Less than two weeks ago, K.N. Lee released her debut novel – The
Chronicles of Koa: Netherworld. In that time she’s already received a
number of raving reviews, including my own which was a 4.5 out of 5.
Today, I managed to track her down by using my acceptable hunting skills
and…Okay, okay I messaged her on Twitter. I thought it would be fun to
talk to K.N. Lee about her process, her book and her future! *Minor spoilers ahead*
Tom - Where did you come up with the idea of Koa and her story?
K.N. Lee - Koa all began with a dream. There was a
girl sitting in her living room and eating popcorn. Someone knocked on
her door… She answered and the person tried to hurt her. In this dream,
the intruder turned out to be the victim, because this girl was not an
ordinary girl. She turned the tables and killed the intruder. Then, she
turned to her cat and the cat spoke back to her. There you go! Koa and
her cat Raven were born! I like the idea of people not being what they
seem. The quiet girl that no one pays attention to can turn out to be
the most powerful one in the room. I like to create strong female
protagonists, and Koa is definitely that!
Tom - Absolutely, I think you did a great job with
her development. Speaking of development, I really enjoyed some of the
creatures you created. What was your process for creating them?
K.N. Lee - I grew up reading Anne Rice, and I think
(aside from Dracula) that she has the best vampire lore. Therefore, I
wanted my version of vampires to be different. My vampires come from a
completely different background that I haven’t seen in other books. They
have special abilities and aren’t as easy to kill.
As for my other creations, Syths, Scayors, War-Breeders, and Jems,
they are purely from nightmares and dreams that I’ve had. I imagined
Syths to be these monk-like creatures with tattoos of an ancient dialect
etched into their faces. They are big and strong, but not too bright.
Scayors are part humanoid, and part technology. One beta reader said
that they reminded her of Transformers! They are tall, metallic,
creatures that patrol the Netherworld’s cities…like police.
Then we have Jems. At one point, I actually started a story about
these creatures but decided to add them to Koa’s world. They’re
beautiful, colorful female creatures that patrol the Netherworld’s path
to the Gate. They make sure that no one leaves, and no one enters. I
think they came from my memory of Medusa. I saw her as a child and I
came up with creatures that resembled her.
War-Breeders came from a need to have a character that was solely
around for his strength and expertise in battle. Tristan is a top-ranked
War-Breeder. Tall, muscular, and covered in scars. As a MMORPG gamer, I
love the idea of a balanced party. You need your mages, your tanks, and
your fighters. Tristan is definitely a tank…he is the one you send out
to take all of the damage.
Tom – I love how you compare your crew in Chronicles of Koa to an MMORPG party. I totally get that and I can’t wait to learn more about them in the next book.
Who was your favorite character to write about besides Koa?
K.N. Lee - Halston!!! I am in love with him. He is
such an interesting character that I might need to write a story just
about his life before he met Koa. Tall, blonde, intelligent, and
British. What else do you need? He has such an interesting backstory
that he gives that perfect blend of mystery and intrigue to the book. I
especially like his relationship to Koa. You’ll see more of that play
out in the next book in the series. I also like Al. You’ll see a lot of
that Metal-Mind in the next book as well!
Tom - You’ve written quite a few plot twists in the
book. Were they mapped out before you wrote them or did they evolve as
you were writing?
K.N. Lee - When I wrote the first chapter I knew
that the cat would talk, and I wanted to save that for the end…but the
twist that I didn’t see coming was that the cat was Koa’s mother. That
had me stunned when I wrote that sentence. I love it when the story has a
mind of its own! As for the other twists, I had them mapped out. I had a
clear vision of where I wanted the story to go, and I somehow managed
to stick to it.
Tom – Speaking of where the story went, you left us
with a cliffhanger at the end, though it felt appropriate I think. Was
your intention always to end at that point, or did it just feel natural
when you reached it?
K.N. Lee - Well, initially book one and book two
were one large novel, and I sat back and thought…this book has two major
climaxes. So, I decided to split them into two books. I feel that the
cliffhanger at the end came after such a powerful revelation for Koa,
that continuing to the next stage would have been anti-climactic.
Tom – Great point! As I’ve said in my review, I’m
really looking forward to the next book. I know the first one just came
out, but I’d like to know how book 2′s progressing along.
