Monday, August 10, 2015

SeaGlass Siren's Special Feature 2015

Hi everyone! It's my birthday!
So as a special treat for you mers, I decided to post up Kristy Nicolle's interview months in advance for her upcoming book release "The Kiss That Killed Me," part of her Tidal Kiss Series!

Enjoy!!

 Like this image?  Check out the photographer @ http://trishthompsonphotography.com/
Credits go to: Trish Thompson Photography

SeaGlass: Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

Kristy Nicolle: I'm a 22 year old writer and full time MA student living in the historic English City of Lincoln. I attend classes at The University of Lincoln toward my master’s degree in twenty first century literature which has introduced me to no end of interesting new stories, genres and experiences. I originally hail from Norwich which was where I was born, went to school and also enjoyed partaking in sports such as competitive gymnastics, Tae kwon do and ice skating. However no hobby or interest has ever come close to my love of the written word and its capacity to tell stories. I live with my wonderful boyfriend and together we push each other, he pushes me with my writing and academic study and I push him to keep coming up with new and original ideas for his personal training business. Family is very important to me as is my partner in crime MooMoo (nicknamed Doctor Moo- yes I am a sci-fi fan) the family cat.

S: What are your ambitions for your writing career? When did you decide to become a writer? 

KN: I think I have similar ambitions as most writers which is not only to sell books, but to have people love my stories and connect with them in a similar way to me as the writer. It’s a great privilege to craft worlds for others to walk through, just as for the reader it becomes great privilege to walk in them and I love hearing what people make of things I've written. It’s incredibly rewarding to see strong reactions from people about your material- even if that reaction is that they don’t like a character or find your plot twist infuriating. I decided to become a writer officially when I was around 13, but I've always loved writing stories ever since I was able to write from the age of about three.

S: Describe your writing process; Is it structured? Do you write everyday? How do you get rid of writers block?

KN: I think my writing process is becoming more structured as I become further involved in my Masters study. To be honest, the reason book one has taken so long to get to publishing stage is because I'm a stickler for detail and unfortunately an avid perfectionist. I had read the manuscript and self-edited over fifteen times before my editor got her hands on it. Book one was something that I wrote free form- as in I only wrote when I was sure I knew what I wanted to write, but now I know that this is not the most productive way to do things, as your primary draft usually changes in radical ways before you hit publish anyway. I have writing days now where I block off a whole two day section to write new chapters for the sequels, but I'm consistently editing book one every day. As for writer’s block I think it’s something which occurs through over thinking. I make plans for my books- but they aren't definitive and I’ll sit down to write chapters with the idea that whilst following a general plot line, I'm open to what characters have to throw at me. If I'm really stuck (I have to say the worst writers block I had was at the midpoint of my manuscript for book one. It lasted about three months because I got myself into a state about one particular chapter with about fifteen characters in) the best thing to do is just to sit down and write, regardless of whether it’s to do with your book or what you’re stuck on, just write. If I'm ever REALLY REALLY REALLY stuck or blocked, sleeping usually does the trick in solving it as when my mind is mushy and pliable it comes up with solutions. A relaxed happy brain is the best writing tool you can have.

S: What have you written? 

KN: I'm currently working on The Tidal Kiss Trilogy- book 1 ‘The Kiss That Killed Me’ which is pretty much done and I'm beginning book 2 as we speak. I've always got a blog called Freedom Through Fantasy, which I don’t use too often as I'm quite busy at the moment but it does feature a short story I wrote as a part of my Undergraduate study and some of my poems. I have written A LOT of academic literary analysis too. I also have an unpublished novel which was kind of my practice go at writing called Genii- it was always planned to be a trilogy but I never finished it. Who knows, it may rise from the ashes one day.

S: Your new series the Tidal Kiss Trilogy, what is it about?

