Author Interview with K.L. Kranes
I’m interviewing K.L. Kranes today, author of YA Fantasy “The Travelers”. Welcome to my blog!
Author Interview
When did you know you wanted to be an author?
I always wanted to be an author since the time I picked up a book. But, I also come from a very practical family and pursued a career with more stability. So for many years I wrote in notebooks and typed up stories, just to let them waste away in a drawer or on an old computer somewhere. Then a friend said to me something very simple. She said “why don’t you just send it to a publisher. What’s the harm?” I’m not sure why it takes someone else to tell you something so obvious. But, that gave me the little push I needed to do it.
What inspired you to write The Travelers?
I’d written books and pieces of books since I was a little girl. At the time I started writing The Travelers, I’d been reading a lot YA fantasy books, particularly of the vampire persuasion, and really felt a connection to that genre. But, I wanted to do something a bit different. I wanted to play with perspective and turn the tables, so to speak, on the idea that a young girl always falls for some older man in the body of a young man. So, I decided to write a book where the girl is older, in this case, she’s a Traveler that moves her soul from body to body to stay young. She also does it to stay hidden because obviously people are trying to kill her or else the book would be boring.
What is your editing process like?
For me, editing needs a high degree of almost callous detachment in order to be effective. It’s the yin to the yang of my writing process. When I write, I pour my emotions out on paper. Sometimes it streams out of me. Other times I yank it out of me. But it always comes straight from my heart. When editing, though, I must turn off those emotions. To put it in more literary terms, if I my writing process represent Dr Jekyll, my editing process is Mr. Hyde. It must be cold, unfeeling, maybe even a little brutal. I love the quote “write drunk; edit sober” from Ernest Hemingway, not that I encourage writing drunk. But the concept of writing without abandon and then returning to edit later with clear, focused detachment has merit. It becomes a surgical, unfeeling process, where I remove or alter a piece so the rest of the work can survive
What do you find the most challenging about being an author?
Initially, gaining the confidence to show my work to others was most challenging. It’s not that I mind criticism. In fact I really enjoy constructive feedback and input. But, I have a general irrational fear of failure, which I’m sure many people do, and that paralyzed me for many years. Now that I’m published, I’m tackling this fear anew. Part of being an author and trying to be successful is engaging your audience or your potential audience, “putting yourself out there,” which can be difficult for me. But, that won’t stop me from trying.
Are you working on something now?
Currently, I’m working on a sequel to The Travelers. My first draft is nearly complete and this time I’m less fearful of showing it to others. In fact, this time I’m excited and can’t wait to get feedback. I am also working on a collection of short stories about unicorns for younger readers in more of the elementary school range.
About the Book
Title: The Travelers
Author: K.L. Kranes
Genre: YA Fantasy
Dagny lives a dangerous life. Pursued by an unknown enemy, Dagny and her family are always on the run and must use magic to stay hidden and safe. When Dagny meets Marc, everything changes. For the first time, she can imagine a future that doesn’t involve constantly changing her life. Despite the risk, Dagny vows to stop running. But as their enemies start closing in, Dagny wonders if she can ever really live a normal life and if she can actually trust Marc.
Author Bio
K.L. Kranes, author of The Travelers, lives in the Washington, DC metro area with her husband and daughter. She graduated from Virginia Tech with a degree in Communications. K.L. moved to New York City after college and worked in public relations before returning to her true passions of writing and editing. When not working on her next YA novel or blogging, she works as a freelance writer and editor. In her spare time, she enjoys hanging out with her family and trying out new potential hobbies. Her latest endeavors include driving her dog crazy as she learns the guitar and making a fool of herself as a novice swing dancer. For more information on K. L. check out her website www.klkranes.com or www.thetravelersbook.com.
Links
Twitter @klkranes
Facebook @klkranes
Instagram @klkranes