Meet Author Kai Strand on Tour

I’m pleased to be participating in author Kai Strand’s Blog Tour today for her latest release, DAY OF RECKONING, the beginning of her Concord Chronicles series.

I've known Kai for many years, and I'm glad to have her back on my blog. It's also exciting to help other authors debut their new books.

First, here's a bit about Kai:

I love that I make things up for a living. From my bestselling, young adult Super Villain Academy series to my award-winning, middle grade Weaver Tales series, I create worlds where readers can escape their reality one adventure at a time. I write fiction for kids and teens under the name Kai Strand and I write fiction for the adults among us under the name LA Dragoni. 

Why do you write books for multiple ages?

Mostly, it’s because my mind doesn’t focus its ideas to one readership. Who am I argue with it? I love writing for adults because there are literally no rules. I love writing for young adults because there is so much to discover in the areas of love and decision making and independence. And I love writing for a middle grade audience because, in my opinion, those are the most formative years of our lives. We are expected to be independent without being given our independence. We are expected to make good choices without previously being taught how to make decisions. But kids this age who read are among the most prepared to live life successfully because they have already experienced so much without having to suffer the consequences.

What types of books do you like to read, and what do you do when you're not writing?

My reasons for reading books across the ages are the same as why I write for them. However, I do read mostly young adult. I love the fast pace, the economy of words, the adventure, the passion, the discovery. It gets my heart beating fast and makes me stay up too late reading. But a good middle grade adventure always draws me in.

Living in Central Oregon, I chase my own adventure while hiking, canoeing, and camping with my husband and our two dogs

Tell us about Day of Reckoning and how the story came to be:

I was inspired to write Day of Reckoning after having read the first four Harry Potter books and was waiting for the fifth to be released. I missed the magical world so much and thought, “I can create my own!” I’d always enjoyed writing but had never considered becoming a writer until I decided to sit down and write an entire middle grade novel. The book poured out of me in only two short months. Like most first books, it was poorly written, and it took me years and years to get it into publishable condition. So, though it was the first book I wrote it was far from the first book I had published. I had the most fun making up the fantastical underworld creatures and developing the Nature’s Spirits’ talents. 

Here's a peek at Day of Reckoning:

Not only does twelve-year-old, Terra, learn she’s a Nature’s Spirit destined to serve the peaceful underground city of Concord, but she also finds she is named in a prophecy as the only one who can thwart the leader of the death tribe.

The Trepidus are the death janitors of the Underworld. They’re responsible for the termination and cleanup of Concord’s beings. When their leader, Blanco, learns Terra is the one who can derail his day of reckoning, he does everything he can to get rid of her. Including, dispatch a “Bringer” to complete the ultimate of death janitor duties.

Not only does Terra want to stay alive, but she hopes to complete her training and discover her Spirit talents too. So, Frank, a Spirit of Security, is assigned to protect her. Together, they undertake a secret investigation of how to defeat Blanco. But with the future of Concord and Terra’s very own life at stake, will they find the answer in time?

Straight from the story: Though her heart did its best imitation of a hummingbird and her legs twitched with the desperate need to kick into flight mode, she somehow sensed it wasn’t unexpected for her to wake at two in the morning to find an elf-like creature standing politely in her bedroom. Maybe it was his serene expression or the way he folded his hands together as he waited for her reaction.


Nonetheless, she clutched the comforter under her chin, ready to throw herself under her covers if he bared spiked teeth and razor-sharp claws.


“What are you?” Terra’s voice, barely a whisper, shook with fear.


The creature stepped into a beam of moonlight streaming through the window. Terra blinked, screwing up her expression with the effort to see in the dark. Hair tickled her chin as a cool night breeze stole into the room.


“Where’s my window?” She choked over the words, scooting as far into the corner of her bed as she could press herself, dragging her comforter with her. Though the creature was no more than two feet tall, he’d managed to make her window disappear, so it seemed likely he could grab her by the ankle and drag her from the house.
 
What are you working on now?

I’m writing the prequel to Day of Reckoning, The Making of a Master, now and, once again, I really enjoy figuring out the different Spirit talents and how they are applied to protecting the peace of the underground city of Concord.
 

Where can readers find you and your books?

You can learn more about me at
 

www.kaistrand.com 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Instagram 
Amazon

DAY OF RECKONING can be purchased at the following sites:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo

GIVEAWAY DETAILS:

Author Kai Strand is giving away four $5 Amazon Gift Cards and one lucky winner will receive a digital copy of DAY OF RECKONING along with a $15 Amazon Gift Card

To enter the giveaway, just click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient. If the widget doesn’t show up, just click HERE and you’ll be directed to the widget.

