Today Katie Hamstead joins us to share with us how she balances all those shiny ideas bouncing around in her head. And also to share with us her Kiya trilogy. Take it away, Katie...
One thing about being a writer is that you always have ideas that pop out at you. Wherever I go, and whatever I do, I find some kind of inspiration for my writing. This provides me with plenty of ideas to keep my flow of manuscripts rolling.
People have asked me how I managed to get an entire trilogy released within a year, my answer: They were all already written before book one was queried. I wrote all three books at once, a steady flow so I didn't lose track of events. They were several months of fun, joy, sorrow, and wondrous revelations. .
I try to keep focused on one story at a time, so I keep track of my characters, plotlines and twists, sub plots, etc. If another idea comes to me when I'm working on something, I open a word doc, write down the thought, then get back to it later, once I have completed the manuscript I am working on. I imagine it like Dumbledore’s pensieve, pulling a strand of a thought from my mind for later so I can think clearly now, and then pull it up when I need it. .
This is how I can write things so quickly and not get swamped by new concepts trying to take over. Writing multiple WiP’s at a time is just something I can’t do. I don't feel like I do the story justice when I’m thinking in several different directions. .
And now the Kiya trilogy...
Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh
Oh yes, Kiya. Make him love you, make him hold you in his highest regard....
When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…
The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.
Kiya: Mother of a King
Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.
Nefertiti has forced Naomi to flee Amarna with Malachi and the three children. But even under the protection of Naomi’s family in Thebes, Nefertiti still hunts her and Tut. Nefertiti sends assassins to kill them, and while Naomi fights to protect the children, Malachi fights to keep her safe.
With three children in tow, one of which isn’t her own, she is labeled the harlot outcast wife of the pharaoh and is shunned. She isn’t safe among her own people, and flees from being stoned to death. Although her family protects her, she must find a way to survive.
While Naomi struggles to keep herself and Tut alive, old adversaries return as Smenkhkare takes advantage of Akhenaten’s ailing health. Naomi must rely on Horemheb’s promise to protect Tut’s birthright, but her feelings for Malachi could cause more problems with Horemheb than she expects.
Kiya: Rise of a New Dynasty
Tut has grown into his position as Pharaoh, but he is a wild young man. Naomi fears for him, not only because of his recklessness, but because he has put his trust in Ay–the man determined to destroy Naomi—despite her and Horemheb advising against it.
Meanwhile, death and slavery hang over Naomi and her family. With fear of the booming Hebrew numbers causing talk of enslaving them, conscription is reinstated and Naomi fears for the lives of her other children. Especially since Ay's children are now adults, and just as dangerous as their father. They threaten to take Itani, conspire against Tut, and pushing for power.
But Tut is in trouble. While Ay's daughter draws Horemheb's attention, and Naomi deals with the struggles of her family, everyone's distraction could spell death for the young Pharaoh.
About the Author:
Born and raised in Australia, Katie’s early years of daydreaming in the “bush”, and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.
After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.
She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.
Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.
Links:
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2 comments:
Your series was already written before first book was queried? I listened to a well-known lit agent who advised not to write a series UNTIL the first book sells.
I cannot tell you how sorry I am that I took her advice.
You had the right (write? lol) idea.
Yes, and I'm glad I did. There were things I tweaked and changed in the first book to go better with the things in the second and third book. I can't imagine selling a series without having a clear view of the whole thing, of having the books all at least with a first draft.
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