An Interview with Kat Bastion
The Reading Cafe is happy to welcome Kat Bastion. Kat is here to discuss her new book, Forged in Dreams and Magick, which was released a few weeks ago. Let’s first learn a little more about Kat.
Kat Bastion is an award-winning paranormal romance writer, poetic warrior, and eternal optimist who loves getting lost in the beauty of nature.
On a never-ending, wondrous path of self-discovery, Kat throws her characters into incredible situations with the hope that readers join her in learning more about the meaning of life and love.
Her first published work, Utterly Loved, was shared with the world to benefit others. All proceeds from Utterly Loved, and a portion of the proceeds of all her other books, support charities who help those lost in this world.
Kat lives with her husband amid the beautiful Sonoran Desert of Arizona. Visit her blog at www.talktotheshoe.com, her website at www.katbastion.com, and her Twitter account at https://twitter.com/KatBastion for more information.
Let’s interview Kat!
TRC: Hi Kat and welcome to The Reading Café. We would like to start with some background information.
Kat: Hello, Barb and Sandy! Thank you for inviting me to interview with you. I’m honored to be here.
TRC: Please tell us something about yourself? Have you always been interested in writing?
Kat: Writing is a new development for me. I have a Type-A analytical mind, a business background, and a passionate love for reading from the moment I could. After being career focused for well over a decade, I rekindled my love for stories on pages and took a swan dive back into reading romance. A few months later came my first interest in writing, which was the summer of 2010.
TRC: How did you come up with the idea of your Highland Legends Series?
Kat: Not in any Type-A way! {laughs} All of my creative ideas strike into my mind with the sudden intensity of a lightning bolt. In the aftermath, as everything still sizzles and snaps, I write. Furiously.
The kindling for the idea, I suppose, came from a mix of my love of Highlander romances and my love for paranormal romance and urban fantasy. Why not have a magickal Highland world?
TRC: Can you tell us the premise of your Highland Legends Series? Also, how many books do you anticipate for this series?
Kat: Highland Legends is about a unique Clan Brodie, whose castle possesses a special kind of magick. The main novels in the story capture the romances of the main characters amid escalating events in their enchanted world, ultimately leading up to significant historical event set to spill into a modern-day battle.
While themes in the first novel and novella center on faith, hope, and love, the last two novels also have integral elements of forgiveness and redemption. All the stories in the series have a common thread of the heroine/hero finding inner strength in the face of incredible adversity.
The Highland Legends Series is three full-length novels plus the 47,000 word holiday novella, Bound by Wish and Mistletoe, which is scheduled to release November 4, 2013.
TRC: Can you please give us a brief description your first book in that series, Forged in Dreams and Magick?
Kat: Forged in Dreams and Magick is an action-adventure, paranormal romance about a modern-day ordinary girl who finds herself thrown into the most extraordinary and unforgiving circumstances. Repeatedly. It’s a story about every one of us. The journey is about how we find strength within ourselves and rise above the challenges we face in our world while finding what is most important within it. Love.
The official description can be found on the Forged in Dreams and Magick Goodreads page. Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo
TRC: You published previously a poetry book, Utterly Loved. How did you come up with this idea?
Kat: {smiles} Utterly Loved was another lightning bolt moment.
It began when an author I love, Sylvain Reynard did a guest post entitled “Art and the Poetry of Desire” which included the poem “Fire and Ice” by Robert Frost. Days later, while experiencing a blissful moment, an unexpected poem flowed into my head. I then typed it furiously into my iPhone notes. That captured moment is entitled “Heaven…Found” and remains a favorite.
Once the switch had been thrown, one love poem after another flowed into written word. With my upcoming twentieth anniversary, I decided a compilation about special moments in our lives would a wonderful surprise for my husband. Soon, it became evident to me, and then to us, that Utterly Loved should be shared with the world to benefit others. Through charitable support and awareness, we want those lost in this world to feel utterly loved.
TRC: Can you tell us what are you currently working on?
Kat: {laughs} I’m seeking to master the art of juggling tasks with the debut release of Forged in Dreams and Magick, followed six weeks later with the release of Bound by Wish and Mistletoe.
