Kris Radcliffe Interview

I recently had the pleasure of working with Kris Radcliffe through a reader to writer connection from goodreads. She was looking for reviews for her book (Games of Fate) and I offered to give it a go. If you have been following this blog then you saw my review. It is no secret that I am a fan of this author who I have only recently discovered and follow closely. So I did what any other reader with a blog would do. Ok, maybe not every other reader, but you get the point. I contacted Radcliffe again to request an interview and she agreed. Here’s how it went down.

Welcome to The Schwartz Reviews! I’m so happy that you have decided to grant me this interview and I am eager to learn more about you. As I have already said before, you’re definitely an author to keep an eye on. So, let’s jump in shall we?

Sure thing. J

When did you decide to become a writer?

A long time ago, when I was a little kid.  My family lived in this big old house.  The previous tenants had painted all the walls weird and funny colors, so the place sticks out in my mind.  At the time, I was seven years old or so and in the living room, watching television.  An episode of “Space 1999” came on.  It scared me half to death.  I remember my stomach knotting up because the monster was the grossest thing I’ve ever seen.  But I was also aware that it wasn’t with me in the big creaky house with the lime green walls.  It was on the television.I thought “That’s not real.  That’s a story.”  Someone made that.  And I knew what I wanted to do with my life.(Oh, please don’t look at the air dates when you google the show.  J)

Wow, so you knew you were going to be a writer from a very young age then. I promise, I will not google the show, however, I can’t say the same for our readers out there. ☺

Where did you get the idea for “Games of Fate”?

That’s actually a tricky question for me to answer.  My subconscious knows exactly where it came from, but it doesn’t always want to share.  I’d say, though, that many of the elements in the story came from very different places.  The themes of coping with ADHD as a young woman and the anxiety that often come with it came from observing the life of someone dear to me.  The breeds in the series—The Fates, Burners, Shifters, and Dragons—took a little work.  I wanted to create something new and different and not rely on vampires and elves.

How long did it take you to write “Games of Fate” and where did you get the ideas for the characters?

I seem to be able to produce a novel in about 6-8 months.  I’m hoping to increase my output as I find my groove with this series.
As for the characters, as I said, Rysa is based on a real person.  Everyone else—Ladon, AnnaBelinda, Derek, the two dragons, the other Fates—they’re what makes the world of Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon what it is.  Finding them was part of my world building. 

Well that leads into the next question, what is your writing process?

Ah, the process.  I’m a layerer.  I cycle through scenes and sections adding and subtracting until its right.  I don’t rip apart my story when I do this.  It’s like sculpting:  Words need to be added here, taken away there, and I can see when I’ve got a shape correct.

Now the most important question (in my mind anyways haha). What can we expect from you in the future? Hopefully more from the Fate, Fire, Shifter, Dragon universe…right??

“Flux of Skin” (book #2) is in the sculpting process right now.  I also have two novellas in the Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon universe I’m working on, as well.  The first is called “Silence”.  It follows Gavin (Rysa’s friend from the beginning of “Games of Fate”) as he meets and falls in love with a young Shifter woman named Daisy.  The working title of the second is, well, “Second”.  It’s  set the night Vesuvius exploded and follows Ladon and a new character who will be very important in “Flux of Skin”.  JThere will likely be seven books with more novellas and short stories sprinkled in before this series is complete. 
I also have ideas for two other series.  Both are more science fiction than fantasy and romance.  There are also several standalone ideas bouncing around in my head.
Something else you’ll see soon:  Prints of my art photography and one-of-a-kind photos licensed as cover art. 

Oh I can’t wait for that. I will definitely be following closely to find out when they are released and where I can get my hands on some. Where do you get your inspiration for your work, or who/what inspires you most in your writing?

A lot of my motivation comes from my love of stories.  Some of it comes from what I see as a lack of a certain voices, such as Rysa’s. 

Since writing “Games of Fate”, has anything happened you were not expecting?

No writer expects good reviews.  We wish for them.  We hope for them.  I think I’ll always be surprised!

Well you have definitely earned the great reviews you are receiving, no doubt about that.

What do you do in your free time, besides writing?

I divide my time between my kids, writing, and photography.  When I do get a moment or two, I read or watch a genre show like “Doctor Who” and “Supernatural.”

Totally off topic, but as a fellow Supernatural fan, I must ask: Dean or Sam? Which one is your favourite?

