Good afternoon everyone.

Welcome to another installment of the Author Interviews Series.

Today I chat to author Kade Cook about her exciting supernatural thriller novel and what motivates her as a writer.

 

Hi there Kade, wonderful to have the chance to chat to you over here on my blog.

Hello David, thank you so much for the chat.

Let’s start with your novel Grey: Volume 1 (Covenant of Shadows). What genre would you classify your book as sitting in? And why is it called Grey specifically? Tell us more about the main characters, setting and the world itself.

I would classify GREY as an Urban Fantasy Supernatural Thriller. It is real life, with real life issues just dusted with a bit of magic over it. GREY had a couple of names before it finally found its right name. GREY is the colour of the Borrowers aura and describes the large area between the two extremes in life which I think most of us fit into.

As for the main character, Gabrian. She is a normal young woman who has studied and worked very hard to be at the place in life that she is. When her very controlled and normal life starts falling apart and unravelling around her, without any real logical rhyme or rhythm to explain it, she struggles in the new understanding, and findings that the world she thinks she belongs to is a facade — just the tip of the iceberg of what surrounds her. As her eyes awaken and her true heritage fights its way to the surface of her conscience—revealing who she truly is, Gabrian is throw head first into a hidden world of Mages, Borrowers, Shadow Walkers and Vampires that has always existed right under her nose.

Your lead protagonist has an interesting name by calling her Gabrian Shadwell and you also mention Elders and Borrowers in your novel. How do you go about picking and choosing the names for your characters, objects and the places in your world?

Yes, Gabrian is our lead lady. She also started with a different name but as the story continued, every time I wrote her name, it felt wrong. In the back of my mind her true name kept whispering its way into the foreground of the story…so, eventually I let it surface and wrote it down and it fit. That is pretty much how it goes with all the names. I try one out and if it sounds right then it stays. If it doesn’t, the characters have no problem letting me know it is wrong 🙂

The names of the fellowships and elders are based off of old English words or old languages that I looked up in the dictionary that have the meanings of what they are. Like the fellowship Igni…that is an old word for fire. It took quite a while to get everything straight and the way I needed but it was fun developing them.

If your novel was to be made into a movie, who would you cast in the lead roles?

Oh, wow. Well I do have a few loyal readers of GREY that have been helping me with the casting already. They keep telling me that it needs to be a movie. Haha 🙂

For Gabrian, in my head when I wrote the book, I saw Dakota Johnson or maybe even Nina Dobrev (Vampire Diaries). For Shane, I found a young man after finishing the novel that in some photos looked a lot like Shane. His name is Marlon Teixeira, a Brazilian model but I also thought Theo James could nicely fill the part as well. The entire cast is pretty much chosen but I will leave the characters up to the imaginations of the readers.

Who are some of the authors in general that inspire you?

Oh, my let me see. I own pretty much everything that Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instrument, The Infernal Devices, etc) has ever written. I adore Stephenie Meyers Twilight saga. My Dan Brown collection is one of my favourites as well, not to mention Marissa Meyer and Veronica Roth. I love all of them. I don’t write Horror but I do admire Mr. King and the person he is. I could go on but I will rest. Every author I have every read has had an influence on me. It is in their stories and their creations that I have found my true self. One book at a time.

What sort of research do you do to write your books?

Mostly the fellowship names. I like to have things, even though they sound made up, have a bit of truth to them. But for the most part I write from memory. The places in Maine and New York (95% of them) are real and I have been there or around them.

Why do you write? What inspired you to become a writer?

I have always been a song writer and a poetry writer since I can remember but the novel was written on a dare. I used to be in the IT industry, always using your mind but then I chose to be a stay at home mom. After a few years of being home with little ones, I felt like I was losing myself and the person I used to be. Becoming bored and agitated a lot. So my husband told me one day that if I was so bored then why don’t I write a book. So… I did. And it woke up the soul inside. I haven’t looked back since. It was also a gift to my children. For when the time comes that I am gone from this Realm. They can pick up this book whenever they may want to be close to me.

What keeps you motivated during creative slumps? How do you deal with Writers Block?

My little group of Coven-Nerds (beta readers that love The Covenant of Shadows: GREY) keep me motivated, supported and uplifted whenever I begin to doubt my writing decision. They also keep asking when they are going to get their hands on the next books.

As for writer’s block, I have to say that I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing it. (Knock on wood).

How do you spend your free time when you are not writing?

