.
There are a lot of things that can stop a writer in her tracks. Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?
Time. Being a mother of three with a 50-mile commute, I have to make time for writing. Which means I don’t get a lot of sleep. Lately I’ve been slogging through these interviews, wondering if anything I’ve written is coherent.
I can understand how hard that would be to find the time. Do you ever get writer’s block? If so, how do you get through it?
Just keep writing. Just keep writing. Even if you only write a word, or a sentence, just keep writing. Every day.
Good advice! You say you have a 50-mile drive to work! Do you plot while you drive?
Definitely. I’m not sure I ever stop plotting.
I absolutely love the cover of your novel. It has such mystery around it! Who designed it?
Casey Harris designed Wilde’s Fire’s cover.
What are the other titles in the series we need to watch for?
Wilde’s Army and Wilde’s Meadow.
That is so exciting! Those plotting sessions on your commute are definitely a good thing!
Thank you so much for swinging by, Krystal! Before we go, where can your readers find you and your novel online?
www.facebook.com/author.krystalwade
Twitter: @krystalwade
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5773867.Krystal_Wade
Bookstrand: http://www.bookstrand.com/wildes-fire-darkness-falls
I’m Lucky I Came Up For Air When I Did!
So there I was, keeping my head under the social media radar for the last few weeks, focusing solely on my manuscript, Souled, when what do I find waiting for me when I come up for air? My WANA sista, Angela Orlowski-Peart, awarded me the Lucky 7 Meme! Just the thing I needed to lighten up the mood around here.
I’ve always loved Angela’s blog because her topics are diverse, light-hearted, and always fascinating. I’m positive you’ll love the way her personality shines through each word she puts to page.
So here are the rules to the Lucky 7 Meme:
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS/WIP
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines, sentences, or paragraphs, and post them
as they’re written.
4. Tag 7 authors.
5. Let them know.
Simple enough. I decided to go with the seven-ish paragraphs. So, here is a look at part of my soon-to-be-released manuscript, Souled:
~ ~ ~
Silence yourself. Feel, rather than think.
I tried for a couple minutes. I really did. In fact, my focus was so intense that I think I’d developed a permanent crease between my brows. The battering kept up, pelting me with shots of emotion, but finally walls began building up around my mind, blocking out one emotion after another, until there was only one feeling left – elation. I dropped my hands to my sides and my eyes slowly opened, expectant. Then my gaze tore through the crowd like a predator sensing its prey. The source was close. Very close.
Ah, there it was behind me. At a cash register stood a boy, 12 years old maybe, his face dominated by a toothy smile. On the other side of the counter, a clerk slapped a receipt onto a brand new Xbox.
The boy’s scrawny arms wrapped around the box and pulled it off the counter. He sprinted, the box crowding his arms, and headed straight towards me, his mother trailing behind. I ignored the woman and instead focused on the boy.
My energy tapped into his and sucked it in like a vacuum. To me, it felt wondrous and exciting; he didn’t feel the same way. He looked as though he’d smacked into a wall. He froze, his eyes latched onto mine, his mouth dropped open, and for a moment his head cocked to one side as if he were reading something he didn’t quite understand.
I smiled.
The boy forced his eyes shut, for a minute covering them with his arm as if the darkness alone wasn’t enough. Then grabbing his mother’s sleeve, still struggling with the box, he ran in the opposite direction.
Ha! That was freakin’ awesome.
~ ~ ~
There you have it. Look for the release of Souled this spring!
Who’s next on the list to give us a sneak peak at their upcoming work of art? I hope you take a moment to check out their blogs as well!
1. Krystal Wade
6. Naomi Bulger
For Once, I’m Speechless – Another Award!
I was telling one of my awesome WANA711 sisters, Tameri, just yesterday, that my sole intention of writing, be it a novel or a blog, was to reach out to others, to make them feel and make them think. I want to reach into their soul and wake up anything that may have fallen asleep, because with our crazy, hectic, unbalanced lives as writers/mothers/wives/husbands/fathers/friends/overall superheroes, we tend to forget or push these feelings away for another day, sometimes never to be felt again.
And so I wrote.
Right now all I can say is, wow, I must be doing something right because I was given the Liebster Award by two of my good friends, Natalie Hartford and Kate Wood. Thank you, ladies, for your generosity! I really appreciate it! I’m not really sure what to say, but here goes!
I’m a huge fan of Natalie’s blog because, first of all, her blog page makes me want to throw on some capri pants, bangle bracelets, and a fresh coat of pink lipstick and go shopping! Her writing style is fresh and totally uplifting. She is educational and entertaining. You never know what you’ll be reading about, but know it will be awesome! So, go on…read it.
Kate’s blog is one of my favorites as well, because, well, I totally dig on the Celtic culture. As part of the Napier clan myself (my ancestors anyway) I really enjoy the information she puts out about the Celts. Be sure to check out her blog! Your world will be richer for it.
Here’s fine print on receiving the Liebster Blog Award: Winners of a Liebster must:
1. Post the award on your blog and show thanks to the blogger who gave you the award by linking back to them via the award graphic
2. Reveal your top five picks and let them know by leaving a comment on their blog or send them a shout out on Twitter.
3. Bask in the love from the most supportive people on the Internet – other writers (and bloggers).
The point of the award is to help bring attention to blogs with fewer than 200 followers, but that’s a box thing for me and in keeping peace with my rebel side, I fudged on a few of these. I wanted to bring attention to these blogs because I thought they deserved the exposure.
Choosing my five was difficult, because so many are deserving of this award, but here we go…my choices for the Liebster Award:
1. JM Randolph. I think I stumbled upon her blog via Amber West, another of my blogging buddies. I think one of them was RT’ing the other or something. I was curious who JM Randolph was and so I followed the trail to her blog. I’m so glad I did. She is an “accidental” step-mom to five children. She is creative, strong, and funny. She has such a great attitude. I love to be a fly on the wall as her blog allows us a looksie into her life.
2. Wajiha Hyder. Honestly, I just met her last night. We tweeted a few times back and forth and found a common ground – mothering perceptions. I checked out her blog and absolutely loved what she wrote. (Probably because she thinks a lot like me!) So join me in getting to know her better by following her (she’s just shy of the 200 mark) and learning how her mind works!
3. Nancy Nicholson. Now here’s one you’re gonna love. Nancy writes her novels and blog from aboard her Fawkes Phoenix, a 47’ sailboat! How cool is that? While we pound away at our keyboards on solid ground, Nancy and her family are cruising the coast of the Eastern United States and the Caribbean. She shares favorite recipes and sailing adventures. Head on over to her site for some spectacular pictures!
4. Johanna K.P. This girl tells it like she sees it. Her Note To Self is exactly like it is labeled. A note to self. Sometimes I feel like I am intruding on her thoughts and other times I know she’s letting me in. Johanna is a dark fiction/horror writer, so you know she’s plenty deep.
5. Krystal Wade. I love Krystal’s blog. Her blogs are sometimes fun, sometimes serious, always generous, sharing her space with fellow writers. Now I’m not sure where she finds the time to write and blog, being the mother of three and all, but from what I see on her blog, she has some incredible balance in her life. We should all take lessons from her.
So there are my choices! Please help me congratulate them by visiting their blog and saying hello!
