Kalayna Price Interview - Grave War

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Kalayna Price is the USA Today bestselling author of the Alex Craft novels, including Grave Destiny, Grave Ransom, and Grave Visions. She draws her ideas from the world around her, her studies into ancient mythologies, and her obsession with classic folklore. Her stories contain not only the mystical elements of fantasy but also a dash of romance, a bit of gritty horror, some humor, and a large serving of mystery. Kalayna is an avid reader, a gardener, a mother, a board gamer, and is proud to let her geek flag fly.

      

  

What was the greatest thing you learned at school? 

Oh, that’s hard. Do you mean primary or college? In primary, definitely learning how to read was rather an important and essential skill that opened doorways into so many magical worlds. In college, I took so many different classes in so many interesting subjects it would be almost impossible to choose one thing. 

Tell us your latest news. 

The big news is of course the release of GRAVE WAR on November 24th. This is the seventh and final book in the Alex Craft series and I’m so excited to share it with everyone. 

Who or what has influenced your writing, and in what way? 

I couldn’t pick just one author! I love to read and most likely everything I read touches me in some way or another. It may be the feeling of having had such an amazing experience with their characters and hoping I can inspire such a journey in readers, or it might be small grains of ideas that inspire me directly. 

Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published. 

Meeting readers for sure! It is always amazing and a little surreal when I talk to readers and they discuss these people (I write about) who have only ever lived in my head. 

What do you hope for readers to be thinking when they read your novel? 

That they have had an amazing journey with Alex and her friends. 

In your newest book, GRAVE WAR (Alex Craft #7); can you tell my Book Nerd community a little about the novel? 

This novel wraps up the storyline started seven books ago. In Grave War, Alex is trying to balance her ties to Faerie with her mortal life and responsibilities, but things go rather askew when an explosion occurs at the doorway between worlds. The unrest brewing in Faerie is spilling over into the mortal realm and Alex can’t wait on sidelines. 

Which of your characters do you feel has grown the most since book 1 and in what way have they changed? 

Alex has definitely seen the most growth, both in her emotional and magical journey throughout the series. 

What part of Alex did you enjoy writing the most? 

Her humor. She isn’t a guns blazing type of character, even though she gets herself into a lot of dangerous situations, so she has a certain amount of sarcastic (and sometimes self-depreciating) internal dialogue that is fun to write. 

If you could introduce one of your characters to any character from another book, who would it be and why? 

Oh it would be fun to pluck main heroines from lots of urban fantasy series and toss them in a room together. Sadly, I’m not so sure the outcome would be pleasant, but it would definitely be memorable. 

TEN FACTS ABOUT GRAVE WAR 

• I’ve known the main twists and reveals that appear in this novel since I wrote Grave Witch (the first novel.) 
• Despite knowing the above, I agonized over two potential ending outcomes throughout most of the first draft of this novel, finally settling on one only about halfway through. (Maybe one day I’ll write the alternative ending to share with those interested.) 
• Alex is in way over her head in this book—though I guess that isn’t abnormal for her. 
• Readers will finally learn Caine’s secrets in Grave War. 
• Some of my favorite minor characters make an appearance in Grave War. 
• I haven’t actually counted, but I think this book contains the most named characters out of any in the series. 
• The magic in Alex’s series is heavily influenced by folklore from around the world. I love folklore and have a library of it that I dig through. 
• Pets tend to show up in my writing, probably because I am both a cat and dog person and tend to have at least one or the other watching over me while I’m writing. PC (Alex’s dog) is a beloved character of mine, but in Grave War I particularly enjoyed writing the scenes with a shadow cat (though Alex would not agree). 
• I don’t think I’ve been more nervous about the reception of a book since my first one. I’ve never ended a series before, and there are a lot of emotions tied up here. 
• I wasn’t ready to say goodbye to these characters. They have been a huge part of my life and I will miss them. Hopefully I’ll have a chance to come back and visit their world one day.

Most horrifying dream you have ever had? 

I tend to be plagued by detailed and vivid dreams, but it’s likely the ones the you wake with your heart pounding as your back slams into the mattress with your skin slick with sweat . . . and yet you can’t remember a thing beyond the lingering prickle of terror that claws at the edges of your mind that are the most frightening. 

If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go? 

To revisit or to change things? Those would be very different answers. 

What's the memorable summer job you've ever had? 

I never really had a quintessential “summer job.” Jobs I had during the year carried over and vice versa. 

What is something you think everyone should do at least once in their lives? 

Read my books, of course! No, I’m kidding, but I don’t really have a good answer for this. Everyone is different and their paths will take them very different ways. There is nothing I could say that wouldn’t have my own bias attached beyond the cliche “live.” 

Which incident in your life that totally changed the way you think today? 

My own personal turning point? Oh, I’m not sure. It would be hard to pinpoint any single incident that completely changed me. 

What is one unique thing are you afraid of? 

The color yellow. Okay, that’s not really a fear, more of a preference. Nothing really unique, only odd thing I can think of is that I’m rather iffy on elevators (though I’m much better than I used to be.) 

What was the best memory you ever had as a writer? 

There are so many great memories. If I had to pick only one, it would probably be the first time someone I didn’t know approached me with a well read copy of my book and asked me to sign it. I write to entertain, but I often suffer imposter syndrome, sure everyone around me knows I’m not actually good enough to be in the room/published/have bestseller attached to my name/etc, so when someone has read my work and enjoys it, that tends to floor me. 

Where can readers find you? 

I don’t keep a very active online presence but the latest news can be found at my website at www.kalayna.com

Grave witch Alex Craft is getting pulled back into deadly fae politics in the thrilling new novel in the USA Today bestselling series.

Grave witch Alex Craft has forged an uneasy truce with the world of Faerie, but she’s still been trying to maintain at least some semblance of a normal life in the human world. So it’s safe to say that stepping up as the lead investigator for the Fae Investigation Bureau was not a career path she ever anticipated taking.

When an explosion at the Eternal Bloom threatens to upend the fae who make their home in our world, Alex finds herself in charge of the most far reaching investigation she’s ever tackled. And it’s only her first week on the job. With the threats mounting and cut off from half her allies, Alex can’t wait on the sidelines and hope the fae’s conflicts stay contained within their borders. 

You can purchase Grave War at the following Retailers:

        

And now, The Giveaways.

Thank you KALAYNA PRICE for making this giveaway possible.

1 Winner will receive a Copy of Grave War (Alex Craft #7) by Kalayna Price.

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