E.J. Wesley, Author: Welcome To Werewolf College, Where Dorm Living REALLY Bites

Welcome To Werewolf College, Where Dorm Living REALLY Bites

Hey, gang! Very excited to bring you an interview today with Scarlet Dawn, author of the brand-spanking-new fantasy novel, King Hall.

The premise for this one is insanely cool, so you'll definitely want to check out Scarlet's thoughts and motivations on writing it.

But first, I wanted to mention that the fine folks behind the Authors For Oklahoma disaster relief fundraiser are still taking donations and entries for the book bundles they're offering up. The proceeds will go to help those still cleaning up after the Oklahoma tornadoes earlier this summer (yes, they're still at it, and lots of people still do not have their homes back). By donating, you'll also be entered for a chance to win one of several book bundles that were donated to the group by various authors.

You can check all of the details, and help, HERE.

Now for the interview...

EJ: "King Hall — where the Mysticals go to learn their craft, get their degrees, and transition into adulthood. And where four new Rulers will rise and meet their destinies."

Okay, not going to lie, this sounds AMAZING! Reading the entire blurb, it's like Harry Potter meets the X Men meets The Hunger Games (all the revolution talk)--tell us how you came up with the concept.

SD: My inspiration came from another story I had started writing. I knew I was on the verge of something wonderful, but that original story just wasn’t good enough.

Blank page. I started over, twisting characters, the story…BAM!

King Hall was written.

EJ: So King Hall is VERY paranormal. We've got Shifters, Vampires, Mages, Elementals--you name it. Being completely honest, it seems like everything paranormal has been done to death by this point. How did you keep KH fresh? Conversely, what (if any) paranormals inspired you?

SD: You’re right. Paranormal has been done to death.

When I created King Hall, I did so with a clear idea that I was going to make these fantasy beings as I wanted them. No preconceived notions as to what a Vampire, Shifter, Mage, or Elemental was. That’s the beauty of writing…you can make it whatever you want to.

I did that. These beings aren’t your typical paranormal/fantasy characters.

I let my imagination fly.

EJ: KH is New Adult... *claps hands together* WE LOVE NEW ADULT HERE AT THE OPEN VEIN BLOG! *stares sternly at audience until they nod in agreement* How'd you find the NA category, and how does KH fit into the New Adult scene?

SD: I love New Adult, though my reason is lengthy…

I adore the chaos that derives from even the simplest action a “new adult” takes, every step a minefield of individuality. But when I wrote King Hall a few years ago, I didn’t know anything about the “label”. I just wrote what I wanted, what stories came to me. This particular series really took hold, and I kept writing.

And writing…

Until I was done.

Even after writing the last sentence of the last book, I still knew nothing about New Adult. A few months later, when I started investigating on how to query, I read an article on NA. It fit. It was that easy for me. If it quacks like a duck, looks like a duck, then it’s most likely a duck. Same for The Forever Evermore series.

That said, I probably could have labeled this particular novel, King Hall, as upper YA (even though their ages are 19-22), but I had to think about the entire series as a whole. I didn’t want kiddies to get hooked on book one, only to have their minds blown by the erotic content of future books. I’m a mother of three wonderful teenagers, and while I’ve allowed them to read sections of King Hall, I would never allow them to read the entirety of the other books. It just gets too hawt for young minds. I was thinking about, not only my children, but other parents’ kids as well.

So, long story short, the New Adult genre fit. It’s where my writing-love is.

EJ NOTE: I hear this a lot from writers exploring NA: The content/story just outgrew YA, and I'm thrilled there's something that allows me to explore that now. Go New Adult go! :D

EJ: Lily, King Hall's heroine, seems like the, "I really want to be left alone and read my boo--oh hell, I've got to go save the world" sort. Can you tell us about some of the challenges she faces as a character (inward/outward)? Also, what's her biggest fear/greatest strength?

SD: You’ve nailed Lily on the head with your description.

Lily has been “hiding” within the Commoner world for her entire life until tragedy strikes, and her sadistic uncle tosses her into the most prestigious Mystical school in the world. You see, Lily’s a hybrid. Half Shifter/half Vampire. She should have been slaughtered at birth by the Executioner…

It’s easy to say her biggest fear is being “found out”, but by the end of this tale, there’s a new overwhelming fear. The Revolution.

EJ: Our favorite question here at the Open Vein! Where/when can we get our paws (shifter joke!) on King Hall, and where can we find you on the web?

SD: King Hall has just recently released! I feel so humbled by the response it has already received…becoming an international bestseller. My heart simply glows hearing all of the fabulous reviews.

King Hall can be purchased here:

Amazon
Amazon.uk

Amazon.ca

Amazon.de