Ask the Author: Kat Ross
Answered Questions (16)
Kat Ross
Hi Ginger! So sorry, I just saw your question :(
They're all out now! But maybe you figured that out already, lol. So glad you enjoyed them, though, Maria did such a great job with the narration!
They're all out now! But maybe you figured that out already, lol. So glad you enjoyed them, though, Maria did such a great job with the narration!
Kat Ross
Hi Brit! Queen of Chaos will have an audiobook and I believe it's already been recorded so that should come out any time now; as for the next series, I'm sure I will have audiobooks at some point, I'll announce it on my website and newsletter.
And yes, I'm not a fan of instalove or triangles either :) There's a lot in store for Nazafareen and Darius in this next series, which I'm super excited about. It's set in a world that eternally half in light, half in darkness (i.e., tidally locked to its star, the way our moon is to the earth), and digs deeper into the source of her strange powers and the true history of the daevas, among other things. I can't wait to share the cover!
And yes, I'm not a fan of instalove or triangles either :) There's a lot in store for Nazafareen and Darius in this next series, which I'm super excited about. It's set in a world that eternally half in light, half in darkness (i.e., tidally locked to its star, the way our moon is to the earth), and digs deeper into the source of her strange powers and the true history of the daevas, among other things. I can't wait to share the cover!
Kat Ross
First, I'm so happy you're enjoying the books! And happy news, I'm writing the next connected series right now. It's called the Fourth Talisman and it picks up right after the end of Queen of Chaos, but begins a whole new story arc in a new world (with Nazafareen, Darius, Victor, Culach and others). I'm planning for at least five books in this series, with the first one, titled Nocturne, set for a fall release. The cover will be ready very soon and then I'll put that plus the brief synopsis up on GR, so watch out for more on Nocturne later this month! Cheers, Kat
Kat Ross
I think most of us have a secret fascination with mundane life suddenly falling apart. This can be anything from a zombie virus to a magical door at the back of an old wardrobe. The greatest writers (Neil Gaiman comes to mind, and Stephen King at his best) are the ones who find those hairline cracks in reality and blow them wide open. There are often unpleasant things lurking on the other side, but that's the fun part.
Kat Ross
I'm just finishing The 13th Gate, which is a sequel to The Daemoniac; next up is a whole new series continuing the story of Darius and Nazafareen, look for that in Fall 2017! It's gonna be badaaaaaasssss.
Kat Ross
Stick to some kind of schedule and write the sort of books you want to read. Don't quit when it starts to suck, which it will eventually. Just get to the end. Then you can look at the horrible piece of crap you just wrote and fix it in the miraculous process called "editing."
Kat Ross
Pants are optional. Plus my co-workers are all imaginary and pretty much do what I tell them. Occasionally a character gets saucy and has a mind of his or her own, but that keeps things interesting.
Kat Ross
Hi there! Happy news, actually, I've decided to return to the series this year, so look for another Fourth Element book in the fall...in the meantime, you can follow Tijah and Achaemenes in the 13th Gate! Cheers, Kat
Kat Ross
Hi Meredith! Oh, I'm so glad you liked it! Yes, I am still planning a sequel to that one (and I already have a lot of it written), hopefully for next year. If you'd like, you can sign up for my mailing list so I'll let you know when there's more news.
http://katrossbooks.com/contact.html
http://katrossbooks.com/contact.html
Kat Ross
Oh, good question, Laura! I love playlists and usually do them for all my books, but I haven't yet on this one since it takes place so long ago and I wasn't sure if my favorite songs really fit with that era (at all). But maybe I can come up with something when the draft of book #2 is done... tinkering with playlists is one of my favorite ways to procrastinate :)
Kat Ross
Thanks so much, KL, I'm happy you enjoyed it! And don't worry--I am not at all a fan of love triangles either (frankly, I think everyone is sick of them at this point) so that definitely won't be part of Nazafareen and Darius's story. The only contender I suppose would be Victor, and one word for that: creepy! Anyway, just wrapping up book two now, lots of things happen and the characters and story move forward, but no triangles, pinky promise. :)
Kat Ross
Hi Laura! Oooh, I'm glad you asked, because I have long-running plans for this series, with lots of twists and turns! Long story short, the initial story arc following Naz and Darius and the fall of the empire will be a trilogy. I do have the release date for the second book, Blood of the Prophet, which comes out September 12. Keep an eye out for the cover June 21 on my blog and other places! The working title of Book #3 is Queen of Chaos (hello Neblis!), which will probably be a Christmas release.
