Today I’ll be interviewing Lesa McKee, author of the Operation Space Cats series, for the Blog World Tour: Fantasy Edition. I’m delighted to have her here on my blog–space and cats are two of my favorite things and she combines the two in her writing!
Not to mention how cute and eye-catching her covers are… Just look at the cover for Book One:
Doesn’t it look fun?
Now that I’m done purring over cute kitties, it’s on to the interview!
You’re an author, Lesa, and pretty much all authors start out as bookworms. What books did you love as a child?
I loved the Amelia Bedelia book series, and the Little House on the Prairie series. Also the book Baby Island along with several others.
Ooooh, I loved the Little House series as well! And also Baby Island! You’re the first person I’ve met who has mentioned reading that! My copy is old and falling apart from being read so much. *coughs* Well, I could keep talking about books, but time’s a-ticking, so on to the next question.
Writers often start out entering writing contests, as it’s a way to get their name out there, as well as build a writer’s resume, (not to mention win prizes!) Have you ever entered a writing contest, and if so, did you ever win?
Yes, I’ve won two so far. Both of my short stories in the Operation Space Cats series. Book one, Operation Space Cats: The Rescue Mission is published in the Space Kitties 1 Anthology, and book two, Operation Space Cats: The Missing Spaceship is published in the Space Kitties 2 Anthology. I’m also self-publishing these on my own.
That’s so awesome! Please accept my very belated congratulations. And since you must have written those stories somehow, the next question is: Do you write on a typewrite, computer, dictate, or longhand?
Sadly, my old and decrepit laptop. I just hope it holds out!
Ack! I’ve been there myself. I hope it keeps chugging along for you! Now, I realize that it’s an old, ancient laptop, but I assume it still has speakers–do you listen to music while you write?
Nope. No muse and no music. I work alone. Nice and quiet. Well … except for those yowling, er, lovable space cats. 🙂
I bet space cats make great company! And sometimes I wonder if having no muse might be more useful… *ducks the burning glare from her own* Ahem, so you write on a computer in peaceful quiet. Now for my next question, one often contested by writers… Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I’m a combination of both, really. Making me a plantser. I do lean toward pantsing quite often (I completely freestyled book one of Operation Space Cats) though with a series (the rest of the books, anyway) I have to include some planning, add foreshadowing, and make sure everything ties together. I love series writing, but it’s definitely more work.
*high fives* I’m a pantser myself, so glad to see you on the dark side, er, I mean, meeting another semi-pantser. I can totally understand why series planning requires work–I’ve got several series in the works and just keeping everything (and everyone) in line is troublesome at times.
Since you’re writing a series of space cats, I’d assume there’s a lot of history from before when Book One takes place, such as when cats first developed space technology. Have you ever thought about doing a prequel, either centered around one of your current characters, or even set far, far back in time?
Yes. One of my cat characters, Cavias is *gasp* an old secret agent. I’d love to write a prequel of him when he’s young (before he meets Tebbs and the team) and call it Operation Spy Cats. The ending could tie into Operation Space Cats, book one.
That sounds like fun! I hope you do so. *glances at ticking clock* Now, we have time for one more question. This one’s a bit more technical, as it brings us back to what being an author (whether traditionally or self-published) requires. A lot of authors market themselves online; some argue this is easier, as it doesn’t cost much (if anything) and they don’t have to travel. Others enjoy doing book tours, author talks, and other marketing stuff in their community or even further abroad. So, are you going to market yourself as a local author in your community?
I’m going to try, yes. The local papers, book stores, and businesses. See if I can get any doors to open. A statewide book tour with some fellow writers would be awesome!
*high fives* Yay! Another author after my own heart. And I love the idea of a statewide tour with other authors. Hopefully you won’t have to wait too long to make it a reality!
Thank you so much for being here today, Lesa! I wish you and your adorable space cats the best!
Lesa McKee grew up at her Grandmother’s knee, listening to the French folk-tales her animated Grandma Ida shared. A love of stories was born and her imagination took off!
She’s now living her dream as a Christian Indie writer of feel-good fiction, including a short story series of far-out space cats, titled Operation Space Cats. These purrific feline adventures are filled with faith, friendship & fun!
You can learn more about Lesa, and connect to her via:
Her website
Her blog
Her Amazon Author page
Facebook
Pinterest
Twitter
