Interview & Giveaway: Jaye L. Knight | Author of Resistance!

 

 

Welcome to Christian Bookshelf Reviews, Jaye!! Will you tell us a little about yourself? 

Thank you so much for having me! I’m a single girl in my mid-twenties. I’ve been a full time author for a couple of years now. That takes up most of my time, though I do run a jewelry shop on Etsy on the side. I was homeschooled K-12, which was excellent in fostering my love for writing. I’m not sure if I would have pursued it seriously if I hadn’t been homeschooled and had the time. I’m a Wisconsin country girl. I love everything about the outdoors, except for winter. They don’t call it the Frozen Tundra up here for nothing. It’s been COLD. This time of year I hole up inside and don’t set foot outside unless I have absolutely to.

What is your novel, Resistance, about?

Resistance is the first book of a new adult, Christian fantasy series called Ilyon Chronicles, which will have six books total. It mostly centers around two main characters—Jace, a half-blooded former slave/gladiator who struggles with his mixed blood and whether or not he has a soul, and then Kyrin, a young woman who has a perfect memory and struggles with the demands of society. Though it’s fantasy, parts of it have an almost dystopian feel. I also tied in a lot of historical inspiration, especially from ancient Rome, since I’m also a big history buff. This is the book’s logline.

When a cunning emperor threatens the lives of any who refuse to worship his false gods, a half-blood haunted by his bloodstained past and a young woman with a perfect memory must overcome their own fears and conflicts with society as they become part of the resistance.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? 

I started out writing when I was eight years old. My mom is also an author. Seeing her writing and collecting old magazine photos for her characters must have looked really fun to me so I had to try it. I was fourteen when I decided I actually wanted to pursue writing seriously. It was just after the first time I read The Lord of the Rings. I wanted to write and share stories like Tolkien.

What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk? 

When I get a story idea I think I want to pursue, either right away or in the future, I can’t go very far without the characters having names. At first they’re usually just things like “the main guy” or “the main girl”, but very quickly I have to actually give them names or any ideas will stall. Without names, they just aren’t real to me. I’m also not a big planner. A lot of times I start writing stories within the first day or two of my first ideas for them. I get to know the characters and the feel of the story by writing it out. I don’t get that from extensive planning or outlining.

Where do you like to write? 

I actually like to write in a comfortable chair in the living room. It’s not like it’s a quiet spot or anything. I still live at home and my brothers are usually around being a distraction (lol), but for some reason that’s where I get most of my writing done as opposed to my bedroom/office. (It doesn’t help that my room is freezing in the winter.) But in the summer time I really like to write out on the porch.

What do you like to do when you're not writing? 

I’m very creative. Besides enjoying a good book, I like making things. Jewelry making is fun, and I get to do plenty of that with my Etsy shop. But I also like to design and sew costumes. I’ve made quite a bit of colonial style clothing that I wear when I attend a local buckskinners’ rendezvous every year. I love living history. I’d like to participate more one of these days. And of course there are outdoor activities like hiking, kayaking, and fishing. I also love music, so going to concerts and Christian music festivals is something I very much enjoy. I’m a big fan of Skillet, Building 429, and Aaron Shust, among others. And I mustn’t leave out movies. I LOVE good movies (mostly action/adventure and historical or fantasy films). I have quite a few favorite TV shows too. Scorpion, Sherlock, Bonanza (yup, the old Western), and Once Upon a Time are just a couple of them.

What is your favorite genre to read and why?

Definitely fantasy. I love discovering new worlds with incredible characters and creatures. But I do love a good historical novel as well, particularly historical romance. I am a hopeless romantic. I’ve actually read far more historical novels than fantasy.

What is your least favorite genre to read?

Contemporary or sci-fi. I’ve never been into contemporary stories, and despite a few exceptions, I just don’t like sci-fi normally. As I mentioned, I’m a history buff, and I enjoy getting lost in stories from a different time. Plus I love swords. :)

Is there a place you'd like to visit, but haven’t yet? 

Just one? Well, it’d be a tough choice. I’d love to go somewhere tropical for a vacation. I crave the warmth and sunshine, especially now. But I also really want to visit England and explore the countryside and visit some castles. Looking a little closer to home, I’d also like to visit Colonial Williamsburg and go out West to see the mountains.

Do you have a favorite Bible verse? 

Psalms 46:10, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! It’s a very important verse to me. That last few years have been full of long periods of time where the only answers I’ve had to difficult moments is God telling me to be still.

Do you have a favorite song and/or movie? 

Oh, I have so many songs I love, but if I had to pick just one, I’d probably say To God Alone by Aaron Shust. It’s such a great and meaningful song.

And movies is just as hard to pick. I’d say all six Hobbit and Lord of the Rings movies. They are at the very top of my movies list. If I had to pick just one of them . . . probably The Fellowship of the Ring.

What is your favorite holiday? 

The 4^th of July. I love that time of year.

What is your favorite season and why is it your fav?

Summer! I’d have it be summer all year round if I could. The number one reason it’s my favorite? It’s warm. I need warmth. And long days. I get seasonal affective disorder starting in September when the days start to get shorter and going through March, so yeah, summer is much more fun for me as far as how I feel physically and mentally. But I also just love all the summer activities. And I am a t-shirt, jeans, and bare feet type of girl. You need summer for that. :)

Some this-or-that questions:

Snowstorms or Thunderstorms? Neither. I don’t like snow and I have a growing lightning phobia. :P

Chocolate or Vanilla? Depends on what form it’s in. I love both.

Tea or Coffee? Definitely tea with lots of French vanilla creamer and sugar.

Call or Text? Text

Cats or Dogs? Both?

Early-bird or Night-owl? Early-bird

Introvert or Extrovert? Introvert

Facebook or Twitter? Facebook

Mystery or Romance? Romance

Sneakers or Sandals? Barefoot ;)

Are you currently working on any new novels? If so, could you give us a hint? 

Well, the second book of Ilyon Chronicles, The King’s Scrolls, is coming out on February 17^th. That has been dominating my time right now preparing for it. But I’m currently writing book five of the series. It takes place in the dead of winter, which is kind of different (though it’s the perfect time to be writing it). It will probably be the shortest book of the series. It’s more of a personal story as opposed to the others, which were more epic in scale. I also have a secret project in the works that I hope to finish and publish this year. We’ll see if that goes according to plan.

Thank you so much for being here! Is there anything else you’d like to tell readers and where can we find you on the web?

Thank you all for taking the time to read through this. :) You can find me on my website (http://www.jayelknight.com/), blog (http://jayelknight.blogspot.com/), Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/jayelknight), Twitter (https://twitter.com/jayelknight), and over at my Etsy shop (https://www.etsy.com/shop/JayeLKnight).

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