Tuesday, May 26, 2015

Iain Reading, Author of Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold

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Today we are interviewing Iain Reading, author of Kitty Hawk and the Curse of the Yukon Gold.

Describe the plot of your new book in a few sentences.
It was the creepiest sound that Kitty Hawk had ever heard. A spine-tinglingly sinister disembodied voice. Which is strange, because the Kitty Hawk books are pretty grounded in the real world of real-life events, places and histories.  So what on Earth could this be?

Who do you think would most appreciate this book?
I think that pretty much anyone from 10 to 100 can enjoy the Kitty Hawk books.  But particularly anyone who has an interest in learning more about this big world of ours and traveling to new and exciting places (and falling into a few adventures and mysteries along the way).

Tell us a bit about the protagonist, Kitty Hawk.

Kitty Hawk is a cross between Nancy Drew and Amelia Earhart.  She's a pilot.  She has her own plane.  And she wants to see the world.  What better way to do that than to head out on her own, flying and having the most amazing adventures you can imagine.

What drew you to set your story in Western Canada and Alaska?
Western Canada is where I grew up, so it makes for a perfect place for Kitty Hawk to grow up and have her first adventures.  But she doesn't stay there long.  Just the first book.  After that she's off and flying around the world, from one amazing place to the next.

One of the unique things about your book is that it references lots of real locations and historical events. Why was it important for you to include these in your story?
I have always been interested in things like this.  I love travel and seeing new places, so it was easy for me to imagine a character who loved the same thing.  I also love learning about cultures and history and all the little bits of trivia that go with it, so it only made sense to incorporate all of these passions of mine into the stories.  The trick is always to find the story that hits all the things that I am interested in.

Is there an author that has influenced your writing style?
I always loved the books of Carl Sagan and Paul Theroux, but I am not sure anything in their writing style particularly influenced mine.  But their love of the world and finding out about definitely inspired and influenced me.

Is there any aspect of writing you don't like?
I have to admit (don't tell anyone) that I am not the biggest fan of going over edits when they come back from my editor.  Sometimes I just want to hit "accept all" and move on with my life.

What can readers expect from book 2 in the series?
The second book is one of my favourites.  The plot and pacing are a bit quicker and it takes our heroine down to the Florida Keys, which is about as far as you can get in climate from Alaska and the Yukon.  Once there Kitty Hawk (of course) finds herself drawn into a mystery and she visits some AMAZING places, like Fort Jefferson – which is a place that everyone should visit, and if you can't then at least Google it because once you do you won't believe your eyes.

How many books do you have planned for the series?

The plan is to have a total of thirteen books in the series.  I have just finished book number five and even though I meant to work on something else next, I am lately finding myself drawn into writing the next Kitty Hawk book instead.  Egypt and the pyramids.  Need I say more?

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