Saturday, November 28, 2015

November Author Interviews Featuring Katie M. John



Today I'd like to welcome, Katie M. John! 

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions. 
I'm excited to have you and can't wait to learn more about you.




1. Where do you find inspiration for your books? 

I find inspiration for my books literally everywhere. I've spent almost all of my life studying literature either for myself or with students in a classroom. A lot of my inspiration has come from my love of the classics, the history they are part of and the art movements that ran along side; but just as inspirational have been the real life experiences of working in a London comprehensive school for fifteen years, and my own complex teenagehood. I am inspired to write  YA books that communicate a shared understanding of what it is to be different, which celebrate uniqueness, and the under-represented.

2. Is there a routine to your writing?

Now that my littlest is at nursery in the mornings, I am very disciplined about a good three hour morning stint everyday. It's not always been like this. When I was working full time, I literally wrote whenever I could. It's a blessing to have dedicated writing time every day.

3. Who are some of your favorite writers? How have they inspired you?

This is such a hard question. My favourite authors of all time are Wilde, Golding, Huxley, Hardy, Shakespeare, Orwell, Poe, Lovecraft, Stoker, and more contemporary authors, Atwood, Green, Mantel, Ellis, and Palahnuik. These are the writers who have created a love  thought and language. But I have a special group of authors who have taught me the love of story-telling, Stephanie Meyer, Becca Fitzpatrick, Lauren Kate, Aprilynne Pike opened my eyes to the fantasy genre and what pleasures are at the heart of it. If it hadn't been for my reading of 'Twilight' six years ago, my life would not be as it is. I will always hold it dear for that reason.

4. What are you working on now?

Oh, goodness, you've caught me at the most extraordinary time. It's a period where three pieces are culminating at the same point. I am in the final rewrites and checks of  my 12 part episodic serial 'Beautiful Freaks', which releases on December 4th. Each episode is 10,000 words and it is a Gothic, dreadpunk, detective fairy tale series. I have literally today started sending out the ARC copies of 'When Sorrows Come', an upper YA contemporary Romance with a serious edge, and finally, I am 60k words into book 3 of 'The Meadowsweet Chronicles', an upper YA occult / Paranormal Contemporary Witch series.   

5. What advice would you give to unpublished writers?

MAKE IT HAPPEN - It's a short and sweet piece of advice but it's the one that's got me to this point. I say this every time I am in doubt.








Coffee or Tea


Coffee with honey in the morning, Tea (Assam or Ceylon) after 11am

Wine or Beer

Oh, goodness, wine! Maybe a cheeky G&T with lime not lemon. Preferably Tanqueray.

Movies or Books
Books


Hemsworth or Pratt
Neither



Summer or Winter
Autumn

Beach or Mountains
Beach

Pizza or Cheeseburger
Cheeseburger

Love at First Sight or Friends to Lovers
Love at First Sight (It worked for me)

Halloween or Christmas
Halloween

Game of Thrones or Outlander











Bio
Katie lives in London UK, with two cheeky Mud-puddle fairies, and a handsome giant. She is author of the best-selling YA Contemporary Arthurian series, ‘The Knight Trilogy’ and the Upper YA series, ‘The Meadowsweet Chronicles.’ She writes dark fairy tales, horror and contemporary YA Romance.

Katie is now a full time author after having taught English in a London Comprehensive for over fifteen years. She is founder of Chapter.Con.  London, a YA and NA conference for Readers, Bloggers and Authors. She is also founder of Little Bird Publishing, an ethical, indie press house. You can find out more about Katie and her books over at her Amazon author page 

You can find out more about Katie and her books over at her Amazon Author Page



BEAUTIFUL FREAKS: A 12 PART SERIAL

A dark and twisted saga that winds its way through the Victorian streets of London like a luxurious and lethal ribbon.

When a series of terrifying and seemingly paranormal murders occur at a rapid rate, panic and fear grip the city. Still haunted by the ghost of the Whitechapel Ripper case, Inspector Steptree is forced to admit the murderer he now pursues maybe even more wicked and brutal. As the case closes down on the mysterious No.7 club, owned by the enigmatic Evangeline Valentine, Steptree discovers that evil is far from a fantasy.

It is against this backdrop that Kaspian Blackthorne turns eighteen and begins his apprenticeship under the scientific maverick, Doctor Greyson, a pioneer in brain surgery, and human transplantation. Whilst Kaspian is introduced to the horrors and wonders of man’s scientific progress, he also begins an epic adventure of self-discovery and infatuation. Guided into the decadent and luxuriant world of the London West End night scene by his new friend Hugh Denvers, Kaspian tastes the sweet temptation of a life less ordinary, but such a privilege comes at a terrible price.

A cast of timeless characters and dark, grown-up fairy tales interweave to create a rich and haunting tale of fear and desire.

Based on the original novel, ‘Beautiful Freaks’ written and published in 2013 by Katie M John, this series is a development of that world. This is the first season of a planned three seasons. You can find out more about this season and forthcoming seasons on the official site. www.katiemjohn.com

#Gothic #Dreadpunk #Paranormal #Demons #Fae #FairyTales #Phantoms #Vampires #Creations #Frankenstein #ParanormalRomance #Murder #Detective #Horror #SecretSocieties #CrossOver #UpperYA





WHEN SORROWS COME by Katie M John
A Contemporary Upper YA Romance
OUT JANUARY 14th 2016

When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions!”  Shakespeare: Hamlet.

Seventeen year old, Ophelia is in love with the tall, dark and handsome Malachi: Mathematical Genius, Poet, Swimmer, and Narcissist.

Drawn together by their own self-destructive impulses, they begin a consuming and twisted tango of desire and rejection.

As Ophelia learns to cope with her mother’s bi-polar episodes, she discovers the world can soon become a dark and lonely place when left to face it on your own.

When Malachi’s mother marries his uncle, Malachi’s word turns on a spindle, his previously charmed life invaded by a monster.

With Malachi’s increasing paranoia and anger starting to take over his life, it is only Ophelia who can offer any kind of salvation; only Malachi doesn’t know how to love anything other than his future dream of greatness.

Finding herself caught in an exquisitely bitter-sweet relationship, Ophelia falls in love with a boy who will only realise his love for her when it is too late.

UPPER YA. 15+ Contains more adult themes of sexual relationships, self-harm, drinking, drugs and more adult language.

Available on pre-order from all Amazon worldwide platforms.


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