When I am not writing, I spend my time with my kids. Shuttling them around between hockey games and swimming lessons, I garden in the summer and cook constantly. And occasionally, in amongst all the running around and life responsibilities, I wander down the road and have a visit with my amazing neighbours.

Tell us more about your upcoming projects. The title of your novel suggests sequels.
Are you working on anything specific or have plans in the pipeline?

I am currently working on Book 2 of The Covenant of Shadows Trilogy, which is half done and Book 3 that is waiting patiently to be written. I have also outlined a number of other writing projects that will hopefully come to be after this trilogy is finished. So I am pleased to know that I will have plenty to keep me busy for a while, and that is wicked cool in my opinion.

Finally, are there any nuggets of wisdom that you can impart to other aspiring writers?

All I have to say is if you started it, finish it. See your dream through to the end. Don’t let anyone or anything stop you from completing your story as you are the ONLY one who can tell it. Oh and…Be brave and dare to dream!

Thank you Kade for an informative and fun interview.

Bio:-

Kade Cook is a semi-retired IT Professional turned first-time author with her book, GREY, a fantastical journey that she began writing in the winter of 2015 on a dare. GREY is now completed and is the first published novel in The Covenant of Shadows trilogy.

A lover of music, literature, fine art and Cuban coffee, Kade has a great appreciation for those minds that like to hover outside the box. She resides in her country home with her family and multicolored beta fish, Rainbow, in the outskirts of Shediac, a small town along the eastern coastline of NB, Canada.

Born and raised as a ‘Maritimer’ through and through, she will always be at home around good times and kind hearts, proud to be a daydreamer with a story to tell.

You can connect with Kade via these social media channels here:-

Facebook : Kade Cook – Author
Twitter : Kade Cook
Blog : Bookish Things – Kade Cook
Goodreads : Kade Cook
Smashwords : Kade Cook

You can buy Kade’s book here:-

Grey (Covenant of Shadows) (Volume 1)

If you too would like to be interviewed on my blog at TooFullToWrite and you have a book or a series of books that you would like us to chat about then fill out the Contact Me form here with your details and we can arrange a future interview slot.

Want more? Well there happens to be a ‘Shadow’ prompt over at The Daily Post. For more blog posts on the theme of Shadows then click on the links below:-

