Check out my next author interview with Katie Zaber! Her book Ashes and Blood is free this weekend!

Tell us about yourself! What would you like readers to know about you?

Katie Zaber: I’ve always been creative, but never took up writing until I was recovering from surgery, was on a lot of meds, and let my imagination loose. Once off the meds and healed, I edited the story, building and rearranging, working through drafts until I was happy.

Alexis: Interesting! One of my story ideas actually came to me while I was in the hospital recovering from a C-section. I think something about the enforced rest and boredom does kind of inspire you (not to mention the morphine).

What book or books have most influenced you as a writer?

Katie Zaber: There are a few books and authors that really influence my writing. I’d say J.R.R. Tolkien’s use

of description in fantasy, Margaret Atwood’s style, and Chuck Palahniuk’s obscurity influence

me the most. However, I’d like to think I’ve absorbed a little bit from every book I’ve read.

Who is your favorite character in your book? What do you like about them?

Katie Zaber: I love Kilyn. She is a preteen Fae slave who was sold by her parents because she has bad blood and was born with no magical gifts. She’s spunky and fearless, using her wits and resources to

survive. I just might write a spinoff series with her...

What are you doing to de-stress during the pandemic? Is there any coping mechanism you’d recommend (or NOT recommend)?

Katie Zaber: Put down the phone. Stop panic scrolling and get your mind out of the daily insanity. Every time you have the impulse to scroll, pick up a book, start a new interesting show, learn something

new, or start a new hobby. I’ve been trying to keep my screen time on my phone to less than an

hour (with the exception of work and reading). That has helped relieve the stress and stop

wasting time.

Alexis: So true! I’ve had to delete Facebook off my phone or disable it to keep from spending too much time distracted. Now if I go on my phone, I try to at least do something worthwhile, like trying to learn Spanish on DuoLingo.

What do you like to do other than read or write? Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Katie Zaber: I love baking delicious desserts and breads, almost as much as I love to eat them. I spend hours in the kitchen, blasting music, sipping sweet wine with flour up to my elbows. When not in the

kitchen, I’m reading a book or trying to find something to find on TV. If the weather is nice, I’m

visiting my hometown and going to the beach or heading to Six Flags Great Adventure to scream

and people watch for the afternoon.

Alexis: I love baking too! I’m a huge fan of the Great British Baking Show, so I’m always trying recipes from the show! BTW, Paul Hollywood’s chocolate babka is incredible.

Tell us about a mystery/urban legend from your hometown (or another place you’ve lived).

Katie Zaber: I grew up on the coast in South New Jersey. My town bordered on the New Jersey Pine Barrens, home to the New Jersey Devil. I can remember going to Wells Mills Park, a few miles away

from my elementary school, to go on a field trip and read about the Devil’s notorious birth and

how he still haunts the woods. He is even rumored to make appearances at kid’s birthday parties.

What TV shows/Movies do you like to watch or stream?

Katie Zaber: Anything fantasy or sci-fi, I like action too. Right now I’m excited for Hand Maid’s Tale.

Anything with powers, magic, robots, alternate universes, otherworlds, outer space, anything that

isn’t reality is something I’d watch.

What’s your favorite animal?

Katie Zaber: Can I pick a dinosaur? Ankylosaurus. The ones with a club tail that they would use to whack

predators and their backs had bone plates and horns. They were so cool looking. When I was a

kid, I really wanted Jurassic Park to be real life.

Alexis: You can totally pick a dinosaur, and Ankylosaurus is awesome!

Do you like playing video games? What’s your favorite game right now? Has a video game

ever influenced you as a writer?

Katie Zaber: YES! Jumping into another world and exploring is so much fun!!! Right now I’m playing

through all the Assassins’ Creed games.

Do you like playing board games or role playing games like D&D? If so, which games do you like best?

Katie Zaber: I like to play chess and card games.

Do you have pet(s)? If so, share a picture of your pet!

Katie Zaber: Yes, I have a ball python named Wrathy. He is the best.

How do you choose what books you want to read?

Katie Zaber: The cover has to grab me. It has to make me ask questions or want to know more. If the blurb is amazing, I’m sold.

Do you like Greek/Roman/Norse/Asian/African mythology or folklore? What’s your favorite

myth?

Katie Zaber: I like myths and folklore, and read more Celtic folklore, but don’t have a favorite.

You can travel the same path countless times, but it can sometimes lead to another realm.

Ashes and Blood

A mystical tree captures the attention of Megan and her friends, morphing the surrounding environment, transferring them to an exotic planet with bloodthirsty creatures. Saved from the deadly beasts by hunters, Megan finds herself stuck in a rural town still maimed by the plague. A chance encounter with a familiar face gives Megan and her friends some security during their adjustment to this new world. While settling into promising lives, they are attacked and stalked by planet Dalya’s humanoid inhabitants, who focus solely on Megan. 

One dark night, after a magical attack, the Fae King’s knight is sent to fetch Megan for a reason she can’t possibly guess. When she wakes up a prisoner, she learns that there is much more to this strange place, and it is oddly more like home than she ever would have expected. 

The more Megan learns about the strange world of Dalya, the more she realizes that finding a way home is insignificant compared to everything else at stake.

More about Katie Zaber

Katie Zaber knows the best way to decide who is cooking dinner is with a Nerf gun fight in the living room. Her boyfriend is an exceptional cook. When she isn’t baking, reading, or going to wine tastings, she’s busy planning her next trip to Six Flags Great Adventure or Long Beach Island, New Jersey. As a child, her mother would read stories about Atlantis and other fictional places that she dreamed of exploring, fueling her love of history, adventure, and fantasy. These days, she finds herself captivated by her many projects and enjoys quiet nights at home.

Books: Ashes and Blood and Below Dark Waters

Website: https://zaberbooks.com/

Social Media: Goodreads, Bookbub, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram