KAYELLE ALLEN ( Cont .) INTERVIEW
MFRW :
KA :
Tell us about yourself , your family , where you live . My husband and I met while both of us were on active duty in the US Navy . We ’ d been born three days apart and had joined the Navy the same day . We married less than six months later . We both had a fondness for the South , so we moved from California back to Tennessee . I took a part time job that later became full time management , and we transferred to Atlanta . Hubby and I both retired , but I soon got bored being home . I now write full time , have my own author support company ( The Author ’ s Secret ), and I created Marketing for Romance Writers .
MFRW : What makes a good book ?
KA : To me , a good book means a solid plot , realistic characters , and an engaging story . I ’ m plotting a suspense set in my current science fiction universe and time , so I ’ m studying how suspense authors structure their stories and how they plot and pace story events . Reading , for an author , is more than entertainment . It ’ s work .
MFRW :
KA :
KAYELLE ALLEN ( Cont .) INTERVIEW
Tell us about your latest book . What motivated the story ? Where did the idea come from ? Bringer of Chaos : the Origin of Pietas reveals the beginnings of my science fiction universe and its various heroes , heroines , and villains . I began writing the concept when I was a teenager , but did not publish until I was in my fifties .
Pietas is king of the Sempervians , a race of immortals . Every character in every book I had written feared him . He came across as a psycho . So why did they all follow him ? Why were they so completely , absolutely in his thrall ? What was the hold he had over them ? I could not continue to write him without finding out . Now that I have , I must admit , I ’ m in his thrall as well . Pietas is not like any of my other characters . You ’ ll fear him in all my other books , but in this book , you ’ ll understand . If you ’ re brave enough , you might even admit to love .
MFRW : Do you feel humor is important in fiction and why ?
KA : Even the most fearful scenes need a break . Tension in every moment makes tension fade . Humans must experience an ebb and flow . It ’ s in our blood , influenced by everything from the tide to the seasons of the earth . Inject humor in stressful scenes to add to the enjoyment , not detract . In Bringer of Chaos : the Origin of Pietas , I wrote a scene for Pietas where he needs to perform a personal ritual of strength . It ’ s one he uses before going into battle against humans . However , he ’ s been severely injured , can ’ t manage it on his own , and the only person available is Six , who ’ s human . The interaction of the two reveals how deeply uncomfortable both of them are in the situation , and how tense the scene becomes , but you still end up laughing .
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