Kaaren Sutcliffe - The IAN Interview

 Kaaren Sutcliffe

I was hooked on fantasy from first year high school when my English teacher read The Hobbit to the class.  She had a large crystal ball on a necklace, which glinted as it moved with her breaths … just magic.  When I was on maternity leave, I found the time and brain space to begin my own fantasy novel, with a strong thread of romance. Eight novels later, I still love this genre and my latest series manages to combine my writing with my new sport of dragon boating. More magic. I live on the stunning south coast of Australia, where inspiration is easy to come by.

IAN: Tell us about your latest book.

Kaaren Sutcliffe: Eminent Mage, book 3 of The Mage & the Bird Caller was released at the end of 2023. This series has been so much fun to write. It features a handsome spy, Mage Everand, who is sent on a secret mission by his Mages’ Guild to find out who is sabotaging the inaugural gathering of the four surrounding river provinces. He has seven days to unravel the threat. His mission goes awry from the outset: he is translocated into the river, nearly run over by a dragon boat and spotted by the entirely desirable woman standing up steering the boat! So much for being undercover.

The simple mission gathers in complexity, and the boatwoman, Lamiya, who has her own mysterious bird calling abilities, is everywhere he turns. Realising he needs her, he relies on her evolving mystical abilities as they face increasing threats from a rogue half-mage, an incensed ancient river dragon, and a growing awareness that all is not right at the Mages’ Guild. By book 3 Everand has lost his heart to Lamiya and his destiny has been diverted. The ancient red dragon, Akachi, reveals the entire history of the Guild has been a lie, and is a force the provinces and mages must reckon with. The Mage and the Bird Caller, working together. must find a way forward.

IAN: Is Eminent Mage published in print, eBook or both?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: The three books are all available in print and e-book versions. I hope to release an e-book trilogy set soon.  

Amazon, AmazonUK, AmazonAU, Smashwords, ESentral, and at Barnes&Noble.

IAN: Do you have a specific writing style?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: My preferred writing style is closely-held, deep third-person perspective for the two or three key characters. I aim to write a chapter in a viewpoint before changing, and love the way this can show differences between how a character sees themselves and how others see them. I try to keep my writing active, engaging, highly visual and the plot moving along. When I write, I see the characters moving and speaking and I am transported there, living and feeling what they do. I’ve been told by readers that my books would make excellent movies. I also like to keep an underlying sense of humour and have the lead characters stuff up on occasion. This offsets and enhances the truly poignant moments. I like those too.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading Eminent Mage?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: Mainly, I hope readers enjoy the roller-coaster ride and have been barracking for the protagonists. My characters tend to insist on adding layers and themes to my stories, so by the end there are many thoughts readers can take away. These include the concepts surrounding integrity and self-worth, betrayal and forgiveness, how far would you go for love, how far will you go to do what is right, the value and strength in working together, loyalty, camaraderie … forgiving oneself and the link between our spirit and our bodies. And, I say with a smile, if readers are a little impressed by the sport of dragon boating that would be good too.

IAN: Name one entity that you feel supported you outside of family members.

Kaaren Sutcliffe: There are a few, but the standout one has to be Dragons Abreast Australia. As a survivor of breast cancer, and hence a pink paddler, I am overwhelmed by the support from DAA for me as a paddler and an author. At the Pink Paddle Power regatta in Melbourne, December 2022, I was immediately adopted by the DA Canberra team to paddle, and invited by DAA to be one of two keynote speakers at the Ball that night with the opportunity to sell my books. I think I’m affectionately known as ‘the dragon-nerd author-paddler’.  The welcoming, supportive vibes at DAA events is amazing. As a way of saying thank you, I donate $5 from each book sold directly by me to DAA on an ongoing basis. Paddles up!  My own local club, Nature Coast, has also been supportive and paddlers unfortunate enough to sit next to me are occasionally subjected to my literary adventures while we are out training.

