About the book:
London, 1888. Henry decides to abandon all social conventions and rescue his lover, Seth, from an abusive household. He has replayed the moment in his head and has always known it wouldn't be easy. He has never thought that it would be Seth who would cut his time too short. With Seth barely breathing, Henry must make the hardest decision of his life: try to save Seth, possibly condemning him to a life of suffering, or let him pass on in peace. But the arrival of a young stranger forces Henry's hand, doing little to ease his qualms of uncertainty as everything he thought he knew changes.Caught between self-doubt and his own selfish desires, Henry learns to fight it all, using this stranger as a light to shine on what he hopes is the right path... All the while aware that there is still so much he doesn't yet know...
And now...
I thought about it for a long time; it was called 'untitled' throughout the writing process and well into the second round of editing. I was going to simply call it 'Secrets' but felt like it didn't quite suit the story. I wanted a title that made one aware of the secrecy throughout the story but also to know from the start that a secret can be seen as something positive to some people. Light is what scares away the darkness, the negativity, and this is how Henry sees this young stranger; however little he knows this person is the light in the darkness he's been plunged into.
Sounds mysterious. How did you create the plot for this book?
I first came up with the idea for this story when I was completing Lady in Red; there were two characters in that novel that I wondered how they would have developed had the circumstances been a little bit different. I wanted to try writing 19th Century London again, having failed a few times, and once I developed the new circumstances for Henry, things went on from there. Henry became a very different character from what I first had in mind. There was little intention for the story to become as mysterious as it did though.
I love it when characters begin to write the story. How do you develop your characters?
They usually develop all by themselves actually. I usually have a few qualities in mind for them or at least have their role in part of the story decided, but they end up fleshing themselves out with time. Most end up being entirely out of my control very quickly; they decide what they need and when, and they won't let me do anything in the plot unless they're ready or agree with it. I love that about them though.
Me too! When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?
Absolutely not. A character in Secrets Clad in Light was introduced when I felt like things would be best explained with their introduction.
Reviews go with the territory. How do you handle criticism of your work?
I think it's important as a writer to know where your limitations are in your skill of writing and storytelling. It's tough to accept criticism of portions of your work that you felt satisfied with, and you begin to question that skill. I try to keep an open mind when reading people's criticism of my work; I know where my limitations are and can accept it. Regardless, I try to think a bit about what people said and question whether I could have done something better or differently. There will be times I agree with the person after some thought, but there are still some I'll disagree with. I don't approach anyone with my thoughts though.
Do you (or I should say, your characters) outline or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I outline because it takes me so long to get to a story that I wouldn't want to forget certain scenes and developments that I'd been thinking about. It also speeds up the writing process somewhat. I don't put a lot of priority on outlining though since, as I said, the characters tend to do things against my initial intentions.
Do you and your imaginary friends have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon or morning?
I'll write at any time I can but find myself writing most efficiently at night. I often write until about 7 a.m. before deciding it's about time to go to sleep. I wouldn't say I have a particular routine for writing though.
Where's home for you?
Home is where your heart is; the place you feel comfortable; where you can be yourself. I have trouble finding that place at this point in my life, but I want to work hard at the things I love in order to find that place for myself.
What are you working on now?
I'm finishing up a romance novel that very much has a summer feel to it. I think it's really sweet and had plenty of fun writing. I will soon be moving on to re-writing and expanding a series that I had started a few years ago. I'm really looking forward to it!
Sounds great. I hope you’ll come back when those projects are ready to be published. Thank you for talking about yourself and your book. Next up is an excerpt from Secrets Clad In Light. Don’t miss it!
Eight Questions with Amy:
Welcome, Kyra. Thank you for being here all the way from Malta! How did you come up with Secrets Clad in Light as the title of your book?I thought about it for a long time; it was called 'untitled' throughout the writing process and well into the second round of editing. I was going to simply call it 'Secrets' but felt like it didn't quite suit the story. I wanted a title that made one aware of the secrecy throughout the story but also to know from the start that a secret can be seen as something positive to some people. Light is what scares away the darkness, the negativity, and this is how Henry sees this young stranger; however little he knows this person is the light in the darkness he's been plunged into.
Sounds mysterious. How did you create the plot for this book?
I first came up with the idea for this story when I was completing Lady in Red; there were two characters in that novel that I wondered how they would have developed had the circumstances been a little bit different. I wanted to try writing 19th Century London again, having failed a few times, and once I developed the new circumstances for Henry, things went on from there. Henry became a very different character from what I first had in mind. There was little intention for the story to become as mysterious as it did though.
I love it when characters begin to write the story. How do you develop your characters?
They usually develop all by themselves actually. I usually have a few qualities in mind for them or at least have their role in part of the story decided, but they end up fleshing themselves out with time. Most end up being entirely out of my control very quickly; they decide what they need and when, and they won't let me do anything in the plot unless they're ready or agree with it. I love that about them though.
Me too! When you start a new book, do you know what the entire cast will be?
Absolutely not. A character in Secrets Clad in Light was introduced when I felt like things would be best explained with their introduction.
Reviews go with the territory. How do you handle criticism of your work?
I think it's important as a writer to know where your limitations are in your skill of writing and storytelling. It's tough to accept criticism of portions of your work that you felt satisfied with, and you begin to question that skill. I try to keep an open mind when reading people's criticism of my work; I know where my limitations are and can accept it. Regardless, I try to think a bit about what people said and question whether I could have done something better or differently. There will be times I agree with the person after some thought, but there are still some I'll disagree with. I don't approach anyone with my thoughts though.
Do you (or I should say, your characters) outline or do you write by the seat of your pants?
I outline because it takes me so long to get to a story that I wouldn't want to forget certain scenes and developments that I'd been thinking about. It also speeds up the writing process somewhat. I don't put a lot of priority on outlining though since, as I said, the characters tend to do things against my initial intentions.
Do you and your imaginary friends have a routine for writing? Do you work better at night, in the afternoon or morning?
I'll write at any time I can but find myself writing most efficiently at night. I often write until about 7 a.m. before deciding it's about time to go to sleep. I wouldn't say I have a particular routine for writing though.
Where's home for you?
Home is where your heart is; the place you feel comfortable; where you can be yourself. I have trouble finding that place at this point in my life, but I want to work hard at the things I love in order to find that place for myself.
What are you working on now?
I'm finishing up a romance novel that very much has a summer feel to it. I think it's really sweet and had plenty of fun writing. I will soon be moving on to re-writing and expanding a series that I had started a few years ago. I'm really looking forward to it!
Sounds great. I hope you’ll come back when those projects are ready to be published. Thank you for talking about yourself and your book. Next up is an excerpt from Secrets Clad In Light. Don’t miss it!
About the author:
Kyra Gregory is a young author from the tiny island of Malta. In those rare moments when she isn't writing or even thinking about writing, she's furthering her education. Writing novels from a very young age, she began self-publishing in June 2011.
Find
Kyra at:
