Hannah got the amazing opportunity to interview Kara M. Zone for her books Cinders Burn at Midnight and Ashes Fall at Dawn (out today). These books follow Kaitlin as she navigates her father coming back into her life, complicated matriarchs, and so much more! Please make sure you are picking up a copy of both books today!!

1. What made you want to become a writer? 

It’s just someone who I am, intrinsically, at my core. I tried to hide away from it because I didn’t believe I could do it, but it found me anyway.

2.  I know your series is Indie Published, what made you decide to go that route? 

When I started writing self-publishing wasn’t a huge palpable thing. It’s still not easy, but over the years indie publishing morphed and changed into something wonderful. I got into it because I didn’t want to stop and didn’t want anything to stop me. I took fifteen years to find self-confidence and learn everything I could about indie publishing. Now, I’m excited to share my knowledge with those who want to write, become an indie publisher, and my second novel is being published soon. 

3. What is your series about? 

At its core, the stories in this series are about independence and the struggle some of us undergo to find it. Mental health and C-PTSD are incredibly important in my real life and in the world I’m creating. The dual POV allows for people to get different perspectives from different upbringings and allows the reader to see the world in new ways.​​​

In life none of us see the world the same, even if we grow up in the same house with the same people. I love inviting different perspectives in. 

4. What drew you to a paranormal fantasy/mystery? 

I’m not really sure. It’s just something I’ve always been intrinsically drawn to; fantasy, sci-fi, and the paranormal. All the shows and books I watched/read had a hint of mystery behind it too. Buffy, Charmed, The Daughter of the Forest, many others. The characters were always figuring something out. I like the added layer. 

5. I’m always amazed at how writer’s craft their mysteries and leave in little breadcrumbs. Can you tell readers how you prepared for the overall mystery of Kaitlin’s world?  

Honestly, it definitely took some time and drafting. Lots of drafting. There were little parts that popped up and I didn’t even know they were there until they were written. It’s fun that way, but when it happens, I always have to go back through the story and make sure that the narrative connects. 

6. You have fae in your book. Fae can be such complicated beings. What made you want to bring them into your world? 

I don’t think I ever had a time when Fae weren’t going to be involved. It probably stems from my long love of fantasy, but in the original drafts fae weren’t as prominent. They weren’t going to show up in a cluster until the fourth book in the series. Sarhya was more of a presence initially and was going to give Kaitlin that mother/mentor vibe and I love her so I can’t wait for the next books because she’ll be in them more, it just didn’t work out that she was in book two. 

I didn’t want all of my fae to be arrogant and twisted—yes there will be some—but I wanted them to be aloof and casual because they had so much time [to live]. 

But also, I wanted to show the fae world in general and the messed up governing systems to add tension and something to fight against besides just the “bad guys.” 

7. In book 1, Kaitlin is dealing with matriarchs in her family that are less than supportive. What was it like building these complicated mother/daughter dynamics? 

It’s definitely a challenge with trauma, especially long-term toxicity that tends to be cyclical. So it’s not just “evil” matriarchs. There are reasons for it and they stem far and long. So figuring out how to show the cyclical nature, while using C-PTSD as a main theme definitely had ruminations, and rewrites. 

8. I know you mentioned in some of your work that this focuses on found family. I always like seeing found family for a variety of reasons. What motivated this found family to come together in your series? 

Probably just personal experiences. We all want a family that we’re close with, to feel like we’re connected to something—even me and I’m insanely introverted so it’s small doses for me—but there is something wonderful with the idea that we get to pick the people we want in our lives, I think a lot of found family stories that come together are a symbol of hop. 

9. What excites you most about your characters?

Getting to know them and how they act in all types of scenarios.

10. Was there something you struggled with in telling these stories? 

It’s interesting because stories develop in layers. First there is the laying down the bones, then adding the meat, the flesh, and then the extra stuff like, hair, makeup, accessories, etc. I’ve gotten better at storytelling and telling the stories faster but when something isn’t right it really isn’t right, which is find [because] that’s what editing is for but with the upcoming novel, Ashes Fall at Dawn, there was something that was not right. 

I had beta readers, first looks, I had other people read it and review it and it wasn’t until 2 weeks from the deadline that someone finally shined a light on the problem. Thankfully. It always makes the story amazing when the pieces all fit into place. 

Book two wasn’t harder to write [because] I knew the characters better, it was harder to write because I couldn’t step away from the puzzle, which is why it’s always good to have a team surrounding you to help with those things. 

For question 11, yes. Finn was a pain in the ass to write, lol. He was mouthy and would not leave me alone for two weeks, probably more, until I understood him completely. But it did work out he is one of the fan favorites, even if he’s still a pain in the ass, lol. 

11. Well he’s your beta reader’s and editor’s favorite, who is your favorite character to sit with? 

I’m in a very unique position where I have the core story: Kaitlin and Finn’s, but more stories are branching off of that and I have five novellas planned with side characters now. They go on their own adventures and give me and the readers insight into a new little pocket of the world. 

Garrek is a fae—pixie—who I’m most excited to get to know. I have a short story of his that’s going into an anthology getting published in November. But he has an enormous amount of loyalty sometimes to the detriment of his personal life. I’m excited to tell his story in a novella. 

