KIMBOOKS

1.) You dedicated The Family Bones to your grandfather, Henry Kunicki, do any of the characters resemble him or another family member? How?

My grandfather was an avid science fiction lover. He saw some amazing things in his lifetime and was convinced that not only were there spirits, and extraterrestrials, he sincerely believed that time travel was possible. He was a brilliant man and he designed the cockpits for military helicopters and airplanes. He also grew up with famous physicist David Bohm. That was something I didn’t find out until much later in his life when I found my grandfather mentioned in David Bohm’s biography! My grandfather died several years ago, before I started getting published as a fiction author. I wish he could have read my stories. I don’t think any of the characters resembled him, but I do see bits of people that I know in characteristics of my characters. It’s kind of odd when the realization occurs.

2.) The Family Bones was originally adapted from a short story, how long did it take you to adapt a short story into a novel? What made you decide to expand “Astral Plains” into The Family Bones?

It wasn’t actually a short story, it was purchased as a serial. I hadn’t completed the book yet. The original chapters were written as “Cat Tails”, and I suppose I wanted that to be a short story, but it just sat on the shelf for a year until something just clicked. Once I picked it up it took me about three months to complete.

3.) Which character in the story, Tara, Steven, Charlie, Sara resembles you the most?

Oh wow, I don’t know if I want to answer that one. Tara does capture some aspects of my personality. I’ve also incorporated traits from my immediate family into each character. I’ll never tell who, or what!

4.) The Family Bones is a mixture of science fiction and mystery. As you continue your writing career, do you think you will continue to mix the two genres or will you separate the two? Also, what are you currently working on?

Everything I write takes on a life of its own. I don’t think I will ever stick to just one genre. Currently I am working on a trilogy that will be considered urban fantasy. The title is “Children of Roen”. It will deal with the coming apocalypse and the two witnesses of the book of revelations. Also, the beast. These three characters will not know who they are until near the end of the first book. Good versus evil, within. The first character introduced is a female who suddenly begins to painfully grow wings. After a few days her wings disintegrate, then she goes through it all over again a month or so down the road. This makes her life very challenging. And she is just gorgeous!!

5.) Do you believe in extraterrestrials?

I think it is absurd to think that we are the only intelligent creatures in the universe. Of course I do. Humans are miniscule in comparison to the universe. The only importance we have is the importance we place upon ourselves. We are a tad egocentric.

6.) What is your favorite book and why?

I can’t say that I have a favorite book, but I love to read Douglas Adams. The man was a comical genius. I also have an admiration for Stephen King’s writing abilities. I may not like to read some of his works, but boy can he write.

On a separate note I would like to say that as a fiction writer vengeance can be sort of fun. It’s like one of those T-shirts that says, “Don’t piss me off or I’ll kill you in my next novel.” There is some satisfaction in being able to immortalize one’s own vengeance. In “The Family Bones” there was a time while I was writing the story when someone came to me and said, “You need to make a character named such and such, and kill him.” So…I sort of did. It was a little fun, but harmless. (I’ll never tell who it was.)