First, allow me to introduce E. Kaiser.
A Little About E. Kaiser Writes:
Born in the
Midwest, I have had a unique childhood
of many moves, giving me the opportunity to experience an array of locales and
characters all over the nation. We always had three things; faith, family and
animals... and I always had dreams.
I have a burning desire to put words to paper
in way that uplifts and encourages readers. I also hope that they might learn
something real, while they're at it... so I try to be very meticulous in all my
research to ensure that the "facts" presented in my fiction hold true
to reality.
I wear many hats: writer and editor of ad
copy, web copy, office correspondance & fiction; a cowgirl, animal trainer,
seamstress, jeweler, artist and... authoress!
I also garden moderately; dairy maid
excellently; sew tolerably; cook decently; water-bath can under duress;
house-clean when necessary; listen quietly; & lend a hand to my fellow
creatures where I am able.
(Taken from her website)Shall we see what she had to say during our interview? OK, here goes!
Could you tell us
a little about your Thaw Series? Combining elements from the Snow
Maiden, Schneekind, Snegurochka tales with those of the Snow
Queen; Winter's Child introduces a new series: THAW.
Thaw : Winter’s
Child
A barren king and queen pray for a
child, and when in their loneliness, they make one out of snow, their prayers
are answered in a special, and unusual way.
Sometimes,
when we get what we wish for, we don't know what to do with it.
Thaw: Winter Queen
A slightly
pampered girl allows her avoidance behavior to isolate her from the world...
and it's only when she takes the final step that she realizes the wall she's
built in the name of safety is also the one that will hold her prisoner forever...
unless she discovers how to destroy it.
The
only one who can break a neurosis... is the one who has it.
Thaw:
Prince of Demargen
The whole
world knows his guilt, and is absolutely correct about it, but how far can a
man go to regain respect so swiftly lost?
Or is an honorable death the best a fallen star can hope for?
Or is an honorable death the best a fallen star can hope for?
The
only person who can help him... is the one he most deeply wronged.
I’d wanted to
do a Winter Queen piece for some time, but couldn't find the right angle. When
the Snow Queen tale got new popularity with Disney’s film version, (which I
enjoyed, it was a fun movie.) But there were so many things that got left out,
including a ton of from the Anderson
Though the Disney film has a much stronger
through-line than the somewhat meandering original, the Snow Queen has a lot
more Christian themes in it.
Which were a shame to lose… so we really
dived in and majored in that, and then brought that out to sort of be a running
theme all throughout this series as it takes off for over a dozen fairytales,
both well-known and more obscure.
They’ll all be
connected, and the setting is a super fun , quasi-Victorian not-actually-Europe, with portals to
fairyland. (We’re even going to bring in Hy-Brasil or Celtic myth, the
disappearing island where some say Arthur was raised from babe to youth.)
Anyway,
there are just a ton of fun things this sets up, and I think Ilise is really
one of my favorite characters ever… she’s both so many things I’ve been afraid
of turning into, and at the same time she triumphs to become everything I want
to be.
I love her story arc,
and the fact that she gets to appear in all four books, with two being sort of
“hers alone” for the most part. J
So, before you ask: is this a Frozen
retelling? The answer could really be yes and no. Most
If you didn’t like any
of the underlying themes that may or may not have been in Disney’s version,
you’ll love the Thaw: series! These books are highly Christian founded, with
the Winter Angel playing a pivotal role, and the themes of accepting our own
place where the King of All Kings has put us. The themes of
self-responsibility and facing our own mistakes runs strongly through
them, and the undeserved gift of grace is very present as well.
We
each have our duties, for He has a plan for all His followers and we must be
responsible to follow!
Would you take us
on a brief tour of the world you’ve created?
Wow! That would take too long! I’ve already waxed eloquent on the other
answers, I think! It really is a very detailed world, which I used a lot of
research into European countries and cultures to give it depth and richness. I
really think the fastest way would be to read the books! I can go on and on,
but what the reader feels from the novel is really the litmus test! J
Where does the
inspiration for you main character and story come from?