1. ATG Successful Living – Cyril Connolly
2. Vexing Point – Shadow
3. Meet your sacred self – my one life. today
4. Dripple Drapple – Shadows
5. Boring Bug – Chasing Shadows
6. The Shadow Looming Over Domestic Violence – Thoughts Of An E’ville Woman
7. Shoebox of Memories – All of my demons, they are kept within
8. Mainline_Matter – Shadow
9. My Childhood Curfew – LearaWrites
10. DeiLeiSochi Blog – Diversity
11. Shadow shift – The Lion’s Wings
12. Daily Post One Word Prompt – Shadow – A Writer’s Life
13. Shadow On The Wall – My Mixed Blog
14. sandmanjazz – Shadowplay
15. kwesi – Shadow
16. Bob’s Blog – Daily Prompt – Shadow
17. The Shadow – One More Shot Please
18. shame – An important deduction
19. Shadow – Think Out Loud by Aida
20. Seiyuu Ka! Review – Intense Mode
21. Standing the Test of Time – Thoughts Do Count
22. Theresa Barker – Lab Notes – Instruction to a young nephew
23. Poem:  Free Verse – “The Sacrifice” – Mandibelle16
24. Tracing Sparks – The Shifting Shadow
25. Friendships – freedomtomylightwithin
26. Waiting For You – A Life In Transition
27. Fluffy Pool – 5 o’clock Shadow
28. Shadow – Rhapsody In Blue
29. Shadow People – True_George
30. Shadow – Daily Prompt – ladyleemanila
31. Shadow/Apparent ~ Deception – Word Adventures
32. A Day In The Life – Shadow
33. The Lazy Wanderer – Like a Shadow
34. dailylifedramas – Shadow
35. tuckedintoacorner – shadow-walker
36. Giggles & Tales – Shadow – The Daily Prompt!
37. 6.) Stalker – jestfulwriter
38. TBF – Goals, contentment and self-esteem
39. The Darker Side. – Almandyne
40. Li Qingzhao Poetry from Song Dynasty – Samsara
41. Petrichor and Clouds – What I Learned From My Garden About Loss and New Beginnings
42. Silhouette – sandandelion
43. debooWORKS – Doors and Windows
44. Ruth bears witness – Shifting shadows in the sun
45. Radically Distinctive – Shadow
46. debooWORKS – Sentry
47. Purposive Writer – The Shadow That Knows My Name
48. Princess Journey – Her Shadow Never Leaves Her
49. Anonymous in Cali – a volvo, your arms, my heart, your heart
50. DeiLeiSochi Blog – The Ray of Light (behind) a Man’s Shadow
51. XingfuMama – Summer Shadows
52. A Shadow of Doubt – A lot from Lydia
53. eclipse (Poem 20160506) – Caw!
54. The Walk Alone – Mac’s World
55. Finding Hope Ness – Counting my blessings
56. LOVE WHAT YOU DO – Shadow
57. Life After 50 – Rough landing!
58. Sacrificial Chain Breaker – SHADOW
59. Writing The Girl – Shade
60. Shadow… – Simply Love Joy Peace
61. From Darkness to Light: My Shadow…. – PTSD – The Long Journey Home
62. Christine’s Collection – Of Fogs and Hazes
63. Summer’s Fading Light and the Lengthening Shadows – Prophecy and Scripture Studies
64. teleportingweena – DAILY POST – SHADOW
65. Your Nibbled News (c) 2016 – Success emerges from the shadows
66. Me and My Shadow Named Duke – Jibber Jabber with Sue
67. Reflect – If you give a mouse a pen
68. Writing and Works – Within The Shadows Monsters Lie In Wait
69. The Shadow where I hide – A Beginner ´s Blogger Diary
70. Should I stay or should I go? – Magic of this moment
71. debooWORKS – New Moon
72. Travel Much? – Go to Hell!
73. The Boss – Homebound & outbound: An unpretentious guide to a happy life of traveling
74. Travel Much? – Norway, the gateway to Hell
75. Espiritu en Fuego/A Fiery Spirit – The Shadow Knows!!!
76. What Is A Shadow? – THE SKYS THE LIMIT
77. Shadow-Life – StrangeLander2015
78. The Shadow Fire Casts – Thirty by Thirty
79. Creeps – her waking world
80. Shadowing happiness – ramblings of the day
81. 1. Shadow – so just how self-aware am I then? – isawithoughtiwrote
82. Hot Dogs and Marmalade – My Mother’s Shadow
83. Let the Light In ~ Reflections – Bemused
84. One Bark Family – I’m a Writer, Yes I Am
85. Daily Photo Challenge – Shadows – Brenda Travels Solo
86. be brave – What does nelkumi think?
87. Dark Shadows – writealineblog
88. MayDays: Flash Fiction – Monsters #Maydays – Mandibelle16
89. POETRY – A lost solitary magical tear, and conversation with a shadow
90. My and my shadow – Geek Ergo Sum
91. MyEatPrayRVing Life – Shadow
92. Once upon a time – Willow’s Corner
93. Night shots – puja season – debooWORKS
94. Where Are Your Feet? – along the side of the road
95. The Day Project – The shadow on the Island of Sodor
96. Jacki Kellum Juxtapositions: Read My Mind – The Ambivalent – The One Swims in All Directions
97. debooWORKS – #Nature in #Red
98. Indira’s Blog – The Daily Post- Shadow
99. kStan(ly) kSays – my strong and sorry shadow
100. Shadow – A Simple Seed
101. Orange (Fushimi Inari Shrine, Kyoto)
102. Living In The Shadows – A Little Piece of My Mind
103. The Daily Post – Progressing into Solitude – Growing In The Shadow
