Horror Author Interview : Kat de Falla

Author Kat de Falla was born and raised in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she learned to roller skate, ride a banana seat bike, and love Shakespeare thanks to her high school English teacher.

Four years at the UW-Madison wasn't enough, so she returned to her beloved college town for her Doctor of Pharmacy degree and is happily employed as a retail pharmacist where she fills prescriptions and chats with her patients.

She is married to her soul mate, composer Lee de Falla and raising four kids together ala the Brady Bunch.

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KAT DE FALLA

Could you tell the readers a little bit about yourself?

Sure! I’m a community pharmacist living in Wisconsin. My husband is a modern classical guitarist and composer and we are raising four kids ala The Brady Bunch!

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

I love to bike with the family, take our Bullador and Miniature Dachshund for walks (because people laugh at the odd couple), or eat sushi with my husband.

What’s your favourite food?


 Pizza!

Who would be on the soundtrack to your life story?

The theme to The Muppet show comes to mind J       

Someone in my family or friends is every one of those characters and every day I’m excited to live. Time to play the music and light the lights. We are an artistic family, but first and foremost, we like to laugh with each other and have fun.

Do you prefer the term Horror, Weird Fiction or Dark Fiction?

I like the term Dark Fantasy, actually.

Who are some of your favourite authors?

Wow, so many! I read everything: from William Shakepeare, to Stephen King. From J.R. Ward to Dan Brown. J.K. Rowling and JRR Tolkien – any book that keeps me up late flipping the page to see what will happen next.

What is your all-time favourite horror novel, and film?

Hard questions! I guess Salem’s Lot because it scared the heck out of me at a young age. At the same young age, I watched, “When a Stranger Calls” – let’s just say, I NEVER took a babysitting job!

If you could erase one horror cliché what would be your choice?

The blonde girl walking right into danger to get killed wearing only skimpy clothing. Go get a weapon! Dial 911! Blow a whistle! Anything! (I’m blonde. Enough with the dumb blonde jokes although they are haha funny, they give us a bad name!)

The old joke: What do you call a blonde in a horror movie?

Answer: Dead meat.

Which fictional character would be you perfect neighbour, and who would be your nightmare neighbour?

I’d love to have the REAL Bruce Lee (but he can be playing any of his fictional film characters) living next door.

I would not want Count Chocula living next door. Vampires are scary and I’m a sucker for sugary treats!

What do you think of the current state of the genre? 

Every changing, like the universe. And that’s a GOOD thing. Let it ebb and flow. I’m a fan of some depth in literature, so when I can read Moby Dick levels of metaphors in a book, that pleases me.

What was the last great book you read, and what was the last book that disappointed you?

The last GREAT book was Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. And the book that disappointed me was Fifty Shades of Grey, sorry all! I couldn’t even finish the first one. And the only reason I gave it go was because the Saturday Night Live Amazon commercial spoof was so darn funny!

How would you describe your writing style?

InD’Tale just said it was “a literary roller-coaster” – that pretty much sums it up!

Are there any reviews of your work, positive or negative that have stayed with you?

I relish reviews. I learn from them. I can take constructive criticism and use it to make my writing stronger. All reviews stay with me.

What aspects of writing to do you find the most difficult?

Finding quiet time and then ignoring the lure of social media and marketing.

Is there one subject you would never write about as an author? What is it?

I haven’t run across anything I would never write about...yet.

If you could kill off any character from any other book who would you chose and how would they die?

I’ll kill Gwen in the book I’m reading right now: My Kind of Crazy by Katie O’Sullivan. She’s so mean! Drowning her off the coast would be fine with me!

What do you think makes a good story?

Pacing and voice. I need something to happen to keep me interested and an author with a great voice sets fire to the pages, bringing them to life.

 How important are names to you in your books? Do you choose the names based on liking the way it sounds or the meaning?

Meaning for sure. I like to research and make sure the name is appropriate for the person and their origin and then give a deeper meaning to the name. I even named a horse in The Seer’s Lover “Gotzone” because it means “angel” in Spanish.

How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?

Every day, every minute I strive to be a better person: creatively, philosophically, spiritually, and emotionally.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?        

A laptop. Yeah, pretty sure that’s numero uno J

What is the best piece of advice you ever received from another author?

Christine DeSmet of the University of Wisconsin-Madison said, “Fiction is about a character in a story with a problem.” Simple, but perfect.

How do you market your work? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?

Any and all avenues. Marketing can be hit or miss depending on the moon phase. All you can do is be polite, keep putting yourself out there, and hope people give you a chance.

Who is your favourite character from your book and why?

I love my heroine, Calise. She knows a world exists that she can sense but not see. And she stops at nothing for truth.

How about the least favourite character?  What makes them less appealing to you?

Ron, married to the demon Anna. He lives too complacently. He loves someone who does not love him back because she is a beautiful arm piece. That’s not the way to love.

Fame, fortune, or respect?

Absolutely...respect.

What piece of your own work are you most proud of?

I wrote a flash fiction piece under the name Kathee Jantzi about a hospice worker who lost her husband. It was a creative interpretation of a story told to me by one of my mother’s friends who has since passed away.

http://www.everydayfiction.com/why-not-me-by-kathee-jantzi/

And are there any that you would like to forget about?

Nah, if I wrote it, then it was who I was at the time. A piece of me that needed to be released.

For those who haven’t read any of your books, what book of yours do you think best represents your work and why?

The Seer’s Lover is my “literary roller-coaster.” I’m very proud of this book.

Can you tell us about your last book, and can you tell us about what you are working on next?

Here is a little more about The Seer’s Lover:

For years, Calise Rowe has been able to sense unusual energy from people, making her believe she is different. Pulled into an ancient war raging for centuries between demon hunters and seers, she's about to find out she's right.

Her search for the truth leads her to Lucas Rojas, a seer of angels and demons who walk the earth shrouded from normal human eyes. He's hidden his gift for years and refuses to endanger Calise by sharing it with her.

In the sultry Costa Rican Jungles, their worlds collide. As their passion and desire ignite, so does the ancient war between demons and seers. Will their combined efforts be enough to save themselves and the entire human world, or will their new found love be their downfall?

**Download free music for The Seer's Lover at http://www.bayafaya.com/

I’m working book two of this series and book two of a series I co-author with R.A. Green about a paranormal real estate agent: she sells haunted house.

What's the one question you wish you would get asked but never do?  And what would be the answer?

Do you believe in true love and happy ending?

YES!

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Find out more about Kat by following the links below 

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Amazon Author Page:

Goodreads

the seer's lover

For years, Calise Rowe has been able to sense unusual energy from people, making her believe she is different. Pulled into an ancient war raging for centuries between demon hunters and seers, she's about to find out she's right. 

Her search for the truth leads her to Lucas Rojas, a seer of angels and demons who walk the earth shrouded from normal human eyes. He's hidden his gift for years and refuses to endanger Calise by sharing it with her. 

In the sultry Costa Rican Jungles, their worlds collide. As their passion and desire ignite, so does the ancient war between demons and seers. Will their combined efforts be enough to save themselves and the entire human world, or will their new found love be their downfall? 

**Download free music for The Seer's Lover at http://www.bayafaya.com/

PURCHASE A COPY HERE 

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