K.N. Lee - I’m kind of lucky since I already have
much of the next book done! I have the beginning and the end…I just need
to fill in the middle with a few scenes I have in mind. There will be a
lot more character development, especially for the secondary
characters. You’ll see Ian come out of the background (**hint**) there
is a huge reveal about that guy! I didn’t even see it coming! Also,
Tristan will get his moment in the spotlight. We haven’t seen what that
War-Breeder can do yet, and I think everyone will be pleased. Then…we
have good ole Bund. A villain we all hate. He will do lots of damage in
this next book. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…
Tom – Can you tell us anything about the title or plot from book 2 yet?
K.N. Lee - I am playing around with a few title
options, but I think I like The Chronicles of Koa: Lyrinian Blade. Koa’s
legendary sword is one of the coolest weapons in the book…next to
Halston’s infinity gun. The sword will get to see a lot of action in
this next book, and we’ll get to learn more about Koa’s father and the
sword’s origins. In this next book, we’ll get to see how Koa’s
relationship with Jax and Halston gets complicated, and they will all
have to deal with Bund. We cannot forget who started this war, and who
sent Bund to hunt Koa down. Greggan. I will introduce the vampire King
to the world. You thought Bund was bad…wait until you meet this guy.
Tom – I have to say I regret not adding the sword
into my review. It was awesome! You speak of how some readers told you
they were reminded of Transformers, etc. but when Koa’s dagger extended
into the sword I immediately thought of Thundercats, one of my favorite
cartoons as a kid. The leader of the group had a sword that acted very
similarly.
As for Greggan I think we’re all anxious to meet him and see what he’s capable of!
Who are your favorite authors and did any of them inspire you towards writing?
K.N. Lee - My favorite authors are Stephen King,
Anne Rice, Terry Goodkind, and I recently fell in love with Brandon
Sanderson. Those are my favorite fantasy/horror authors, but I have a
deep passion for the classics as well. I love Charles Dickens, Charlotte
and Emily Bronte, Thomas Hardy, Jane Austen, and Alexander Dumas. The
fantasy authors inspired my imaginative side, but the classic authors
fostered my romantic side. I like to have a blend of both. I must say
that Stephen King’s book, On Writing, inspires me each time I sit before my computer screen and doubt myself. I will never give up. I hope I make him proud someday.
Tom - What’s your routine, or process while you are writing?
K.N. Lee - I carry a notebook with me everywhere.
I never let an idea slip away without writing it down. I also document
my dreams. Some of my best dark poems and horror stories have come from
my twisted dreams. Why are they so twisted? I have no idea… When I am
working on a story or novel, I listen to movie soundtracks such as Lord
of the Rings, Braveheart, The Dark Knight, Battlestar Gallactica…Blade
Runner, and Celtic music. Music definitely puts me in an ultra-creative
mood. I sometimes light scented candles or incense when I want to
transport my imagination to a foreign land.
Sometimes I’ll start with an outline, but that is rare. I prefer to
just have a character in mind and start from the beginning. I enjoy the
surprises and ways the characters seem to take over the story and direct
it where they want it to go. I do try to write at least 1000 words a
day, but I am a writing machine, I write much more than that on most
days! Nothing brings me greater joy, so it isn’t a difficult process for
me. One thing that slows me down, however, is that I continuously edit
every sentence as I go. That can sometimes stall my progress, but I
can’t help it!
Tom - Do you have any additional story ideas that you’ll be writing besides Koa? If so can you tell us anything about them?
K.N. Lee - Funny thing you’ve asked. The Chronicles
of Koa: Netherworld is my first published novel, however, it is the
fourth book that I’ve written. I have an epic fantasy trilogy that took
me years to write. Rise of the Flame, Night of the Storm, and Dawn of
the Forgotten. It is a high fantasy trilogy set in a world that I
created. I wrote Koa’s series because I was impatient and wanted
something out there with my name on it while I hunt for publishers for
my trilogy. Finding an agent or publisher is a daunting process, but I
am one determined little lady! Now that I am done with Koa, and almost
done with her second book, I have the time to devote to securing that
agent or publisher for my trilogy. Lilae, the main character in my
trilogy has been in my head since I was eleven years old and typing on
my mother’s typewriter. I look forward to introducing her to the world.
You thought Koa was feisty…wait until you meet this fire-manipulating,
teleporting, dagger wielding, red-head!
Tom – I certainly hope we see that trilogy sometime soon! The titles are fantastic and I look forward to meeting Lilae!
Thank you so much K.N. Lee for taking the time to talk to us!
Available Now!
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