Dean.  Very much Dean.  Except maybe this season.  I’ll be honest, I’m not fond of douchey Dean.  I’m hoping the writers will take care of that little problem.  (Can I say “douchey”?  I don’t want your readers to think I’m foul-mouthed.  J)

And finally, to begin to wrap things up and let you get back to writing (because I selfishly want to read more…now), where can your fans see the latest from you?

 I’m most active on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKrisAustenRadcliffe 

Here’s my web site:  http://www.sixtalonsign.com/ 

And my Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Kris-Austen-Radcliffe/e/B002BMGMFC/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1362022895&sr=1-2-ent 

What genre of books will you most likely stick to publishing?  Or do you see yourself publishing several types?

I’ve got enough fantasy and science fiction ideas to fill up the next ten years, at least.  Not all of them have strong romantic elements, like the Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon universe, but some do.  I suspect I’ll stick with my genres, at least for now.

Do you have any tips for writers who are out there who may be trying to publish their first book?

  Indie publish, even if you’re trying to get a contract.  It gives you a track record.  And always hire a copy editor.  Whatever you do, put in the effort to look professional.

Any parting words?

Thank you for having me!  If anyone has questions, leave a comment and I’d be happy to answer.  You can find me on Facebook, too.     

No problem! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. I hope you know that I will be first in line to review your next books as they get published. Keep writing and basking in the great reviews you are receiving, as I have stated before, you have earned them all.

Kris Austen Radcliffe's Bio:

As a child, Kris took down a pack of hungry wolves with only a hardcover copy of The Dragonriders of Pern and a sharpened toothbrush.  That fateful day set her on a path traversing many storytelling worlds—dabbles in film and comic books, time as a talent agent and a textbook photo coordinator, and a foray into nonfiction.  After co-authoring Mind Shapes: Understanding the Differences in Thinking and Communication, Kris returned to academia.  But she craved narrative and a richly-textured world of Fates, Shifters, Burners, and Dragons—and unexpected, true love. 

Kris lives in Minnesota with her husband, two daughters, an Handsome Cat, and an entire menagerie of suburban wildlife bent on destroying her house.  That battered-but-true copy of “Dragonriders”?  She found it yesterday.  It’s time to pay a visit to the woodpeckers.

Book Blurbs:

Book blurbs:

GAMES OF FATE SHORT FOR SMASHWORDS:

The Fate sees extinction.

The Dragon sees his one true love lost forever.

One sacrifices everything to stop a scorched future—no matter what wounds sear her mind.  The other wages war with monsters—both real and of his own making—to keep her safe.

The world will burn unless they stop the inevitable. Now they must choose. Who will survive? The Fate? Or the Dragon?

GAMES OF FATE LONG FOR AMAZON, PR:

Contains Adult Sexual Content and some violent imagery.

Rysa Torres misses information.  Loses concentration.  Her attention problems randomize her life but she pushes forward anyway, doing the best she can—until monsters activate a part of her she didn’t know she had. 

As visions of the future whip inside her head, Rysa realizes the truth:  She’s a Fate. 

And she will set fire to the world.

All her options explode.  Her family ripped away, what little control she had destroyed, Rysa is left with one choice:  Will she die to stop the coming flames, or will she allow the man and the dragon she loves to die in her place?

Games of Fate begins Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon, a new Urban Fantasy series with Strong Romantic Elements by Kris Austen Radcliffe.  Set in the open spaces of America, the series takes Rysa and Ladon—and Ladon’s companion beast, Dragon—through a landscape punctuated by unfamiliar creatures:  Fates with the ability to see past, present, and future.  Ghouls called Burners who devour with fire and acid.  Shifters who shape much more than their bodies.  And two dragons who speak with color and pattern.

It starts here, now, with one young woman’s fight against a burning future—and against the death of the man she loves. 

Also available:  Prolusio: Three Stories of Fates, Fire, Shifters and Dragons. 

PROLUSIO:

Contains some violent imagery.

Three short stories set in the Fate ~ Fire ~ Shifter ~ Dragon universe, Prolusio sets the stage for Games of Fate, also available now.

In Texas, a struggling rock star attempts a comeback.  Fire, though, has other ideas. 

In Wisconsin, Shifters do what they do best—anger a dragon. 

And in Minnesota, a mother struggles to free herself from the bonds of a fate she cannot escape.