Today I have the honer of presenting an interview with Jaye L. Knight!
Hello Jaye and welcome to Future Homeschool Authors!
Thank you so much for having me! Homeschooling and writing are one of my favorite mixes. ;)
First could you tell us a bit about yourself?
I’m currently in my mid-twenties (starting to get a little past that, actually, yikes), and a stay-at-home daughter. :) I’ve been writing full time for a couple of years now, and I also run an Etsy shop where I make and sell writing and book inspired jewelry. I’m 100% a country girl and love the outdoors . . . except in the winter. I am NOT a winter girl. That’s not so great when you live in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.
Why did you decide to be an author?
Blame my mom, haha. ;) She’s been writing since she was in her teens. When I saw her writing as I was growing up, it looked like so much fun that I had to try it too. There’s really no stopping once you start. I was about fourteen when I truly decided writing was what I wanted to do with my life. You can blame that one on J.R.R. Tolkien. After falling in love with The Lord of the Rings, I wanted to share my own stories like that.
What’s your favorite book?
The Lord of the Rings, of course. Although the Books of the Infinite series by R.J. Larson is pretty much tied with it. And then there’s Chasing the Lion by Nancy Kimball. I’m not sure I could pick between the three if I had to.
Who's your favorite Author?
Short answer: J.R.R. Tolkien. I wouldn’t be the author I am if not for him. Longer answer: I absolutely love R.J. Larson, Nancy Kimball, Wayne Thomas Batson, and Karen Witemeyer as well. It’s as hard to pick a favorite author as it is to pick a favorite book.
Can you tell us anything about the book you’re working on right now?
Well, I released Resistance, the first book of my new adult Christian fantasy series, Ilyon Chronicles, back in May. I am currently working on getting book two, The King’s Scrolls, ready to publish in February. That has consumed most of my time, but I am also working on writing book five of the series. Plus a super-secret project I can’t talk about yet. ;)
What were the best and worst parts of writing Resistance?
The best part was my main character Jace. He’s the best part in all the books of Ilyon Chronicles. :) He’s my favorite character I’ve ever written, and I just adore him. But I also like all the different relationship dynamics. There a quite a few characters, and the way they interact is always very interesting. The worst part was probably getting to know my main girl, Kyrin. It was really tough to get her right for a while. It turned out she was just missing her twin brother who didn’t exist when I first started the book. When he popped into my head one day a couple of months later, it changed everything, and Kyrin finally became who I always wanted her to be.
What is your favorite genre?
Definitely fantasy. I do love a good historical novel. After all, that’s what Chasing the Lion is, but there’s something about fantasy that really draws me. I love discovering new worlds, and I find the characters in fantasy to be particularly interesting. I love to write fantasy because of the freedom and creativity in gives me. It’s so much fun to create different cultures, peoples, and creatures.
Do you do any research for you books? If you do, what are your main sources?
Yes, there is always some research involved, even writing fantasy. I research weapons, medical topics, and things like that. I have done some historical research for Ilyon Chronicles since it’s a very medieval type world, but also has a Roman feel to it. Probably one of my main resources would be Pinterest--not exactly for information, but more for inspiration. I put together a lot of story and character boards. I also put together boards for each of the races in Ilyon that really gave me a good sense of what each culture was like and has been very helpful in writing the series.
What do you like most about writing?
The characters. I’m very big on characters, whether it’s writing or reading. I love relationships--siblings, fathers and their children, romantic relationships, and both good and bad relationships. I love it when the characters take over and become so real. It’s amazing to have all these people with personalities, fears, talents, flaws, and histories, and then sit back and realize it all came from inside your mind. It’s really cool that God gave us that sort of creativity.
Any final thoughts?
I’ve been publishing for almost eight years now, but it wasn’t until just this last year that I felt like I’ve finally achieved what I’ve been trying to accomplish with my writing. It takes a lot of time, learning, and trying, but you just have to keep on pushing forward and keep improving. It can get discouraging at times, but don’t give up. After all, if God gave you the gift of writing, you can be sure He’ll help you use it.
Also find her here:
Facebook: https://www.
Google+: http://www.google.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.
Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/
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