Six days, six authors will be interviewed and each are giving away a story. All the stories are from the Boughs of Evergreen charity anthology and all proceeds from the book will go to the Trevor Project. You can buy the anthology here
Today our interview is with KC Faelan, author of A Little Christmas Magic.
About the Author:
KC currently writes contemporary male romance but plans to spread her wings and delve into other m/m genres in the future. She enjoys reading about m/m in almost every setting from paranormal, to sci-fi to historical backdrops. She loves men, from the Alphas to the omegas, and all the pretty boys in between. Intelligence and humor whet her appetite. Toss in a course of UST, a dash of angst, season with fluffiness, and she dives right in. For dessert, it’s HEA all the way.
KC lives in Northern California with her husband and two rescue birds.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
I use a combination of both methods. The story pops into my head with certain elements, the ending lines or the characters, and starts to fill itself in. I don’t have an outline that I’ve written down because I can’t stick to one. But I do have a vague idea of what I would call a ‘ghost outline’ floating in my head. I’m a visual person so I can ‘see’ where a certain section needs to be inserted into the storyline. It’s like a timeline with chunks missing and I need to insert the puzzle pieces. When I write, I skip around throughout the story. I sometimes write the beginning, then switch to the end, then go back to the middle.
A friend and I chatted once on the style of writing I did, and he mentioned it was similar to Picasso’s painting style. My friend had watched a documentary on Picasso and Picasso would start with a stroke of paint in the upper corner, than move to the lower left in a different color, then a spot somewhere else. The viewers couldn’t figure out what he was painting until more and more color was laid on the canvas. There was no rhyme or reason for his methods, at least to them, until they saw more and more of the canvas filling in. That’s how I write. I know what the end product is sort of going to look like and I know the framework where parts need to go. The story fills itself within the main structure of that framework. But between the beginning and the end, there’s a whole lot of ways that detail can color itself.
Do your characters ever want to take over the story?
Oh yes, most definitely. In “If At First You Don’t Succeed,” the story I wrote for the M/M Romance Group’s Love’s Landscapes event, Julien was the first character to pop into my head. He’s bratty, talkative, energetic and has a smart answer for just about everything. It’s quite fun when the characters take over because it makes the writing so much easier.
What drew you to the M/M genre in particular?
I find the M/M genre sexier. I love men, and where one is good, two is better, lol.
Do you write in other genres besides M/M?
Not at the moment. I did write an M/F fic once for a fanfic holiday event, but everything else I’ve written has been in the M/M genre.
What is your favourite food?
That’s a hard one. I love a lot of food. I love comfort food especially, think Mac n’ Cheese and Pumpkin or Squash stuffed Ravioli. But I also love Sashimi and Tonkatsu. I prefer milder foods and stay away from spicy, strong, or smelly foods. For instance, I won’t go near Blue Cheese.
Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Definitely a night owl. I usually get my best ideas after midnight.
Where do you dream of travelling to and why?
I’d love to visit the UK again. I’ve been to London and Scotland and loved it. Northumberland was especially beautiful and peaceful. I’d also like to visit Australia because of the birds. Taking a birding tour would be amazing. I also want to take a vacation, by train, up the West coast and through Canada.
Do distant places feature in your books?
Usually not. I tend to keep my stories local and immediate to the character’s work or home.
Do you listen to music while writing?
No, it’s too distracting. I can listen to news in the background because it’s white noise for me. But music has melodies, lyrics, and emotions swirling through the songs. That combination pulls me away from the emotions I’m experiencing with my characters.
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
I was approached by Debbie McGowan, editor and publisher of Beaten Track Publishing after I participated in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s Love’s Landscape event. She asked me if I’d like to write a story for a holiday Anthology where the proceeds would benefit the Trevor Project. I said yes.
ALCM is set around the weeks leading up to Christmas and is about how, even if a person doesn’t believe in the magic of Christmas, the magic is there in the most of surprising ways. It can have a profound effect on a person’s life, if given the chance. The story is also about love and forgiveness.
In this story Ryan, one of the MCs, realizes a lot of things about himself that he hadn’t considered. He needs to come to terms with certain parts of his personality that he never took a close look at before. He’s never had too, because he’s the sort of person who is lucky enough to have everything. Good family, friends, education. He’s eaten from a silver spoon and that’s why he can’t see things about himself and how the way he was raised affect his behavior.
Boone is Ryan’s best friend. Little known to Ryan, Boone has wanted to be more than good friends since they met. Boone keeps his feelings under very tight wrap because he has issues that make it difficult for him to form a close romantic relationship. He guards his heart closely.
Boone and Ryan’s friends are Greg, the mutual friend that introduced Ryan to Boone, and Tai, Greg’s boyfriend.
What have you learned about writing and publishing since you first started?
Since I’m new to writing, I'm still learning quite a bit like how to pull a story together. As to publishing, thank goodness for Debbie McGowan, she takes care of that part.
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
Since I started writing in fanfiction, I’d have to say JK Rowling because HP was the fandom I wrote in. But she didn’t actually influence my writing, so much as create the base that got me interested in writing. I don’t think any author influences my writing.
Anything you would say to those just starting out in the craft?
Oh gosh, since I’m a newbie myself I’m not exactly a fount of wisdom yet, lol. I can tell you some of the things I’ve learned by mistake.
Keep a pad of paper and pencil, or recording device by your bed. This is to save any ideas that hit you in the middle of the night or when you wake. Because once the day gets hold of you, that idea will likely fly out the window.
Make sure you have a good idea of what your characters are like before starting to write your story, else you may end up rewriting everything several times as the character’s personalities evolve.
Get yourself a great editor and beta readers. They are worth their weight in gold, and then some.
What are three words that describe you?
Curious, Creative, Introvert
What's your favourite book or who is your favourite writer?
Favorite book is actually, The Harry Potter series. Would it be too vain to say I enjoy my own stories?
A Little Christmas Magic
It's the day after Thanksgiving and Ryan Forsyth is helping his friends decorate for Christmas. Little does he know that the weekend will usher in a profound change to his life, a chance for happiness if he isn't too afraid to reach out and grasp it.
Boone Ainsworth has been friends with Ryan since junior high, ever since their mutual friend Greg Hayes introduced them. Since the day they met, no one has stood a chance at claiming Boone's heart except Ryan, but Ryan is so deep in the closet, he hasn't got a clue.
Their happily ever after is just a step away, until a panicked decision changes everything. From that point on, things don't go smoothly, and Ryan and Boone make mistakes neither may be able to forgive. But it's the holidays, and Ryan is banking on a little Christmas magic to help smooth the way.
List of previous books if any:
If At First You Don’t Succeed (Goodreads M/M Romance Group’s 2014 Love’s Landscapes Event)
Any websites/places readers can find you on the web:
Beaten Track Publishing: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/?n1=authors&id=62
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/8147151.K_C_Faelan
Blog: www.kcfaelan.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Faelan/658723390912190
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/kcfaelan/
Twitter: www.twitter.com/kcfaelan
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Giveaway:
One lucky winner will win alll 6 stories!
Matthias Williamson — Holidays with Drum and Bell!
Amelia Mann — Always Have, Always Will
Debbie McGowan — A Midnight Clear
Jonathan Penn — Homme for the Holidays
K.C. Faelan — A Little Christmas Magic
Ofelia Gränd — From All of Us to All of You
I enjoy friends to lovers books. I look forward to reading more from you in the future
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