KJ Davis: If you are drawn to writing, then do it!
KJ is a working neurodivergent matriarch, military vet spouse, small business owner, and descriptive writer.
Beyond caring for her family and running her online business, KJ is a natural descriptive writer. Her rich stories and lively characters have become an integral part of her life since childhood. Now, KJ enjoys working on her novel series.
KJ’s first novel series is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi crossover that spans a multiverse of descriptive writing. The first novel, Awakening, introduces two parallel storylines that seem to reflect the trials and tribulations of individuals lost within the storms of leadership. Each must battle between their responsibilities and their personal desires. This epic space-adventure drama will lead the reader across the cosmos on a rollercoaster of detailed scenes and rich emotions.
Blitz:
Name: KJ Davis
Book title: Star of Avalon, Book 1: Awakening, Part of the Aether Star Chronicles
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi crossover (Epic Fantasy & Military Science Fiction)
Release date: November 18, 2023
Blurb/short description of the book:
The Aether Star Chronicles is an epic fantasy/science fiction crossover that blends breathtaking magical scenes, real-world science, and military action. It dives into the depths of your soul, igniting your imagination, opening a portal into a new multiverse.
Sol Date 3498.08.21: In Earth’s 35th century, Sergeant Solan Marcus Adams, a hybrid lion humanoid called a Hy-Gen, is the team leader of the Apex Special Forces unit, the Mavericks. Like all the other Hy-Gens, Solan and his rag-tag team follow orders while struggling daily to navigate prejudice and mistreatment. Apex Units might hold the highest completion rating for space missions that are too difficult for humans to handle, but at the end of the day, a mutt is still a mutt. Now, a new assignment comes up with questionable motives and impossible parameters. Can Solan and his team reach their objective before everything they were created to serve and protect is destroyed?
In another verse, Lunessa is the leader of the Ma’u, an ancient feline race that has roamed the cosmos for countless ages. Thrust into the role of leadership at an early age after disaster massacred her entire family, Luna now searches for a balance between the responsibilities of her station and her own personal desires for love and solace. Yet, her recent nightmares become warnings of a new threat on the horizon. Will the snow leopard Ma’u be able to protect her home from a long-forgotten weapon spreading across the land? From the shadows, a darker question whispers: Are these new premonitions heralding the return of a monster from her past?
Meanwhile, in the shadows between, a sinister puppet master manipulates everything to his dark whims. His obsessive desire is to attain the sacred treasure that will surely grant him dominion over all: the Aether Star of Avalon. With minions enacting his devious plans, he weaves a web of deceit and diversion to capture the ultimate power for himself. Will the Dark Master succeed, or can our heroes push back the Darkness with the light of Hope?
Previous titles: The Aether Codex, Volume 5: Lessons of the Heart
Please tell our readers about yourself.
I’m an introvert for sure, a small 5-foot ‘little mama bear’ that juggles family, job, writing, and caring for my extended family. My creative “mewse”, Ma’u, keeps me busy with cuddles, inspiration, and a warm purring machine on my lap. She always knows when I really need to stop for a moment and just breathe. Ma’u may not be an official ESA but she certainly can sense when my anxiety starts to boil out of control.
My kids are young adults now, which is a whole new world for me. They are quickly losing that need for mom to take care of things. It is both a proud and sad moment for me as I take a step back and watch them do what we call in our house “adulting” on their own.
I still love to read or listen to audiobooks, and I’m working on nice little crochet bookmarks to add to my signed book - goodie bags. My quirks are the same as I struggle with social anxiety in public. I know I have to push past it in order to “get out there and sell my book.” Quite frankly, talking to people in public scares the dickens out of me! It is much easier to text, post online, or even host an online video call. I know I’ll get better the more I do, it’s just difficult being neurodivergent and trying to handle public situations. Fortunately, I have a tiny support group of family that I can turn to.
