It's been awhile since I've done an author spotlight, but I have a few coming for some authors who have been a special part of my writing journey. In almost every interview I give, I'm asked, “What's the one piece of advice you would give an aspiring author?” My answer is that I have two. The first is, “Accept constuctive criticism on your work for the gift it is,” and the second is, “Network and authentically support other authors.”
I'll never forget meeting Kisa Baginski, both of us aspiring authors, at the NYC Writer's Workship Perfect Pitch Conference in the fall of 2012. My home still out of power from Hurricane Sandy twelve days before, I trekked into the city, first manuscript in hand, to spend the next three days learning how to pitch and then trying my pitch on three NYC editors (I highly recommend this conference!)
Kisa and I were assigned in the same group of twelve or so non-young adult fiction writers. We bonded across the table when I practiced my pitch for what became Trinity Stones
(thanks to this group and their input on the title!) and mentioned the story was angels & demons with half-human Nephilim. Kisa's eyes lit and said, “Mine, too!” At the conference, we both received full manuscript requests from the Executive Editor at Penguin Publishing (pre-Random / Penguin.) Alas, neither of us were signed, but the experience was incredible, and we both went on to publish, me with a small press and Kisa as an indie. Although Trinity Stones is urban fantasy / paranormal romance and Windstalker is dark fantasy / horror, we've supported each other and have followed each other's career since then.
So you can imagine how thrilled I am to have Kisa as a guest today on the launch day of the second book in her Windstalker series, Rehumanized Drew! The book details are below, but first, let's welcome Kisa for a chat!
Welcome, Kisa, my dear friend! Let's start with the Windstalker series, and what you have planned for it.
{KB} Windstalker is a supernatural fantasy series about a group of Evolved Nephilim (half angel, half human) creatures who feed on human energy for survival. They descended from a once-imprisoned Watcher Angel named Samyaza and exist in two forms. Samyaza's natural-born Nephilim spawn are considered Nephilim Lords, or natural born Evo-Neph, but there is also a sect that can infect ordinary humans with an organ known as Aurion.
In Windstalker:Awareness, the Aurion-infected group have been coined Windstalkers. In that story, a group of friends stumble into their world once one of them, Drew Royce, becomes infected (turns into a Windstalker) and uses his new powers to hurt another. In doing so Drew manages to upset the existing dynamic between older Windstalkers and the human world, making him a target for elimination.
Rehumanized Drew is a spin-off novel from the series. It follows the journey of Drew Royce after Awareness. In it he is relocated and comes to terms with the consequences of his rebellious and criminal actions from the first book.
In the next book, Windstalker: Prophecy, an official sequel to the first, readers will find out what happened to the original group and the other Windstalkers they've become aware of during Drew's rampage. We'll really get to see the fate those other Windstalkers have decided for the group and how much of their meeting each other was coincidental.
When did you start writing?
{KB} About 9 years ago when I realized I was addicted to fiction, storytelling, unraveling the mysteries in so many stories.
What books / authors inspired you most?
I respect Stephen King's imagination immensely. I also enjoy other dark fiction authors such as Elfriede Jelinek, George R. R. Martin and Dan Simmons.
What do you feel has been your greatest triumph so far? Biggest challenge? Toughest criticism? Biggest compliment?
{KB}
Greatest triumph: Juggling family life and writing while remaining a full-time teacher.
Biggest challenge: Figuring out when to devote time to each.
Toughest criticism…I think silence is worse than criticism actually. So I'd say every time I didn't receive a response from an agent or publisher was pretty tough.
Biggest compliment I received was when my editor told me she teared up each time she reached a certain part of Rehumanized Drew. I thought that was the best news I'd received from anyone. It meant so much to know I could communicate what I felt, while writing, to others in fairly decent delivery.
What do you love most about being an author?
{KB} Honestly, I just love participating in the art of writing. It gives me the best outlet for my imagination. What could be better than writing your daydreams all day?!
Best moment you've had so far with a reader?
{KB} I had a great moment when someone I taught came to me after reading Rehumanized Drew in a fit of frustration over a scene. She was really upset about it and kept questioning “Why did you make this happen?!” I was surprised and felt a little exposed (like she'd just read my diary entry). In other words, I was thrilled someone I knew read my work, connected to and liked it that much!
What's next?
{KB} Windstalker: Prophecy‘s the next stop on this journey. Getting back to Chelsea, Mitchell, Gina (the humans), Eli and Lothos (the Windstalkers) will be a lot of fun. We'll learn more about the impact discovering Windstalkers has had on their relationships and the reason they've crossed paths.
Thanks for stopping by on launch day, Kisa! xo
BOOK DESCRIPTION:
Drew Royce was a lot of things he didn't want to be. A murderer, rapist and ex-Windstalker. His humanity was poorly spent; and all he has after his taste of the supernatural is a battered and ignored soul. The weight of his actions visit him each night as proof he must still be alive.
But now, even as an abducted criminal, kept ward by an evolved Nephilim race and used as a weapon against their enemy, he still has to defeat the beast who stole his humanity – himself.
Kisa's Bio and how to find her:
When not teaching science to middle-schoolers, K. M. Baginski enjoys reading and writing fiction. It was not always her dream to write but she believes serendipity likes to dwell with dreamers and the hyper-imaginative. Since childhood, she can remember entertaining herself and family with tales extended from television or movies. She was also quite the vivid-dreamer, recalling episodes she'd only seen in dreams as if she were present in a different dimension. So when enough of those experiences added up, she decided to commit them to pen and paper.
Windstalker began as a vivid dream she had as a new adult. In it were shapeshifting, wind creatures who, quite beautifully, were filled with expressions of longing, loneliness yet embodied the anger and bitterness that come with condemnation. They were destined to be misshapen, powerful and fearsome, while wishing for the opportunity to become fragile humans. While it may not be a story for everyone, it was certainly one she wanted to share with other hyper-imaginatives, like herself.
Read more about the characters and upcoming Windstalker stories on windstalkerbooks.com.
Connect & Follow on:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/windstalkerbooks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmbaginski