Author Interview With K. L. Schwengel

Today we have an interview with K. L. Schwengel, author of ‘First Of Her Kind’.

What exactly  do you write? (Fiction? Genre? Novel? Short story? Series? Technical or nonfiction? Articles? Reviews?)

Mainly I write Fiction. Usually fantasy, although I do have a paranormal romance type story in an anthology, and an urban fantasy on the back burner.  I’ve also written some poetry many, many moons ago, as well as some articles on training stockdogs, and book reviews.

How would you describe yourself in a short third person bio? 

Born with an assortment of characters in her head, Kathi found the only way to maintain even the semblance of sanity was to write about them. The youngest of nine children, she learned early on how to disappear from sight when chores were getting passed down the line. Growing up, she spent a great deal of time wandering in the woods, making up fantastic scenarios in her head, with nothing but her dog for a companion. These days, you will still occasionally find her and her dogs wandering their property imagining different worlds. An introvert by nature, Kathi prefers the company of a few close friends, several bottles of wine, and good conversation to crowded parties and social gatherings.

Do you have a day-job (other than writing)? 

Unfortunately, yes. My official title is  Process Technician, which sounds a lot more glamorous than the job really is.

What made you initially want to write? Has your motivation changed since then?

I’ve always wanted to write, ever since I was a kid. I think having a mother as a librarian, and spending a lot of my free time either there, or making up elaborate scenarios to act out with my brothers & sisters, probably played a part in it as well. But really, I have so many stories and characters buzzing around in my head at all times, I really need to get them out or risk my sanity. Okay, fine, risk what little sanity any writer has.

Tell us an interesting fact about you.

Ergh. Interesting, huh? Weeeeelllll . . . I wanted to be a ballerina when I was a little girl. My mom told me I was “too big boned” and too tall. Good call, mom. And really, anyone who knows me, would never in a million years picture me in that role. Tomboy all the way.

Do you prefer a physical book or an ebook? Why?

I love my Kindle, and e-books are so handy, but there’s nothing like the actual, physical book — the feel of it in your hands, the smell of the paper, turning the pages, folding the cover back, carrying it around. Yeah, I much prefer real books.

Are you a self-published author/indie author or did you go down the ‘traditional’ publication route? Why?

I started out thinking I would never follow any road other than the traditional one. Then, I got impatient. I did a lot of research, mainly planning to debunk any indie idea that popped into my brain. But the fact that I love and believe in my story, that I wanted it out there where people could read it, and, of course, the fact I could have complete control over the entire process, put me firmly on the indie route. Not to say I won’t look at traditional publishing with another project. Who can say? The face of publishing is changing very rapidly.

Tell us a little about your latest project.

First of Her Kind is the first in a series of books. It took nearly four years to write because I wanted to constantly go back and edit before I was done. I’ve hopefully learned to deal effectively with my rewriteritiss since then. In a nut shell, the story centers on a young woman who must come to terms with the two very different types of magic she possesses. Book one sets the stage and the players, book two gets a bit more intense.

What’s the most important part of writing for you? 

Losing myself. It’s the same reason I read. If I can’t lose myself in my own story, my readers never will. 

Which projects are you working on at the moment? 

Emergence ~ Book Two in the Darkness & Light Series is top priority, and will (hopefully) be done before the end of the year. I have a fantasy anthology piece I’m working on. Then there’s that urban fantasy I’d love to get back to.

Where do you get inspiration for writing from? Do you listen to music whilst writing or have a ‘writing cave’?

I have an office at home that is a cluttered mess and home to all my assorted muses. While writing, I absolutely must have music on. Usually it’s just background noise and I’m not paying attention, but it’s like the soundtrack in a motion picture. It helps me really immerse myself in whatever scene I’m working on.

Is there a particular form, style or genre that you’d like to have a go at writing? Why?

I’d love to write a really good, or at least passable, space opera — think Firefly, Pride of Chanur, the original Star Wars. I love the mix of SF and Fantasy that seems to blend in them. Some of the science isn’t probably even plausible, but I don’t care. I don’t want that hard SF science stuff.

Do you think it’s necessary to have a degree (in English or another subject) in order to be a writer?

No. I think it’s necessary to have passion for what you’re doing, and to be able to manipulate the language you’re writing in. You do need to be comfortable with the basics of grammar and punctuation, but you certainly don’t need a degree.

Favourite book and/or author(s)? 

This is tough because there are quite a few books and authors I admire — Tolkien, McCaffrey, Fiest — but one book that is dog-eared to no end, with pages falling from it due to constant reading, is book two in CJ Cherryh’s Chanur series The Kif Strikes Back. Her world building, story-telling — the way she can take alien species and make them not alien at all, but totally relatable, characters we really care about, it’s simply amazing.

What would you say to those who want to become a writer? 

Do it. But do it because writing is a part of who you are and you can’t seem to get around that. Don’t do it thinking you’re going to get rich quick. You will likely never get rich at all. It’s a true labor of love. Mostly, if you’re going to put your work out there, develop a thick skin and a sense of humor. Read a lot. Write. Edit. Edit. Edit. Edit. Write. Read some more.  Being slightly strange seems to help as well.


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Kathi’s website

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