Indie Author Spotlight – Kate de Jesus and “Dark Fate Falling”
I always enjoy introducing you to fellow indie authors, and I’ve got another great one for you this morning. She’s Kate de Jesus…
Kate de Jesus is a wife and mother of two active boys who love to read. BUT, it wasn’t always that way; getting kids to love reading is usually an ongoing battle. Trying to find a story with all the things kids love: lots of action, likable characters, weird science, bizarre creatures, mystery and positive messages at a cost that parents can afford, well; that’s asking for a lot!. Enter Kate’s love of writing, and a new series that covers all these things! Kate lives in Las Vegas Nevada and is a graduate of Washington State University in Pullman, Washington. She is hard at work on the third book in The Gateway Discoveries series, Arden’s War, The Gateway Discoveries Volume 3. The Brutal Ones, The Gateway Discoveries Volume 2 was just released and is now available on Amazon.com.
You can follow Kate at her website.
Her book is “Dark Fate Falling”, book one of The Gateway Discoveries. It’s a series for kids and teens, and it looks pretty cool to me, too!
Nick, Remedy, Simon and Owen are ready for adventure when they are invited to accompany their scientist fathers on a field expedition that will take them near the famed Bermuda Triangle. But their excitement quickly turns to terror when their plane falls from the sky in a freak storm, and they find themselves alone on a strange and beautiful island. Fearing the worst for their missing parents, the four friends set out to find them by trying to decipher the reasons behind this ill fated trip. But when Nick and Simon are attacked by a strange beast, and Remedy almost becomes lunch for a flock of bizarre birds, they quickly learn all is not as it seems on this tiny piece of paradise, and soon they are running for their lives toward an even darker fate…
You can buy it, RIGHT NOW, at Amazon! (book 2 of the series, “The Brutal Ones”, is also available on Amazon now!)
I’ve also got an interview with Kate…
Who is your favorite author?
I would have to say JRR Tolkien is my favorite author, not only because he wrote one of the best all time epic fantasy stories with The Lord of The Rings trilogy, but because I can pick the books up every few years, read them cover to cover again and love every minute of it.
How do you describe your writing style?
When I am writing I sink right into the characters and their surroundings. I can hear and see what they do; I think how they would react or what they would say in any situation. I think my writing style is geared toward getting the reader to see themselves in one or more of the characters, and to hopefully see themselves in the characters thoughts and actions.
Why should we read your book?
Something interesting happens in every chapter and the story is advanced in a way that keeps kids engaged and wanting to turn pages. Kids can also see themselves in the characters and their reactions to the circumstances; the characters over come doubts, fears, anxiety and impossible situations in a realistic way.
Have any of your characters ever been modeled after yourself?
Yes, I put a bit of my twelve year old self in the lead girl character, Remedy Hess. Namely her doubts about what the other kids think about her. But I also gave Remedy a lot of characteristics I wish I had had at that age. She’s kind of a mix of how I was and how I wanted to be at that age.
If you could exchange lives with any of your characters, which would it be and why?
I think it would be the girl character mentioned above, Remedy Hess. I see the potential Remedy has to shake off her doubts and really become a confident, happy young lady. In today’s world, we need more of that. Plus Remedy is living in some really interesting times, which some days sounds like more fun than paying bills and cleaning house. I think if Remedy and I exchanged lives for a day, I’d get the better deal!
What books have most influenced your life?
I read every book Stephen King came out with when I was younger. I think he was a big influence on my writing because I loved the wordy descriptions, the shocking twists and turns, and the way he could scare the heck out of me with words. I have a big imagination, and I think King helped make it bigger. As for a book that influences the way I try to live, I have to say the New Testament (wow, Stephen King and Jesus in the same answer – weird!)
If I could rewrite one book, what would it be and why?
I would have to say the third book in the Hunger Games Trilogy, Mockingjay. This book had such potential and was such a colossal disappointment to me! It had some glimpses of great stuff in it, but the ending just completely ran out of gas. The confusing thing to me was that it didn’t seem like it would have been hard to finish the book by following its logical course and thus improving it dramatically. Suzanne Collins’ first two books were great, I’m just not sure what happened in the last book but it seems like it is crying out to be rewritten. I feel like ‘Mockingjay’ is mocking the great work she did in the earlier books.
Beatles or Monkees? Why?
I’m really more of an Eagles fan.
Who should play you in a film of your life?
Hmm, I don’t know about who should play me, but there should be a part somewhere in the film for Gary Oldman. He is my favorite actor, and I always write a character into my work that is modeled after him. In The Gateway Discoveries series Dr. Gary Gilford is based on Gary Oldman. It’s a little bit like Alfred Hitchcock in the background of his own movies; I always find a spot for Mr. Oldman.
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