Born of Mist and Legend, the next novel in the series, is already a quarter drafted, but it’s patiently awaiting my full attention in January. Until then, scenes keep dancing through my mind and notes are being religiously taken.
TRC: What is your writing process? Do you like to write at specific times, in a special place?
Kat: I’m a pantster, which is a requisite for my writing to be fun and the creativity to flow best. I mull over scenes quite a bit before writing them. Often the best dialog comes in the shower. I’m often soaking wet, wrapped in a towel, and dashing across the house to type out the fully edited movie scene that unfolded into my head. My husband laughs at the unusual process, but respects the spontaneous, water-induced gift of creativity as I do. J
On a daily basis, though, my best writing happens when I sit at my computer for the first few silent hours of the morning.
TRC: You have written Paranormal romance, is there any other genre that interests you to write in the future?
Kat: There is already a spin-off series planned from the Highland Legends Series, but it will be a modern-day paranormal romance leaning toward urban fantasy.
I also have two other stand-alone story ideas that will be written in the future. One is a contemporary erotic romance. The other is a coming-of-age contemporary romance.
TRC: Is there anything (in general) you find particularly challenging about writing?
Kat: I have two challenges in writing, yet both are blessings because they help me grow as a writer and enrich the stories. One is in taking the story dark enough, making the characters and scenes come to vivid life from their depths. The other challenge I enjoy is writing in first person while bringing out the other characters through dialogue and action, showing their emotions and struggles, to enable us to connect and fall in love with them too.
TRC: Do you have a favorite author or book that has inspired you?
Kat: Actually, many have.
With regard to Highlander novels and authors who inspired me to write them, there were two. Judith McNaught’s A Kingdom of Dreams was my first Highlander romance. Julie Garwood’s Ransom was the next Highlander romance that blew me away. Both books I’ve read more than once, and I highly recommend them.
In the paranormal realm, J.R. Ward, with her artfully executed paranormal Black Dagger Brotherhood Series, and Karen Marie Moning, in her unparalleled urban fantasy Fever Series, have both inspired me to write more complex stories and deeper characters.
In contemporary romance, Sylvain Reynard penned two amazing contemporary romance novels about faith, love, and redemption. Gabriel’s Inferno and Gabriel’s Rapture are both new favorite books of mine. Reynard has become an inspiration in how he uses his author platform to support and bring awareness to charities. His influence was an integral part of the foundation for Utterly Loved and inspired a greater purpose for the proceeds of my writing, further explained on my Charity Support and Awareness page.
A treasure I stumbled across and cherish? Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Her writing is an incredible reflection on finding happiness as we discover who we are. The journey she takes us on is a coming-of-age story not defined by the number of years in our life, but in the happiness we find within it.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
Kat: I would like to thank you and your readers for the tremendous support your community has shown independent authors. For a new author to be welcomed with open arms by those who love the adventure found in great stories is heartfelt and deeply appreciated.
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: A perfect peach.
Favorite Dessert: The corner brownie. With dark chocolate frosting. No nuts.
Coffee or Tea: Tea
Favorite Movie: Serendipity
Favorite TV show: Duck Dynasty {dies laughing}
Favorite Literary Character (Male or Female) Not your own: Mac (MacKayla Lane) in Moning’s Fever Series. We transform with her from a fluffy rainbow girl to a driven warrior fighting to save those she loves, and ultimately the world itself. I love a kickass heroine who finds her way through unimaginable adversity. {grins}
Milk or Dark Chocolate: Dark!
Dogs or Cats: Cats!
TRC: Kat, thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. The Reading Café wishes you good luck with Forged in Dreams and Magick.
Kat: Thank you again for inviting me to join you. I appreciate your support and look forward to sharing both Forged in Dreams and Magick and Bound by Wish and Mistletoe with your readers. I hope you all enjoy the Highland Legends Series!
Kat has graciously offered to give one lucky members of The Reading Café a paper copy of her recent release, Forged in Dreams & Magick.
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3. Giveaway open Internationally.
4. Contests runs from august October 3, to October 6, 2013
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