But...that isn't remotely the end. Following the trilogy, I plan to take a big leap forward in time to 1880s New York and London (whaaat?), with many of the characters - good and bad - from the original trilogy still around (since daevas and their bonded live practically forever). It will have lots of the same elements and magic, but also some new directions. I've already written a sort of prequel to the later series called The Daemoniac that will release just before Halloween.
Anyway, lots in the works, thanks so much for asking and I'm thrilled you enjoyed the first one!
But...that isn't remotely the end. Following the trilogy, I plan to take a big leap forward in time to 1880s New York and London (whaaat?), with many of the characters - good and bad - from the original trilogy still around (since daevas and their bonded live practically forever). It will have lots of the same elements and magic, but also some new directions. I've already written a sort of prequel to the later series called The Daemoniac that will release just before Halloween.
Anyway, lots in the works, thanks so much for asking and I'm thrilled you enjoyed the first one!
Kat Ross
Thanks for your question, Josh! I talked about some of that in the note at the end, but we all know that nobody ever reads those, so this is a perfect place to explain a bit of the research since The Midnight Sea is a mix of fact and fiction (mostly--okay, almost entirely--the latter).
The story began with the daevas. In the Zoroastrian religion, they're evil spirits that embody every imaginable sin. But it wasn't always so. They started out as gods that were later considered false. They were demonized, in other words, which I found fascinating. And I loved the word daeva. It seemed beautiful and mysterious. And I began to imagine how such a downfall might come about.
To be clear, The Midnight Sea is not at all an alternate history, although it is set in a specific time period: the collapse of the Achaemenid Empire, around 330 B.C. Alexander the Great defeated the Persian King, Darius III, in two decisive battles and went on to take the capitals of Persepolis and Susa. I couldn't resist weaving a (very twisted) version of those events into my story.
But the wicked king in The Midnight Sea bears little resemblance to Darius III, who may have been a mediocre general but didn't seem like a bad guy. In fact, the empire he ruled was pretty benevolent as empires go. Although Zoroastrianism was the official religion, other practices and customs were respected, gay people weren't persecuted, and women had property rights and could be economically independent. The Persians had the world's first charter of human rights (and the first postal system), among many other achievements.
They invented polo, which they called chaugan, and the letter from the king to Alexander taunting him with a mallet and ball was real. Other real things: The Hall of a Hundred Columns (where my Darius was sentenced), the general description of the palace complex at Persepolae, and the ass-kicking Pantea, who had command of the Immortals during the reign of Cyrus the Great and was sort of the sheriff of Babylon.
Alexander did hurl a spear into the ground and claim the Persian Empire for his own, although it was after he crossed the Hellespont. One of the best stories I read about the Hellespont involves the Achaemenid King Xerxes, who got so mad when a storm destroyed the bridge he'd made (in an attempt to invade the Greek mainland) that he ordered his soldiers to administer three hundred lashes to the strait and throw manacles in the water. That'll teach it!
Most of my place names are made up, but correlate roughly to a map of the empire at that time. The Midnight Sea is the Black Sea, the Salenian Sea is the Caspian, and the Middle Sea is, of course, the Mediterranean. The Great Salt Plain is Iran's central plateau, known today as the Dasht-e Kavir, or Great Salt Desert.
