Kyra Dune never lost the imagination she had as a child, perhaps because that is when she started writing. Her focus is on fantasy, some for adults and some for young adults. I just finished reading “Web of Light” and found it entirely delightful. Her mix of races include flyers, blood witches, humans and the Gari-Za which are all distinct, well-developed and credible, their world’s tenuous peace hanging on by a thread that depends on the next generation to sustain. Her writing style is strong, smooth and saturated with suspense. These are books you’ll want to finish in one sitting and be sure to have the next one handy if it’s part of a series. Kyra has just released her latest novel, “The Dragon Within” which is now available at the links at the bottom of the interview.
MF: To say that you’re a prolific writer is certainly an understatement and I assume you started when you were quite young. How old were you when you decided that you wanted to be an author?
KD: I was nine years old. I wrote my first book in school, in-between class assignments.
MF: Your Amazon author profile mentions that you traveled a lot with your family. What were some of the places you visited and which of those was your favorite?
KD: We traveled the entire lower half of the United States, from Arizona to Florida all the way up to Kansas. We lived on the road, kind of like gypsies I guess you could say. My favorite place is Gulf Shores Alabama. I love the beach there in the winter time when there’s no one around but the seagulls. When there’s a storm rolling in over the water and everything is gray and cool and all you can hear is the crash of the waves, it’s like being in another world.
MF: What impact did extensive travel have on your writing?
KD: It’s amazing how many real world places make excellent backgrounds for fantasy novels. Travelling so much, getting a chance to see how diverse this country can be, has definitely influenced my writing. Inspiration can strike in the strangest of places.
MF: Was there any particular book or author whom you feel had the most influence on your work?
KD: Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman were the authors of the original books in the Dragonlance Series. When I first read their books I’d already been writing for awhile, but they really drew me into writing in the fantasy genre and fanned the flames of my fascination with dragons.
MF: What do you love the most about writing for Young Adults?
KD: The characters. Somehow, writing from a teen’s perspective flows more naturally to me than an adult’s.
MF: Which part of the creative process is your favorite? Least favorite?
KD: That first spark, when an idea appears out of nowhere and demands you write it down. It’s so fun to discover new characters and watch to see how they’ll twist and turn the story. That’s the best feeling. Rewriting is much harder, because, for me at least, the first draft just kind of rolls out. It’s messy and sometimes contradicts itself. Cleaning it up and turning it into a cohesive story often involves deleting scenes I enjoyed writing and sometimes even getting rid of characters. Nothing is harder than having to completely abandon a character after you’ve gotten to know them.
MF: How long does it usually take you to write one of your stories from when you get the idea to when it’s finished?
KD: I get a lot of ideas and each one goes into my file folder until I’m ready to start a new book, so it can vary. I have ideas in my folder that have been there for years, but have yet to really call out to me that their story is ready to be told. But from when I first start a story I average about ten months to complete it.
MF: I know that most authors love all their characters but which of your many “children” is your favorite and why?
KD: Zazere from my Firebrand Trilogy is my favorite. He’s a dark and mysterious mage who can read minds and has a bit of a sarcastic side. His character was heavily influenced by my favorite character of all time, Raistlin Majere from The Dragonlance Series.
MF: Do you ever plan to branch out into other genres other than young adult fantasy?
KD: Actually, some of my novels are adult fantasy. Flight Of Dragons, Time of Shadows Series, and Crossfire Duology are all adult. I have a few science fiction and horror ideas in my folder, but for the time being fantasy is what calls to me most strongly.
MF: How do you feel your writing has evolved since your first novel?
KD: I’ve gotten braver with my writing, especially in the area of romance. Though none of my books contain anything explicit, I find myself more at ease with writing kissing scenes and scenes where it’s obvious the characters are going to make love. But I always pull the curtain down before things get heated. All my work is PG 13, at least in that area. Cursing also used to be a problem for me, but I recently wrote two novels which required stronger language than I normally use. I’m learning to stop listening to fear so my stories can speak true.
CONNECT WITH KYRA
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Kyra-Dune/e/B00A5WOHGQ/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/kyradune
WEBSITE: http://kyradune.weebly.com/
TWITTER: @kyradune
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kyra-Dune/136273741952?ref=hl&ref_type=bookmark
BLOG: http://theshadowportal.blogspot.com/
GOOGLE+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115323878447248304389
BOOK LINKS
Crossfire (Crossfire Duology Book one) (Adult Fantasy)
Firestorm (Crossfire Duology Book Two) (Adult Fantasy)
Firebrand (Firebrand Trilogy Book One) (YA Fantasy)
Ten Kingdoms (Firebrand Trilogy Book Two) (YA Fantasy)
Dragons of War (Firebrand Trilogy Book Three) (YA Fantasy)
Dragonstar (DragonStar Duology Book One) (YA Fantasy)
The Black Mountain (DragonStar Duology Book Two) (YA Fantasy)
Flight of Dragons (Adult Fantasy)
Web of Light (Web of Light Duology Book One) (YA Fantasy)
Dark Light (Web of Light Duology Book Two) (YA Fantasy)
Elfblood (Elfblood Trilogy Book One) (YA Fantasy)
The Silver Catacombs (Elfblood Trilogy Book 2) (YA Fantasy)
City of Magic (Elfblood Trilogy Book 3) (YA Fantasy)
Ten Weird Tales of Magic and Wonder (YA Fantasy)
Shadow of the Dragon (YA Fantasy)
Shadow Born (Time of Shadows Book One) (Adult Fantasy)
Shadow Prince (Time of Shadows Book Two) (Adult Fantasy)
Shadow King (Time of Shadows Book Three) (Adult Fantasy)
The Dragon Within (NEW) (YA Fantasy)
Meet author Victoria Saccenti ! Follow her on Twitter @VictoriaSAuthor
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