Meet the Author: Valarie Savage Kinney!
I have to tell you, I love getting to interact with all kinds of writers from different backgrounds. I especially love when I find someone who writes in a way I've never seen before or tackles subject matter that most choose not to. It's something that I try to do in my own writing, so it's a real treat when I find it in someone else.
Valarie Kinney is just such an author. I decided within a few minutes of reading this interview that I had to add one of her books to my long list of many to be read. Whether or not you choose to read her work as well, I hope you find her as interesting and refreshing as I did! Welcome, Valarie!
Tell us a little about yourself. What made you choose to be a writer and who are you when you aren't writing?
I was always writing as a kid and teenager, and then I grew up, got married and had kids, and life sort of took over. I came back to writing about six years ago, after my dad died, as a way to write out my grief. I ended up writing an entire novel, and then I left it sitting on my lime green flash drive. When my sister was diagnosed with and eventually died from lung cancer, I decided it was now or never, and I found an editor and published my first novel. It's been a rollercoaster ever since. When I'm not writing, I'm writing. Just different stuff. My day job is as a content writer for a digital marketing company. I'm also a wife, and mom (four kids, two dogs). I love to
read and crochet. Every June I am a pirate at a Ren Faire. My favorite TV shows are Outlander and The Walking Dead. I'm a big fan of yarn, kilts, Johnny Depp, and Tim Burton films.
Tell us about your book!
Heckled is the story of a man locked in battle with his own mind. I came up with the idea for Heckled after the world lost Robin Williams, and so many people on social media were posting nonsense about how people who live with mental illness or who consider suicide were cowards. I wanted to write something that portrayed how much strength it takes each day to wake up and face it, even when you know your mind is going to battle and lie to you. It's so far from being cowardly.
What is your writing process?
I
wish I could say I wake up early, go to my private writing room, and type for a certain amount of time. But that would be a lie. I have a computer on the desk in the living room that I share with my family. I try to write the most when my kids are gone to school, so usually in the late morning. Usually I start out with an idea and just start typing. I do not outline, or do plot charts, or anything like that. Often, I'm just as surprised at what happens as anyone else. My last book, Heckled, I wrote the last chapter first, then several scenes I had to work in later, and then I started at the beginning and worked my way through. It all depends on what I see going on in my mind that's what I write down.
What makes your work unique?
I tend to tackle topics not everyone likes to talk about. Grief, mental illness, addiction, snakes. This means not everyone likes my work, and it I am okay with that. It also makes it difficult to nail down a specific genre sometimes.
What is the hardest part about being an Indie author?
Being seen, I think. There are so many books out, and so many indie books out, that I feel like such a tiny fish in a gigantic ocean. But I'm supportive of the indie movement. I like the creativity that sparks from it, the independence. For the most part, once people read my work, they tend to like it. But it is getting my work in front of people that feels difficult. And I can't say my books are better than everyone else's books, so why choose me? (please choose me!)
Thanks for the interview, Valarie! If you want to learn more about Valarie Kinney and get the latet updates on all of her books, you can find her on:
Valerie Kinney Bio
Valarie Kinney is a writer, fiber artist and Renaissance Festival junkie with a wicked caffeine addiction. She resides in Michigan with her husband, four children, and two insane little dogs. She is the author of Heckled, Slither and Just Hold On, as well as the short stories Copper and Ailith in the KAPOW! anthologies by 7DS Books. Narrator for Dragons of Faith.
