30th post Interview! With Ashley Knight

Hi everyone! So I've reached my 30th post and  decided to do something cool with someone I really like.

Ashley Knight is the author of two books about merpeople (Fins and Fathom) with a third book on the way to complete the trilogy.  And it just so happens that I met her on a goodreads book for merpeople as well (There's a blog for that too that I'll be doing posts for). I've read Fins and it's a fantastic blend of romance, action, and drama. She let me ask her weird questions, and she answered them without being half as weird :)
So without further ado, the interview:

What inspired Fins aand Fathom and Forever?

My love for my husband. We are  true loves - corded right from day one. We knew we were going to get married when we met!
Wat do you think is the sudden appeal in mer-culture?
Mermaids are mysterious, beautiful, awkward, dangerous, helpless, powerful - everything all embodied in this strange, exotic creature, rather like the teenagers of today. I think they are easily relatable because of their fragility, but heaven help you if you mistake one as vulnerable who is strong willed & determined. Merpeople completely embody the wide variety of young adults today. They seemed the next logical step to me - every YA can find something about a merperson to connect to.

Are any of your characters based off people, and similarly any events relevant to your life?

Yes, some characters are based off real people! I mention them in the acknowledgment section. Thayde is loosely based off my husband who is tall, dark haired & gorgeous! There's a character in Fathom named Jacob Mac who is based off a sweet friend in high school who was very kind to me.


From the few bits I've read, Fathom sounds a lot darker than the relatively happy Fins. Would you say that's true?
Oh yes - it was always going to be that way. Fins is about discovering who you are & accepting what makes you unique. 
Fathom is about learning to cope with the mentally crippling problems that affects us all.  Dealing with depression, anger, hurt, & inadequacies that we face day to day as teenagers is often so overwhelming that many choose a negative, more violent way out. This book shows you the positive, better way; that you're not alone & we all go through this. It's how we choose to overcome that defines us. Fathom delves deep & comes up brighter than ever. It's perfect as a stepping stone to Forever.

How has becoming a writer affected your life?
I've had to tell my children "I'm working now!" a lot more, especially as I'm writing three books at one time. I've had to set aside family time to make sure we have it - that's new. 
I've had fan mail & fan phone calls which is wonderful - I love talking to people who have enjoyed the books. Don't be nervous - come & chat with me! 
I am proud I fulfilled one of my life goals - it's a wonderful feeling. 

You've mentioned you're in a band that's touring soon. Can you tell us about it?
Actually, we lost two members of that band & have reformed. We will be performing this late summer/early fall. It's disheartening to dedicate so much time into a project and have people drop, but we have a great group now who are eager to perform - I think we will do well! 


What music did you listen to while working (it's ok it's a really long list)
I dont listen to music when I write as it tends to distract me, but when I needed inspiration, I listen to Pandora. Artists such as Brandon Flowers, Muse, Coldplay, Amy McDonald, etc., bring me back to the writing frenzy. The list for both books are on my site as are both of the first two chapters of the books - check it out! 

Your mermaid lore is a nice mix of new and old. Were there any older myths that inspired that? Where did your ideas of the new stuff come from?

Yes, the myth that once mermaids die they turn into sea foam was one I kept. I refused to keep the one where merpeople automatically phase when they touch water - what a pain! The special powers was inspired by the Japanese belief of focusing Chi & the rest of the powers grew from there. Many of my ideas come to me in a tidal wave of thought & I have to write them down or they disappear!


Trademark questions?
Who designed the cover? Ken Koeberlein at koeberdesigns.com
What is your website?
www.ashleylknight.com
What is the name of the last book in the Trilogy?
Forever
Any books besides Forever you're working on?
A completely separate YA fantasy fiction called Falwyn - a tale about a princess who falls in love with a commoner but - he's a Falwyn - half human, half fairy!

Do you know the Doctor?

Um, the doctor? Is this from a previous interview? There's a Dr. Foster in the book, but he's a fiction character. 

(Side note: It didn't work. I was hoping for Dr. Who?)
What did you eat while writing, and what is your favorite food?
Lots of carrots - I actually lost over 12 pounds with FATHOM unintentionally. I just got too involved in the book. 
My favorite food is, hands down, Indian Cuisine! (Cue angelic choir)

What was the weirdest thing that happened while writing?
My cat climbed my back. That hurt as she's the only one we adopted that wasn't declawed! Painful!!


Ashley's Fathom was just published and Fins is available in Paperback and E-book format.
I hope you liked the interview!

Randi