Interview with Kyle Perkins

Today’s interview is with Kyle Perkins. Welcome to the blog. I found you on Twitter, liked your posts and invited you to interview with me. Tell us something about yourself.

I am Kyle Perkins, author of Reddened Wasteland, Teabreeze, and a few others. I am from Florida, I am a fan of sarcasm, dogs, and anything computer related.

 

At what point did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I never wanted to be a writer growing up. I actually despised writing and saw it as a punishment. Later in life though, I was bored in between waiting for new games to come out that I wanted to play, so I joined a couple text-based role playing groups based around some of my favorite games. It was there that I learned to love writing, and where other people started loving my work.

 

I always loved text-based games. Of course, I’m old enough to remember when most games were text-based. I was pleased to see when they started coming back. Tell us about your writing process.

My process is a never-ending stream of coffee, electronic music, and staring into the abyss that is Microsoft Word.

 

What is your favorite genre … to read … to write?

Dystopian, but I write anything under the speculative fiction banner.

 

What are you passionate about?

This community! I love the indie community, the readers and authors. I take this all very seriously and it is in no way “just a hobby” to me.

 

What is something you cannot live without?

Wifi.

 

Who could? When you are not writing, what do you do?

Usually, fix other people’s computers. There are very few moments when I’m not writing.

 

Have you written any books that made a transformative effect on you? If so, in what way?

 

Reddened Wasteland. It transformed me into an author. =)

 

Where do you get the inspiration for your novels?

I have ADHD really bad and constantly find myself daydreaming when I should be doing something else. It’s always been something that has hindered me, until now. Now these daydreams go right into a folder and become books.

 

Lemons into lemonade. I like it. What sort of research do you do for your novels?

Most of my books contain some elements of scifi, so my research happened long before writing books. I am constantly reading about new scientific discoveries and theories. From space travel to number theory. Plus, the copious amount of video games, movies, tv shows, etc that I have been through, I have an unlimited well of source material.

 

If someone who hasn’t read any of your novels asked you to describe your writing, what would you say?

I’d say it’s meant to be read by people that are 18+, and that every book is a new adventure filled with laughs, even though they are meant to be serious.

 

Do you have a special place where you write?

I have a special writing cave, full of wifi and snacks.

 

Do you find yourself returning to any recurring themes within your writing and, if so, are you any closer to finding an answer?

Well, all of my books occur within the same multiverse. They all have Easter eggs in them if you pay close enough attention.

 

Are you a plot driven or character driven writer? Why?

Both. I develop strong characters, but having an awesome plot to stick these guys in is essential.

 

Do you write from an outline or are you a discovery writer?  Why?

I usually have a general plot(daydream) that outlines the story, then I just start writing and wing it until the end.

 

What point of view do you prefer to write, and why?

I can write from either, and have books from 3^rd and 1^st.

 

Do you head-hop?

No.

 

 

I’m going to drop you in a remote Alaska cabin for a month. It’s summer so you don’t have worry about freezing to death. I’ll supply the food and the mosquito spray. What do you do while you’re there and what do you bring with you? If you’re bringing books, what are they?

Does Alaska have mosquitos? Lol. I’d probably just bring my laptop so that I can write, free from distractions. If anything, you did me a favor.

 

Talk about your books individually.

 

Reddened Wasteland– It’s a book set on Mars in the near future. It’s about a dystopian government oppressing its people under a dome, and the resistance taking it to them.

 

Monte– Trying to keep this PG, but it’s about an incubus, I’ll say no more. Lol.

 

Ecta: The Divide– A steampunkish city floating above a fantasy medieval world. The two trying to find a common ground.

 

Bait, Brutes, and Bullets– It’s about Biloxi, set in a near future where the apocalypse has already come. The oceans have risen, and domes constructed around cities. Biloxi is now a haven to crime, and Harvey is a casino boss trying to find something from the swamp folk to give him an edge over the competition.

 

Teabreeze– The story is about a cult in the backwoods of Florida, and a man trying to save his girlfriend from their spell.

 

Was it your intention to write a story with a message or a moral?

Stories of triumph, love, and redemption.

 

What do you want readers to think or feel after reading one of your books?

I hope they just think “wow.”

 

 

You are a self-published independent author. What influenced your decision to self-publish?

Well, big publishers weren’t beating down my door. So, I just put out books and wait for them to notice. Someday I want to be a household name.

 

 

Well, there are now some indie authors who are household names, so it’s possible. There are people believe that traditional publishing is on the ropes, that self-publishing is the future. Do you agree? Why?

I don’t agree. I think they both offer their own unique experience, and neither is going anywhere.

 

 

What do you find to be the greatest advantage of self-publishng?

Meeting fans and connecting to them on a personal level.

 

Conversely, what do you think self-published authors might be missing out on?

Movie deals. lol

 

That might be a little harder, yeah. With the number of self-published books increasing by such a huge rate, it is really difficult for authors to make their books stand out. How do you go about this?

I try to stand out by not being more of the same. I make my stories unique, something you can’t find anywhere else. While I have found that a lot of books are just the same general stories with different covers, mine are all products of my own imagination and experiences to guarantee you can’t find stories like it.

 

Those are the best kind. Who designed your book cover/s?

Lila Vale.

 

Do you believe that self-published authors can produce books as high-quality as the traditional published? If so, how do you think we should go about that?

Of course. All writers have a gift, and a talent for storytelling. Our books can be just as good if we take our time making a unique experience and not just pumping out filth for the sake of sales.

 

 

Do you belong to a writer’s cooperative? Describe your experience with that.

 No.

 

You can find Kyle’s books on Amazon and I found Kyle on Twitter. He also has a website.