Welcome to The Saturday Spotlight, a weekly feature showcasing debut, Indie, self-published and authors who specialize in Ebook publishing. This week I have the pleasure introducing readers to:
K.C. NEAL
Author of Pyxis. Find out more about K.C at Web~Goodreads~Twitter
Q&A
Hi K.C, welcome to TBR's...to begin please tell us a little but about yourself.
I’m the author of Pyxis: The Discovery, the first book in the YA fantasy Pyxis Series. I work full-time as a Medical Writer, so fiction writing happens evenings and weekends. My background is in science and health, but I always wanted to write books. Pyxis is my debut novel. I live in Idaho with my husband and our dog, Oscar. My husband writes and records music, so we’re often each in our own worlds, writing stories and songs. We wrote a song together last year, which was very cool. I have a whole new respect for songwriters!
What Inspired you to write Pyxis?
I wanted to write YA, but knew I wasn’t going to write a paranormal book with any of the usual creatures. And that wasn’t because I was trying to be different; I really didn’t think I was clever enough to put a new spin on vampires or werewolves or fairies. I’m not really sure where the idea for Pyxis came from, but the first seed of the story was the pyxis box with the bottles full of mysterious colored liquids that influenced people’s emotions. I thought the story would center around the potions, but it grew into something much larger.
Did any major research or traveling go into writing your book?
I wish I could travel to research my books! Maybe someday. :) Most of the research I did was for the terminology. The word “pyxis” came from the research. And I had to find terms like “convergence,” “hypercosmic realm,” and “pyramidal union” to describe the concepts in the story.
If you could choose a song that fit the mood of your book what would it be and why?
I actually made a mix in iTunes with songs that represent different emotional spaces within the story. Mason’s song for Corinne is “Strange and Beautiful” by Aqualung, a really beautiful, haunting song. If you’ve read Pyxis, you should check out the lyrics of this song--they couldn’t be more perfect for how Mason feels about Corinne.
What authors have inspired your work or you personally?
Orson Scott Card definitely made an impression on me. I read Ender’s Game for the first time a few years ago, and looking back I think that book may in some way have inspired me to start writing novels. I love sci-fi, and Ender’s Game just blew me away on so many different levels.
Whats on the horizon for K.C Neal?
Alight: The Peril (Pyxis Series Book 2) is my main project right now, but I also have plans for some bonus material to accompany Pyxis. It may be published with the book as a special edition or on its own, I’m not sure yet. It will include the prologue to Pyxis, so you’ll get to see what happened between Corinne and Mason before he left for Africa. It also will have Corinne’s journal entries, as well as a section from Mason’s point of view. I hope to publish both Alight and Valence: The Battle (Pyxis Book 3) in 2012.
Thank you K.C for stopping by and answering all my questions!! I cant wait to read your book. Best of luck with book two and three.
GIVEAWAY
Today, thanks to K.C, I have one ebook copy to give away to a reader at TBR's. Is all you need to do is leave a comment. This is open to everyone and winner will be drawn Dec 10, 2011.
Pyxis by K.C Neal
Corinne lives an average teenage life working at her dad’s cafe, hanging out with her best friend, and trying to forget a falling-out with her almost-boyfriend Mason. Things take a strange turn when she uses her late grandmother’s food dyes for a bake sale, and her customers suddenly find her irresistibly alluring.
Then she discovers she and Mason are haunted by the same dreams of a dark force that consumes everything in its path. Pursued by shadowy figures and a crazy woman with secrets from the past, Corinne must find out who her grandmother really was. In her quest to unravel her family’s history, she learns she is destined to protect this world--and the dark world of her dreams. She races to find the answers she seeks before her nightmares break free.
Interesting concept. I love things that revolve around food and magic.
ReplyDelete(not an entry)
Count me in thank you! Sounds really good!
ReplyDeleteMargaret
[email protected]
Thanks so much, Tina! <3
ReplyDeleteI'd love to read this! Sounds so interesting!
ReplyDeleteSounds awesome!! I would definitely like to read this. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI love the cover and title of Pyxis.
ReplyDeleteAnd I bet it's an exciting change of pace to go from medical writing to fantasy writing.
Thanks so much for the interview and giveaway!
missie at theunreadreader.com