Monday, October 31, 2016

Q&A with KS Turner, author of Time: the Immortal Divide





Now available from Ruby Blaze Publishing is the fantasy novel Time: the Immortal Divide, book three in The Chronicles of Fate and Choice Trilogy by author K.S. Turner


Paperback: 978-0-9562242-9-3

eBook: 978-0-9562242-7-9
The author has taken a few minutes out of her busy schedule for a Q&A about her debut novel.



When did you become interested in storytelling?

I’ve always loved stories; from those bedtime readings as a child to weaving fantastic imaginings in the mundane every day things. But, I always thought I would be an illustrator or designer. One day, I wrote a short piece to go alongside some illustrations I’d drawn. That is when I realized that writing depicted the stories in my head better than any other art medium I’d tried. That was the point; I knew, without doubt, using the written word for my storytelling was the right path. The stories were always there – I just had to discover THE medium.

What was your first book/story published?

The first thing ever published was my first novel in the Chronicles of Fate and Choice trilogy, titled Before the Gods. It’s an epic fantasy tale about the birth of humanity, Earth magic, freewill and freedom.

What inspired you to write The Chronicles of Fate and Choice trilogy?

I wanted to embark on the biggest fantasy story that I could imagine. I decided that it had to start at the very beginning of humanity and finish on the potential end of everything. I wanted to take some of the biggest questions we have in life, such as why are we here, and how did we get here, and craft something fantastically fantasy fiction.

What character in The Chronicles of Fate and Choice is the most/least like you, and in what ways?

Well, as much as I would like to say all, or none, of them, I have to admit that I am most like the character, Tachra. Tachra is the protagonist in all three novels. We share the same deeply questioning nature, honesty, strength, passion, and desire to do the best possible, while trying to overcome a multitude of personal flaws and obstacles.

Least like me, I definitely want to say is the character Shursa, as I don’t like his traits at all. Shursa is from a race of beings called the Shaa-kutu; the beautiful, highly evolved race responsible for designing humans. But, unlike his fellow Shaa-kutu, Shursa is so power-hungry and selfish that he is prepared to betray his brothers. I don’t like him at all. No, no, no. He is everything I would never want to be.

What is your favorite part in The Chronicles of Fate and Choice?

Oh that’s so difficult! I love, love, love, the way the final ending, in the third book, Time: The Immortal Divide, ties together so many different threads that have been running through the story. But, I can’t tell you exactly what those are, as that would make gigantic spoilers.

So, I’ll pick something else that doesn’t include spoilers… perhaps the way the mute prophet has tried to shape destiny, or perhaps the way a man who dies in fire becomes the flame-dweller, or perhaps the development of Earth magic, or perhaps the nobility and sacrifice of the great warrior Cranun, or perhaps the beautiful bond between Tachra and her wild-cat, Meah. And I can think of a thousand more that I love. I have so many favorite parts that it’s impossible to pick just one.

What was the hardest part to write?

There are two areas that I found particularly difficult to write. Firstly, the chapters that belong to Arrunn, the alien Nigh-kutu from the shadow realms. They were difficult, as I was trying to craft a character that was so evil and manipulative that you could understand why others would follow him.

The other hard part to write was the human female, Tachra’s, slow drift into madness and near death, when held prisoner by Arrunn. Tachra’s near madness came after a time of grief, loss, war, and severe injury. Her floating, delusional, drifting last thoughts were difficult to write as they would mentally pull me into an almost trance-like state.

What would your ideal career be, if you couldn't be an author?

Perhaps a sculptress, but don’t think that I’m good enough at it. Perhaps I’d take up studying theoretical physics. Or kitten-cuddler. Yes, kitten-cuddler; that would be a brilliant job.

Do you read reviews of your books? If so, do you pay any attention to them, or let them influence your writing?

That’s a really good question. Yes, I admit I do. I read as many reviews as I can. I try to pay attention to anything that is mentioned more than once. Why? Because I always want to keep improving.

What well-known writers do you admire most?

From the modern classics of Neil Gaiman to the yester-year classics like Lovecraft, there are loads of writers that I admire. I’ve admired Mr. Gaiman for a long time and am a huge fan of his Sandman works. I love the fact that his writing can blend the obscure and the commercial. In truth, I admire all writers as I know how much dedication it takes to craft and complete novels.

Do you have any other books/stories in the works?

I have three books out now: Before the Gods, Tumultus, and Time: the Immortal Divide – all three are epic fantasy novels. I do have my next two books outlined and I’m expanding both of those outlines to choose which one should be completed next. One is a standalone YA fantasy of classic beauty and daring, and the other is has more of my beloved kutu characters in it. Both will get written; I just haven’t yet decided the order. I have an inkling, and I even have the title in my head, but it’s going to stay there, hidden, until it’s announced.





About the Author: Originally trained as an illustrator and designer at Saint Martins School of Art and at Middlesex University, KS Turner turned to fiction when she saw the limitless possibilities of connectivity it offered. Before her shift in career, she worked as a fashion designer for major high-street brands, a graphic designer for musicians, and a product designer for corporations, as well as dabbling with designing technology, sustainable energy, and textiles.

A vivid series of dreams were the inspiration for the Chronicles of Fate and Choice books. Kate initially tried illustrating her dreams, but found the medium too limiting for the story she had seen, so began writing. At first she didn’t have any intention of writing novels, but the books soon started to come together.

Her first two novels, Before the Gods, and Tumultus, were featured in many magazines, won book of the month with Spirit and Destiny magazine, fantasy of the year with Bookbag, and the ‘Must Read Now’ awards with SciFiNow magazine.

When Kate isn't writing, she draws, paints and sculpts as well as studying maths, science, theology and philosophy. She loves to play music, explore, nurture nature and spend time with friends and family. She lives in Somerset.


Visit www.ksturner.net for information about the author.

You can follow the author Twitter and Goodreads.

No comments:

Post a Comment

I adore reading reader feedback! I will, however, remove all spam and pointless comments.

Please take note that I have the right to delete comments from this site. Please only post constructive and respectful feedback.