Taken by the vampire queen, I was sent to her dungeon with one choice left: life or death. I chose death, but fate had other plans for me.
Welcome to one of the December 19th stops on the blog tour for The Forgotten by KA Stefana with Silver Dagger Book Tours (schedule linked.) Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for more spotlights, reviews, more guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.
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Author Interview
Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?
I need absolute silence to hear the voices of the characters. Background noise is OK, but I cannot have conversations surrounding me.
Do you write one book at a time, or do you have several going at a time?
How about a thousand at a time? I have so many ideas that I started to write short stories, about 3000 words, just to get the idea on paper and out of my head. It really helps me focus on the active stories that I am working on. I usually have one that I am editing to get ready for a book launch, a couple of active Vellas, and a short story or two that I wrestle with.
Pen or type writer or computer?
Computer. Unless it is a poem. I can write a poem anywhere or anytime. When I first started, I wrote a lot on my phone before I went to bed at night, and then I would edit on the computer during the day.
What makes a good story?
I want a story that is going to take me on a roller coaster ride of emotions, from the first to the last page, with characters that are alive, snarky, sharp-witted, and everything in between.
What is your writing process? For instance, do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first? What are common traps for aspiring writers?
I typically mull around the story idea for a few days to a week before I even attempt to start writing it. Then I will write the first few chapters, wanting to draw the reader in, and rework those until I am satisfied. Once the first 3 to 5 chapters are finished, I will roughly outline the book, knowing a few things that will happen and a potential conclusion. I cannot guarantee that I will get there because characters have a way of rewriting the storyline. I have learned to go with it.
One thing that I love to do is to write a character into an impossible scene. How will they escape? I won’t plot their escape until after I finish the scene. This way, I am just as nervous for them as the reader is, and I cannot accidentally give away how they will escape.
As to the common traps of aspiring writers, I am still in that phase, but here is a bit of what I have learned. Word and Google editing are not sufficient to bring your story to life. You need an editor! Don’t fret when your story goes off course because your characters refuse to follow your plot. Let them scheme and plot. At the end of the day, enjoy the process.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Time! I don’t have enough time in the day to write.
How long, on average, does it take you to write a book?
If I could write every day, I could probably write a book in two to three months. I really prefer to write a few chapters a week at this point to ensure that I am not stressing myself out. At that pace, it takes about 7 to 9 months to write the book and another couple to edit.
Do you believe in writer’s block?
Absolutely, but I believe in unruly characters more.
About the Book
The Forgotten
The Realms of Darkness
by KA Stefana
Published 7 December 2023
Genre: Dark Fantasy Romance
Page Count: 371
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!
My name is Luther Van Leer, and I’m a prisoner in the vampire queen’s castle. She’ll let me out if I’m willing to meet her demands, but I will refuse until she puts a stake through my heart. I’ll not let her turn me into a monster. At least, that was my plan. With a turning kiss, I was turned into a monster, banished, beaten, and betrayed. Now, my master expects that I will fall in love with her and play nice. If my cold-dark heart ever finds her, revenge will be mine!
Step into the dark and feudal world of the four kingdoms. The prophecy hangs over the land, turning kings and queens against each other. When Amelia turns Luther, she unknowingly drags him into her world. Instead of gaining a lover, she gains another enemy. Will Luther forgive her ultimate betrayal and help her survive, or will he abandon her? It would be his right.
From the darkness of the salt mines, the horrors of the bird cages, the temptations of the Forbidden Lake, and dragon tattoos, Luther and Amelia will be in a race against time to save their kingdom.
**On Sale Now for Only $3.99!**
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Excerpt
Listening as she groaned, she teased me back, “Your only two choices were death or my mother. You chose death, and I chose you.” For the first time in forever, I heard her giggle, and I longed for simpler times. Days when we could safely be in each other’s arms without worrying that our heads could be chopped off in the throes of passion. Such times were not conducive to intimacy. (Luther)
About the Author
Welcome Readers! Followers and Members of the Shadowverse. I am so excited that you are taking this journey with me. I love to weave tales of darkness and light, pushing my characters to the end of themselves. How will they react? Some may fall into evil, spiraling into a never-ending vortex of darkness. Others may walk the line between the realms of darkness and light. Only a few will rise above the chaos. They are the defenders and heroes in the world of shadows, but they, too, wrestle with the shadows surrounding them, trying to lure them down dark alleyways and into the back rooms of iniquity.
My friends always ask me where my tales come from. I guess it comes from years of reading great tales from the likes of Tolkien, Lewis, and so many others. In reality, I don’t have a clue. The stories somehow flow from the unruly characters that beg to be written yet refuse to follow their storylines. Just the way I like it!
Past the shadows, you will find a twist of romance between kings and outcasts, enemies to lovers, and everything in between.
As for me, I started my writing journey during quarantine and haven’t stopped writing since. I am thankful for the writing community and their support and for my family and friends. Most of all, I am blessed to have a husband who supports all of my late-night shenanigans, wrestling with characters and pounding away at the keyboard until the wee hours of the morning.
~ A million hugs! Thanks for joining the Shadowverse.
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