New interview with YA fantasy novelist Kris Noel

I’m happy to have YA fantasy author Kris Noel back on the blog. The second novel in her Lionhead series is out. It’s called Requiem and she’s here to dish on it.

Kris was here in January talking about the first novel in the series, Lionhead.

Bio:

Kris Noel loves writing YA, but she also loves running her writing advice blog over at krisnoel.com. With over 30,000 followers, she has penned hundreds of articles for writers of all ages.

Despite working full-time as a copywriter, Kris finds time to work on her novels and has released one project a year since 2012. She plans on doing her best to continue this trend and wants to keep working on growing her blog. 

Welcome back to Reviews and Interviews, Kris.

Thank you!

Catch us up… please tell us about your newest release.

Requiem is the sequel to Lionhead, which was release back in 2012 through Neverland Publishing, and I’m very excited that it’s almost ready to go! Here’s a little bit about Requiem:

After a dangerous enemy descended on Lionhead weeks before, Riley Bale is left with an unshakeable feeling of impending doom. With Christian still on the loose and no clues pointing to his whereabouts, Riley and her friends must stay vigilant. In addition to fearing another attack, Riley also has to figure out which one of her best friends will join Christian’s cause—and both Ash and Oliver are beginning to reveal their dark sides.

A carefree trip to another shifter city, Requiem, might be just what they need to take their minds off of what’s coming for them, but it doesn’t go exactly as planned. Riley finds herself caught up in something bigger than she could have possibly imagined and this time she’ll have to face her enemies alone.

What inspired you to write this book?

I actually wrote it a couple years ago, so I always had sequel planned for Lionhead. I wanted to continue Riley’s story and really take the whole thing in a new direction.

What’s the next writing project?

I’ve been working on a couple new stories, but I will focus on editing the third book in the Lionhead series. Hopefully I can get that ready for some time next year!

What is your biggest challenge when writing a new book?

It’s getting started and then staying motivated. Writing the beginning of a novel is very difficult for me and then getting myself to stick with it. Once I get into a groove, I’m usually okay. But seriously, motivating myself is always a struggle.

If your novels require research – please talk about the process. Do you do the research first and then write, while you’re writing, after the novel is complete and you need to fill in the gaps?

I usually take a lot of time to research first, so I’m not struggling with those parts of my novel. I think research allows you to discover new ideas that you wouldn’t be able to incorporate into your novel unless you did the research first. It sometimes takes your novel in a new and unexpected direction.

What’s your writing space like? Do you have a particular spot to write where the muse is more active? Please tell us about it.

Most of the time, you’ll find me writing in bed before I go to sleep! It’s probably not the best place to focus on writing, but it works for me. I usually switch on some bad television shows and write what I can before I get too tired. My writing spot changes from time to time, so there’s not one particular place where I always write.

What authors do you enjoy reading within or outside of your genre?

I don’t follow one specific author, but I do really like Stephen King. I tend to stay in YA and sci-fi unless something else catches my attention. I do love Libba Bray!

Anything additional you want to share with the readers today?

I also run a writing advice blog over at krisnoel.com and you can find me over at Goodreads!

Thank you for coming back to Reviews and Interviews!

Thanks so much for having me!

Website | Blog

Interview with young adult/fantasy author Kris Noel

Today’s feature is young adult/fantasy novel Lionhead by Kris Noel.

Welcome, Kris. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I’m 27. I was born and raised in New Jersey, but I’m now living in Burbank, California. I went to Montclair State University, where I majored in Anthropology and minored in Film. I’m currently working on the sequel to Lionhead, Requiem, which should be released later this year.

Please tell us about your current release, Lionhead.

Thirteen-year-old Riley Bale has always been a monster. At least that’s how all the other kids have always treated her. After being plagued with a mysterious illness for much of her young life and living as an orphan with her two cold and distant older sisters, Riley has dealt with being bullied by becoming a bully herself.

During a violent after school attack, Riley learns she’s being protected by forces beyond her control. She is tested and then invited to attend Lionhead Shifter School, which she accepts on blind faith alone, along with the desire to understand where her parents came from before they disappeared. Once Riley arrives in Lionhead, she not only discovers her true identity as a shifter, but appears to fit right in with the other new kids.

Riley quickly realizes that everything is not quite what it seems. Amidst an unusual hatred that arises between the two teenage boys she’s become closest with, Oliver Preston and Ash Plum, she must learn why the small island community has previously disallowed outsiders for over a hundred years.

Lionhead’s sequel, Requiem, is being released later this year, which will continue to follow Riley’s journey.

What inspired you to write this book?

I was highly influenced by science fiction and fantasy novels growing up, so I really wanted to try to recreate that feeling. I wanted to write a strong female character, which I think Riley Bale is. I loved writing this story and I wanted to write for a young audience.

What exciting story are you working on next?

Right now I just finished up a new YA/Sci-fi novel called Never World. It’s basically about a young girl, Tess, who gets caught up in a virtual reality gameshow run by a mysterious man named “The Creator”. I’m in the middle of submitting it, so I’ll see where it goes!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

I thought of myself as a writer very early on, around 2^nd grade. Once I realized that you can write stories as an occupation, I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. It’s always been a very relaxing thing for me and I feel weird when I haven’t written something in a while.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?

I currently work as a copywriter for a gaming company, so I still get to have fun writing about topics I’m interested in. I usually write after work or on the weekends. It can be hard to schedule time, but I try to fit in around 500 words a day if I can.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I’m sure a lot of writers are like this, but I can only write at night. I’m not a morning person and I have trouble focusing during the day. I just like writing when it’s dark out!

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I decided when I was pretty young that I wanted to be a writer. There was a brief time when I wanted to be a vet, but that faded quickly.

Anything additional you want to share with the readers?

I run a writing advice blog at krisnoel.com, so if you ever need any writing support, feel free to check it out!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Amazon – Lionhead | Amazon – The Serenity Compound | Amazon – Love & Horror

Thanks, Kris. Happy writing!