Hi Kaiya, please tell us a little about yourself.

First, I would like to thank you for having me. I’ve been writing seriously since I was eighteen. I’m a reader and always have been. My heroes were always fictional characters in books and I’ve always secretly believed that they are real people, even if they don’t exactly exist where we can call them up on the phone. Growing up, I devoured books by the dozen. I love words and I try to spend as much time as possible fitting them together and playing with them. I spend a lot of time in made up worlds, and, sometimes, I get a little confused about the difference between the places that are fictional and the ones that actually exist, lol.

What inspired you to write Getting Thin?

This was one of those rare books that required no real help from me. Eva just started talking in my head one day and telling me this story. She is one of my favorite characters, despite all the darkness in her. She has a beautiful, poetic mind, and once she started talking, that was all the inspiration I needed because I always wanted to know what she was going to say next.


If you could pick a song that fit the mood of the book, what would it be and why?

Actually, I have soundtracks for all my books when I’m writing them. There are several songs which I could pick, but I think the song that really fits best is The Kill by 30 Seconds to Mars. I love the lyrics of that song because, to me, it is a song about someone realizing they have to accept who they are, no matter what anyone else thinks, even those closest to them, even if it means they have to accept their own insanity.



What three indie books would you recommend to readers?

Well, I don’t usually check to see who is indie and who isn’t. I just read what appeals to me. However, there are a few that I do know are indie and well worth a read. The first is Brains, Trains, and Video Games by Alicia Hart. Birthright (The Dark Gifts) By Willow Cross (or anything else Willow has written, really) is my second choice. Vs. Reality by Blake Northcott is my third pick and this one is really something if you love the superhero genre. There are so many talented authors out there right now, but these are books that I think are extra special.

What would you like readers to walk away with after reading your book?

If I could point out anything for people to pay attention to, it is that Eva was so willing to give herself up because she thought she wasn’t good enough. It took someone else to point out how amazing she was. I would tell people that, no matter who you are, what you look like, or how much you weigh, you are amazing and anyone who can’t see that isn’t worth your time. Don’t wait for someone else to come along and give you value. Find it for yourself and don’t let anyone take it away.

Can you share any future plans?

Well, I have several books I want to write, but right now I’m working on books 2 and 3 of my fantasy trilogy The War for Inisfail. I really want to finish that before moving on to anything else.