K.A. Meng on a 'Superior Species'
In my opinion, being a writer is one of the best things possible. Why? Not only is what you create culled from your own imagination, lovingly crafted, revised, coddled, and finally let lose into the world but because it’s the people we meet on our journey. I met author K.A. Meng through our publisher, Solstice, and it’s a pure pleasure to host the first day of the blog tour for her novel Superior Species.
Karrie, what started your journey into writing?
I've always been interested in writing ever since I was little, but I only wrote here and there. I'm drawn to TV, books, and movies. If a TV is on, I have to watch it even though I have no clue what is going on in the story. I force myself to look away. My family and friends find my limited attention annoying, but they are used to me by now. The key event to really get my writing going was when I joined a writer's group in my hometown years ago. I made a few great friends and with their encouragement, I finally finished a book and then another.
Did you start with short stories or leap straight into novels?
I leaped right into writing novels. I couldn't write short stories because everything I wrote was always longer. I couldn't narrow it down to the short story word limit. I did find out the secret to writing short stories and I've now written a few of them now. I enjoy writing them. It was frustrating before because I couldn't limit myself. My secret is keeping the plot to one main goal. You can have subplots, but don't go overboard on them.
What was the first thing you had published?
My first published book was Superior Species with Solstice Publishing - Solstice Shadows Imprint on
September 28, 2016.
Do you have a writing routine – time, place to sit, a laptop or pc?
My routine isn't frequent enough since I live a busy life. I have a day job, I'm a mother, and I run a household. I try and squeeze in writing during my lunch hour on my cellphone whenever I can. My writing happens mainly at night. I work banker's hours Monday thru Friday. Most of the time I use my desktop to write on because it is so much easier to use instead of my netbook. I do a lot of 500-word sprints then get a chore done then write 500 words again then a chore again and etc. I hit my 3000-word goal a day fast by doing it this way. This is the biggest help to me.
Is there something that helps you write, a chilled glass of white wine, a coffee or tea?
I like to have several drinks at once. A glass of water, my cold tea and lemonade mix, or a can of root beer. Nothing alcoholic or hot coffee. Neither of these help me to write. I just like drinking them.
Have you ever suffered writers block, and if so how did you overcome it.
Sometimes I do. I skip that scene and write one that I can. Eventually I have to write it and force the words to come out. What helps is a friend and I do writing sprints a lot. We get our words in and the writer’s block disappears.
The idea behind my series Superior Species came after the sudden rise in vampire, werewolves, and superhumans in fiction a few years back. They could be seen on TV, in movies, and read about in books. I had one problem with a lot of these “romance fuelled” stories. Who was crazy enough to date a monster? I wouldn’t and that is how the series Superior Species was born.
After that idea, I expanded it. I wanted one girl who was special enough to get the attention of all the monsters. Here’s the catch, she didn’t know they existed. Even as Ivory Ames arrived into the town of Los Roshano, things weren’t as happy as she expected them to be. She hit an animal with her car and had trouble with the first person she met, the cute convenience store worker.
Superior Species Blurb:
Ivory Ames has caught the attention of four gorgeous guys. At Los Roshano University this isn’t normal, even when all the upperclassmen have perfect physiques, flawless complexions, and hypnotic looks. That’s not even the weirdest part. The town has a strict sunset curfew because of wild animals attacking.
To keep her friends and herself safe, Ivory must figure out the truth behind the town’s mysteries before it’s too late.
Excerpt:
“I shouldn’t be telling you this, but you shouldn’t work here. In fact, you should leave this town while you still can.”
“Huh? Is this a new employee hazing or something? I haven’t even decided if I want to work here or not.” He had flipped a switch so fast that I almost got dizzy.
“I’m being serious. You need to leave town.”
“What are you talking about? Why should I leave town?” I asked. “
This town isn’t a place for a gorgeous lady like you,” he answered.
My frustration started to mount, and I chose to ignore the gorgeous comment. I could see his mind flipping through what he was going to tell me next. Part of me wanted to leave, but the other part had my curiosity boosted, and it won. Didn’t an old saying go, curiosity killed the cat? Well, I wasn’t a cat. A feeling of dread made my chest feel heavy.
“There’s something about you that’s special. It will attract…dangerous people.” I let go of the
breath I had been holding onto, and my hands went clammy.
“How dangerous?”
“People, you shouldn’t meet in a dark or lit alley. You should go before they notice you. Your life could depend on it,” Michael explained cryptically.
It took me a moment to realize what he had said. I wasn’t sure if he threatened me or not. What did he mean by my life depending on me leaving? I lost the ability to speak, and I wondered if he wanted to kill me.
The door was ten seconds away, my SUV another ten, and the keys in my pocket would take some time to remove. I took a step back, twenty-nine seconds, and asked, “Do…do you want to hurt me?”
His voice went soft and gentle as he said, “Sorry honey, not me. I meant to say this town isn’t safe for someone like you.”
I swallowed past the lump inside my throat, not liking the question I had to ask. “Why?”
Author Biography:
K. A. Meng lives in North Dakota, in the same town she grew up. Her love for the paranormal started at a young age when she saw her first ghost.
Today, she spends her time writing paranormal romance, fantasy, sci fi, horror and everything in between. When life drags her away from it, she hangs out with her son and friends, goes to movies, watches TV, plays board games, walks her dogs, and reads books. She is actively involved in a writing group and wishes to some day visit Disney World.
Other Books by K.A. Meng:
Superior Species: Ivory Ames moves to Los Roshano University, where she discovers a strict curfew due to animal attacks http://getBook.at/SuperiorSpecies
Superior Species Book 2 Finding Karen: Monsters exist. They’ve been running the town in secret to fill their ranks. http://getBook.at/SuperiorSpecies2
Superior Species Book 0.5 Vampires Didn’t Exist: Fun in the sun turns into a nightmare after a murder. http://getBook.at/VDE
A Town of Murderers Book 1 The First Scheme: One murder, one plan, two possible outcomes. http://getBook.at/TFS
Find K.A. Meng:
Website: www.kamengauthor.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KAMengAuthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KAMengAuthor
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KAMeng
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kamengauthor/