IAN: Is there anything you find particularly challenging in your writing?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: I’m lucky in that my lead characters tend to present already well-formed and chatty about what they want to do. The character/s that I always struggle with are my antagonists. I like to think this is because I am a nice person … but it always takes me longer to shade and nuance my villain and to work out what their real motivations are. In some ways this is useful as when the villains are nuanced and 3-D it makes their actions and hence the outcome less predictable, which does wonders for the dramatic tension. In Eminent Mage, I specifically gave the rogue half-mage Malach the task of wreaking chaos. He was a total wild card, exceeding even my expectations! I had trouble turning him off, and when the story was finished and the book was being prepared for publication it encountered all these bizarre glitches — the editor suggested it was Malach still causing havoc.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing Eminent Mage and what was it?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: I learned many things, but the key one was that it is a good plan to have at least started your book three before you send your book one to publication. Akachi, the red dragon, dropped a total game-changer on me early in book three, which meant I had to go back and tweak book one to set it up properly. But it was fabulous because the realisation made sense of all these threads I’d subconsciously planted, and it was a matter of drawing them together and refining them. A second major thing I learned was that if I’m struggling with a scene and it just isn’t flowing, I might not have chosen the best character viewpoint. There is one chapter that completely stalled me in Everand’s viewpoint, and as soon as I scrapped that and started again in Malach’s viewpoint the whole thing flowed.

IAN: Do you have any advice for other writers?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: Trust your characters, fall in love with them, let them breathe and help you. And learn to enjoy the process of rewriting.  To quote William Zinsser in On Writing Well, “It’s in the rewriting that the game is won or lost”.  Take your time with the polishing phase, ask if each scene is optimised, whether it is in the right character’s point of view, whether you can save a few words, say anything crisper or more evocatively? I was repeatedly amazed by how I could shave a few thousand words off each time I polished the books. Related to this, use a good editor and proofreader. I chose mine carefully, and the feedback gives me confidence that a book is ready, and I enjoy improving my writing from the things they pick up.  There’s always something that can be worked on.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Kaaren Sutcliffe: I have two standalone books planned for 2024.

The work in progress (halfway already!) is a contemporary romance set on the south coast of Australia. Hayley, only 34, is a very young breast cancer survivor who goes to the coast to recuperate and rediscover herself. Her body and self-esteem have taken a beating. She accidentally discovers the local dragon boat club, and the handsome, muscled Chinese sweep and coach persuades her to give paddling a try. Justin, 35, looks like an Oriental warrior, and Hayley is soon smitten. Can she overcome her self-doubts to be with him? Justin is impressed by Hayley’s resilience and determination, and she is sooo pretty, but can he get past his policy of never dating in the boat? Let alone persuade his Chinese parents to accept that he loves an Australian girl. Scenes from this book have done really well in Romance Writers Australia short story competitions. The beginning is published in the 2023 Sweet Treats anthology, and the first intimate scene will be published in the 2024 Spicy Bites anthology.

The other book is a sequel to the Mage and the Bird Caller series, set in the fourth province of Riversea. Lamiya’s dedicated and handsome lead pacer, Lazuli, gets to have his own mission when the battered body of a sea serpent washes up on the beach in southern Riversea. Who killed the sea serpent and is the island of Ossilis under threat? Lazuli is sent to work with the people of Riversea to find out. While there, he comes across the exotic paddler and exceptionally talented artist, Charonia. Working title Trail of Bubbles.

Krishna Kumar - The IAN Interview

KrishnaKumar

Krishna Kumar studies, evaluates, and analyzes events in Indian history with particular emphasis on the British Period.

Krishna's interest in history and analysis started early when his father encouraged him to learn about various global historical events and their implications.

Krishna, therefore, learned to analyze and separate the wheat from the chaff before reaching any conclusions or forming an opinion, given the multiple narratives.

Spending most of his life in a non-related profession, books and picking up information remained constant companions, and the internet opened a floodgate about the past and different viewpoints. Three years back, his interest became his career.

