Anakalian Whims

Kendall Grey Interview and Special Whale Video

May 1, 2012 at 12:49 pm (Interviews) (inhale, Interview, just breathe trilogy, kendall grey, whales)

Not too long ago I posted a review of Kendall Grey’s book Inhale.  After the review, Grey agreed to a blog interview.  Today, May 1st 2012, Inhale is finally available to the public!

Describe your books.  What genre do you prefer them to be classified? Is this your favorite genre to read as well?

The JUST BREATHE trilogy is 51% urban fantasy and 49% romance. The books mix a lot of ideas that don’t seem to go together—whales, dreams, Elementals, fantasy, music, romance—but I think I mesh them in a way that makes sense. *Knocks wood* Urban fantasy and paranormal romance are my two favorite genres to read.

You are extremely knowledgeable and passionate about whales and whale education.  Will you ever write a nonfiction piece on the topic?

I’ve thought a lot about writing a nonfiction whale book for kids. I have gobs of pictures I’ve taken over the years that I could use within the pages. I don’t have the time now, but it’s bound to happen eventually.

What is the first book(s) you remember reading? Has that impacted the way you write?

I read Nancy Drew books as a kid, but I was never a big reader. I’m ashamed to admit I’m still not. I don’t know that any particular book or author has influenced my style. I just write the same way I think. The word “raw” comes to mind. 😉

You’ve got characters from all over the world (and beyond) in your books, did you find it difficult to write and stay true to their dialects? (They read quite smoothly.)

Thank you! Yes, it was difficult at times. I did tons of research on Aboriginal Australians to get Yileen’s dialect down, but it’s nowhere near perfect.

I’ve visited Australia several times and have some friends there who helped me with common Aussie sayings and phrases. I had to cut some of the more obscure references because my editor felt most readers wouldn’t understand their meaning. I wanted to portray the characters as authentically as possible, but she’s right. Quirky Aussie humor goes right over our American heads. Ha!

Do you have a personal favorite out of the characters in your book? Who is it and why?

You’re gonna make me choose? If I can only pick one, I’ll have to go with Gavin. He’s got all the qualities I love in a man—tall, tattooed, Australian, rugged but sensitive, a musician. *Sigh* But I adore the other characters too. Zoe for her dedication to the whales, Adriene for being the perfect best friend, Scarlet for being so bad she’s good, Yileen for his wisdom, and Sinnder for his moral ambiguity.

Photograph by Jemma Milanovic used in the cover of “Exhale” to portray Gavin Cassidy

How did you come across the photographs featured on the covers on Inhale and Exhale?

I found the Zoe picture on the INHALE cover on a stock photo site. The “Gavin” photo for EXHALE came from Deviant Art. Both images took months to find. Funny bit of trivia…the Gavin model is Australian and lives in New South Wales where Gavin does.

Did you learn anything from writing your books? What was it?

The biggest lesson I learned was humility. I wrote the first draft of INHALE almost four years ago and knew it would be a best seller. A deluge of cold-as-a-dead-fish form rejections from agents and editors informed me it was actually smellier than the creamy center of an 8-foot high chicken manure pile. Getting shoved out of my ivory tower was painful, humbling, and exactly what I needed. It forced me to seek help from other writers. I would never have gotten published without my writer friends and critique partners.

Being self published, did you find the responsibility and choices involved in cover art and fonts, etc. freeing and empowering, or a burden?

A little bit of both. I love the freedom and control I have. Many traditionally published authors have little or no say in the production of their books. Part of the reason I chose to self-publish was because I had a vision for my trilogy, and I didn’t want anyone messing it up.

The hard part for me is bearing the “What if?” burden. What if the books flop? What if they’re no good? Every author faces these fears, but I think it’s harder on self-publishers because we aren’t endorsed by the Powers That Be in New York. Many people don’t take indies seriously, which makes promotion and marketing difficult.

In your future ventures in the publishing world, what will you do differently? Why?

So far, I think I’ve done a pretty good job of managing the many the aspects of publishing (writing, revising, edits, more revisions, formatting final drafts, organizing reviews, promoting, developing marketing materials, etc.), but now that I’m close to finishing the trilogy, I don’t think the third book in the series will be ready by my projected publication date of July. The good news is, I’m self-publishing. My boss doesn’t mind if I’m a little late. 🙂 I’ll do my best to meet my self-imposed deadlines, but if I don’t make them, I don’t make them. Now that I’ve been through the process, I should be able to manage future books much better.

Outside of your love for whales, what’s one thing you would want your readers and fans to know about you?

There’s nothing special about me. I’m just a person who wrote some books. I have plenty of flaws, fears, and loud feelings. I’m not afraid to share them. What you see is what you get. 🙂

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, AndiKay!

Additional Notes

INHALE, an urban fantasy romance by Kendall Grey, is now available in paperback and e-book for Kindle (MOBI) and Nook (EPUB). INHALE is the first book in the JUST BREATHE trilogy. Kendall is donating all profits from the sale of the trilogy to programs that educate people about whales and the challenges they face. Watch the video to find out why: http://www.youtube.com/embed/YQfjxacis28

Kendall encourages interested readers to consider purchasing an e-book instead of a paperback. E-books save trees, cost considerably less, and bring in much more money for the whales.

Thank you for supporting INHALE, and most importantly, the whales that need our help.

Check out Inhale’s web page: http://www.justbreathenovel.com/Just_Breathe/The_Books.html

Read my review of Inhale here: https://anakalianwhims.wordpress.com/2012/02/08/inhale-and-be-ready-to-hold-your-breath-a-lot-a-review/

Some of my interview questions have been known to have been inspired by http://riteshkala.wordpress.com/