104. Writer Sanctuary – Landscapes and Dreams: Part 1
105. Me – Who am I? – In the Shadows
106. EDGodLife – You Have One Job
107. Anton’s Ideas – HELP
108. Moving Prose – A Necessary Existence
109. Jennifer Terry – Night Shift
110. An Upturned Soul – In a World full of Words…
111. If you’re with me – Between Dawn & A Dream
112. Anton’s Ideas – A SHADOW OF HIS FORMER SELF
113. Shadow – Allison’s Written Words
114. Shadow Dancer – As it Comes
115. Shadow – wordsareallihavesite
116. Writing with Spirit – Grateful for Gratitude
117. Tedium – mistspell
118. debooWORKS – Setting in the East
119. Life with Jess – Casting My Shadow
120. Escaping the Hillsborough Shadow – Ryan Harper Writing
121. Under His Wings – Just Writing!
122. Jenny Ahlers – Living in the Shadow
123. Beyond The Garden – Escaping Yesterday’s Shadow
124. The Pilgrim Shadow of Edgar Allan Poe – The Jolly Beggar
125. Daily Prompt; Shadow – tnkerr-Writing Prompts and Practice
126. The Shadow of His Presence – writealineblog
127. In the Shadow: Daily Prompt – Catherine’s Blog
128. Zombie Flamingos – Headache Friday…sigh…
129. SERENDIPITY – I HAVE A LITTLE SHADOW …
130. La Tour Abolie – SHADOW PLAY PENCILS
131. Jennifer Nichole Wells – Stairs (shed 4)
132. Shadow – Life is great
133. rivrvlogr – Towering Fear – The Tower… #writephoto
134. Suddenly Single in Marin – OMG! Sect in the City: church hopping
135. Only In Hell – Zombie Island
136. In Mom’s Shadow – SUCCESS STRATEGIES
137. Shadow – Joymanda’s blog
138. Daily Prompt – Shadow – Dutch goes the Photo!
139. La Rioja y el mundo desde mi guardaviñas – Ideas para compartir
140. Jacki Kellum Juxtapositions: Read My Mind – And From My Window, Darkness
141. Emotional Fitness – Know Your Inner Enemy
142. Bringing Light Into The Shadow – whippetwisdom.com
143. Daily Post Prompts: Shadow – ‘The Beast’ – The Right Word Makes All The Difference
144. Le Drake Noir – Consequence of light
145. Shadows of the trunk – Sapphire Elisha
146. I-read – DANCING WITH THE SHADOWS
147. Crossing Colorado – How to Tell When You’re Losing Weight
148. Shadow – On Life, Love and Relationships
149. charlesewaugh – Shadow Pool
150. 83 Unsung Heroes – I Can’t See Dragons In The Shadows
151. Martha L Shaw – Reach Out!
152. Shadow – The Inkwell
153. The Shadow. – TheTattooedBookGeek
154. Shadow of the moon at half past four – Singledust
155. Living with the shadows of the past – Some Shadows Some Reflections
156. sarahscapes – shadow
157. The Cat Chronicles – Daily Feline Prompt: Feline Shadow
158. Shadows – Chronicles of an Orange-Haired Woman!
159. Peaceful Journey – Shadows
160. Mitigating Circumstances – Watch Your Shadow
161. thebookbloglife – My anxiety shadow
162. The Gad About Town – My Shadow Knows Nothing
163. Musings and My Two Cents – Safe Under His Shadow
164. Annette’s place – Daily Prompt/Shadow/5/6/2016
165. Ramblings of a Naija Momaholic – Shadow of Your WIngs
166. Coloring Outside the Lines – Shadows
167. debooWORKS – Imported Cultures
168. lifelessons – a blog by Judy Dykstra-Brown – Terza Rima for Earth’s Shadow
169. Schattenspiele – Couchkartoffelchips
170. Permaculture Videos – permacultuur
171. Flowers and Breezes – My Shadow
172. Chronicles of an Anglo Swiss – Shadows
173. Still merely human – When I thought I was fat
174. Do Not Annoy The Writer – Freedom to Offend
175. You Can’t Fix Everything – Redhead Reflections
176. Shadow – Image & Word
177. Shadows, the backdrop for Film and Life – What Would You Do?
178. Do we Live in His Shadow? – The Reformed View
179. Jacki Kellum Juxtapositions: Read My Mind – My Shadows Haunt Me but My Lights Lift Me Up
180. Apparently I’m Funny – Shadow.. The Product Of The Future!
181. Shadow – Suigeneris_Shaili
182. Shadow Man – University Life
183. Un blog random – 06.04.2016: Sombra
184. Shadow – Hershey’s World
185. the scars don’t show – Shadow – Inspired by The Daily Prompt
186. Shadows – Jane Dougherty Writes
187. Forgive & Forget – Wandering Thoughts
188. TAKE MY LIFE – The Beautiful Rebellion
189. Our Ego – Wandering Thoughts
190. Designer Sophisticate – Ad astra per aspera.
191. NaPoWriMo Day 28: Shadows – NJSays
192. A Sunken Thought – Oh So Fun
193. the15thday – in the shadows of the red light district
194. Haiku. Writing prompt, shadow. – blossomsworld
195. Shadow quotes – curiousitygotmecom
196. ….on pets and prisoners….. – daily prompt: shadow
197. crystalwilliams030811 – Shadow
198. The happy Quitter! – Step out of the Shadow
199. Passion through Poetry – Your Shadow
200. Sam The Turtle – Letter Day: Shadows of the Past
201. Hot White Snow – Remembering Arthur Hardy and the Vietnam War
202. Saturday Shadows #1 – Blog of Hammad Rais
203. Lantern Words – Through The Shadow