KN: The Tidal Kiss Trilogy is my current WIP (work in progress) and it’s all about Mermaids and Psirens. The books follow the journey of a young American teenager called Callie Pierce. I don’t want to give a lot away as book 1 is yet to be released, but the long and the short of it is that Callie meets this guy called Orion who she finds herself inescapably drawn to. In the end she discovers more about who she is than she bargained for and leaves the life she knows behind to become the warrior of a Goddess she has never believed in. Here’s the blurb:

When Callie Pierce turns 18 she has three very simple goals: avoid her stepfather, escape to an Ivy League university of her dreams, and party with her friends. But on a night like any other, when the moon is full over the ocean, her life changes in a way that no one could have ever seen coming. On the sandy beaches of San Diego she meets Orion, a man with whom she cannot stay away, to whom her return becomes as inevitable as the tide kissing the shore. If that isn't enough, a kiss which changes everything plunges Callie head first into a world of mythic responsibility, epic danger, and heart stopping romance. The Mer, an ancient race of warriors brought forth to defend the seas, show her wonders beyond what is humanly possible, forcing her into an archaic chain of events that bring together power, seduction, violence, and beauty in a terrifying, yet exhilarating mix. Then there’s the Banished to contend with, a group of Psirens corrupted by the oceans abyss that stand to destroy the eternity Callie has been promised. Will she sacrifice herself for the greater good, or is the gravity that pulls her to Orion just too great to bear?

S: What genre are these books? What drew you to this genre? Where do you draw inspiration from?

KN: These books are NA Fantasy Romance. I think the idea of putting relationships through a baptism of fire has always appealed to me which is why I wanted to do Fantasy Romance more than just normal romance. I enjoy testing the boundaries of how characters can be pushed, particularly romantically and so a fantasy setting is the perfect place to do that. I also really like coming up with quirky dates for my couples to go on, it brings something unique to the table that you won’t find in any other genre. I think I draw inspiration from music a large amount of the time, so much so that a few of my chapters are actually named after song titles because I was listening to those songs on repeat while drafting a particular scene.

S: Where do your ideas come from?

KN: My ideas are very fluid, I don’t have any one source particularly, but as I've said before I'm very inspired by music and I always take a long walk in the evenings before I sit down to write. The movement and beautiful surroundings of Lincoln help me think and I have a few friends who I bounce ideas around with. I wouldn't say I get my ideas from books. But the sheer volume of books I've read certainly helps me to know how to construct a story and what a plot needs to stay healthy and readable.

S: How do you think you've evolved creatively?

KN: I think I'm prepared not to be sentimental about my work now. As in I'm prepared to kill off main characters and take my story to places the reader might not particularly like or agree with. I try to push boundaries, work in new environments and with challenging characters now that I wouldn't have been comfortable writing before. I feel like I've come to a place with my work where I'm starting to really examine what makes up a person, what makes them human and what the human experience means and how to capture it. I think fantasy allows you to do this by looking at the inhuman particularly. It is after all only through knowing what we are not that we can comment on what we are.

S: Will you be doing a trailer for your books?

KN: I do teasers and excerpts regularly but I feel like doing a trailer in video form would be difficult unless I had thousands of pounds to put into it. I believe in quality above anything else. If I can’t produce something high quality, I won’t attempt it.

S: If your book was going to be made into a movie, who would you cast as Callie and Orion?

KN: When I got these interview questions I’ll be honest I knew this one would be the one I’d struggle with. I’ll openly admit that I believe in the written word and haven’t got a clue about how my book would even translate to the big screen. I’d like to have relatively unknown actors on my project, something fresh and new because to me I have an image which I don’t want to deviate from in my head already. I’ll put it simply. Someone cute, short and peppy for Callie and someone super hot for Orion. Who is as much your guess as mine.

(SeaGlass's commentary: Chris Hemsworth. MMMM...)

S: What formats will your books be available in?

KN: Ebook and Paperback. It’ll be available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble.com Smashwords, kobo etc etc. The normal stops for online ebooks basically.



Thank you so much to Kristy for agreeing to do this interview!


If you'd like to support my lovely friend and The Tidal Kiss Trilogy, Like and Share her Facebook page The Tidal Kiss Trilogy. 

If you'd also like to see exclusive material from The Tidal Kiss Trilogy, join Kristy's Street Team, Tidal Telltails- Official Street Team of Kristy Nicolle for announcements, first looks, sneak peaks, competitions and give-aways!

Also, check out her website, kristynicolle.com