Interviews, Wins, & Other Media

KM Taylor

Author Bio

I'm an artist, a long-time writer, and a new author. My debut novel, Codex Sohrakia: The Gifted Dark, has received rave reviews and award recognition, including best in fiction and more. I have two additional novels: Codex Sohrakia: The Athanasy Pact and The Devil’s Conquest, which has also received great reception and is a finalist in the “fiction: romance” category. The genres I gravitate to are typically dark fantasy, romance, and the supernatural. Other than full-length novels, I have written in many genres over the years and in several formats, including science, health and nutrition, poetry, short stories, and fan fiction. I am currently working on book three of the Codex Sohrakia series, as well as several other novels.

Interview

“Welcome, readers! Let's dive right in. How would you describe yourself in one word?”

Eclectic.

“Let's talk about the writing process. Does writing energize or exhaust you?”

The need to write exhausts me, but when I’m inspired, and it’s flowing, I couldn’t be more energized.

“Inspiration plays a crucial role in every writer's journey. Where do you draw inspiration from?”

So many things! Sometimes, it’s a particular person, actor, or someone from history that draws ideas out of me. Sometimes, it’s a book or a collection of studies into various things. The Codex Sohrakia series was inspired by reading about world philosophies, as well as shows like Supernatural, and most directly by the lucid dreams I was experiencing at the time of the idea’s conception. Sometimes, I’m inspired by a song. There’s a story I want to write inspired by IAMX’s North Star (among other songs). It can come from a film, a television show, or even just an image. I have a couple of stories that I might someday finish and publish inspired by single photographs.

“It's wonderful to see how diverse your sources of inspiration are. Now, let's discuss criticism. How do you handle it?”

As gracefully as I can. I appreciate it when I get it. It can be difficult when I have a specific approach to something, and the critique goes against that. But I never ignore them. I make notes of those that particularly stand out, primarily when they deal with flaws that I feel might crop up repeatedly.

“Commendable approach. Finally, what inspired you to start writing in the first place?”

It’s a combination of things. When I read, I think in descriptives, and that turns my daydreams into prose pretty quickly. When I was a young teen and this happened, I simply had to write those thoughts down. As I matured and began to pay close attention to my flow, learned from my errors, and gained more reading experience, I began to find my voice. I would say that my most significant influences are Brian Lumley, Anne Rice, HP Lovecraft, and Edgar Rice Burroughs.

“Thank you for sharing your insights and advice with us. If you’d like to check out Khanada's work, simply click on the book displayed below. And if you want to stay updated on her journey, you can follow her through the social media links provided.”