And now for another interview!

Today we interviewed another very talented friend of mine about her latest book, an epic fantasy called, ‘Blood of the Chosen’.  I’m so excited to read it!  I hope everyone here will be too.  🙂

1.    Tell us about yourself.

I’m Kara Owl, I write fiction and non-fiction about things that I am passionate about.  I’m an invisibly disabled woman living in Florida with a husband, a bunch of kitties, and a spoiled rotten puppy who is on her way to becoming a good dog.  I love to write, to read, and to play video games.

2.    When and why did you start writing?

I started writing when I was a kid.  I wrote my first “book” when I was in kindergarten, just after I had learned to write.  I continued writing stories throughout grade school and high school, though I didn’t start really trying to write novels until I was in my 20s.  I started what became my first completed novel in 2000, and never stopped.

3.    What is a one-sentence synopsis of your book?

Blood of the Chosen is the story of three elves struggling to protect their place in the world from the encroaching darkness that has taken root in a former ally.

4.    Was there an event or a person that inspired the creation of this book?

My best friend.  Over 20 years ago, he mentioned to me that he’d had a story idea, of a stuffy, uptight elf who was named after a horse.  From that seed, these characters grew in my mind until I had this story that needed to be written.  My BFF still jokes that he’s a horrible, absentee father, giving me this idea and then never helping me write it.  I don’t mind, he’s been much more supportive than he knows.

5.    Under what genre does your book fall?

It is fantasy.  I like to say it’s epic fantasy, but it is a very short epic.

6.    Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I think I’d love Tom Hiddleston to play Toman.  He has that elfin quality, though he’d need his eyes to be darker.  Julianne Moore would be a great Kerwilian, though she’s old for the part—but she has that elfin, sharp-featured face that I love.  For Romerin, I think the closest actor would be Colin O’Donoghue.  He’s got the cheekbones and can pull off a fantastic scruffy look.  Rom was always scruffier than his sibs.

7.    How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

The very first draft took about four years.  The last rewrite took eight months, and I’m really proud that I’m getting better at writing faster.  Book 2 took six months; hopefully book 3 will only take four!  (A girl can dream, right?)

8.    Will this book be the first of a series or is it a stand-alone?

It is a series.  Currently, I am plotting out book 3.  It might be the end, it might not!  I am not sure.

9.    Are you a plotter or a pantser?

A plotter.  I write up a loose outline, and then usually tweak it about half-way through the book, to make sure I wrap up all the crazy subplots that come out in the book.

10.   Do you have a favorite character in this book?

My favorite characters are always minor characters.  I love my big three, but the minor ones are usually just as interesting and I don’t get to see as much of them.  I think that’s why I end up adoring them.

11.How did you come up with the title for this book?

I wanted something that would carry over for the trilogy, that would mark it as part of this series.  Since the main characters are all chosen by the gods, it just fit.

12.What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

The Sword of Shannara, Dragons of Autumn Twilight, the Dragonbone series.

13.What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

It is about elves, magic, swords, and the bond between siblings.

Here’s a link to information about Blood of the Chosen.  The publisher is Jupiter Gardens Press.

Thanks Kara for telling us more information about your book and the series!