I also want to stress that my version of Zoroastrianism is only superficially related to the real religion, which many people still practice around the world. This is obviously a work of fiction, and the real magi did not oppress any supernatural beings, although they did worship fire and preach good thoughts, good words and good deeds, which I think sounds nice.
Dogs had a special place in Zoroastrianism. Weirdly enough, the holiest of them all, Water Dogs, were actually otters and were believed to hold the reincarnated souls of a thousand former actual dogs. Still with me? Well, killing one was just about the worst thing you could do, and was reportedly a capital offense.
What else? Zarathustra is the Greek name for Zoroaster. He died in 551 BC, at the founding of the Achaemenid Empire. He preached the importance of being good and kind and honest in this life, which I agree with wholeheartedly.
The word Druj comes from the ancient Avestan language, and means the embodiment of evil and sin.
The Char Khala range is the Caucasus. As far I know, Bactria was never infested with Undead demons. But I will be returning to my Bactria, the lair of Queen Neblis, and so will Nazafareen and Darius. I hope you'll come with us.
The story began with the daevas. In the Zoroastrian religion, they're evil spirits that embody every imaginable sin. But it wasn't always so. They started out as gods that were later considered false. They were demonized, in other words, which I found fascinating. And I loved the word daeva. It seemed beautiful and mysterious. And I began to imagine how such a downfall might come about.
To be clear, The Midnight Sea is not at all an alternate history, although it is set in a specific time period: the collapse of the Achaemenid Empire, around 330 B.C. Alexander the Great defeated the Persian King, Darius III, in two decisive battles and went on to take the capitals of Persepolis and Susa. I couldn't resist weaving a (very twisted) version of those events into my story.
But the wicked king in The Midnight Sea bears little resemblance to Darius III, who may have been a mediocre general but didn't seem like a bad guy. In fact, the empire he ruled was pretty benevolent as empires go. Although Zoroastrianism was the official religion, other practices and customs were respected, gay people weren't persecuted, and women had property rights and could be economically independent. The Persians had the world's first charter of human rights (and the first postal system), among many other achievements.
They invented polo, which they called chaugan, and the letter from the king to Alexander taunting him with a mallet and ball was real. Other real things: The Hall of a Hundred Columns (where my Darius was sentenced), the general description of the palace complex at Persepolae, and the ass-kicking Pantea, who had command of the Immortals during the reign of Cyrus the Great and was sort of the sheriff of Babylon.
Alexander did hurl a spear into the ground and claim the Persian Empire for his own, although it was after he crossed the Hellespont. One of the best stories I read about the Hellespont involves the Achaemenid King Xerxes, who got so mad when a storm destroyed the bridge he'd made (in an attempt to invade the Greek mainland) that he ordered his soldiers to administer three hundred lashes to the strait and throw manacles in the water. That'll teach it!
Most of my place names are made up, but correlate roughly to a map of the empire at that time. The Midnight Sea is the Black Sea, the Salenian Sea is the Caspian, and the Middle Sea is, of course, the Mediterranean. The Great Salt Plain is Iran's central plateau, known today as the Dasht-e Kavir, or Great Salt Desert.
I also want to stress that my version of Zoroastrianism is only superficially related to the real religion, which many people still practice around the world. This is obviously a work of fiction, and the real magi did not oppress any supernatural beings, although they did worship fire and preach good thoughts, good words and good deeds, which I think sounds nice.
Dogs had a special place in Zoroastrianism. Weirdly enough, the holiest of them all, Water Dogs, were actually otters and were believed to hold the reincarnated souls of a thousand former actual dogs. Still with me? Well, killing one was just about the worst thing you could do, and was reportedly a capital offense.
What else? Zarathustra is the Greek name for Zoroaster. He died in 551 BC, at the founding of the Achaemenid Empire. He preached the importance of being good and kind and honest in this life, which I agree with wholeheartedly.
The word Druj comes from the ancient Avestan language, and means the embodiment of evil and sin.
The Char Khala range is the Caucasus. As far I know, Bactria was never infested with Undead demons. But I will be returning to my Bactria, the lair of Queen Neblis, and so will Nazafareen and Darius. I hope you'll come with us.
