Today we have Jay Kristoff visiting the Flock. He is from the land of Oz and refers to him self as the "nerdmastah" The last book in his Lotus War Trilogy is coming out soon. We talk about it a little, but then move on to the more interesting stuff like his secret kung-fu assassin wife...good times people, good times.
Welcome to I Smell Sheep! You will be happy to know I have no idea who David Grohl is. (Jay is often told he looks like Grohl)
Jay: That makes me feel very old.
Sharon: nope, you shouldn’t feel old, I should feel dumb. Foo Fighters *facepalm* I’m the same age as he is <G> and yeah, you look like him…
Jay: That just makes us both old. <G>
Sharon: For readers who aren’t familiar with your series would you tell us a bit about The Lotus War trilogy?
Jay: Chainsaw katanas, telepathic samurai girls, and griffons! That pretty much sums it up in a nutshell J
But the books are basically about one girl’s friendship with a mythical creature called a thunder tiger (they’re kinda like griffons), and their efforts to overthrow the despotic government bringing ruin to their homeland. There’s shades of steampunk and epic fantasy in there.
Sharon: you had me at Chainsaw katanas! Actually you had me at chainsaws, but that’s another story…
Jay: *backs away slooooowly*
Sharon: *twitch, twitch*
Sharon: There are steampunk elements to the series. Is there a steampunk contraption in your books you would love to own in real life?
Jay: There’s an enormous mechanical construct called the Earthcrusher. It’s kinda like a huge spider-thing with chainsaws for arms. The ground shakes where it walks. Entire cities flee in fear at its approach. I could think of a few uses for something like that. It’d make driving in peak hour easier, for starters.
Sharon: heehee, I like the way you think…tell me you have offspring to pass this sort of thinking down too.
Jay: Nooooo, I’m an infant myself, I have no business raising another one.
Sharon: You state you are a nerd…prove it. What is the nerdiest thing you own?
Jay: Oh, wow. Hard call. Maybe my hardback set of black leather-bound Dungeons & Dragons 3.5 edition rulebooks?
I named my dog Samwise, dude. I am the nerdmastah.
Sharon: you named your dog Samwise? That is pretty nerdy, but you might have to turn in your man card for that one <G>
Jay: He’s a Jack Russell, too. :P
Sharon: Why did you pick a 16 year old female as your protagonist? I will also note there is a new series coming out next year you are co-writing with Amie Kaufman, also has a young female protag. Do you have an inner teenage girl you can tap into?
Jay: I’m not really sure why I write so many female protagonists, to be honest. I guess I find the perspective a little more interesting and a little more challenging? There’s nothing scientific about it – an idea for a character will creep into my head, be it a boy or a girl, and if they take my fancy, I’ll start writing about them. It would feel a little odd to change the character’s sex just because I might find it easier to write a male. If writing is easy, you’re doing it wrong. And unless you’re writing a biography, you’re always channeling someone who’s not YOU.
In the ILLUMINAE series you mentioned (the one I’m writing with Amie K) she writes the girl protagonist and I write the boy. Which is a nice change. Although in my next solo fantasy series (which I just sold to my editor, so yay, more books from me) the protagonist is also female.
(shrug) I just go where the characters tell me J
Sharon: You worked in the advertising industry (yes, I stalked your bio) for a while. Got any funny stories about failed ad ideas or clients?
Jay: Failed ads stories are normally quite sad. You put a lot of thought into your ideas, only to see them get shot down, usually for no reason better than “hmmm, no I just don’t like it”. That’s kinda why I got out and started writing books. When you’re an author, your ideas don’t get canned because the client is in the middle of a messy divorce and came to the presentation in a bad mood.
But . . . funny. Hmmm. Ok, one time I spent close to a million bucks on what was essentially one big penis joke. True story :P
Sharon: moving on! <G>
Sharon: What’s it like living with a secret agent kung-fu assassin wife? Does she let you play with her secret agent gadgets?
Jay: No. She keeps her gadgets far out of reach. She’s kinda mean like that. But she wouldn’t be a kung-fu assassin if she was all sunshine and lollipops.
Sharon: If you could own any piece of art in the world what would it be?
Jay: The Card Players by Paul C Cézanne. Apparently that’s the most expensive painting in the world. I just googled it.
Sharon: must be a hell of a card game…
Jay: Art. Pfft. I dunno.
Sharon: What is your Precsssssssiousss?
Jay: Probably my CD collection. I know, right? Who the hell buys CDs nowadays . . .
Now I feel REALLY old . . .
Rapid Fire:
Sharon: Break a foot or break a hand?
Jay: Foot. Can’t write without hands!
Sharon: apples or oranges?
Jay: Oranges. In juice form pls. With Vodka.
Sharon: and a dash of peach schnapps! Fuzzy Navels for everyone!! (I had to google how to spell schnapps, true story)
Sharon: Bigfoot or Sasquatch?
Jay: Are they not the same thing? 0_o *googles* Wow. You learn something every day.
Sharon: roller coaster or carousel?
Jay: Roller Coasterrrrrrrrrrrrr
Sharon: lost at sea or lost in the dessert?
Jay: Either way, I’d die. So I’ll take the burial at sea. Sounds more epic.
Sharon: Coke or Pepsi?
Jay: What is this Pepsi of which you speak?
