Author Kia Zi Shiru is here today to talk about her books and her new release Black Sheep: Loving in the present. Her books are centered around elements such as Young Adults, gay themes, strong females and minority characters in fantasy settings.
Check further down for the promotion – Book 1 of the series is offered at $0.99 for the duration of the promo!!!
Chrys: Hi and welcome to my blog! Why don’t you tell us a few words about yourself first?
Kia: Hi guys, I’m Kia, a Dutch girl studying in the UK. I like writing, reading, learning languages and gaming. I spend most of my time either listening/watching Japanese bands or playing videogames. That is if I’m not reading or writing.
Chrys: What genre(s) do you write and why?
Kia: Most of the things I write would be considered to be the young adult range, though my upcoming releases are more college age range than high school range like Black Sheep. Another recurring theme/genre is that my books have gay protagonists, all dealing with different things.
Why? Hmm, I guess because it interests me, I like to read books like that so I write them. Much more reason I don’t need to start a project.
Chrys: What can you tell us about your writing projects and recent releases?
Kia: Right now I’m writing a story for later this year which is a sort of vampire romance. Though the vampire element isn’t too big in the part I’m writing at his moment. I’m having a lot of fun with it since I can just be silly with it. It doesn’t have a title yet sadly enough.
This is only the second book in the Black Sheep Trilogy so the next release coming up will be the third and last book.
Chrys: Tell us about your latest release (could include blurb, small excerpt like 200 words).
Kia: Black Sheep: Loving in the Present takes off where Letting go of the Past ended, with Vic in the hospital and Jack has just been told about Vic’s past. A lot of the story breaks in different parts here. Vic has to go back to a mental hospital, Jack gets kicked out of his house and Adam seems to have hidden something from everyone.
The story takes us through all the struggles that the guys go through to get healthy and happy. But as they are celebrating Tom’s birthday there seem to be more secrets going around than everyone thought and Vic runs off. Angry. He then seeks help in a place he shouldn’t, in the end not just putting himself but also Jack in danger.
Chrys: What gave you the idea for this book?
Kia: There isn’t one specific idea that sparked the Black Sheep Trilogy but as I had started it I kept writing it because I was curious what would happen next. This second book is where my ideas actually started. The last chapter I had originally planned for this second book was the first thing I wrote for Black Sheep. The chapter is no longer in the story but I did add it to the book as a little extra thing.
Chrys: What is special about this book – what sets it apart?
Kia: I think the thing that sets apart of other books within the genre is that it doesn’t just deal with Vic and his problems but also largely deals with how his problems affect the people around him. I wanted to write not just from the perspective of someone who is depressed and trying to recover from an abusive relationship but also how his friends and family not only deal with the situation but how it influences their own lives.
Chrys: Do you have a favorite scene in the book?
Kia: Ooh, good question. I do have one though it’s a bit of a creepy one. One of the earlier chapters in Loving in the Present deals with how Vic experiences his self harming and the scene always stands out to me and creeps even me out when I read it because it’s conflicted and slightly twisted but it makes total sense to Vic.
Chrys: What kind of research did you do for this story?
Kia: I read a lot of books about things like depressions. I watched movies. But most of all I listened to people online. People who shared their stories or were trying to get through things. The things that most influenced me while writing Black Sheep were simply people who shared their experiences.
Chrys: Where can people learn more about you and your writing?
Kia: Search me. Naaaah, I’ll help you out. You can find me on twitter, I have a fanpage on facebook and of course my website.
Website www.5timeschaos.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/kiazishiru
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KiaShiru
PROMOTION FOR THE NEW RELEASE!!!!!!!
Letting go of the Past (Black Sheep Trilogy #1) is on sale for $0.99 for the time the tour runs!!
Black Sheep: Letting go of the Past on sale for $0.99 (Feb 13-25)
Amazon COM
Amazon UK
Smashwords
Kobo
Book blurb and links for Black Sheep: Loving in the present (Book 2):
Vic has taken a turn for the worse and is back in the psychiatric hospital. Jack gets kicked out of his house when his parents find out that he is gay. The reason Adam is not getting better is revealed. And that is just the beginning.
Everybody is lost and trying to not let it spiral out of control. Jack moves in with Vic’s family, making it his temporary home until he can move in with his brother and sister. Vic’s health doesn’t improve until he hears about Adam, at which point he put his mind to getting better. Adam on the other hand is fighting his own feelings about Vic’s illness and questions their friendship.
When Vic and Jack visit Adam and Tom for Tom’s birthday, it seems like a great way to let loose, but Vic is hiding more secrets than anyone knew and when they are exposed the situation explodes. Vic storms off in anger and seeks solace in dangerous places and, unknowingly, putting not just himself, but Jack too at risk.
Buy links:
Book excerpt:
“Anne, I’m scared.” Adam’s voice wakes me from my light slumber. He is standing in the doorway, his pale skin and tiny frame illuminated by the light from the hallway.
I move aside and hold the blanket up so he can join me in the bed. He is shaking violently, clutching me hard. I wrap my arms around him. He has gotten so thin, so very thin. I can feel every bone under his skin. Vic said that he’s lost weight but I didn’t realize it was this bad. The clothes usually cover up everything pretty well but in just sweats and a t-shirt there is nothing to hide his skinny frame. I’m not sure how long he has been out from under the blankets but he is freezing cold.
“What is going on? What are you so scared of?” I move my hands up and down his back, trying to warm him up. Every bump on his spine is poking out.
“I… I’m scared he won’t want to get better this time. Even with Jack around he saw no reason to keep on living. Why would he get better there if even Jack can’t stop him from tying to kill himself?”
“I don’t know,” I whisper, my heart sad. “We have to try. We have to trust they can help him this time.”
“I’m not even sure I trust them anymore. I don’t know, I’m so confused.” Adam sighs deep, his breath tickling my neck. I hold him in my arms, hoping to warm him, but every bit of heat seems to be leaving him immediately. I look at the clock. It’s just past three.
“I don’t know either, but there is no use thinking about it right now. Try to go back to sleep, okay?” I kiss the top of his head as I feel myself drifting off at the familiarity of holding Adam like this, good memories of our childhood enough to bring me back to sleep quickly.
About Kia
Kia Zi Shiru is a Dutch girl studying English and Creative Writing in the UK. Amongst her interests she finds writing, reading, doing research and learning different languages (including but not limited to: English, Dutch, French, German, HTML, Java, PHP and Assembly). Her writing and reading habits include books with Young Adults, gay themes, strong female or minority characters and fantasy elements (more often then not all at the same time).
You can find her:
Website www.5timeschaos.com
Twitter http://twitter.com/kiazishiru
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/KiaShiru
Thank you so much for doing this interview, I really liked it.
It was great having you! 🙂