If I were to single out one of the few pet peeves I have, is that because I’m small and a bit anxious and shy in public, I tend to get treated differently. People talk over me all the time or talk “down to me” like my smaller stature has something to do with my intelligence. That treatment infuriates me, but after so many decades of dealing with it, I’ve become a bit numb. It is likely my social anxiety stems from that and other things that have built up over the years. But I am who I am, and I am “me.” The good and the bad, the short but resilient me. I’m not going to stop writing or being me just because someone tells me I should give up or act another way.
At the end of the day, I take the good and bad one breath at a time. I remind myself of what my mom told me years ago when I had my first child. I was back at Fort Benning, Georgia, my husband had just left for deployment to Iraq, and here I was, practically a single newborn mom! My family were all miles away with no one to help that I knew personally. Mom reminded me to stop and celebrate my victories along the way: sometimes, I would be able to go a year, sometimes month by month. Other times would be harder. In those moments, I would need to count my blessings one week at a time. Or one day. And in those really bad moments, just count the breaths and the seconds. Then celebrate that you made it that far and keep going. She is my biggest inspiration for both my life and my writing: no college degree, but wisdom beyond her years!
What inspired you to be a writer?
There are several sources of my inspiration, but I would certainly say three are by far the top for me:
The first was that I’ve been writing since I was a child. Being bullied and growing up in an era of ‘hard knocks’ created a very harsh environment for me as a little oddball who rarely fit in. My characters became my truest—and only—friends. We carried out adventures and built a world far away from the bullies and monsters of my reality. Over time, my stories helped me cope and eventually understand my traumas. Fast forward decades later, and I have found a new joy in sharing these stories, characters, and our adventures with the world. They have inspired me to build a series to help others understand that being different is okay.
The next bit of inspiration came early on when I was young and writing for myself. I watched an episode of Reading Rainbow, which became one of my favorite shows to watch with LeVar Burton. The Simon’s Book episode had Mr. Burton showing us how books were actually made. That simple show planted the seed that one day, I could make my own book!
The last of the top three inspirations was watching other mom/writer authors become famous, like JK Rowling. She was just a simple mom with a story to tell. She got rejected twelve times before someone finally agreed to publish her book series. That shows perseverance! That is an inspiration for me to “never give up, never surrender” (yes, that’s a quote from an amazingly funny Star Trek spoof movie). It may be a goofy line from a movie, but it rings in my ears when I get negative advice from other authors or publishing “experts.” Those who say I should do this or my book will never sell because I didn’t do this/that. Or because I’m an indie author and not traditional, or that I don’t have a degree - I will fail. Those are the times I count my breaths and just get back to writing my next book!
Tell us about your writing journey so far.
As I mentioned before, I’ve been writing for myself since I was a child, about 8 or 9 years old. I’ve always had tons of notebooks scattered everywhere that I would write a little (maybe 200 - 600 words!). I love the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and I am considered a “descriptive writer”: I love writing about the details of the scenes in such vivid detail that my readers feel like they are right there with the characters... The idea that there can be a different life, a better future, or just a nice way to live is the biggest draw to that genre. I am currently working on my main series, the Aether Star Chronicles, but I have other ideas in some of my little notebooks that include:
- a series/analogy of short stories gathered from women about their lives or words of inspiration
- a post-apocalyptic book/series following a group of nomadic families/tribes working to survive after the fallout of a huge war where magic and witchcraft have, once again, become “evil” and punishable by death.
- a children’s book series that follows unique animal characters in their daily lives. Sort of viewing life from their perspective, but not just pets like in the Disney movie. More like wild animal tales.
What is your writing process—from idea to final draft?
Oh boy. I am certainly a “panster.” I get ideas all the time, write them into my little notebooks, and ride the river of inspiration along the way. Sometimes, I have huge bouts of writing; others, it’s barely a trickle, but I still write. Most of the time, it’s what I call “word vomit”: just tons of words on a page and barely any punctuation or editing. Once I have enough of a skeleton put together, I go back and start working out the ideas into some sort of structure. I envision my books like little movies in my head. I’m the director, my characters are the actors, and the story is the scenes. I listen to a TON of classical or “alternative” music like Yanni, Pink, Toby Keith, Will Smith, Evanescence, Katie Perry, ACDC, Ed Sheeran, Lindsey Stirling, or Sia (yes, even my choice of music is chaotic!). From those musical pieces, I find more inspiration, like adding background music to my book/movie scenes. Action, drama, love scenes, even the goofy comic ones.