Krishna grew up in India and lives with his wife and daughter in New Jersey.

IAN: Tell us about your latest book.

Krishna Kumar: 1942: When British Rule In India Was Threatened

British Rule in India started with a governorship of one of the provinces and slowly extended to the entire country, either directly or via ‘subsidiary agreements’ with multiple kingdoms. The local ruler accepted British Sovereignty in relationships with other kingdoms, the size of the army, and other matters.

In 1942, British Rule came under severe threat when Japan conquered Hong Kong, Malaya (now Malaysia), Singapore, and   Burma (now Myanmar) one by one. As per British policy, the defense of these areas was the responsibility of the British Indian Army and the Government of India, and people of Indian origin conducted a lot of trade and administration.

When Japan attacked, Hongkong surrendered on Dec 25^th, 1941, followed by Singapore and Malaya in February, and Burma was taken over in April ’42. After that, India was bombed, and ports on the eastern side of India were closed.

In Singapore on 17^th February 1942, the Indian National Army (INA)was formed from Indian soldiers who were taken prisoners. A year later, when Subhas Bose took over this army, he declared a Provisional Government of Free India, and INA became its armed wing. They began the fight to liberate India from British Rule, reaching deep inside Northeast India and flying an independent Indian flag on the Indian mainland. After the surrender in 1945, these soldiers were imprisoned, and some of them were tried for treason to make an example, as many of them were part of the former British Indian Army and had broken their oath to the British King by joining INA.

That led to a wave of protests and agitations in the country that made it ungovernable, and the British had to leave before their economic interests were damaged forever.

This book examines the relationship of various events of 1942, their linkages, and how these eventually led to Indian freedom. It also briefly discusses the nature of British Rule.

IAN: Is 1942 published in print, eBook or both?

Krishna Kumar: Available in paperback and as eBook.

IAN: Where can we go to buy 1942?

Krishna Kumar: Amazon, Kobo, Google, and Apple.

IAN: What inspired you to write 1942?

Krishna Kumar: 1942 was such a pivotal year that it changed Southeast Asia's future, and this had to be brought out clearly. I desired to bring out these events that triggered Indian Independence in particular, how they are connected, and their impact using multiple sources and citing them for the reader. Indian history has been selectively presented after independence, and the truth has been a victim. Many researchers and authors are now bringing the facts into the open of various periods, and I am trying to do my bit.

IAN: Did you use an outline, or did you just wing the first draft?

Krishna Kumar: I did an outline as most of the research was over when I started writing the book, but some changes had to be made while writing to ensure the sequence was clear and maintained flow.

IAN: How long did it take to write 1942?

Krishna Kumar: This book took about six months and had three major activities: writing, some additional information, and arranging the flow of information. But I have been researching this period for three years. For this book, I decided to pause the other book I had been working on. There were many reasons for doing this book first. Among these are checking how the audience reacts to my writing style and learning the ropes in marketing.

IAN: How did you come up with the title?

Krishna Kumar: I had prepared several titles, and this one was chosen because it clearly explains the book's content.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading 1942?

Krishna Kumar: I hope the reader finds it interesting to learn some truths of Indian history that have not been covered in popular narratives. For example, most do not know that Japan had bombed three Indian ports in 1942. They know about the Bengal famine of 1943 but do not know that one of the significant reasons was that the import of rice from Burma stopped as Burma went to the Japanese, and no alternative supply was arranged.

Further, the book brings out the interdependence and relationships in this geographical area.

IAN: How much of 1942 is realistic?

Krishna Kumar: It is 100 percent based on real-life incidents, and extensive citations are used. My father, my uncle, and their friends who lived through this period narrated many incidents that particularly created an interest in this period.

IAN: What books have influenced your life the most?

Krishna Kumar: Mahabharata. This epic covers success and failure, emotions across a wide spectrum, and is a guide to living life.

IAN: Do you see writing as a career?

Krishna Kumar: After I retired from business, this has become my full-time activity.

