Author Interview Ashael Rising

How long have you been writing?

I wrote a little as a child and teenager but didn’t really take it seriously and let it fall away while I pursued other interests. I started to write properly in the summer of 2014 after taking a career break to care for my children.

What is your favorite genre to write?

Fantasy. I love pretty much all of the subgenres and play about with them in different pieces, but I am a fantasy fan through and through.

Which genre have you never tried before, but would you like to try out?

I’d like to try and write a courtroom drama at some point, as my other great love is Law.

Please tell us about your book.

Ashael is a hunter-gatherer woman, apprenticed to Bhearra, the healer and spiritual leader of their tribe.

The Zanthar are invaders from another world who extend their own lives by stealing the life-force of everything around them. They were last seen on KalaDene 200 years ago. They have returned, looking for The Vessel, a being prophesied to hold the life-force of the land.

Iwan is a slave to the Zanthar, descendant of those taken as slaves the last time the Zanthar visited this world. He is sent out as a spy, while his mother is held hostage to ensure his compliance.

When Ashael meets Iwan in the forest, neither realise that she is the one the Zanthar are looking for. The fate of KalaDene and all of its people rests on her shoulders.

Which character was your favorite, and why? Which character was your least favorite, and why?

Bhearra is my favourite character, she’s the sort of person I want to be when I grow up! Daven is my least favourite – he’s the worst of the Zanthar and the main villain of the story.

What is your writing routine? Are there things you absolutely need to start writing?

I don’t have a particular routine. I have three young children at home, so I’m generally trying to squeeze writing into five minutes here and ten minutes there. I prefer to work in quiet conditions, but I rarely get the opportunity.

How long did it take you to write your book from start to finish?

About eighteen months for the first draft, interrupted by spells of not working on it. Three months to get it into better shape before submitting it to my editor. Another three months or so for structural edits, copy edits and proofreading. In total, I would say around 2 years, but some of that work was with my publisher.

Can you tell us about your editing process?

I write the first draft, then get beta readers and my critique group to look it over. I collate all the feedback and read over the story myself before deciding what big changes need to be made. Then I do a structural pass, making any big changes. After that it’s tweaking; cutting unnecessary words, rephrasing for clarity, adding in sensory details and physical descriptions. One more proofing pass and I’m ready to submit.

Is this book part of a series? If so, how many installments do you have planned?

Ashael Rising is book one of The Vessel of KalaDene series. At the moment, I intend for that to be a trilogy but as a discovery writer, it is possible that the story will grow bigger than planned.

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

Read everything you can get your hands on and analyse it – the good and the bad. You can learn a lot about writing from critiquing other people’s work. Be persistent. Be kind to yourself. No matter what, keep writing.

Why should everyone read your book?

There’s magic, strong female characters, a focus on female friendships, magic, love, tragedy, revenge, magic, fantastical creatures, active gods and did I mention magic?

If you could meet three authors, dead or alive, which authors would you choose?

Stephen King, Terry Pratchett and Kate Mosse.

What inspired you to write your book?

The story came from a dream I had about ten years ago, where I was a warrior fairy. One image from the dream stuck in my mind and became the seed that the book grew from. The act of writing was inspired by my husband.

Are you working on something at the moment? If so, can you tell us more about it?

I am currently working on the sequel, Ashael Falling. I hope to have that submitted to my publisher by late spring/ early summer. I also have two novellas underway, a few short stories and a serialised story that I’m collaborating on with a wonderful fantasy artist which should launch this spring. You can get more details of everything I’m working on by visiting my website: www.shonakinsella.com

Ashael Rising

Ashael is a hunter-gatherer woman, apprenticed to Bhearra, the healer and spiritual leader of their tribe.

Iwan is a slave to the Zanthar, descendant of those taken as slaves the last time the Zanthar visited this world. He is sent out as a spy, while his mother is held hostage to ensure his compliance.

When Ashael meets Iwan in the forest, neither realise that she is the one the Zanthar are looking for. The fate of KalaDene and all of its people rests on her shoulders.

Purchase on Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ashael-Rising-Vessel-KalaDene-Book-ebook/dp/B01MRCASMU/

Author Bio

Shona Kinsella is the author of Ashael Rising, (Unbound, 2017) the first in her series, The Vessel of KalaDene. She is also one of the editors of the British Fantasy Society’s fiction publication, Horizons. When she is not writing or wrangling her three children, she can usually be found with her nose in a book.