Eventually, I have enough of a rough draft that I know what’s going to happen from the start to the finish. Then I go back and listen to it again and again. I put the draft through a read-aloud feature on my laptop and listen to it like an audiobook. I find that this is extremely helpful! Sometimes, I may write something down that I think will work, but when I hear it through the reading voice, it’s not what I wanted or sounds horrid. That’s when I go back and adjust. I think this is called developmental editing. Whatever it is, this has been the best way for me to really nail down my story. After that, I run it through an online program called AutoCrit. Even at this stage, I’m constantly adjusting, adding in new scenes, or taking some out. Once I have something I’m not afraid to share, I ask a few betas to read through it and give me their opinions. Then it’s back to adjusting and shaping the mind-movie into what I want but with the ideas provided by others who represent my future readers. After all that, I contact my editor and let you have a go at it. Your advice and gentle editing technique helps me to become a better writer while still retaining the true essence of my stories.
Once the editing is pretty much done, then it’s adding illustrations* and typesetting. Then publishing.
*Along the entire journey, I commission new indie artists to do illustrations for my books. I grew up with classics like the Narnia Series, Lewis Carroll’s Wonderland series, and Tolkien. Those “greats” put line art in their books, and I found reading with mild dyslexia easier when I had pictures to help me understand the concepts of the paragraphs when the words wouldn’t fit together. I wanted that same beautiful support feature in my books so others could enjoy not only the descriptions of my world but visual hints as well.
You’ve recently published Book 1 in The Aether Star Chronicles: Awakening. What inspired you to write this book?
This is the first book in my main series. The series title is the “Aether Star Chronicles”. The book title is “Star of Avalon, Book 1: Awakening”. This is the introduction of my characters and the story that I/we have created together since childhood. The inspiration to publish this book came from my hubby, “Senior.” I wrote a short story one day, just on a whim, and shared it with him and some of our close friends. Afterwards, he insisted I should write and publish a book. Years later, I’m now ready to share this introduction of my series with the world!
What were your biggest challenges?
Budgeting and balancing. My family is not rich by any means, and we have tons of medical bills. So, I had to find a safe balance between writing “professionally” and taking care of my family. I managed to find programs and people along the way that were either free, low cost, or agreed to more of a barter system. Beyond that, I also was inspired to use my published works to help others. I figured my family was not the only “struggling artist (of words)” out there. I wanted to work with other indies, so I made sure to only commission new artists, a new editor, and non-professional readers/advisors. The idea is that by helping me, I can turn around with my published books and help them. That is also how my small business, A Little Help Co., was created. A way to help other creative individuals and small businesses just getting started.
The other challenges are personal: I suffer from social anxiety and am neurodivergent (high-functioning autistic). There’s always been a little “monkey monster” in my mind that fills me with ‘doubties.’ Fear of rejection and just dealing with people in public is a serious issue. I battle those monsters on a daily basis, so that is certainly one of my biggest challenges. The cure for me is to have a handful of supportive individuals I trust and know will have my back. I have two ladies who are extroverts who have ‘adopted’ me as their introverted little sister. They have become a blessing to my life, both professionally and personally, and I consider them as much of my family as my blood relatives.
What are you most proud of regarding this specific title?
I know this is technically not my first published book, but to be honest, I consider it to be. In that notion, my greatest accomplishment has been to actually publish it. The thought of holding in my hands the physical realization from so many years ago when I watched LeVar Burton walk through that printing factory will be one of my most treasured Life Moments. The first prequel was really a test run that helped me understand the publishing process and get my series out there into the hands of the public. There were a LOT of things I learned about what to do with my main series book. Also, what not to do. Marketing and public connection were my biggest downfall with that one, and I am working on correcting it with this one.
