I am so excited for the return of Chat With Me Thursday to my blog. I have recently lined up quite a few author interviews, and I am so excited for absolutely all of them.
For the first one, the one that brings the return of this weekly feature to my blog, I have an author interview with Kathryn Bywaters. Kathyrn, and we had lots of fun chatting about books and the world of writing. Kathryn is the author of The Past is Rising, a fantasy novel that that is sure to captivate readers.
If you would like to know more about Kathryn and her writing, visit her
website! And finally, on to the interview that I had so much fun hosting.
1. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself?
I was born, at home, in Hollywood California. When I was twelve my family and I moved to Saint Petersburg, Russia, a grand and marvelous city. The move overseas was akin to experiencing a different world. It was there that my love for cultures and diversity grew. I loved exploring the breathtaking Summer Palace of Catherine the Great and State Hermitage Museum.
From there we moved to southern France and lived in the foothills of the Pyrenees Mountains in a former Roman spa village. The entire area is entrenched with legends of the Knights Templar and the Albigensian crusade. I spent years exploring medieval castles and much of my inspiration for ‘The Past Is Rising’ came for my time in France.
In my late teens I returned to the states and obtained my GED, after which I went on to get a B.S. in biochemistry and PhD in environmental science from the University of Nevada, Reno. I am currently working as a SETI Scientist at NASA’s Ames Research Center.
My work encompasses a wide range of interdisciplinary projects including development of life detection instrumentation for future space exploration, investigating the nutrient constraints microbes would have on Mars, and performing experiments in Mars analog environments.
2. When did you/what made you decide that you wanted to be a writer?
I’m not sure I ever decided I wanted to be a writer, it just happened. I’ve always loved reading. Memories from my childhood include sitting around a fireplace in the evening while a family friend reads the Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit to my sister and myself. Undoubtedly this reading encouraged my imagination and was part of what inspired me to write my book. But it was in France when I finished my first book, the prequel to ‘The Past is Rising’. I just started writing and felt so compelled to continue I couldn’t stop.
3. Was anything about the publishing process surprising to you?
It’s a lot more work! I didn’t think too much about the publishing process before I actually wanted to publish a book. And then when I started looking into it I realized there was a lot to do! Writing comes so naturally to me but the editing, and cover design and all the little details is challenging. When you self-publish you have to become an expert on everything and I just wasn’t expecting that.
4. What's your favourite part about being an author?
My favourite part about being an author is that perfect moment. You’ve planned it right, the stars have aligned and you actually have a moment, a moment to write. And for a moment when I’m about to put pen to paper, there is a moment I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it, a moment when I don’t think the story will come. And then it does, like one long held breath the story starts to flow out. That moment is my favourite part.
5. What do you find most challenging?
Finding the time, prioritizing writing, and doing it on a consistent basis. Since I have a full-time career and a two-year old daughter it can be difficult to find time to write. Reports need to be written or laundry done and then when I can find the time there are distractions like a friend calling or that other thing I forgot to do. Writing needs to be a priority and time carved out of my day to do it, which more often than I would like to admit just isn’t that easy.
6. What was the most challenging part of writing your book?
I would have to say the same thing as question 5.
7. Have any of your characters been based on people you know?
Yes and no. I’ve never directly based a character off one particular person. There have been aspects of personalities that have inspired characters. For example, Ann’s fiery intensity was inspired by my sister. However, for the most part the characters just arise from my imagination.
8. Are you working on anything new right now?
I’m working on the next book in the Language of the Dead series. However, I probably have a dozen book ideas outlined, just waiting for me to write them. And not all are YA fantasy, some are historical fiction and even a science book for the general public.
9. How do you handle writer's block?
Sometimes, even when everything is right and the mood has been set, I just simply don’t want to focus on a particular story. When this happens, I have often started to write on another story and work my way back to writing what I’m supposed to be writing about. However, I find that the more disciplined I become, the more consistent I am about writing, the less and less this happens.
10. Any advice for aspiring writers?
Just keep moving forward. Haven’t written in a week, a month, a year? Doesn’t matter, write today. Going through edits and they seem endless and you feel discouraged? Doesn’t matter, keep going. Also, don’t be afraid of honest criticism. There is room for improvement in everything we do and it will only make you a better writer. Keep pursuing your passion!
That concludes the interview! I want to take a moment to thank Kathryn, author interviews are my favourite types of posts to feature on my blog and because of her I was able to bring them back this week!
*If you are an author that would like to be interviewed on my blog, please check out my Chat With Me Thursday page and email me at reviewsbysibella@gmail. com
