About the Author:
A former technology specialist, KH LeMoyne now writes romance fulltime with series in urban fantasy, high fantasy, and scifi/futuristic. She lives in Maryland with her wonderful husband and corgi. Much to her dismay, she rarely encounters supernatural beings other than on paper. Visit her website: http://www.khlemoyne.com/ or blog: http://fantasypoweredbylove.com/
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I’m definitely a planner. I have several series that I write and I map out an overall arc to each one before I even start on the first book. I do the same for each book. But with that said, I have flexibility in writing the first draft. Not everything that I plan actually works when I get down to the specifics of the words on the page. I usually start with an outline of about sixty to seventy plot points for a full-length book. During the first draft I usually change/rearrange/throw out about one third of those points. The final book runs about eighty plot points, keeping the key milestones, but details add layers along the way.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
To a degree. I am familiar with their personality and characteristics before I start writing, but they have refused to do scenes that don’t work for them. To date, they’ve always been correct. If something doesn’t work, I head back and re-assess the plot points and outline. The result is always better. So I listen to those hesitations, their hesitations, when I write.
What is your favourite food?
Comfort foods like spaghetti, pork roast & perogies or homemade soups (minestrone or chicken). I also love to try different foods: Thai, Indian, Chinese, Moroccan, you name it.
I’m a daytime person. Up with the puppies by six-thirty or seven, and usually tired and ready for bed by ten
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I find each setting for my stories compelling. The opening of Destiny’s Mark takes place in Hong Kong. I had maps plastered to the wall of my office with blogs and travel sites for food and touring to sift through. It was great. I wanted to hop a plane and visit. I’m currently writing the fourth book in the Guardian series, Honor’s Quest, which is based in Peru. The food and historic sites alone makes me want to travel there.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Yes, though I take liberties in many cases. With the Guardians of Eden, each Guardian originates from a different geographic area of the planet. And since they are several hundred years old, there is some history for their origins as well. I like that it keeps the individual books fresh and offers varied perspectives on life from each Guardian. My other books tend to be fantasy oriented, so the worlds I develop may be based loosely on actual geography or history.
Do you listen to music while writing?
No music during writing. I’m pretty much write scenes without disturbance.
But music has played a big part in some of my brainstorming and plotting for stories. I’ve worked through potential scenes for some of my characters while doing other things and specifically, listening to music. I find the combination of motion (driving, exercising, walking, even cleaning) and listening to music to be a great creative boost.
I can start with a little background on the Guardians of Eden. They are a race of beings created in a Sanctum at the far edge of Eden. Co-existing with mankind, they safeguarded human souls and the promise of eternity—until a virus killed all over the age of eighteen. The surviving children fled to the Sanctum for protection, children raising children without the full legacy of their history and knowledge. Two hundred years of solitude have produced a race of semi-immortals fortified with powers and intellect but lacking the mates who will make them whole and allow them to fulfill their covenant with mankind.
Destiny’s Mark deals with one of the quieter, yet more deadly of the Guardians, Defense Master Tsu Halan. He brings his own back-story of pain and endurance to his ultimate dream of finding a mate who will not only grace his life, but walk beside him as an equal. In Jai Dashkov, I strove for a woman who would bring her own brand of courage and perspective to a relationship.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
Both change over time. My writing has evolved and I expect it will continue to do so. The more I write and read, the more my approach and my voice in the final product is refined. It’s just the way of things.
With publishing, the industry is in rapid flux. The delivery mechanisms and layers required for a book to become available to a reader are changing daily. It’s a lot to keep up with, but it’s an exciting business to be involved with right now.
Is there anything you would do differently?
I would have started my writing career sooner. I spent a lot of time taking classes, which was good. But I also wasted a lot of time reworking stories instead of writing more.
I’ve said this before, but it is worth repeating.
Keep writing. It takes a while to develop your own voice. If you need a boost to your moral, watch Neil Gaiman’s commencement address to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia.
Keep reading. The more you write, the more your approach as a reader changes. You start to see things you didn’t before and, if you’re lucky, you start to analyze what you read from a perspective of what works and what doesn’t for your own writing. Granted, this perspective is only valid to you! Likes and dislikes in fiction are highly subjective. But since writers have to first love what they write before other readers can, you gain a lot from this analysis.
What are three words that describe you?
Optimistic. Stubborn, but open to being convinced to change my mind. Big picture oriented.
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
I have many favorites, but here are the top from my reading pile:
The Iron Druid Chronicles by Kevin Hearne (wonderful and unique urban fantasy)
The Elemental Mysteries series by Elizabeth Hunter (paranormal fantasy and romance)
Nathan Cade novels by Christopher Farnsworth (a vampire in the Whitehouse caught my attention)
Blurb of your latest release or coming soon book
The only difference between fate and destiny is choice.
Tsu Halan, Guardian defense master, has honed his skills and waited patiently over the centuries for the covenant’s promise of a mate to share his soul and a family to cherish. Close enough to taste fulfillment, the dark echoes of the past threaten with danger and death.
Jai Dashkov harbors her own painful secrets of harsh betrayal and tender loss. Her desperate search to reclaim her life doesn’t allow room in her heart to deviate for love.
Together they are stronger than apart, but the promise of the covenant is a perpetual test. One that Tsu and Jai must conquer in time or suffer an eternity for their failure.
List of previous books if any
Betrayal’s Shadow, Warrior Reborn (Books 1 and 2 of the Guardians of Eden series)
Dragon Rider’s Gift (Book 1 of the Dragon Rider Trilogy: Portals of Destiny Tales)
Return of the Legacy (Book 1 of the Portals of Destiny)
Rebel’s Consort, Shepherd (Book 1 and 2 of the Phoenix series)
The Mark of Kane (Book 1 of the Thaddeus Kane novels), written as LW Herndon
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web.
Website: http://khlemoyne.com/
Blog: http://fantasypoweredbylove.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/kh.lemoyne
Twitter: https://twitter.com/khlemoyne
Giveaway:
One random commenter who posts a message at one of the blogs during the tour and leaves their email will receive a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Certificate.
Annette,
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting me on your site. Have a nice weekend!
~Kate