Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hello. I write adult fantasy novels about celestial wonders, dark histories, and the magic of trees. I currently have one published novel, The Chrysillium Tree, and am currently writing the sequel, Star of Shalik, which is will be released in September 2022.
I am also an avid reader. I enjoy connecting with other writers. I alpha, beta, and ARC read for a number of writers and I run a blog about process and craft called The Author Nook, which can be found on my website.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
The Chrysillium Tree was inspired by a dream. The pandemic had just begun and it was a difficult time, a frightening time. I’ve always been a sensitive person, and energetically, the world felt so strange during this time. Early on during all this, I had a dream of a beautiful tree with little crystals on its branches instead of leaves and they glowed a bioluminescent indigo color. They were breathtaking to behold, but what move me more than their beauty was the sound they made as the wind moved through their branches. The soft clinking of the crystals was a sound reminiscent of something cosmic, something ancient, something old and perhaps forgotten and yet so very peaceful.
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I drink lots of very black coffee that I sprinkle with just a touch of cinnamon. I do my best creative writing late at night when the house is quiet, but also there is something about the moonlight and the stars… there are owls just outside my window that I often hear as I write. Something about the quiet and the magic of nighttime really ignites my creativity. On other days where I’m struggling with words or an idea, I’ll play some music to help get me into a mood.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
Leigh Bardugo
N.K. Jemisin
Deborah Harkness
Stephen King
Robert Jordan
Toni Adeyemi
Rosalyn Briar
E.P. Stavs
What are you working on now?
I am currently writing the sequel to The Chrysillium Tree. The first draft of Star of Shalik is almost complete. Part I has been given an emphatic thumbs up from my CP. I am about to give him part II for critique. Once the first draft is complete, I will enter into the long phase of critique and multiple revisions. I use alpha readers, beta readers, a developmental editor, a content editor, and a line editor. It’s a process! And I’m enjoying writing these early stages of Star of Shalik as the idea becomes more clear to me and the characters grow more defined.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
Twitter has probably been the best method although I must admit that was not intentional. I joined Twitter about a year and a half ago to connect with other writers. I was looking for friends to talk about the writing process with, share ideas, and read each other’s work. I found all of this as well as some life-long friends and much to my surprise a slew of dedicated readers. Little did I know, as I tweeted snippets, moodboards, quotes, etc of my WIP, readers were paying attention. The result, I had a fantastic book launch! I used other methods of marketing too, of course, but the best by far was Twitter which was an organic process focused on creating relationships.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Love your work. Don’t be too critical. Let your trusted early readers do that. Don’t underestimate the power of imagining. It’s easy to get hung up on prose and structure, but honestly too much focus on those things, especially early on in the process will kill the heart of it. Dream, imagine, believe, love… be present in your story, love it, live it. Then worry about all that other writerly stuff as you edit and refine the story. The other stuff is important too, of course. Your words need to be understood and nobody likes to be distracted by bad grammar or sloppy prose, but my point is it’s a process. And the imagining, the magic of the story, is just as important.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Let your writing breath. Give it space and time. Time to think and to imagine.
What are you reading now?
Soul-Strung by Rachel Hobbs
Heart of the Rose by K.L. Bone
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
What’s next for you as a writer?
Keep writing… finish Star of Shalik. Then write the third and final novel which is currently drafted. After that, I have another fantasy WIP that is completely written and set in another universe. It needs a massive amount of revising. It is also a trilogy.
So those two projects will probably take the next six years, at least.
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?
Frank Herbert Dune
Isaac Asimov Foundation
Robert Jordon Eye of the World
Deborah Harkness A Discovery of Witches
Author Websites and Profiles
Laken Honeycutt Website
Laken Honeycutt Amazon Profile
Laken Honeycutt’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account
Pinterest Account