Welcome to My Front Porch
Christy King!
I've had the privilege of knowing Christy for the past few years and I can say she is a truly sweet and kind person. That's why it's so disturbing to read some of things her mind can come up with! Disturbing in a good Fantasy/Paranormal kind of way.
Christy can create an entire world, a race of characters, and then make you become invested in those characters. She makes the unbelievable, believable. Which in my opinion is hard to do in the Fantasy and Paranormal world.
I also know first hand how supportive she is to her friends and fellow writers. Christy invited me to join her in her Ron Shaw Show radio segment because she knew I was too shy to do one on my own. It still didn't matter, when they said, "You're on the air," my brain went off the air!
I asked Christy to be one of my first interviewee's and she immediately said, yes. We sat down for a chat the very next day. Her wonderfully supportive husband, Rodney, had mint juleps waiting for us out on the veranda as we settled in for a visit. (I made that part up, but I'm sure he would.)
Welcome, Christy! Thank you so much for taking the time from your busy writing schedule to answer a few questions. If you don't mind, I'd like to look at your writing career through the lens of a beginning writer. I'm sure you've learned many things thus far that would be beneficial to those just starting out.
About the Author
Christy King weaves tales with strong women in dark worlds where relationships present challenges and small victories are gained with great loss. Paranormal elements are always present in various forms in the background, sometimes tinged with horror but always with edges of darkness. There is always a price for wanting the fairytale life. When the Texas heat gets unbearable, the words flow and provide a playground for characters to enjoy or destroy, as they see fit. Meanwhile, a cat who thinks he is the most interesting feline in the world vies for Christy’s attention and has the position of “first editor” due to his persistence. He bats at the puppet strings.
About the Author
Christy King weaves tales with strong women in dark worlds where relationships present challenges and small victories are gained with great loss. Paranormal elements are always present in various forms in the background, sometimes tinged with horror but always with edges of darkness. There is always a price for wanting the fairytale life. When the Texas heat gets unbearable, the words flow and provide a playground for characters to enjoy or destroy, as they see fit. Meanwhile, a cat who thinks he is the most interesting feline in the world vies for Christy’s attention and has the position of “first editor” due to his persistence. He bats at the puppet strings.
Let's Chat!
Liz: Was there one defining moment when you thought, “Hey, I’m making it as an author?”
Liz: Was there one defining moment when you thought, “Hey, I’m making it as an author?”
Christy: The first time I bought a booth for a ComiCon was a surreal experience. There were many times during the whole process that made me feel like a real author, from getting the booth set-up to being asked to do interviews on TV with a video camera on me to having the attention of other celebrities. But the truly defining moment was when teenage girls would come up to me and be in awe of me and my books because they wanted to be a writer and couldn’t believe they were talking to a female fantasy writer. They knew if I could make it, they could, too. I was humbled that they were so nervous to get a picture with me and an autograph.
Liz:
What advice would you give to a writer just starting out?
Liz:
Christy: Be honest with yourself. Write for yourself first, not what you think will sell. Don’t be mean to yourself and don’t give up. Reread and rewrite many times over, setting the manuscript aside for months before doing final edits. You need to get some distance for a while and return with fresh eyes. Do the research - from the elements of the story to the publishing process to the marketing options. Keep everything in perspective.
Liz: Knowing what you know now if you went back to the beginning of your writing career what would tell yourself as a newbie author?
Liz: Knowing what you know now if you went back to the beginning of your writing career what would tell yourself as a newbie author?
Christy: Get some sleep. The writing will always be there and the sleep will do your creativity good. Take care of yourself, eat, relax, have other interests to enrich your writing with new experiences.
Liz: What projects are you working on now?
Liz: What projects are you working on now?
Christy: Right now, I need to re-write an entire trilogy about angels fighting demons at the time of the apocalypse. Yes, I said rewrite ... I've come up with much better ideas since I wrote the series four years ago and it will make it a much better story to institute those changes. But it is a massive undertaking because I will be doing a complete overhaul.
I'm also rewriting a novel about a human coming into the emerging field of werewolf medicine and the kinds of challenges that would present.
The important takeaway from this question is that a huge part of the writing process is editing and rewriting. Over and over and over. You have to be ready and willing to do that going in as a new writer.
Liz: How do you write yourself out of a corner?
Christy: Usually, it's not me who writes me out of the corner. The characters will get frustrated and sigh emphatically while they take over the storyline. If I had listened to them weeks ago I never would’ve been in the corner in the first place.
Liz: Are there any secrets you would tell us about your books?
Christy: My husband is always in there, whether he's a good guy or evil, human or vampire, octopus or angel. It was a promise I made him and it can be a challenge sometimes, but I always accomplish the task. If it's particularly difficult to make him fit the world, I may be mean to him on the pages. Poor Rodney. He is an awesome husband, though.
Lineup of Titles
NOTE FROM LIZ: I'm giving away 1 ebook copy of Talia on Sunday, May 29th! To be in the running, simply comment below.
NOTE FROM LIZ: I'm giving away 1 ebook copy of Talia on Sunday, May 29th! To be in the running, simply comment below.
Talia (Book One)
What are they saying?
Ancestral Blood:(Book Two of the Talia Series)
Teenage queen Talia has secured her realm and married the love of her life. Just when everything seems idyllic, Camon decides that he needs to hunt down the vampire Arden for performing experiments on Talia to learn the limits of her powers. The quest sets into motion devastating events, causing the rulers to enlist the aid of the realm of Sollon. Family secrets are revealed and Talia discovers that she is far more than what she believed. Can she resist the lure of a power greater than any known in their world? Will the ones she loves be able to cope with the knowledge that she is far less human than they knew? DOWNLOAD
Dirty Deeds
Cameron James is a justice dealer whose targets know her as Avenging Angel.
Unhappy with the decision of the court system? Dirty Deeds will balance the scales of justice, for the right price. However, Cameron soon learns that her illegal business dealings are the least of her concerns. With a best friend hiding secrets and her mentor declaring war on her, Cameron must navigate the worlds of Witness Protection and the human slave market. A single misstep plunges her into a supernatural miasma with eternal implications. DOWNLOAD
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