Kat Ross
Thank you so much, Fiorela, I'm glad you liked it! I do have lots of ideas about a sequel (and even started writing it), but I still have to get the ok from my publisher. I'll definitely make the announcement on my newsletter, if you feel like signing up. http://katrossbooks.com/contact.html
Thanks again for writing! (:
Thanks again for writing! (:
Kat Ross
oh, thank you so much for asking, Oksana! I do have some of it written, so I will definitely let know if I have any news about a publication date. you can also sign up for my newsletter and I can keep you informed about all kinds of bookish things (:
http://katrossbooks.com/contact.html
http://katrossbooks.com/contact.html
Kat Ross
Funny you should ask! I just shook off a bad case earlier this week. Here are some of the things that have worked for me. Of course, there's already a ton of great advice out there. But when you're grappling with writer's block, or just a rough patch, I've found that the more, the merrier. Because one thing may not work, but another will. And the only thing you have to do is not give up and keep trying.
1. Get outside. Do something, anything, that unfetters your brain and lets it wander. My best solutions and plot fixes have come on runs and bike rides.
2. Go back and re-read your manuscript straight through from the very beginning. You don't want to do this too often because then it makes it harder to have fresh eyes for editing later, but when you've lost your way, it can really help you get back into the voice and characters and pacing.
3. If you seem to be stuck on one particular scene, jump ahead and write a scene you're looking forward to, that's exciting. Write the end, if you want to. And sometimes the scenes I get bogged down in are ones that I should probably lose anyway. If I can't even summon enthusiasm for them, who should I expect a reader to?
4. Sometimes it isn't your imagination; it's a very real problem in the story that a nagging little voice in your head is aware of and that you need to listen to. So identify the problem. What just worked for me was writing a new, one-page summary. I realize there just wasn't enough suspense building toward the final third. The fix required some work, but it was completely worth it in the end.
5. Walk away from the computer and read! Explore a different genre, discover a great new author. Look at what works in the story and what doesn't. If you just read something you couldn't put down, figure out how they hooked you and see if you can translate that into your own story.
6. Finally, whether you are working on a self-imposed deadline or one set by an editor, take a breath and remind yourself that this is a first draft. You can—and will—go back later and polish, adding scenes, deleting others, and generally reworking the whole thing. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be the best thing you've ever written, and in fact you wouldn't want it to be, because that means it's all downhill from here, right?
1. Get outside. Do something, anything, that unfetters your brain and lets it wander. My best solutions and plot fixes have come on runs and bike rides.
2. Go back and re-read your manuscript straight through from the very beginning. You don't want to do this too often because then it makes it harder to have fresh eyes for editing later, but when you've lost your way, it can really help you get back into the voice and characters and pacing.
3. If you seem to be stuck on one particular scene, jump ahead and write a scene you're looking forward to, that's exciting. Write the end, if you want to. And sometimes the scenes I get bogged down in are ones that I should probably lose anyway. If I can't even summon enthusiasm for them, who should I expect a reader to?
4. Sometimes it isn't your imagination; it's a very real problem in the story that a nagging little voice in your head is aware of and that you need to listen to. So identify the problem. What just worked for me was writing a new, one-page summary. I realize there just wasn't enough suspense building toward the final third. The fix required some work, but it was completely worth it in the end.
5. Walk away from the computer and read! Explore a different genre, discover a great new author. Look at what works in the story and what doesn't. If you just read something you couldn't put down, figure out how they hooked you and see if you can translate that into your own story.
6. Finally, whether you are working on a self-imposed deadline or one set by an editor, take a breath and remind yourself that this is a first draft. You can—and will—go back later and polish, adding scenes, deleting others, and generally reworking the whole thing. It doesn't have to be perfect. It doesn't have to be the best thing you've ever written, and in fact you wouldn't want it to be, because that means it's all downhill from here, right?
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