Sharon: I’m sorry Jay, this interview is over and you must now meet our dragon…
*empty Coke can hits Sharon in the head*
Sorry, Katie says we have to go on…mumble, mumble…traitor…mumble
Sharon: Twilight Zone or Tales from the Crypt?
Jay: We never had TftC in Oz when I was a kid. TZ wins by default!
Sharon: what is this Oz of which you speak?! Okay, that was childish :P
Jay: Ouch, burn. J
Sharon: Thanks for visiting. And sorry about wanting to feed you to the dragon, I just get emotional sometimes. No hard feelings?
Jay: Never! Thanks for having me :D
Endsinger (The Lotus War #3)
by Jay Kristoff
by Jay Kristoff
Kindle Edition, 464 pages
November 25th 2014 by Thomas Dunne Books
A TREMBLING EARTH
The flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. With the Tiger Clan and their puppet Daimyo Hiro in tow, the Guild marches toward a battle for absolute dominion over the Isles.
A BROKEN REBELLION
Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the Kagé rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends in an effort to unite the country against the chi-mongers. But the ghosts of Buruu’s past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin’s betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war tearing the Imperium apart, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win.
A FINAL BATTLE
The traitor Kin walks the halls of Guild power, his destiny only a bloody knife-stroke away. Hana and Yoshi struggle to find their place in a world now looking to them as heroes. Secret cabals within the Lotus Guild claw and struggle; one toward darkness, the other toward light. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth.
There is nothing a mother won't do to keep her children by her side.
Nothing.
Jay's first trilogy, THE LOTUS WAR, is set to be published in over a dozen countries. The first installment STORMDANCER, was critically acclaimed and shortlisted for several SF/F awards, and the Lotus War novella THE LAST STORMDANCER won the 2014 Aurelais Award for Best Fantasy Short Fiction. The third book, ENDSINGER, is out in November 2014. Jay’s new series, the SciFi thriller ILLUMINAE, which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman, is due for publication by Random House in 2015. He is as surprised about it as you are. He is represented by Matt Bialer at Sanford J Greenburger Associates.
Jay is 6’7" and has approximately 13264 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.
He has a sweet beard.
He does not believe in happy endings.
November 25th 2014 by Thomas Dunne Books
A TREMBLING EARTH
The flames of civil war sweep across the Shima Imperium. With their plans to renew the Kazumitsu dynasty foiled, the Lotus Guild unleash their deadliest creation—a mechanical goliath known as the Earthcrusher, intended to unite the shattered Empire under a yoke of fear. With the Tiger Clan and their puppet Daimyo Hiro in tow, the Guild marches toward a battle for absolute dominion over the Isles.
A BROKEN REBELLION
Yukiko and Buruu are forced to take leadership of the Kagé rebellion, gathering new allies and old friends in an effort to unite the country against the chi-mongers. But the ghosts of Buruu’s past stand between them and the army they need, and Kin’s betrayal has destroyed all trust among their allies. When a new foe joins the war tearing the Imperium apart, it will be all the pair can do to muster the strength to fight, let alone win.
A FINAL BATTLE
The traitor Kin walks the halls of Guild power, his destiny only a bloody knife-stroke away. Hana and Yoshi struggle to find their place in a world now looking to them as heroes. Secret cabals within the Lotus Guild claw and struggle; one toward darkness, the other toward light. And as the earth splits asunder, as armies destroy each other for rule over an empire of lifeless ash and the final secret about blood lotus is revealed, the people of Shima will learn one last, horrifying truth.
There is nothing a mother won't do to keep her children by her side.
Nothing.
About the Author:
Jay Kristoff is a tragic nerd, but has spent the last ten years dumping expeez into his Intimidation stat, and now nobody is brave enough to say it to his face. He grew up in the second most isolated capital city on earth and fled at his earliest convenience, although he’s been known to trek back for weddings of the particularly nice and funerals of the particularly wealthy. Being the holder of an Arts degree, he has no education to speak of.Jay's first trilogy, THE LOTUS WAR, is set to be published in over a dozen countries. The first installment STORMDANCER, was critically acclaimed and shortlisted for several SF/F awards, and the Lotus War novella THE LAST STORMDANCER won the 2014 Aurelais Award for Best Fantasy Short Fiction. The third book, ENDSINGER, is out in November 2014. Jay’s new series, the SciFi thriller ILLUMINAE, which he co-authored with Amie Kaufman, is due for publication by Random House in 2015. He is as surprised about it as you are. He is represented by Matt Bialer at Sanford J Greenburger Associates.
Jay is 6’7" and has approximately 13264 days to live. He abides in Melbourne with his secret agent kung-fu assassin wife, and the world’s laziest Jack Russell.
He has a sweet beard.
He does not believe in happy endings.
Thank you for this opportunity. I enjoyed your interview and post.
ReplyDeleteBRILLIANT interview!! as always, you are very clever with your questions and responses…well done to the author as well…very interested in reading books now…thx for that! good luck!
ReplyDeleteMy God he does look like Dave Grohl. The cover is gorgeous and interviews like this make me buy books!
ReplyDeleteLove the interview and to include a drink, thank god tomorrow's Friday. I'm someone, and I can't explain why, who just doesn't read a lot by male authors. Looks like I'll have to change that.
ReplyDeleteLynn
lareynolds0316@gmail.com