Please welcome K. M. Fawcett to The Qwillery as part of the 2013 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Captive (The Survival Race 1) was published on June 4, 2013.
TQ: Welcome to The Qwillery.
K.M.: Thank you for inviting me to chat!
TQ: When and why did you start writing?
K.M.: I always wanted to write books and thought that when I had kids, I’d have time to write. I have no idea where that delusion came from, but after my second child was born, I figured it was time to sit down and start. I wrote on and off for the first few years, but then something clicked and I became serious about my writing and my pursuit of publication.
TQ: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
K.M.: Writing quirk? Do I have a writing quirk? Well, I always make and drink a pot of tea when I write. And sometimes when I’m stuck on something, I’ll take my laptop to a different spot in the house, hoping the creative energy there will be better. I think it’s a feng shui thing, even though I don’t know anything about feng shui.
TQ: Are you a plotter or a pantser?
K.M.: I started out as a pantser, but couldn’t keep the storyline focused. The story would veer off in the wrong direction and I’d have to delete and start over. Once I began plotting, my writing process became easier and faster. I love using Michael Hauge’s 6 stage plot structure.
TQ: What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?
K.M.: The first chapter is always difficult. I tend to rewrite them several times. So much goes into that first chapter. You have to establish the book’s tone, set up the characters without dumping too much backstory, make the reader connect to and care about the character so they want to continue reading, and you have to world build without over doing the description so as not to bore readers. I find it’s a tough balance.
TQ: Describe Captive (The Survival Race 1) in 140 characters or less.
K.M.: Planet of the Apes meets the Hunger Games as gladiator & his mate risk all 4 freedom & learn when together nothing in universe can stop them
TQ: What inspired you to write Captive?
K.M.: While watching the rescue of mistreated horses on an episode of Animal Cops (a show on Animal Planet), I wondered how people would feel if they were penned up and abused like that. What if humans were the pets, and someone--aliens perhaps--bred us and gambled on us for entertainment like we do with horse racing, dog racing, and cockfights? The idea for CAPTIVE was born.
TQ: What sort of research did you do for Captive?
K.M.: The story begins in Klamath National Forest during a forest fire as my law enforcement officer heroine is rescuing some teenagers. I’ve never been to northern California, so had to research the area, law enforcement officers in national parks, and forest fires. I relied on my martial arts training for the fight scenes, but did research on various weapons used in the book. I researched Scottish and American folklore to come up with my aliens, and researched the arctic for my frozen planet.
TQ: Who was the easiest character to write and why? The hardest and why?
K.M.: The hero, Max, seemed easiest to write from the beginning. I knew exactly who he was and what his goals were. He was very straightforward, and I enjoyed torturing him. The heroine, Addy, was a little harder to write as she required more layers to her personality. I needed to balance her strength with her fear. She needed to be courageous yet vulnerable. I don't think readers like a heroine who is too perfect or too imperfect.
TQ: Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in Captive?
K.M.: This is such a hard question to answer. I love them all! I love how Max and Addy interact with each other regardless if the scene is tense, humorous, sexy, or heart wrenching. They make a good match, and each brings something unique to the relationship. Max teaches Addy how to survive, while Addy teaches Max how to tame his inner beast.
TQ: What's next?
K.M.: I’m waiting on revisions for FEARLESS, book 2 in the Survival Race Series. This story was so much fun to write. Not only are there new adventures and romance, but fun reappearances by some of my favorite characters in CAPTIVE. I hope readers enjoy both of these stories as much as I enjoyed writing them.
TQ: Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.
K.M.: Thanks again for having me here today!
About Captive
Captive
The Survival Race1
Forever Yours, June 4, 2013
Trade Paperback and eBook, 416 pages
"Fawcett delivers a suspenseful and captivating science fiction romance. A must read for all, but especially for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES." --Caridad Pineiro, NY Times & USA Today bestselling author
AN IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY
The last thing Addy Dawson remembers is a blazing inferno and freezing river water overtaking her lungs. When she awakens, Addy finds herself on a strange, alien planet, trapped in a cell with no doors, no windows-- and to her horror-- a naked warrior who claims to be her mate.
AN UNDENIABLE PASSION
An alpha gladiator, Max is forced to breed and produce the finest specimens for the Survival Race, a deadly blood sport created by the alien rulers of Hyborea. To rebel means torture-or worse-yet Max refuses to become the animal his captors want him to be. But their jailors will not be denied, and soon Addy and Max find themselves unwilling players in this cruel game. Pushed to the limit, they will risk everything for the chance at a life free from captivity. And though fate brought them together as adversaries, Max and Addy will discover that when they're together, there's nothing in the universe that can stop them.
About K. M. Fawcett
K.M. holds the rank of Sandan (3rd degree black belt) in both Isshinryu Karate and in Ryukonkai (Okinawan weapons). She and her husband own Tenchi Isshinryu Karate Dojo in NJ where they teach karate, weapons, and self-defense.
When not writing or working out at the dojo, K.M. is home with her two children and two cats.
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