The League of Scribes: Interview With Kevin L Nielsen

Each week, The L. Palmer Chronicles uses The Compass of Magical Pointiness to open up a portal through the universe to bring you a member of The League of Scribes.

The League of Scribes is a legendary group of authors who write grand adventures in the realms of science fiction and fantasy. They are able to write rich, compelling stories while keeping content in the PG –PG-13 range.

If you have been on a quest to find clean sci-fi and fantasy novels, you have reached the right place.

This week, we present:

Kevin L Nielsen

Otherwise known by her Code Name: Quiverpen

I like archery and writing – so I put a pen in my quiver and it becomes a great weapon of mass instruction. Or something along those lines

About the Author:

Kevin L. Nielsen’s journey into writing began in the 6th grade when an oft-frustrated school librarian told him there simply wasn’t enough money in the budget to buy any more books. He’d read them all. She politely suggested he write his own.

He owes his publishing debut to the LTUE Symposium, a purple shirt, and a passing editor who didn’t mind some mild sarcasm. Kevin writes epic, young adult, and urban fantasy. His writing group, Team Unleashed, keeps him grounded and away from purple prose about falcons, dragons, and worldbuilding.

Kevin currently resides in Utah with his amazing wife and two wonderful children. He’s still writing and continuing a lifelong quest to become a dragon rider.

You can find Kevin on his website, kevinlnielsen.com or you can sign up for his newsletter for the most up to date news on book releases and signing events at http://bit.ly/KLNielsenNews

Kevin L Nielsen’s Work:

Sands (Book 1 of the Sharani Series):

For nine months of the year, the sands of the Sharani Desert are safe. The genesauri—giant, flying, serpentine monsters who hunt across the desert in enormous packs—lie dormant. The smallest of their kind is able to take down a single man with ease, and the largest is able to swallow entire clans. The people of the desert have always been able to predict the creatures’ appearance, but this year, the genesauri have stopped following the rules.

When the genesauri suddenly attack her clan, seventeen-year-old Lhaurel draws a sword in her people’s defense—a forbidden practice for women of any clan—and is sentenced to death by her own people. Chained to a rock and left to be eaten by the ne,t wave of genesauri, Lhaurel is rescued by a mysterious, elusive clan said to curse children at a glance, work une,plainable terrors, and disappear into the sands without a trace.

With the fate of the clans hanging in the balance, Lhaurel discovers she possesses a rare and uncontrollable power—one that will be tested as the ne,t deadly genesauri attack looms on the horizon and the clash between clans grows more inevitable by the hour.

Interview

Who would love your books?

The Sharani Series (Sands & Storms) are geared toward young adult and teen audiences. Anyone who enjoyed the Hunger Games, or The Maze Runner books would likely enjoy these books. My other novel, Resurgent Shadows, is geared more toward an older teen/young adult audience. It is post-apocalyptic in nature with dragons, magic, guns, and technology all working against one another.

What was the inspiration for your latest book/series?

The inspiration for the Sharani Series started with an idea of the monsters in the story. The genesauri became the driving force of the story and the rest of it evolved from there. Worldbuilding, life, and story are layered processes – one thing leads to another, which leads to another, and so on. Throw in some magic, a main character who doesn’t fit in, and a situation that would make anyone squirm, and you get a fun story.

If a movie of your book were made, what movie(s) would it be most similar to?

The Maze Runner set on Tattooine, but with magic and monsters.

Do you use music while writing? If so, what music do you use? Is there a theme song for your book?

Yes, I do. I listen to an eclectic array of music while I write, though mostly acapella covers of popular songs or other vocal music. The theme song of Sands is “Walking through the Air,” which is ironic if you listen to it while reading the final battle scene in the novel. That’s the song it was written to and what I would want to use there if Sands is ever made into a movie.

What authors or books inspire you most?

Brandon Sanderson is my current favorite author and inspires me daily with his productivity and work ethic, along with his skills in worldbuilding and magic systems. Another one (which I just recently met) is Alyson Peterson. She’s a strong, independent, powerful woman who makes the word “fierce” seem like you’re describing a marshmallow.

As far as books that inspire me, ironically, the book that most inspires me to write is The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I also really enjoy Ender’s Shadow by Orson Scott Card, even more than the original Ender’s Game.

If you were conquering the world, what fantasy or sci-fi creature/race/entity would you build your army out of? Why?

Dragons. Because DRAGONS! Seriously, dragons are the best. My first few unpublished books all have dragons in them. There are dragon analogues in everything I write.

Would you rather ride a galactic unicorn or a space dinosaur? Why?

So, I don’t like unicorns. I never really have. They’ve been around for a long time and there’s far too much overall “goodness” associated with them to be a well-rounded character on its own. So, if by space dinosaur you mean “dragon” then I’m all over that!

When did you decide to be a professional writer?

I’ve always wanted to write and have always written. It was about two years ago that I decided I wanted to eventually get to a place where I could write full time. I’m still working on that. I have three books out and am working on several others. Two years ago I attended the LTUE (Life, the Universe, and Everything) Symposium in Provo, UT. It was a time of severe highs and lows on the writing front, but it steeled my resolved and I decided then and there to start considering myself a “professional” writer.

Are you a planner, a discovery writer, or a hybrid?

I’m a hybrid. I discovery writing the intricacies of character and the details of the plot, though I’ve got an overall picture outlined. Each project you work on will require something different each time.

What is your number one piece of advice for aspiring writers?

Stop considering yourself an “aspiring” writer. Either you’re a writer or you aren’t. If you’re practicing and striving to get better at writing, you’re a writer. If you think about writing when you should be thinking about anything else, you’re a writer. That being said, keep writing. Be persistent and write. That’s basically the key. Keep at it.

Where do your books fall on the Rating Scale of PG to PG-13 Content (1 = How To Train Your Dragon, 8 = The Dark Knight, 10 = Borderline-R-Rating).

The Sharani Series is probably a 6.75, Resurgent Shadows is probably an 8

If you live in a fictional world (besides one you’ve created) which would you choose and why?

I would want to live in the world hidden within The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson. I like this novel because it tells people that hard work and study can trump skill, while still having some awesome plot and magic involved.