Blog Ring of Power Presents: J. Kathleen Cheney

397820_462385903841844_861599594_n-2Welcome to the Blog Ring of Power! Today's guest is J. Kathleen Cheney.
She is a former teacher and has taught mathematics ranging from 7th grade to Calculus, with a brief stint as a Gifted and Talented Specialist.
Her short fiction has been published in Jim Baen’s Universe, Writers of the Future, and Fantasy Magazine, among others, and her novella “Iron Shoes” was a 2010 Nebula Award Finalist.  Her novel, “The Golden City” came out from Penguin in 2013.  The sequel, “The Seat of Magic” will come out July, 2014.
Her website can be found at www.jkathleencheney.com


Don’t miss the rest of Kathleen’s BRoP interview:
BRoP Logo Revised-1Part 1 @ Terri
Part 2 @ T.W.
Part 3 @ you are here
Part 4 @ Sandra
Part 5 @ Vicki


Section #3: The Creative Process



BRoP: How do you develop your plots and characters? Do you use any set formula?

JKC: I've always been a fairly 'organic' writer in terms of characters and story lines. I try to let them be what they need to be. Yes, that sounds like a 'writer' answer, but it's true. 

BRoP: Are you a “plotter” or a “pantser” (do you plan/outline the story ahead of time or write “by the seat of your pants”)?

JKC:  I outline, then write and fall off the outline, so I re-outline. And then I finish and outline again and revise according to that outline. 

BRoP: Do you use critique partners or beta readers? Why or why not?

JKC:  My husband reads everything, of course, although that's pretty much it these days. When I have a particular passage that I'm struggling with, I will ask one or two members of one of my groups to read that, but I don't send out entire novels any more. 

BRoP: How much time do you spend on research? What type of research do you do?

JKC:  Too much. The last several years almost everything I've written has been Historical Fantasy, which means that you have to dive into the setting and try to get everything right. I do internet research, book research, and if I can go to the location, I do. (My husband was kind enough to use our first vacation in five years for me to visit Portugal and Spain back in 2012.) 

BRoP: Is there anything you find particularly challenging to write?

JKC:  I think that, for me, the most challenging part is the action. Not because I don't know how to do it, but because that's what I find most boring as a reader. No, seriously. I skip over fight scenes when I'm reading, skip chase scenes, skip action scenes. I'm all about the dialog.

Is your book in print, ebook or both? Both
Author Links
The_Golden_City_Cover-2THE GOLDEN CITY: For two years, Oriana Paredes has been a spy among the social elite of the Golden City, reporting back to her people, the sereia, sea folk banned from the city’s shores….
When her employer and only confidante decides to elope, Oriana agrees to accompany her to Paris. But before they can depart, the two women are abducted and left to drown. Trapped beneath the waves, Oriana’s heritage allows her to survive while she is forced to watch her only friend die.
Vowing vengeance, Oriana crosses paths with Duilio Ferreira—a police consultant who has been investigating the disappearance of a string of servants from the city’s wealthiest homes. Duilio also has a secret: He is a seer and his gifts have led him to Oriana.
Bound by their secrets, not trusting each other completely yet having no choice but to work together, Oriana and Duilio must expose a twisted plot of magic so dark that it could cause the very fabric of history to come undone….

seatofmagic-2
COMING JULY 2014 — Magical beings have been banned from the Golden City for decades, though many live there in secret. Now humans and nonhumans alike are in danger as evil stalks the streets, growing more powerful with every kill….
THE SEAT OF MAGIC: It’s been two weeks since Oriana Paredes was banished from the Golden City. Police consultant Duilio Ferreira, who himself has a talent he must keep secret, can’t escape the feeling that, though she’s supposedly returned home to her people, Oriana is in danger.
Adding to Duilio’s concerns is a string of recent murders in the city. Three victims have already been found, each without a mark upon her body. When a selkie under his brother’s protection goes missing, Duilio fears the killer is also targeting nonhuman prey.
To protect Oriana and uncover the truth, Duilio will have to risk revealing his own identity, put his trust in some unlikely allies, and consult a rare and malevolent text known as The Seat of Magic….


Book Links 
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