I still cried when I opened that first box of author copies and saw the book with my name on it. Tears of joy, but I certainly blubbered. The exhilaration and pride were just too much to keep in. I was so thankful at that moment and had just an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Even now, it’s hard to put into words how I felt without tearing up a bit. Only other creatives will understand when they finally see a piece of their work published or displayed. There’s just nothing else to compare it to.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
I found out not all editors want to rip apart your stories to make them “sellable.” You showed me that some editors are able to work with the author, refine their writing, and still allow the creative mental movie to shine through.
There are a lot of people out on the internet and through social media who are willing to help. Also, a lot of people want to take advantage of you. It’s a tricky path to take, and I’ve learned to be careful along the way.
Finally, writing is one thing. Sharing your story as a rough draft is another. Publishing, though! That is a monster all on its own! I never truly appreciate what it costs, both in physical cash and time/effort, to create one of the books on a shelf. There are sooooo many hoops you have to jump through and so many things to do before you can actually print a book. Not just what the printing company showed in that old episode. Typesetting, fonts, margins, restrictions. Also, as an indie author, the path to publishing is more narrow than traditional because you have to do it all by yourself. There’s no one true manual for the process. And those that offer help usually offer it with a price tag. Like other indie authors, I’ve stumbled in the dark to figure out the magical labyrinth of publishing.
How do you create your characters?
The main characters of my series are my best friends from childhood. Not real people, but I guess you could call them imaginary friends. That’s all I had back then. And through the traumas I endured, they, more than anyone in the real world, were always there for me. They represent my mind’s ideal personas that were able to face my real-life monsters and come out the other side unscathed. They are my heart and my spirit on paper.
Other characters were certainly fashioned, either back then or now, after real-life people. Some good, some bad. The BBG (big bad guy) of the series is an amalgamation of a few choice individuals from my past. Other ‘supporting role’ characters were added later in life from inspiration or my tiny private gift to those individuals who helped me along the way: military advisors, personal friends and family, supportive indie creators who helped me publish the book.
What is the current (or next) project you are working on?
Between working at my job and being the matriarch of my social family, it’s hard to get to my preferred activity of writing in between the spaces of rushing around and working. After setting up the first book for publishing and a boost in marketing, I’m looking to my next supplement to the series.
The next book will be like the special edition extra book you get when you purchase an upgraded video game box. I always loved the extra “making of” books I would get with the games my family and I would get in a bundle. These “coffee table” books would feature the artists, programmers, and production crew behind the games. I loved the details of the illustrations showing the progression from draft to final cut. So, that’s what I want for the series. The first ‘making of’ book will highlight the ‘art of the aether’ with individual artist bios and a closer look at how some of the more iconic illustrations and characters developed.
Many of our readers are fellow indie writers, some of them at the very beginning of their journey. What advice would you give them?
DO NOT GIVE UP! No matter what others—or so-called experts in the field—tell you. If you are drawn to writing, then do it! I have an image posted as the background on my laptop that reminds me every time I open it to write. It’s a list of famous literary works like Harry Potter, Carrie, Dune, Dr. Seuss, and more. ALL of them were rejected numerous times before someone gave them a try. You can’t give up on your dream just because you have one or twenty people telling you otherwise. If it’s a passion, keep going. Remember: It does not require a college degree to write and publish a book. It requires heart and soul. Keep your dreams, your spirit, ablaze and you’ll make it.
Also, write every day if you can. Even if it’s a few words. Our brain is just like any other organ with muscles. If you don’t use it continually, you will suffer loss and weakness. Writing helps any author improve, even if it’s your confidence, inspiration, or just the habit. All books, from the little-known short story to the epic fantasy series, turned into a world-famous movie trilogy… they all start with one word. Then another. You can do the same, just write. Trust me, someone out in the world is waiting to read your work.
To learn more about KJ and her Aether Star Chronicles, visit her website: https://kjdauthor.wordpress.com/ or connect on Facebook and Instagram.