IAN: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

Krishna Kumar: My parents encouraged me, and while in school, I started writing articles whose publication became a major inspiration. My first article was published when I was thirteen. Even though I pursued a professional career in an unrelated field, I kept studying books and publications in history and politics.

IAN: What was the hardest part of writing 1942?

Krishna Kumar: Keeping the focus on the main part of the events and maintain the flow while citing various sources. The citations are the most important part of presenting truth; they often have expressions specific to the period, so the language differs.

IAN: Did you learn anything from writing your book, and what was it?

Krishna Kumar: Truth can be hidden, but it will come out eventually. This, by the way, is also part of the Indian National emblem and is taken from Mundaka Upanishad, which is part of ancient Hindu wisdom books.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Krishna Kumar: My next book is fiction—a collection of short stories inspired by real events in the history of the Indian Subcontinent. The protagonists in each story have an emotion that determines their activities and guides their lives.

Besides, for three years, I have been researching the period of 1920-1950 of the Indian Freedom struggles and hope to have this book- No Stone Unturned, Indian Freedom Struggle, and Subhas Bose- out later this year or early next year. This examines the events and roles played by various persons and influences, Subhas Chandra Bose in particular.

K. Reagan Zell - The IAN Interview

K. Reagan Zell

I currently live in southern New Jersey with my husband, two lovable St. Danes, and four energetic cats. As a true New Jersey-ite, I can usually be found taking walks on one of the state's breathtaking beaches, watching the amazing sunrises and sunsets while listening to a variety of music. I also enjoy discovering and exploring many of the amazing New Jersey nature trails or visiting any one of the remarkable New Jersey historical sites. It is in the nature that surrounds us and the psychology within us all that intrigues and inspires me the most to write about what I see, hear, and feel around me.

IAN: Please tell us about your latest book.

K. Reagan Zell: During the Covid quarantine, I began to write a nine book paranormal romance series, The Beguiled West Series I. Beguiled Persuasion (Book 1) begins the captivating journey of Cait, an empath who accidently discovers that her once despised empathic gift has a different purpose in her life. Nevertheless, her discoveries and ultimate decisions are not without perilous consequences.

Having broken up with her boyfriend when she discovered that he was married and then immediately having to deal with the sudden death of her father, Cait takes a sleeping pill to help her cope. Her one innocent action of that pill as she tries to find emotional relief sets into motion an incredible journey of unimaginable paranormal events. Traveling between her present-day timeline and 15th century Ireland, she encounters psychics, a Shaman, Druids, a rogue time shifter, and the Galloglaith warriors. As she slowly but surely makes her way through the astonishing events, she also makes some devastating discoveries and must decide who is dangerous and who is not.

Beguiled Persuasion is the first book in the series, followed by Mists of Tiarnas, Valley of Ogham Na, Nattfisker Ridge, Tears of Tårene, Lanterns of Sennaire, Manens Sunrise, Buran of Qaneame, and Borde's Rim.

IAN: Is Beguiled Persuasion published in print, e-book, or both?

K. Reagan Zell:The books are only E-books.

 IAN: Where can we go to buy Beguiled Persuasion?

K. Reagan Zell: Currently, books 1-5 are available on Smashwords.com (formats: epub, mobi, pdf, lrf, pdb, and txt); Barnes & Noble and Kobo. Beguiled Persuasion is also available on various library channels.

IAN: Did you use an outline or do you just wing the first draft?

K. Reagan Zell: Interesting question. I began to write the books as I listened to music. As different types of music provided a background, the ideas entered my mind. I could actually imagine and feel the characters, their actions and reactions, their dialogues, and their emotions all set against different locales. It was like when an idea pops into your head when you want to fix something, make a recipe, or decorate. It was like that, but different. There was no outline or winging it; it was as if I were a viewer watching a movie, losing myself in the storyline, and feeling the full impact of the tale.

IAN: How much of the book is realistic?

