Samara's Peril - Interview with Jaye L. Knight

Hello readers! I'm here today with an interview with only one of my favorite authors, Jaye L. Knight, in celebration of the release of her latest novel, Samara's Peril. Later today I'll be posting a review on the O.Scarlett blog.

About the Book

When news arrives that Emperor Daican has been in contact with his chief war strategist, it signals potential doom for the country of Samara. Determined to intervene, the resistance in Landale, headed by Lady Anne, embark on a covert mission in hopes of unearthing further information. However, a shocking discovery leads to complications no one could have foreseen.

Armed with their newfound knowledge, they set out for Samara to warn the king. War is inevitable, and they must face two desperate battles—one on the walls of Samara’s great stronghold, and the other on the battlefield of Jace’s heart, where victory might only be achievable through great sacrifice.

Available now on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and iBooks!

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Haven’t discovered the world of Ilyon yet? Find out more at the official Ilyon Chronicles website!

About the Author

Jaye L. Knight is an award-winning author, homeschool graduate, and shameless tea addict with a passion for Christian fantasy. Armed with an active imagination and love for adventure, Jaye weaves stories of truth, faith, and courage with the message that even in the deepest darkness, God’s love shines as a light to offer hope. She has been penning stories since the age of eight and resides in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

You can connect with Jaye on her website, blog, Facebook, Google+, Twitter, and Etsy.

Now for the interview: 

1. Howdy, Jaye! (No, I do not know why I'm going full-Texan at the moment, let's just roll with it), welcome back to my corner of the internet. Can you tell my readers a bit about your newest release?

Thanks for having me back! :D Samara’s Peril is the third book in my six book series. This book sort of changes everything. Nothing is quite the same afterwards. My characters go through a lot of growth and change that really shapes who they are going forward in the series, so it has always been an exciting book for me, and I’ve really looked forward to sharing it.

2. Having read SP, I'll say it changed a lot. The last time I interviewed you was back when you were still Molly Evangeline (Though, granted, it was right about the time you announced your new pen name). Could you tell us a bit of what you've been doing since then? Lessons you've learned? New goals you wish to pursue?

Oh my goodness, so much has changed since then. Somehow, changing my pen name seemed to catapult me right into the life of a professional writer. Not that I didn’t consider myself a professional writer before, but I was still learning a lot as Molly Evangeline and it was still something I was doing mostly for myself rather than pursuing as a real career. I actually find myself missing those days sometimes. As a writer, you dream of doing well, of making a living off you writing, of winning awards, but you don’t realize just how much time and energy that takes. I’ve learned that now, and while I wouldn’t want to give any of this up, I do miss being more carefree. It’s like when you reach adulthood and wish you could go back to your childhood. ;) As far as goals, my biggest one right now is just to finish Ilyon Chronicles. I’m so close now. I’m just about to start working on the last book again. Once that’s finished, I can pursue some of my other story ideas, which I’m very excited about.

3. Ah, yes, the scary threshold of finally making it. Do you by any chance know your MBTI personality type? If you do, how would you say it affects your writing style/your writing itself?

After the few tests I’ve taken, it seems I’m an INFP. I think it really affects the characters I write. I tend of focus heavily on more introverted and broken characters. One quote I found on INFPs I think is spot on: “INFPs have a talent for self-expression, revealing their beauty and their secrets through metaphors and fictional characters.” I definitely express myself through fictional characters. I think it’s kind of my way of dealing with my own emotions.

4. Huh. You hadn't struck me as an INFP (I was guessing closer to an INFJ), but I can see it now. Personality types fascinate me, and as an ENFP myself, I can totally relate to writing being a way to deal with emotions. Do you have a favorite character in Samara's Peril?

You mean besides Jace? Because, let’s face it, Jace is and probably always will be my ultimate favorite character. If we narrow it down to new characters in this particular book, then I do have one that I’ve pretty much fallen in love with. His name is Charles. He’s a viscount, and a perfect gentleman. He was one of those characters who took on a life of his own.

5. There were a lot of new characters in this book, so I knew it'd be a hard choice! What would you say was your favorite part of the book to write?

A large part of the book took place at a wealthy family’s estate. So much happened there and so many different questions were answered. It was a very exciting and fascinating part to write. Plus it introduced several new characters that I love. Also, as a fan of Downton Abbey, it was fun to write scenes that had the same sort of atmosphere.

Thanks so much for coming over, Jaye! It was lovely having you.

Also, she's holding a lovely giveaway, as always:

Giveaway

Share in the excitement of the release and enter to win a themed giveaway pack! Prizes include an autographed copy of Samara’s Peril, a John 3:16 necklace by FaithWearDesigns, and a green wire dragon bookmark by Wirelings! (Giveaway is open to US residents only. Cannot be shipped internationally.)

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