Author Interview – K. D. Miller

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K. D. Miller is a YA Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Adult Paranormal Romance author. We enjoyed having this Author Interview – K. D. Miller for our blog. Check out this fantastic author and follow them for more amazing stories.

I’ve been writing for about three years now. Still, I can’t believe the one pesky story that just refused to leave my head (no matter how much I tried to silence it!) would not only turn into an actual book but would also open the floodgates for hundreds of other stories fighting to get out.

One day, I hope writing them all can be a full-time job, but for now, my “real” job is a paralegal in coastal North Carolina. I have seven books published in various genres: YA Sci-Fi, Fantasy, and Adult Paranormal Romance under my pen name K.D. Miller.

When did you start writing?

About three years ago

What was it like growing up?

I had a great childhood and such a supportive family. I played softball from the time I was four all the way through college, and anytime I wasn’t on the field, I was either playing with friends or reading.

How was your early life?

It was great honestly. My parents were engineers, and I was blessed to grow up in the same town and house my entire life. My husband is in the military, so my daughter hasn’t gotten that same opportunity, and it makes me realize how lucky I was.

What has been your biggest influence in your career?

Other authors that I admire and love have had a huge impact on my own writing, whether it’s just taking cues from their styles or one of their stories sparking something in my imagination to come up with my own.

Tell us about your newest release.

My most recent release is called Sweet Tempest, which is the second book in my Greek Mythology reimagining series (Veracity of the Gods). This book focuses on Poseidon, and I call it the sucker punch I never saw coming because when I first started noodling the idea for Poseidon’s story, I never would have imagined how much I would adore it. It took me by surprise in the best way!

Which book of yours would you call your favorite child?

Ooh, that’s a hard one! : looks left, then right: Don’t tell the others, but it’s Evansfire!

What inspired you to write this book?

For Sweet Tempest, it came from first writing Hades’ story. The story of Hades and Persephone is so well-known and well-loved, that I wanted to put my own spin on it, but that ended up making me want to explore what kind of love story the other gods might have. For my favorite child (aka Evansfire), the inspiration came from a mix of watching The Magicians, my love of The Triwizard Tournament from Harry Potter, and re-reading The Hunger Games, actually. My brain just said, “Combine them! It’ll be awesome!”

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What are you usually found doing when you’re not writing?

Chasing my 5-year-old around usually!

What does your writing space look like?

My laptop in bed most nights. Since for now, this is a side gig, I have to just write when and where I can so that typically ends up being in bed late into the night after everyone else has gone to sleep.

If you wrote your autobiography, what would you name it?

Feed me tacos, and tell me I’m pretty.

How long did it take to write your novel, and what was your process?

I wrote my first novel in about three months actually. I was never planning to write an actual book, so my process was kind of a mess. I had a story in my head that just wouldn’t go away. Characters and scenes and dialogue that wouldn’t stop bumping around every waking moment, so I finally said, “ok, if I write it down, at least my mind will shut up about it.” I never intended to show ANYONE, but the more I spit out onto the page, the more I thought, “ok *maybe* this is something?” I eventually got the guts to tell my husband and close friends about it, which led to the inevitable “let me see it!” conversation, and it just kind of snowballed from there. I would never have even dreamed of publishing it (or any book) without my friends pushing my husband (who is so not a reader) and supporting me. Since then, I’ve refined my process a bit, but it’s still very much just driven by whatever story and characters are demanding to be heard at that moment.

Favorite reads?

Man, talk about a tough question! I have way too many, but Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff is a recent favorite (and I’m dying for book 2!)

Do you have any book recommendations?

Empire of the Vampire so you can wait in misery with me for book 2! Haha

What’s your next big project?

I have a few different things in progress, but definitely, the next book in my Mythology series is on the horizon, and I’m also excited (and nervous) about a “normal” romance novel I’m working on right this minute. My other romances have all paranormal/fantasy type, so it’s been fun to try my hand at something grounded in the real world. We’ll see how it goes!

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?

If you have a story, tell it, and don’t worry about anything else. Get it out and see where it takes you before you start worrying about editing it or marketing it, or any of that. I see many people in writers’ groups asking things like, “I’ve written 1 chapter; can I get a critique? What genre should it be? What kind of cover should I make? Etc. etc. etc.” You’ve got to let your story out first, let it breathe and grow and tell you where it needs to go and what it wants to be before you start asking for critiques and worrying about all the other things tangentially related to writing books these days. Also, have thick skin, don’t give up, and remember to hydrate 🙂