K. Reagan Zell: I would say that as far as being realistic, or even tied to personal experiences, there are some elements in the book in regards to that. As we grow in life, we always draw upon our own experiences and that of others. Love, birth, life lived, déjà vue, and death are all universal. Experiences are what make us human, connecting our values and realities through life.

IAN: Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

K. Reagan Zell: Many years ago, I had an English teacher in high school who had assigned the classto write a short story. Once again, through music, my mind moved into a scene and I created a fiction story as the images came into my mind. After we had turned in our assignments, the teacher asked me to stay behind to talk. Once everyone had left, he began to question me as to where I got the idea because he felt that I could not have written something as good as that. Although he could not find any story that matched my fictional story (of which he never would - the story was original), he was still cynical. After a long discussion back and forth and explaining my inspiration process, he finally gave me an "A". He realized through our conversation that I liked to write, but he still seemed doubtful that a high school student could write such a good fictional short story. Back in the day, educators did not recognize talent, felt that anything out of the ordinary was false, and did not encourage growth of a student's special talent. I was graduating high school a year early, had good grades and he still had doubts. Unfortunately, because of my experience with him, I never wanted to write fiction again.

Then years later, came college and working on an advanced degree, a master’s in psychology. Writing assignments and term papers based upon science and the strict association writing rules (400+ pages) left me feeling cold, empty, and not producing anything worthwhile. Although I did well, my heart was not in it. In my opinion, I was not creating anything meaningful, just plugging along with the required norm. Once I got my degree, I was done with writing such cold and emotionless papers and assignments; it was not my passion.  

IAN: I see. Then how did you find your way back to fiction writing?

K. Reagan Zell: It was not until decades later with the Covid pandemic/quarantine that I once again decided to put pen to paper - with my headset on, listening to music - and wrote what I saw, heard, and felt in my mind's eye. As I approach another milestone in my life, I will eventually write full time, listening to my music, and writing what I see, hear, and feel. I have found my passion and will enjoy it well into retirement down the road.

IAN: What do you hope your readers come away with after reading Beguiled Persuasion?

K. Reagan Zell: It is my hope that not only is it a good story line, but that people associate the emotions and experiences as being universal, connecting to something that we have personally known, a shared understanding of life. By being able to relate to the challenges and joys in our lives, it is those experiences that connect us all as humans.

IAN: What was the hardest part of writing Beguiled Persuasion?

K. Reagan Zell: For me, the hardest part is not the writing of a book, but rather the disbelief of some of those around us that cannot fathom that any person they know can even be creative. The reasoning is something very basic; people have an unconscious tendency to connect a person with what they do in life rather than what they are. A newscaster who is a talented painter will always be first referred to as a newscaster; a homemaker who has a dog training business will always be first referred to as a homemaker; and a talented high school student will always be first referred to as a student. It is unfortunate that our positions in life are what label us first, limiting our primary recognition of the talents we possess and where we prosper and flourish the most. Again, as with the English teacher, people have the tendency of viewing talented people through the eyes of skepticism, an unaware portrayal based upon their own association of the world around them.

It is a slow process when they discover and finally believe that a person has a natural and imaginative talent. In the end, the most important thing for any creative person to remember is that it is not what we do or earn, but rather, it is our passion and drive to create what we value the most.

IAN: Who designs your book covers?

Multi-talented book cover designer and award-winning author, Melissa Alvarez (https://bookcovers.us/). She is one of the most amazing, passionate, and outstanding creative designers that I have ever met. When designing a cover, it is so important to get the elements right, to be able to have the designer see what you see, and Melissa nails it every single time. I am truly blessed to be working with her.

IAN: Tell us about your next book or a work in progress. Is it a sequel or a stand-alone?

Beguiled Persuasion is currently available on Smashwords.com and I will be uploading books 6-8 of the Beguiled West Series I this summer. I am currently finishing the dramatic conclusion in book 9 (Borde's Rim). The new series (Beguiled West Series II) that I will be working on is The Eshunna Trilogy, a futuristic romance genre.