12. For readers hearing about your work for the first time, what can they expect from your series? 

Ha, well It’s been called a wild ride by several people, which is surprising to me only because more than one have said it and when I think of my novels it wasn’t the descriptor I would have even thought of. 

There is always going to be darkness represented in it. Mental health is such an important theme to me because I come from a background of cyclical toxicity. I live with C-PTSD because of it and I also have a chemical imbalance which spawned Fibromyalgia. Mental health affects everyone. Even if they don’t believe in “mental health.” 

I really hit on the dissociation, flashbacks, and the effects C-PTSD has on the body. 

It’s important to know that while we have these issues they are chemical, hormonal, neurological issues that we can “come into the light” and always have a chance at being the person we wanted to be. But… that’s kind of where the independence theme comes into play as well. 

I don’t shy away from abuse or sex or any topic that is relevant to the story. There will always be flashbacks to give the reader an insider view on what some things might be the way they are now with the character. 

I peg it with whimsy, magic, and smart ass characters who have to deal with intense situations in some way. Because sarcasm always is one of the best medicines. 

[SPOILERS AHEAD – move to question 17 for end of spoiler discussion!] 

13. Something I noticed with book 1 is it’s about Kaitlin finding her magic again. It appears you’ve turned book 1 on its head with her suffering memory loss. What was it like starting at that moment in book 2? 

I always had book two beginning in my head. The first chapter with Kaitlin and her mother has always been there, but what was trickier this time, because book one had the reader coming in blind, is knowing what to reveal and what not to reveal. The flashbacks were a little harder to orchestrate. 

There was an opportunity to tell too much from the previous book and I didn’t want to just rehash that, and I wanted to avoid brain dumping too much too fast about Kaitlin and Max’s past when  

14. Max sounds like he is going to be a big focus in book 2 as the brother trying to save his sister (along with Finn of course). Can you tell readers who enjoyed book 1 what to expect from Max after being with him in the novella and seeing him in Book 1? 

Lilith (mother) is a master manipulator, so the only reads she sent Kaitlin to college was to show Max that they were connected. Lilith doesn’t know a lot about other things behind the scene, but honestly, Max is her favorite child and as twisted as it is, she believes bringing him back into the family will be the right move for her many other motivations and manipulations. 

So now that Max and Kaitlin discovered a huge amount of things that Lilith didn’t plan on them finding out he’s not going to leave Kaitlin. Even if she would have chosen to stay with Lilith and Marion in book two. 

That part of the manipulation worked out well. 

But Max and Kaitlin do have a strong bond and even though Kaitlin doesn’t remember Max at the start of book 2 that bond is something that helps her recover memories faster. He’s there in a lot of scenes when she needs help (even tho she can totally take care of herself) just having that backup is healing for her and Max. 

Max has to play a different role [because] he’s trying to show Lilith he’s willing to play her games while also trying to reveal some disturbing things to a sister who doesn’t remember the time they spent bonding. 

15. I know a lot of these books deal with what it means to have free will versus your destiny. What interested you about those themes? 

Just personal experience. It’s more about the right to choose your path. For a long time, from childhood to almost 30 I didn’t know or realize that I had a voice. I let other people make choices for me and was pretty unhappy with them. 

I was always going to find my footing, I think we all do once our eyes were opened enough, and I was always going to be a writer (eventually) but I had to make it happen. It’s kind of an interesting balance between knowing what you—aka everyone—really wants and actually going toward that goal. 

16. Are there more mysteries in book 2? Can you preview them for us here? 

I don’t even know how to answer this, lol… It’s a great question but yes there are mysteries, some things get answered and new things develop. 

Michael doesn’t show up in this book in person, but it’s alluded to why (or how) he’s stayed away so long and probably was forced away instead of leaving the kids to fend for themselves. 

Readers get an insight into Kaitlin’s library that she built with Max and Michael. 

A few new surprises character-wise pop up. Readers get to meet Garrek in person and they get insight into how Lilith works in business meetings. Philip Avery—Finn and Aiden’s father—is in it for a good bit too. 

[END SPOILERS]

17. What books inspired you to become a writer?

There are so many, I wrote my first story in the second grade. My favorite book at that time was “In a Dark Dark Room.” So, that probably started me on my path. I was deep into VC Andrews as a kid, which are not child friendly, and I would have never let my kids read them when they were 11 and 12; but I loved the Babysitters club, Sweet Valley High, R.L. Stein YA books, Stephen King, Joyce Carol Oates, are really weird mix of authors. 

TJ Klune, Adrienne Young, and EJ Mellow are my inspirations right now, although Melissa Albert has an amazing way with her writing. A Darker Shade of Magic [by V.E. Schwab] has the best first page in it I’ve ever read. 

18. What are you reading, watching, and/or enjoying? 

Heh, right now I just finished rewatching Schitt’s Creek and started on New Girl. I love baking competitions and I just finished Top Chef as well, so I’m waiting for more Holiday Championship on food network by watching Master Chef and Next Level chef too (don’t tell anyone, but Top Chef is my favorite).

I also have playlists for all the characters, er most characters, I’m writing on so when I’m cleaning or going for a walk I have their playlists in my ear. David Bowie, Tom Waits, Fleetwood Mac, Amanda Palmer, Florence and the Machines, The Strokes, Missy Elliot, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, and of course, Nirvana. (But loads more too, lol)