I was at The Twisted Purl yesterday finishing up my purple pair of Veritaserum socks when Cyndi showed me a pair of fingerless gloves she was knitting out of one of the shop’s specialty yarns by Leon Alexander. The pattern was Emily O’Brien’s Practically Perfect Mitts and I was in love! I love fingerless gloves and this pattern was so cute! So I had to have it, which gave me an excuse to buy the Mama Deb yarn I’d been eying since the trunk show two weeks ago. When I got home that evening, I cast on for the first mitt. And finished it this afternoon.
Yeah, I’m a fast knitter. And I have just fallen in love with fingering weight yarn in the past seven months or so since I started visiting the Purl. Up till then, my loves were worsted and sport weight. Now I hardly use either anymore, except for that worsted weight poncho I started a few weeks back (which is still not done).
Writing
Honestly, once the 10k-words week was over in February, I’ve struggled to even write that many words in the last month. There’s another one coming up next week, and I plan to do better than I have been.
I’m also planning for Camp NaNoWriMo in April – I’m going to attempt a YA sci-fi/fantasy novel which, if it goes as I hope, will be the first of a trilogy, based on some title prompts I found in the NaNoWriMo forums. I’m trying to plan out my main character and I have a vague idea of the plot, but with eighteen days left till April 1, I need to buckle down and get working on that plot.
What’s your favorite plotting method(s)? How do you plan your characters? Are you participating in Camp NaNoWriMo this round?
Last fall, the University of Central Arkansas hosted the first Arkansas Women Writers Conference. One of the sessions was on YA sci-fi and fan fiction. Adrianne Finlay spoke on the sci-fi aspect and read a section of her soon-to-be-released novel “Your One & Only”. I was absolutely gripped, and had to pre-order it that very day! Well, today it arrived, and I cannot wait to get started.
“Cloak of Shadows”, included in the Fire and Fantasy e-book anthology
Boy. I am still pacing and antsy-excited at the stunning cliff-hanger ending of CK Dawn’s Cloak of Shadows, the first book included in the Fire and Fantasy e-book anthology, and the first book of her Netherwalker series. Now, CK did include a note before the epilogue: “If you plan to continue with this series, there’s a tantalizing epilogue…but I suggest you stop here if you don’t like cliffhangers and don’t plan to continue onto the next book in the series just yet. Thanks for reading!”
But I love cliffhangers, and after reading Cloak of Shadows, I sure do plan to read the rest of the series once it’s published, so I read on.
Wow!
This story is based on a fantastic “what if”: What if all we knew about the Arthurian legend was a lie to protect a much darker secret?
I used to think that I wasn’t really interested in YA novels. CK Dawn’s Cloak of Shadows showed me that I was just looking at the wrong sub-genres. So, if YA urban fantasy is your bag, with a dash of adventure, romance and Arthurian legend, Cloak of Shadows is your book.
The book centers around two Hunters of the King’s Court, Lourdes “Lourdie” Reese and Abigail “Abby” Thorne heading off to Porthleven in the UK from their home port of New York for Abby’s final Hunter trial and for Lourdie to help train other Hunters, descendants of the Knights of the Round Table, from around the world. There’s friendship and romance and shadow-like otherworldly creatures called krims that suck the life out of the normal people who can’t see them that the Hunters have to banish back to their own realm.
I confess to a little bit of confusion at some of the terms the characters used and wondered why I wasn’t getting a better explanation, but the story was otherwise so compelling that I decided I’m okay with not knowing. And who knows, maybe the explanation might be found in the next book, or in the other Netherwalker short stories that CK has written.
*off to take a look, because this stuff is just that good*
The characters are all so strong. CK does a good job of writing teens and their dialogue just as well as the adults. There’s a slow build-up of romantic relationships, perfect for the YA genre, along with believable, laughable, conversations about the hunky Hunter. (I’ll leave you to find that one out for yourself. *wink*)
CK Dawn is the author of Cloak of Shadows, the first book of her Netherwalker series. She has also had short stories published in YA anthologies such as Echoes of Winter, and Darkness Echoes. Cloak of Shadows is included in the Fire and Fantasy eBook anthology found here. I was so thrilled that she was willing to do an interview for me.
What’s your typical writing day like?
CK: Previously I only wrote when inspiration hit or when a scene wouldn’t get out of my head until I wrote it down. But lately I’ve put myself on a five day a week writing schedule where I set aside at least two hours each night to write. Currently I’m writing book 2 in my Netherwalker series and a new dystopian book that may be turned into a series as well. My characters have a lot to say.
How do you approach a new writing project? What kind of preparations do you make?
CK: For a new writing project I first start with an idea of what the genre will be, what the overall message/story will be, and who the main characters within that world will be. In preparation I usually create an outline of events through their chapter titles.
It’s a given that creating a book is not an easy process. What’s the most difficult part for you, and how do you push through it?
CK: The hardest part for me is getting the complete, very beautiful visual scene out of my head an on to the page. I try to live by ‘show don’t tell’ and one of my favorite sayings is actually, ‘don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.’
“Cloak of Shadows”, included in the Fire and Fantasy e-book anthology
What did you enjoy most about writing the book that went into the Fire & Fantasy anthology?
CK: I love writing kick-ass heroines! So much so that I didn’t just write one female lead, I created two! Fairy tales are nice, but my ladies don’t need Price Charming to save them. Ha! They’ll save him. To me, that’s an important message to young impressionable readers that are growing up especially today, that you can be your own hero!
Tell me about your path to publication. What process did you go through?
CK: I’m a self-published/ indie author and have learned how to do things I never thought I’d ever be able to do. If you look at self-publishing as a whole it can seem daunting, almost impossible, but if you take each task one step at a time, you’ll be amazed at how much you learn and can do on your own. That’s the number one tip I give all inspiring authors. Take it one step at a time, you’ll get there.
What would you say are the most important magazines for writers to subscribe to (or websites to visit)? Which are your favorites?
CK: For me it’s actually been indie author Facebook groups. Before publishing, I had no idea there was a huge author community out there full of rich information, other authors willing to help, and such an uplifting support system. It has been amazing. Most writers and bloggers who own and write for the most important magazines and blogs/websites out there are actually members of these FB groups and it’s where you can interact with them and get information you may be seeking instantly.
Where did your love of books/writing/storytelling come from?
CK: I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to read, write poetry, and to be honest, I’ve always had a wild imagination. The point where my storytelling got put to paper was from a nudge from my little sister a few years back. With her help, writing and publishing my stories has been my bliss ever since.
What’s your favorite childhood book?
CK: I didn’t have just one favorite. I loved reading everything from the Sweet Valley High series to anything Stephen King I could get my hands on. Oh gosh, I’m showing my age now. 😛
What do you like to read, or otherwise do, in your free time?
CK: I mainly like to read books in the genres I enjoy writing in; young adult, fantasy, dystopian, and paranormal romance. In my free time I’m a Walking Dead, Star Trek Discovery, and the Gifted TV fanatic. But Thor and Wonder Woman will forever have my heart. (Hey, a kick-ass heroine can like the Justice League AND Marvel if she wants to!)
Do you have a favorite piece of writing advice you’ve received or that you’ve given?
CK: I’ll leave you with two of my favorite inspirational quotes:
“Description begins in the writer’s imagination, but should finish in the reader’s.” –Stephen King
“Creativity is contagious, pass it on.” –Albert Einstein
A Yarny Life 
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