Princess Ilise is a lot like me,
her problems are kind of mine, but exaggerated for effect in
Whether we react by shutting down
and “going cold”, or flinging forward “hotheadedly”, the problem is still the
same. By refusing to exercise control over ourselves and our impulses, we give
up control over the circumstances, and things we love will be damaged. And once
that is done, it can’t be undone.
So, by learning to make wise choices even when they’re uncomfortable, we
become masters of ourselves, and from there can influence circumstances for the
better. We can make things safer, and make those we love stronger; and that’s a
strength every one of us needs.
Sound advice.
What is the
message behind the story? Was it something you specifically wrote a story
around or did it develop as your characters came to life?
The message was kind of there all
along, but I’m a big one to try to “write it under” so to speak. I hate books
that get preachy, so that’s a cardinal sin in writing for me. But as I loosened
up and let the story flow it really just kept coming up and then the interplay
between past and present, the things we lose and the things we gain… it became
very obvious; at least to my eye. I still made sure that the tale came first,
and if someone sees the theme that’s great. If not, that’s fine.
I want them to enjoy the ride. If
they remember that, then the message can come out whenever it’s time for them. J
So, what’s the message? Face your
actions, don’t let emotions act for you and then say “it’s not my fault! I
couldn’t help it!” We must rule our hearts and our impulses, not the other way
around… acknowledge them, but “do wisely”, or else things will get hurt that we
can’t make better. You might want to offer these in the "self-help" section as well ;o)
Basically, it’s one of the
underlying tenants of maturity, but often gets ignored in fiction. But in the
end, that’s what growing up is for; not only saying “I dropped it” instead of
“it fell.” But saying, “Next time, I’ll hang on, and it won’t break. It’ll be
safe because I’ll make the decision to put forth the effort to make it so.”
Which sounds like a really dull
theme… so I guess it’s good I focused on a fun story, and let the theme take
care of itself! J You should consider making a study guide, so that these themes can be reflected upon.
Do you work from
an outline or just go with the flow? If you use an outline, how detailed is it?
I write scene by scene, and they’re rarely in chronological order. By
the time I start working seriously on an idea it has percolated in my brain
long enough so I basically know what’s going to happen… but there are just
little surprises in how. So I just start writing down what I know, and then
about 3/4ths through I call in my brainstorming partner/sister and she helps
straighten out any tangles that may be looming. She is a genius with timelines,
and figuring out exactly where things need to be for everything to fit.
Then, armed with the final blueprint, I can go back to work and nail in
those scenes I’d been avoiding because they were too inflexible. But this time
around I know exactly what needs to happen, so I write them once and they’re
correct.
Working this way avoids burnout,
since I don’t have to go through rewrites to fix crucial points…
I love it! That's the beauty in meeting so many authors, each one has their own system, and it offers a great conglomeration of ideas and tips that can help others out of a writing bind.
What is the time
span in your novel, weeks, months, years? How much research went into it?
The time span in this set of three novels that begin the Thaw: series is
about two years. As for writing time-span; for the first time ever I was
actually able to write them within a twelve month period… I sort of wrote all
three of these simultaneously, so that they really flow together a lot.
Could you tell us
how you go about your research, how you ‘catalogue’ information to make it all
work?
I don’t catalogue anything; which is way it’s really important for me to
do the research that I need at the time
that I need it. This also has the side effect of not allowing for wallowing in
research as a procrastination excuse, because I have to go write that scene
immediately after I figure out the thing I was researching. It works pretty
well, but I do hate the forgetting part that happens if something interrupts
between the two… cause I have no idea how I even found it, some times! But it
always works out, I just figure out a different path to similar information. Interesting. I tend to open a file for each of my books and collect my research (down to character details) so I can make sure there are no errors down the line in the novel or any subsequent ones.
How does this
book differ from what you have written in the past?
My first two finished works were
completely original coming-of-age set in a “light fantasy” world that had very
little to do with anything fantastical. It was particularly trope-less, and
begun as a present for my sister who hates clichés and has studied over my
shoulder enough to spot them a mile away.
I initially intended only one book, but when I released it people asked
for a sequel. I was out of ideas, so in the course of discussing the situation
with my sister she came up with some good ones, and then we sort of snow balled
from there. That was the first major project that we “worked together” on, and
now there are a planned 3 more in the series.
(But they’re on hold for the moment as Thaw: gets written!)
For the Thaw: series it’s all
about retelling fairytales with a twist, making the MCs proactive and always
having something that can be done about any situation they are in. And then
they do it.
I love fairytales, but the “oh,
we’re helpless!” thread that runs through them always grated on me. Also the
“Somebody told me not to do this, so of course I’m doing it first chance I
get!” trope that is inevitable… that just doesn’t make sense.
So taking the familiar “stock
elements” and then finding a way to get a different “lighting angle” for lack
of a better word… it’s been a lot of fun. We’re making them fresh because
although we use the core elements, we string them on a whole new necklace,
which has been a lot of fun for us, and we hope will be equally fun for
readers. It does sound like a lot of fun...and you might consider sharing your sister's contact info in case other authors need sound advice or someone to bounce ideas off of!
Have the
changes in present day publishing impacted your schedule as a writer?
No. I tried really hard to quit writing as a teen because “there was no
way I was going to be published.” There were a lot of reasons: I had no
connections, my style was literary-ish, my faith was non-negotiable, and my
subjects could be best described as “wholesome but edgy.”
Yeah, try thinking of one
publisher that loves that kind of stuff…! J
It was very discouraging, and I
went through a lot of depression that writing was actually my best therapy for…
but at the same time I felt like I was throwing time down a black hole from
which nothing would ever come of it.
With the advent of indie publishing,
I actually have a chance to have books in print and kindle… I’ve made fans and
online connections that have really meant the world to me.
As a result I am much more confidant in my possibilities of a future as an author, and it’s because of the shift in the publishing world. The Lord makes a way; I guess! J That he does.
As a result I am much more confidant in my possibilities of a future as an author, and it’s because of the shift in the publishing world. The Lord makes a way; I guess! J That he does.
How do you handle
marketing? Do you have a plan, a publicist or just take one day at a time?
Marketing is my biggest weak spot, and I’ve often tearfully considered
submitting to publishers/agents hoping they’d do that part for me!
The ones I queried early on said
“thanks but it’s not the right fit”, and the ones later were interested, but by
then I’d learned enough about pay scales and contracts and I just couldn’t go
there with my brand. It’s a slim enough ledge, there’s not room to split it in
half! J
People will either like it or
they won’t! If they do, great! I may make a little money! That’d be terrific.
If they don’t, why should I split nothing?
I am able to do my own cover
design, and have go-to people to help with editing/etc. It is very important to
build a team that supports the vision, and I’m getting to the point where I
feel we kind of have that.
And I super appreciate everyone
in it! This is where groups like CIR can come in handy, sharing experiences, expertise, horror stories and contacts when it comes to marketing and such.
Do you have any
advice for aspiring authors?
Live. If you can live and not
write, do that. If you can’t, than do that! The odds of making a living at this
is so low, you’d do better turning some other interest into your livelihood…
but if you have ink in your veins, than just sit down and write it out
periodically. Save your drafts, and don’t worry over it. Que sera, sera!
Just live. That’s the most
important thing… the book we write with our days is the one we’ll have to
answer for in the end.
Could you tell us
what you’re working on now?
I’m working on the 4th
in the Thaw: series, Reindeer King, which will really
wrap up several characters arcs fairly permanently. Then we get to go back in
time about twenty years and delve into a whole new set of characters and tales,
and I can’t wait! It’s going to be a blast! J
I want to thank you for stopping by, and to our readers interested in getting in touch with E. Kaiser Writes, you can find her contact links below.
From her website:
Linky stuff:
Check out my blog, E.
Kaiser Writes-A-Blog http://ekaiserwritesablog.blogspot.com/
My author website
EKaiserWrites.webs.com http://ekaiserwrites.webs.com/
And the usual stuff...
which I'd love to connect on! (I'm not super techie, and most everyone I know
on any of these I met online... so I'd love to meet more!!! )
Facebook Author
page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/E-Kaiser-Writes-Author-Illustrator/308540109167073
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ekaiserwrites
Amazon author page,
(with links to all my books!) http://www.amazon.com/E.-Kaiser-Writes/e/B006RY1L2E
and...
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/ekaiserwrites/
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