I recently had the pleasure of asking author, K.J. Bryen, a few questions about her debut novel Lokte and prequel short story, Unlocked. Check it out below.
Tell us a little about yourself?
Tell us a little about yourself?
I'm a passionate writer who works at a news station by
day, a writer by night. I love pretty much all genres, but my favorites are YA,
fantasy, Christian, and thrillers. If I could accomplish anything with my
writing, it would be to have an emotional impact on others. Other than that,
I'm married to an awesome husband, have two crazy dogs, and spend my down time
watching my favorite t.v. shows.
You've
recently released Unlocked, a prequel to your debut novel Lokte, can you tell
us a little about the story, and when can we expect Lokte?
Unlocked explores the backstory of one of the secondary
characters in Lokte, and incorporates other characters from the novel. Here is
the description:
New York, 1985.
Sophia Parks is used to battling demons. But when she is
approached by a girl who needs help banishing a demon, Sophia struggles to help
her, and must go up against the most powerful demon she's ever faced. To fail
might mean losing everything she loves . . .
Lokte comes out this Friday, September 12.
What was
your inspiration for Lokte?
I honestly can't remember. It is an idea I got several
years ago, and I just knew I had to write it.
What's
the hardest obstacle you've faced in becoming a self-published author? And how
have you overcome it?
So far? Time. I never dreamed how much time it would take
to self-publish. There is so much involved in it, and working a full-time job
on top of it, it can be really hard to get everything done and not go crazy. I
think I've been managing pretty well overall though. All I can really do is use
my spare moments to write, and take breaks when I need them.
What
have you learned from the experience of publishing Unlocked and Lokte?
I have learned just how much work goes into following
one's dream. It's a lot, but in the end, knowing that my work is out there and
can be enjoyed by others is just a huge blessing. I also have learned to have a
real respect for all writers. Even if I don't like a novel that I read, I'm
much less judgmental now that I know all the work that is involved in just
creating it.
What
are you currently reading?
Right now I'm reading the third book in the Gemma Doyle
series (by Libba Bray), The Sweet and Far Thing. I love this series, but the
third book is over 800 pages O.O It might be a while before I finish it!
How do
you stay productive? Daily word count? Goals?
I have a daily word count of 1000 words. I wish I could
take on more, but definitely not possible right now. Well, my primary goal is
to be a full-time writer! But my immediate goals would be to just start
building a loyal readership. That in itself would be wonderful.
If you
could ask one person, one question, who would the person be and what would the
question be?
Oh gosh, that's a hard one! The only thing I can thinking
of is that I kind want to ask J.K. Rowling why so many people in the
seventh Harry Potter had to die. Seriously, like all my favorite characters
died.
What's
next for K.J. Bryen?
Well, the first two of my YA Fairy Tale Horror series
come out on October first under a different pen name, and after that, the next
ones will be released every thirty days. I also am considering a sequel to
Lokte, but I'm not sure about that yet. If I decide against it, I'll be
releasing a book next year under K.J. Bryen called Nightmare Land.
For a limited time you can get Unlocked for free at Amazon. And you can learn more about K.J. at Twitter.
