Eve Kasey, New Adult Romance
Eve Kasey, a marketer for an architectural and engineering firm, says that “my job makes me a better person and writer.” The author lives in “the beautiful Pacific Northwest with my husband and two young children, who keep me busy and sleepy.”
At the age of ten, Kasey had a fourth-grade class project. When it was completed, she’d written her first book. “I don’t recall what the subject of the story was, just that I wanted my parents to spring for the prettiest cover (navy blue vinyl with gold lettering) ;-)” Now, as an indie author, she makes sure that her book is attractive, inside and out.
Interviewer: Tell us about your book?
Kasey: My published novel is called Love in Stone, a contemporary new adult romance with a slight paranormal twist, which comes from the male protagonist, who has “bad news genes”, or visions, that foretell tragedy in his family.
The story is a boy-meets-girl tale, told from the POV of both characters, who work in different branches of science-geology and paleontology-and meet at a project site in the Badlands.
The male lead, Ben, has a vision of Clare before he meets her and wrestles with the implications of that as they forge a friendship and more.
Clare, a true pragmatist, experiences a lot of growth before she can start to believe in fate.
I chose the characters’ professions intentionally; my goal was for readers to fall in love AND learn something. I always want to gain knowledge or a new perspective when I read, so I wove that into my writing, as well. I’m planning two more books in the series, with the professions/reader learning focused on Renaissance art and 19th-century medicine, respectively. I can’t wait to immerse myself in those areas of research and share what I learn with readers in an enjoyable, digestible way.
Interviewer: Which character in your book is your favorite?
Kasey: My main characters are all loose interpretations of family members, so I am fond of all of them. The second story in the series will focus on the sister of Ben, the male protagonist in the first book. She has a gift like her brother’s, but more honed and elegant. The third story will explore their family history through Ben and his sister Nora’s great-great-grandmother. Through the series, we get to know three women in that family, who all have gifts stemming from touch. The females in that line are inspired by my grandmother.
Over the next five years, the busy mom plans to turn at least one of those stories into a book. “I have four story ideas tumbling about in my head.”
Interviewer: Do you want each of your books to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
Kasey: Love in Stone is the first in a trilogy, connected by different people in the same family with variations of psychic gifts. I have several stand-alone story ideas, as well; one a contemporary disaster story (that would also teach some survival skills) and the other an exploration of contemporary views of sex and relationships. When reading, I find series or connected stories especially rewarding, as writers and readers can connect deeply with characters and settings they love.
Interviewer: How do you select the names of your characters?
Kasey: Nameberry.com! The site has so many fun lists. From those, I choose simple, memorable names. Maybe too simple… At one point when writing my first book, I realized nearly every character had a single-syllable name.
Interviewer: What in your personal life is included in one of your stories?
Kasey: An aspect of my personal life that I wove into my first novel was a psychic vision experienced by the male protagonist. The vision was based on a dream I had as a child that ended up being prophetic. I had forgotten about the experience until I started writing, when it flowed right into the story.
For some, writing comes naturally; for others, it is like learning a new language—the more you study, the more fluent you become. But overall, the writing process is a curve that all indie authors must overcome, and it’s not always an easy journey to navigate. For Kasey, she says that the hardest thing she found about writing is “The severe flux of creativity I experience. Some days, the characters are present and engaged and so am I. Other days, my fingers just rest on the keyboard and nothing happens. The inconsistency in the process is frustrating, as it becomes reflected in the writing. In fact, I got so frustrated with my second manuscript that I deleted all 65,000 words and started from scratch (more than once!)"
Kasey’s WIP (Work in progress) is the follow up to her first book and has been six years in the making. Life, work, and sometimes just taking time to enjoy family slowed down the process. But now she’s writing again and says it “Feels so good to hear and feel my characters again.” She contributes her new-found inspiration to the Indie Authors Support Network, a group where writers and those aspiring to become writers support one another. She also accredits Instagram for her motivation. “Instagram has short daily writing prompts that have helped creativity start flowing and have made me dive deep into the characters. It’s all I’m doing, not actually writing the MS, but the pre-writing is fun and allowing me to get to know my characters more intimately. I’m also obsessed with character and setting boards! (Sets of images that capture the essence of a character.) I’m using them to visually connect with my story.”
Interviewer: What was one of the most surprising things you’ve learned in crafting your book?
Kasey: I was surprised by how circuitous the route from idea to the final story was. The process wasn’t linear. It was squiggly and messy. In fact, the story I sat down and started writing in 2012 was NOT the book I published in 2014. A different story popped in my mind and begged to be written while I was working through my first idea. I found I couldn’t go back to that original story or characters; I had to give in to these new characters and let go of my expectations.
Interviewer: What’s the greatest lesson you’ve learned from being a published author?
Kasey: Since publishing, I have learned it takes serious work to get your story noticed by others. I gave birth two weeks after publishing, so I had to be content with occasional Facebook and Twitter posts between snuggles. None of my grand plans for a solid marketing campaign happened and that’s okay. That’s the greatest lesson I learned through writing and publishing: be flexible!
Kasey’s family life and work keep her quite busy. To keep her focus intact, she says “Balance is key to progress.” And that’s something she’s doing. While completing her second book, "hopefully soon", she plans to create well-developed social media platforms to brand her work as an author. To learn more about this gifted author, you can follow her on Instagram.
