Next up in my author interview segment is the wonderful Carynn Bohley! Carynn, at only 17, has just published her novel Darkness Rise last month. She was also kind enough to read a bit of The Last Empath of Doctsland to provide an endorsement for my novel! I just started to read Darkness Rise a week or so ago, and I'm about halfway through this gripping fantasy tale. It's unlike anything I've ever read before, and it's so exciting! I touched base with Carynn to ask her a few questions about Darkness Rise and her writing journey/process.
- You've accomplished so much as a young writer! What motivates or drives you to keep writing as a busy student?
Thank you! Put simply, writing is my passion. Even if my projects were never going to be published- or read, even- I wouldn’t stop working on them. I see inspiration everywhere, and though I have many hobbies, writing is my favorite creative outlet. I write no matter my mood; if I’m stressed out it helps me to calm down, and if I’m feeling discouraged it acts as its own method of motivation. I plan out my school schedules monthly, and if I’m going to be too busy for writing on a given day, I just get up earlier. I’ve been trying to wake up at 5:30 lately, and it gives me a lot of extra free time!
- Mysticus is such a unique and interesting world. How did you go about world building for Darkness Rise?
I’m not sure if you know this, but the book actually began as a 20k word novella. Back then, Mysticus was fairly one-dimensional. I knew that I wanted some common fantasy creatures- dragons, for instance- but I didn’t go far past this. For the new version, I decided to put some more focus on individual civilizations. For example, one of the characters who is introduced in the second half of the book is from a warlock community. To define his character, I planned out the culture and leadership structure of his people. I also designed some tribes and kingdoms that aren’t mentioned in the first book, but are very important in the second and third. History was also something that I emphasized in Darkness Rise, especially when it came to Sospes. I made a family tree to outline Kydessia’s family lineage, and determined some connections between citizens of this city and of other cities. Something else I will mention is that I wanted Mysticus to be overrun by monsters. Therefore, humans aren’t the reigning species of the world, as they are on Earth.
- Who is your favorite character in Darkness Rise?
Jett Hawkes, of course! He’s the main character’s best friend, who has hidden feelings for her (which is fairly obvious to the reader, but not to Kydessia). He’s loyal- as any sidekick should be- and absolutely hilarious. Forkie, the antlered baby dragon that joins the duo later in the book, is a close second.
- Tell us about what you're working on now.
I’m currently halfway through writing the sequel, Castle of Glass, and I’ve been planning out the final book, Shattered Kingdom. Since their publications depend on the first book’s sales, I can’t really say when (or if) they’ll be released, but if so, the second will likely be near the end of next year. On the side, I’ve had two other projects going. My NaNoWriMo book (which I’m sorry to say didn’t get even remotely close to being completed last month) is a YA supernatural romance called The Prince of Sumatra, and my other project is an alternate history novel titled Why the Loon Cries. I hope that after my current semester of college ends, I’ll have more time to dedicate to all three of these books!
- Last but not least, where can readers buy your book and follow you?
You can learn more about Darkness Rise on my website, Darkness-Rise.com, or you can buy it on Amazon HERE. I’m very active on Twitter, and you can find me by searching @CarynnBohley. I’m also on Goodreads, and I have a YouTube channel where I post about all sorts of things!
Love the cover!!