The Brightest Darkness and Interview with Kate L. Mary

There was something evil living in Andrew. I’d seen it in his eyes, reflecting back at me like a spotlight. It was the brightest darkness I’d ever seen, bright enough to snuff every one of us out…
 
Still reeling from loss, Kellan and Regan set out to rescue Harper from Andrew and his men. Only now they aren’t just fighting to free a teenage girl, they’re fighting to keep a promise to the man who saved them, knowing if they fail, Harper won’t be the only one at risk.
 
Joining forces with a new group means having help and making friends, but it also brings new conflict and the risk of losing everything they’ve worked to build over the last night years. With zombies banging at their door and the threat of danger around every corner, Regan and Kellan will have to fight to keep their world secure and their secret from getting out.
 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43497319-the-brightest-darkness
 
Author Bio:
Kate L. Mary is an award-winning author of New Adult and Young Adult fiction, ranging from Post-apocalyptic tales of the undead, to Speculative Fiction and Contemporary Romance. Her YA book, When We Were Human, was the 2015 Children's Moonbeam Book Awards Silver Medal Winner for Young Adult Fantasy/Sci-Fi Fiction, and the 2016 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal Winner for Young Adult Science Fiction, and her dystopian novel, Outliers, was a Top 10 Finalist in the 2018 Author Academy Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and the Winner in the 2018 Kindle Book Awards for Sci-Fi/Fantasy.

Interview with Kate L. Mary:
·  Does writing energize or exhaust you?
It depends on the day. I love to write and for me it can be very relaxing, but there are times when I have a lot going on in my personal life and find it difficult to concentrate. If I have a deadline, I try to power through, but otherwise I force myself to take a break.  
·  What are common traps for aspiring writers?
These days, with the prevalence of self-publishing, skipping hiring an editor is becoming more and more common. Not only do you need a professional editor to look over your work, but you need more than one set of eyes on your story so you can put out the best product possible. That means critique partners, beta readers, AND an editor. Too many people are skipping one or all of these steps. When that happens, not only are readers getting a sub par product, but the writer is never going to grow. You need feedback from other people so you can learn how to better shape a story and build characters. No one, not even Stephen King himself, should put out a book that hasn’t been through very thorough revisions and editing.
·  Does a big ego help or hurt writers?
There really needs to be balance. You have to believe in yourself in this industry or you’re not going to make it. You could write the best novel in history and someone, somewhere isn’t going to like it. You can’t please everyone no matter what you do. However, you have to be humble enough to be able to take constructive criticism. 
·  What is your writing Kryptonite?
Really just stress in daily life. When I get too tired or too overwhelmed, it can be hard to get work done.
·  Have you ever gotten reader’s block?
I have four kids and a lot going on in my personal life, so it’s bound to happen. Usually if I take a break it works itself out, though.
·  Did you ever consider writing under a pseudonym?
Briefly, but I want everyone to know I wrote my books, so ultimately I decided not to.
·  Do you try more to be original or to deliver to readers what they want?
I have to be true to me, because ultimately I write for myself. Plus, it’s literally impossible to give everyone what they want. I remember one book where some reviewers complained that the main character got over a death took quickly, while other readers complained that she whined about it too much. Everyone sees things in a different light, so as long as I make myself happy, I’m okay.
·  Do you think someone could be a writer if they don’t feel emotions strongly?
I think it’s possible, but most likely the writing would come across as stiff and the characters probably wouldn’t seem very realistic.
·  What other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
I have a handful of author friends that I’ve met over the years on social media, and a few I’ve actually gotten to hang out with in person. It’s good to have people to talk to when you’re struggling to stay positive, either when you have a book out on submission with editors or you’re not getting such great reviews. It’s also handy for blurb writing. I swear, it’s easier to write an entire book than to write a three paragraph blurb that will pull readers in. I used to use other authors as beta readers, too, but we’re all so busy and now that I’ve been around for a while, I have readers who do this for me. They’re thrilled to get a chance to read one of my books early, and I’m extremely grateful for the help!
·  Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
My zombie series, Broken World, is 11 books long, and while I haven’t kept writing in that series, I do have other zombie novels that take place in the same world and enjoy adding small details to connect the story to the original series. It’s fun for my readers, too, since Broken World is a fan favorite.
·  If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
To just write. I’ve always wanted to be a writer, and I did some when I was younger, but I didn’t finish my first full novel until I was 32 years old, after having 4 kids. 
·  How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
It hasn’t really, except that now I know that people are not only going to buy it, but they’re going to be excited to read it. When I put out my first book, I was really just hoping a couple people other than friends and family would buy it, so the fact that I not only have very dedicated readers, but that I’ve sold nearly 50k books and had over 20 million pages read through Kindle Unlimited, makes it easier in a way to keep typing. 

 
Author Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KateLMaryauthor
Website: http://KateLMary.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmary0622
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zombieauthormom/
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2FQl4m1
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kate-L.-Mary/e/B00K48N5EQ/
Newsletter: http://bit.ly/1utg3pW
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-l-mary
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8185415.Kate_L_Mary
 
Buy Links:
The Loudest Silence: https://amzn.to/2MZmSxa
The Brightest Darkness: https://amzn.to/2TZtIpT
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