CHARACTER INTERVIEW wit' Kalen!!!

Folks, so I've been promising you all this feature on ETHOS.  Well, I'm still delivering.  Today, I've got the main star of ETHOS here with me.... Kalen!  

Click on the author's name below to visit her site...

 Desiree Finkbeiner 

Kish: So Kalen, it’s great to finally meet you.  I’m a longtime fan
[smiles].  Well, a fan for as long as I’ve been reading Ethos,
anyway.  You’re a career man, I’ve heard.  How long were you in the service?


Kalen: From the time of my coming of age. I was only a boy when I was called to the office of daghoon warrior, and training began immediately. I was taken from my home and placed in a military monastery, completely immersed  in  training  to recondition my thoughts and actions.  Everything I do is related to my duty as protector of our deepest magic, and there were times my training was so brutal that I was sent to  the healers to recover. During my military training, I also received  spiritual training from the elders to teach me how to harness my gifts to their full potential.




Kish:  What's the one thing you have always wanted to do but
didn't/couldn't/wouldn't?


Kalen: I always wanted to find love, but my station and calling forbid it.  As a consolation, I was allowed the special opportunity to become the companion of Lebion, my queen dragonfly. And though I’m sure it doesn’t compare to the connection shared between husband and wife, it is a very rare and special connection nonetheless. Lebion empowers me with a spiritual connection to the universe that few will ever find in mortal life.


Kish: Ok, Kalen, tell us the honest truth, when did you fall in love
with Bree? At first sight? Or did it take a while?


Kalen: It wasn’t until I studied her afterglow. I saw such purity and
strength that I felt immediately connected to her. But I fought it,
buried it, and resisted the temptation to love her. Then, when I
thought I had failed her, when I turned my back for only a moment and she fell into the hands of Ellette’s minions, I knew I couldn’t live my life without her.




Kish: Yikes!  I so hope Bree isn’t reading this right now, but how
many girlfriends did you have before her?  [Sorry Bree!  Honestly.
I’m a big fan of yours too.]


Kalen: As a very young boy, I remember having simple attractions…. crushes, I believe you call them… but they were innocent and never allowed to blossom. I was taken from the world of courtship and thrust into a military life early on. I’d never even kissed a fae… Brianna was my first and only love. Though, admittedly, I spent many nights dreaming of what it would be like to have a companion to love and hold. The elders told me it was even forbidden to dream of love, so I forced it from my mind… until Brianna entered my world. Forcing her from my mind would
be like stopping the beating of my own heart.




Kish: And in your relationship with Bree, how are you different with her than you are with your family and friends? Why do you think this is?


Kalen: My relationship to my parents was very formal, and before Brianna, the only female love I knew was that of my mother. I didn’t have many friends, other than the dragonflies, since my mission was very solitary. Most of my relationships have been with the elders and my training officers. As a daghoon, I was taught that relationships were dangerous, that they could endanger my mission, used against me. In spite of my lack of connection to others, I was still taught to have compassion on all forms of life. It was through the dragonflies and the animals of Earth that I learned to respect life in even the meekest form. But with Brianna, I have been opened to an entirely  new level of understanding about the universe and how love can empower its recipient. My greatest source of strength however, also seems to be my greatest weakness.

Kish: What parts of loving come easy for you? Hard?


Kalen: Love, in essence, was always easy to possess, so long as I did not  let it possess me. I am the master of my own heart, but I’ve learned that in loving an equal, one must give their heart to their companion.  So it was with Brianna, I’ve given my heart to her, and while it was  easy to give, it was also the hardest thing I’ve ever done… especially since I’ve been indoctrinated to deny myself of such a connection for so long.

Kish: If you were granted three wishes, what would you ask for?


Kalen: First, to wish for an end to the war so that all sentient beings may find peace. Second, a wish to an alliance between the worlds of Ethos and Earth, that we may comingle peaceably. And third, a wish for all beings to have their agency to choose for themselves, without evil constantly  trying to force its will on others… but then again, without opposition in life, would there even be a choice? Would there even be an understanding of love or peace?

Author Interview with Desiree Finkbeiner

Folks,

recently, I caught up with Author Desiree F. about her novel, Ethos.  She was super busy promoting this new book, BUT.....she still found the time to post a little info for her curious readers.  This is what she had to say about it (and herself)......

'Ethos' (Morningstar) is on Blog Tour right now!

