Author Interview with Keelan Storm

Author Interview

So tell me, how did the idea for the series come about, and how has it developed between book one and two?

I got the idea for the series several years ago when I was first married. I was struggling with insomnia one night, and I remember glaring at my husband who was snoring away on the other side of the bed, and my brain started wandering as I prayed for sleep. At some point, an idea of for the characters popped in my head.

I remember thinking, “Oh, hey, what if there were these twins, and they were best friends with these two guys. Oh, it would be awesome if they had all grown up together, even as neighbors. Maybe one of the twins dates one of the guys. The other one can start to date the other guy…” and on my thoughts went. I got excited about the idea and was worried that I’d forget about it after finally falling asleep, so it was around four in the morning, and I pulled out a notepad and pen and started jotting all of it down.

At the time, I wasn’t aware that it was going to be a series. I wasn’t even aware that it was going to be a whole book. I just knew that I was in love with the idea and wanted to see where it went. So, I started writing and just let the ideas flow. When I finished writing the first book, I was so in love with my characters that I didn’t want to let their story end yet. Hence, book two…

Book two gave me a chance to explore more about Jet and Annie, since book one is so focused on Isabel and Tucker. A new main character is actually entered into book two as well to enhance this couple’s, and the group’s, story. Jet was actually very underdeveloped in my first draft of book one. Writing book two allowed me to go back and add more substance to his character. It’s where I really learned who he was.

Is there anything unique about your series?

Actually, when I first wrote the books, I had no idea I was doing anything differently than the norm. I was just writing the story the characters told me to. But yes, the series is unique in that its written as a four point-of-view romance. (Six point-of-view romance in later books.)

The series is in a way structured like a TV show in book form, much like a teen soap opera. It’s been described as packed with drama and emotionally heartfelt moments. It really is about teens finding their way through life as they grow into adults.

How many books will be in this series?

This is a difficult question. My original plan (once I realized I was going to make it a series) was to write four books. Yet, I’ve learned that with the way I write, more and more ideas develop as I go. I’m actually writing book four at the moment, and one of the main ARCS of the story is something I had never considered doing with the characters. Sometimes, the characters just decide they don’t like what I originally had planned and do their own thing.

I know ultimately where the books are headed, though. I know the end game of the series. It’s just a matter of what journey will the characters lead me through as I get there.

I’ve got one version that will wrap things up in six books and another in my head that will wrap things up in nine books. For me, it truly is a “Let’s see where this goes.”

If anything, I’ve learned as a writer that if I over-plan, my writing suffers. My characters and their story need room to develop as I go.

What do you have in store for your characters, if you can tell me that is?

I don’t want to give too much away. I’ve had a lot of feedback from readers that a lot of what I put into the pages is unpredictable. There’s some events that you expect or you know will ultimately happen, but I work in a lot of twists and turns along the way that surprise people in how they get there. I don’t want to lose that surprise element, but I’ll offer a couple of things:

• We follow these characters through their senior year of high school, a couple of years of college, and the last book will be moving into their early adult years post-college.
• Each main character will have at least one serious thing happen to them along the way. Some events will be more severe than others, but ultimately, this series is a coming-of-age journey for a group of close teenage friends, showing how they stick together in various and numerous life trials, including but not limited to: love, loss, friendship, betrayal, forgiveness, and more.
• Throughout the series, we’ll see three different weddings as book one starts with four main characters and we build to six main characters by book three.
• The main antagonist of the series, Wesley… there is so much more involved with this character than readers will even know to anticipate. So much happens behind the scenes with him, so much is hidden in the pages… readers will be blown away when things are revealed in the final books.

Do you have any future writing projects you can tell me about?

My current plans for future writing is to create a spin-off series of my characters. I have one that could focus on their younger siblings that’s growing in my head. There’s another idea for a series involving the main characters’ children years later. I’ve even considered a few standalones for some supporting characters, such as the twins’ mom Bridgette, their friend Hector, Isabel’s dance partner Leo, and a few others.

Did you find writing any particular scenes difficult, and if so, which ones and why?

In book one I don’t recall finding any scenes difficult to write. Book one truly was an exploration for me. Seeing where things went. I finished writing book three this past August, and there was a chapter or two I put off writing for a couple of weeks because it’s a ‘not so great’ scene for Tucker. I was mad that he was going to do something, but it was necessary for his character development, and he does learn from it, but it was hard for me to get it down on the page. I even had to delete my first few attempts until I got it right.

Is there any character in your series you feel you relate most to, and if so, why?

In my head, I relate most to Isabel. She’s mostly very introverted, and the way that she thinks and deals with things is very similar to myself. (Though we do have different interests.) Her overall personality makes it very easy to write her character for me.

Do you have a favorite couple or a favorite character, and if so, why?

I can’t say I can name an ultimate favorite character or couple. It kind of depends on what’s happening in the stories at the time. Sometimes, I love Isabel and Tucker and can’t wait to write more of them. Sometimes, they drive me crazy with what they’re going through, (though it’s necessary) and I love exploring Annie and Jet’s story instead. In book three, we start to see a bond grow between a couple of newer main characters, and I had an immense amount of fun writing and exploring their scenes and potential relationship.

Do you have any rituals or routines for when you write?

I’ve always been a ‘need silence to focus and work’ kind of person. Because of this, I typically have to wait until my kids are in bed in the evenings to get the chance to write. That or the occasional evening when they are spending time at their grandmother’s house. Sometimes, I even get lucky and my husband will take the kids outside to play or even take them to the park to give me a few extra hours on the weekends.

What do you do when you get writer’s block?

Oh, writer’s block, my one true foe, lol. Because I can’t overly plan without writing myself into a corner, I do occasionally have writer’s block. Sometimes, it’s a matter of I have to make sure what I’m considering works with the major goal points throughout the series. Sometimes, I get stuck just trying to figure out what is the best way to start or end a scene. (Starting a new scene or chapter can be the worst.)

When this happens, I have a few go-to’s. I’ll often take a drive down a back country road, let the radio play and my mind wander until inspiration strikes. My hubby is also typically a good ear for running ideas by if I have a couple of ideas I can’t decide between. (By this point in my series, he knows my characters as well as I do, lol. Poor guy.) My sister is always a quick and helpful phone call away when I need her as well.

About the Book

Finding Fate
Tied by Fate Book One
by Keelan Storm

Publishing 20 February 2021
Jaiten Press

Genre: YA Fiction
Page Count: 431
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Her whole world fell apart. When she tries to piece it back together, will she stumble or soar?

Isabel Dearly is tired of feeling depressed. Still grieving over the death of her father from cancer seven months ago, the seventeen-year-old has immersed herself in dance. But just as she’s starting to emerge from the darkness, she’s brutally betrayed by the handsome boy she’d only recently begun to date.

Rescued by her best friend, Isabel falls into his arms… and his bed. And when the consequences threaten her career options, she fears she may never be happy again.

Can Isabel figure out her future when the complications of the present refuse to let her go?

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