Thanks for stopping by and be sure to follow Kai on her week-long tour HERE. You never know what you might find out. What do you think about a 12-year-old protagonist? Do you see how she could grow and develop over a series?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet MG Author Kai Strand

Carpinello's Writing Pages welcome fellow MuseItUp author Kai Strand and her MG Weaver Tale series.

First, a bit about Kai:

Kai Strand writes fiction for kids and teens. Her debut novel, The Weaver, was an EPIC eBook Awards finalist. Her young adult title, King of Bad, soared to the publisher's #1 spot in its second month and stayed on the Top 5 Bestsellers list for eight months. She is a (very lucky) wife and the mother of four amazing kids. The most common sound in her household is laughter. The second most common is "Do your dishes!" She and her family hike, geocache, and canoe in beautiful Central Oregon, where they call home.

Why did you pick to write books for MG readers?

The middle school years are filled with conflicting messages. Kids are expected to be independent thinkers, but not yet allowed to act independently. They are expected to act responsibly without being awarded many real responsibilities. How a child navigates through the years of double standards shapes who they will become as adults. That’s where reading comes in. Reading how book characters attack, fail, or succeed over challenges can really help a tween see how their choices might impact their lives and those around them. Though you won’t find a heck of a lot of middle schoolers casting a wish with an odd gnome-elf, like in my story The Lumpy Duckling, the critical thinking that Wheezy demonstrates after her wish goes horribly wrong can teach a child far beyond what their own limited life experiences might. Plus, that child is more likely to handle problems well when they do face them because they’ve seen their favorite characters work their way through situations.

What types of books do you like to read?

Fiction. Mostly middle grade and young adult, though I do branch out beyond that occasionally. Beyond that, I’m not picky. Fantasy, contemporary, historical, sci-fi, dystopian, romance, issue, comics…really I’ll read it all.

When you are not writing, what do you like to do?

Read, walk, hike, go to movies, visit the library, hang out in coffee shops. Even better when those things are done in the company of my husband, kids, or friends.

Tell us about The Lumpy Duckling: Another Weaver Tale and how the story came to be.

There are two key elements from my life that loosely inspired the story. First and foremost is my very own best friend. We’ve been besties for 35 years (crazy!), and we’ve been through boatloads of good times, but also weathered some rather trying times. I really wanted to tell that story—of friends weathering through tough times—so kids know not to just give up on a bestie when things get shaky. Second, my bestie and I knew a boy who returned to school one year practically unrecognizable and rather eye catching! So I decided to use those two elements in an Ugly Duckling type of story.

Here's a peek at The Lumpy Duckling:

Lumpy may be hefty with a misshapen mouth, but he's funny and the most loyal friend Wheezy could ask for. When she meets Unwanted, she casts a wish for people to be able to see her best friend like she does. Her wish nearly kills him.







Have you written other books? If so, tell us a bit about them.

Lumpy is my ninth published book and the third standalone title in my Weaver Tales series. The Weaver and The Wishing Well being the first two. In each of the Weaver Tales, a wish goes awry and our main character has more of a problem to fix than she started out with. What I love about the Weaver Tales is that the characters speak in story, making for a more lyrical and literary experience. My other middle grade titles are Beware of the White—a Narnia-like adventure, and Save the Lemmings—a contemporary story about a girl inventor whose reputation is ruined by the media. My other titles are for young adult readers. People can browse my books on my website.

What’s next for your writing? Are you working on a new story?

My 10th book is under contract! Finding Thor, a contemporary young adult romance, will be published in 2015. I hope to see publication of the third and final book in my Super Villain Academy series (also written for young adult readers) in mid 2015. I’m already working on the fourth Weaver Tale. As you can see, I keep myself busy.

What advice do you have for other authors?

People always say, “Read, read, read.” You know what? It’s true. You need to be familiar with the good and bad books written for your target audience. You need to discover what you like and don’t like so you can mold and shape your own writing. First, steep yourself in books written specifically for your intended audience and then branch out and learn from other genres or age groups.

Anything else you want readers to know?

I’m eternally grateful to readers who give their precious time to any of my books. Readers rock! Thanks for having me, Cheryl.

Where can readers find you and your books?

My website is the most comprehensive place to start.

I’m on Facebook and Twitter.

I’d love for readers to join my mailing list so they don’t miss any announcements or giveaways.