Kish: Desiree, it’s great to meet you!  As you know, I am currently in the midst of your book, Ethos.  This interview is a ‘pre-chat’ prior to my book review, which will come once I finish reading.  But with my curiosity, I couldn’t wait to grab a few tid-bits about you and the book.  So, here we go!  I KNOW you already anticipated this question- Where did the title come from?

Desiree: I asked myself what I was trying to accomplish with the series, and the answer came. I’m trying to promote positive morals in a society that seems so complacent, even contemptuous when it comes to purity and self mastery. I aim to establish that morals are powerful, even though the media and modern society seems so eager to destroy sound principals. Thus, the name Ethos came to mind. It’s literally the moral code by which society governs itself, and without a strong 'ethos', society itself crumbles.  The subtitle, Morning Star, came from the final chapter in the book and represent hope for a bright future.

Kish: Wow!  Can I ask how you came up with the concept for Ethos?  Was it something that had been developing for a while in your brain?

Desiree: Most of it just came as inspiration while I wrote. Some of it came in dreams, and some of it came from my art. But the basic concept came to me as I lay in be recovering from a surgery. I was bored, so tired of stating at the same four walls, so I dreamed up the plot and characters, then started writing to keep myself sane during recovery.

Kish: So Desiree, you are a writer, as am I.  We all have those authors who we personally consider to be mentors, our kindred souls,
or even our heroes.  Who are the authors (known and/ or unknown) that have impacted you in such ways?

Desiree: My favorite authors have changed over the years and continue to change as new books come out and my perspectives change. Some select favorites: Frank Herbert, Anne Rice, J.R.R. Tolkien, Sophia Stewart… But scripture has influenced my writing more than anything.

Kish:  What are your favorite genre(s) to read for your own enjoyment in your downtime?

Desiree: To read, I prefer nonfiction, especially spiritual, political or historical topics. But when I do read fiction, I prefer fantasy, most any sub genre thereof. The best books are ones that leave me feeling enlightened and inspired. I try to steer clear from anything that contains erotic sexuality, extreme profanity or extremely dark/satanic content.

Kish: Do you write in only one type of genre?

Desiree: No. I done a lot of freelance non-fiction writing (especially product reviews etc), and some research articles on health and spirituality. But I revel in fantasy! It's my release and get away from the world. My favorite fantasy sub genres include: urban, epic, paranormal romance, steampunk, adventure and action/suspense.

Kish: This might be a bit of a mental stretch, but do you remember when you wrote your first story ever?  I remember my first story was
around four years old- that I can remember, anyway, so I know that we authors begin drafting pretty early.  How about you?

Desiree: I think, like you, it was as early as I could put ideas on paper. Though, most of my early stories in childhood were illustrated stories and comics. I’ve been writing and illustrating since grade school. My mother had kept dozens of my little books in her keepsake chest, and we got them out a few years ago to share a laugh. Though, in the beginning I was more interested in art and poetry, entering my work in shows and contests. I won certificates and awards all through grade school, middle school and high school but most of them were for my art.

I wrote my first middle-grade, fantasy chapter book at age 12, called ‘Trail Of Faith’. It was a high fantasy about four friends who were separated by a “saprin wind” (similar to a tornado, but it sucked each of them through a portal into other realms). The story was about their journey back to find one another. I had intended to seek publication for it back then, but I had written it on my father’s old Tandy1000 computer, with a DOS operating system, and lost the entire work when the system crashed. It was 30,000 words and I was devastated because I had not backed it up on a floppy.

Kish: Sounds good!  Desiree, thank you!  I look forward to the end of the novel!

Still around.....still churning away.....

Hello!  
If you've all thought that I fell OFF the face of the map, I haven't.  I've just been churning away at this novel, trying to get everything smoothed out below I even think about releasing it.  Patience, patience all.


Coming up, I've got a slew of New Titles to introduce you to.  Some of my author companions have been doing their homework on time, and have got new stuff on the market for you.

Great Giveaway Alert!!!!!!!!!


Hydra Publications, will be giving away TEN books for FREE!! Yes, free.  They will be available only on May 2nd and 3rd (a great Mother's Day special).
Visit Hydra Publications to view the titles...... clicking on the book cover takes you to Amazon.com, where you can download the e-book in Kindle format.


BTW, one of the books offered is 'Ethos' by Desiree Finkbeiner.  Ethos will be reviewed on KISH KNIGHT (right here) next week.  Stay posted.


Pssttt....check back with me for the book trailers tomorrow, Thursday, May 3rd!!!

Click here to check it out.....