Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
I’ve always had a vivid imagination and my love of writing dates back to first grade where creative writing was part of the weekly schedule. I started writing novels when I was thirteen, though I admit that they weren’t worthy of publication at the time.
Although I have a degree in history, I prefer to write epic fantasy novels. To me it allows my imagination to run more freely, while also letting me incorporate historically inspired events and cultures. I thoroughly enjoy world building with geography, history, cultures, politics, economy, religion, etc. Honestly, what I have in my books is not nearly everything I know about my worlds. Currently the ROYAL OUTLAW trilogy (ROYAL OUTLAW, GILDED CAGE, GOLDEN CROWN) are my only published fantasy novels, but I’m hard at work writing more!
A few years ago, I discovered some faded handwritten pages in a cupboard and was astonished as I read to discover the adventures one of my ancestors had experienced. What a fascinating life Philip Becher led! Although it took some time to figure out who the writer was and his relation to me, in addition to typing up and editing Philip’s rough draft, the memoir eventually became ADVENTURES OF AND ENGLISH GENTLEMAN IN THE EARLY AMERICAN WEST.
I love teaching and hope to soon be a full-fledged teacher encouraging students to follow their dreams and filling them with knowledge. I am a true mountain girl, who loves cross-country and downhill skiing, hiking, bike riding, and horseback riding. Somehow I find time to write and hope to have more books published.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The ROYAL OUTLAW trilogy is my first series and the only one currently available. The nugget of the idea came to me when I was fifteen. I was watching a documentary series on U.S. western exploration and imagined what it would be like if a teenage girl had accompanied her father on an expedition. Now, if you read the synopsis for ROYAL OUTLAW, you’ll say, “What are you talking about?” That first idea of a girl joining her father on an early expedition westward was where the story started, but over the next three years it developed into something entirely different, set in a fantastical land, by the time I started writing it.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I hear voices . . . okay, not literally, but the characters tell their own stories, leaving me irritated and surprised sometimes. I may try to plan a book or series, but once I start writing the characters take over and I am left at their mercy. I am a very organized person in life and like to plan, but my writing process is not necessarily orderly. I move chronologically through the story, but sometimes even I am blindsided by a sudden twist in the story. It’s exciting, but does mean I have to comb the text for inconsistencies during the editing process and means I need to write the entire series before I publish the first book. I know, that is very naughty of me, but that’s the way my writing works.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Where do I even begin? I’ll throw out only a few, since the long list might make your eyes cross in an effort to read it. My favorite fantasy novels are the Tortall Books by Tamora Pierce and ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine. I love Kristen Cashore’s books GRACELING and FIRE and I grew up with HARRY POTTER. Jennifer A. Nielson’s books (The ASCENDANCE Trilogy and MARK OF A THIEF Trilogy), Cinda Williams Chima (The SEVEN REALMS Quartet), and Maria V. Snyder (POISON STUDY series) are more recent favorites and inspirations. History itself is one of my biggest influences, after all it is a story, too.
What are you working on now?
Uh, so I admit to being bad. I’m working on two separate series.
The first I’m working on is a trilogy and I am nearing the climax of the second book. I can provide a few specific details for this series. It starts with the main character being killed. I know, a cheerful beginning. After serving Death for nearly two-hundred-fifty years, escorting recently dead souls to Death’s Kingdom, the main character is returned to life. That’s all I’m giving you.
The second series is a duology (two books) and I’m finished with the first book, but haven’t started writing the second. I can’t really say much about it without giving away key parts. It involves looking at the reality of people in history instead of just the myth, dark magic creeping back into a land free from almost all magic for centuries, and deals with social tension and prejudices.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I am horrible at promoting my books. I am pleased to have received several excellent reviews for my ROYAL OUTLAW trilogy and my great-great-grandfather’s memoir that I edited and published under the title ADVENTURES OF AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN IN THE EARLY AMERICAN WEST, but I deserve an “F” for marketing. My goal to publishing was to share my stories with other people, but I need to do a better job of letting people know they exist.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Practice, patience, and perseverance. The only way to improve your writing is to write and to write a lot. You have to love writing and want to write for yourself. It is okay to take major ideas from your favorite novels or movies and write about them in the practice phase. The patience comes with realizing that not all of the work you create will be published. Think of each new story you write as a stepping block to being published. Once you believe that you have reached a writing level that is good enough to be published (and others agree) start to query agents. This is a time of perseverance. Don’t let one rejection letter discourage you. The publishing business is very subjective and if you are writing fantasy there are few agents willing to even look at proposed books from unknown authors. Don’t discount self-publishing, but be sure your book is really ready for publication before you pursue that option.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Write because you love to write, not to make money.
What are you reading now?
MARK OF A THIEF by Jennifer A. Nielsen
What’s next for you as a writer?
Learning how to market my published works better and keep writing.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
“How to Survive on a Desert Island and How to Escape the Island” would be mandatory, though I don’t think such a specific book exists. I would take ELLA ENCHANTED by Gail Carson Levine and FIRE by Kristin Cashore. I would also take a large blank book to write stories in and notes for survival.
Author Websites and Profiles
Kayla Hudson Website