Katherine Bennet - When Science, Politics and the Human Element Collide
Katherine Bennet writes speculative fiction with strong characters and relatable struggles. Since she has always been inspired by the burst of creativity that happens when science, politics, and the human element collide, you can expect colossal adventures to ensue with a touch of romance to make the journey sweeter. The Seers, a riveting read featuring a secretive scientific society and women with special abilities, is no exception. As our Author of the Day, Bennet reveals how the book was inspired by a dream and much more...
Please give us a short introduction to what The Seers is about.
The Seers is about two women on different sides of a futuristic, shadow war. Targeted for their abilities, both women will fight back in very different and unexpected ways, and both will change the balance of the entire war before the book is over.
What inspired you to write about a secretive scientific society?
I actually had a dream about Annabel as a young woman who lived in a hidden city below ground. It was so vivid! She had the classic Tavian white hair and black eyes, and she spent a lot of time in a white marble atrium with black rose bushes in the center. (Yep. Sometimes I have crazy dreams, lol). The idea stuck with me. I couldn’t stop wondering how that could be possible or why they would stay in their hidden city, but what was really compelling was Annabel herself. Even with just that brief glimpse of her in my dream, I could see the potential she had. She could do so much good in the world… or so much bad. And it was abundantly clear that no matter what happened, it would be HER choice. So I wondered, “What would compel her to turn good? What could tempt her to turn bad?” I had to write her story! Obviously the world of the Enlightened has grown to be so much more than simply Annabel’s story, but that’s where it started. That’s why I made sure that even though a whole lot happens to her, no matter what, winning or losing, her actions and reactions were her own.
Tell us more about Nora and Annabel. Why did you pick them as your main characters?
I wanted to depict two really strong and authentic women dealing with similar situations in very different ways. Both women are essentially reduced to their abilities, which is something I think most people can relate to—did you make the honor roll, the dean’s list, how strong is your resume? Yes. It’s great if you look good on paper, but there’s more to life than certifications and qualifications! These women are confronted with that truth, and they’ll have to fight for those other parts of their lives that are intangible but incredibly important. Both have been wronged. Both have a right to be mad. Both have a lot to offer the world. And even though their abilities are similar, THEY are very different, so it’s up to them to decide how to change the course of their personal future as well as that of their entire society.
Did you plan from the start to make this into a series?
Yes. This was one of those ideas that nagged at me for quite a while before I sat down to write it, so by the time I started, the world was huge, lol. There are so many facets to the story of the Enlightened Society for me that one book could never be enough. There will be four main books with several shorts and novellas along the way. I have quite the macro plot set up.
Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?
I’ve gotten very good at cooking with alternative ingredients. Is that a skill? My oldest son spent much of his life with a serious dairy allergy so I had to learn how to cook things without any butter, milk, cheese, and sometimes even gluten free, etc. I can make a great cream sauce using cashews and a chicken pot pie using potatoes and coconut milk for a base… just trust me. It tastes pretty good!
What drew you to sci-fi? What appeals to you about the genre? Why did you decide to throw in a bit of romance?
I love both fantasy and sci-fi because they’re a way to escape while also being a way to tackle really strong themes in a less threatening way. I think I gravitated more toward science fiction because I love to think about the “how’s” of these alternative universes. Obviously, sci-fi offers a lot of “this is how this or that happens.” As a child of the 90’s, I love Michael Crichton and the way he was able to turn the universe on its head with one discovery—all the while posing the question, “should we really go there??” Clearly, that stuck with me. The romance, for me, was a given as were friendships and family relationships because they’re real parts of humanity, and I think humans will always need those connections regardless of how advanced we become. They can empower people to do the right thing, be brave, or bring a new perspective that changes everything, OR they can do the opposite and bring people down, so relationships and a little bit of romance are a key part of all of my stories.
For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?
I love reading hard copies… but the ease of ebooks has me swayed toward them. I remember going to buy the first book of The Hunger Games. The nice employee was sure to point out Catching Fire, ‘for when I needed it.’ I chuckled to myself and thought, “I’ll be the judge of whether I’d need book 2.” …Sure enough, I finished The Hunger Games late at night, and the bookstore wasn’t open at that hour. I had to wait!!! So that employee was onto something. There are just times when you finish book one in a series late at night and HAVE to buy and start book two right away! That’s where ebooks save the day… or late night, if you’re like me.
What is the hardest thing about being a writer?
Like many working moms, it’s finding that balance between work and home life. My husband’s in the military. He has a very demanding assignment right now, and we have four kids. Finding a way to make it all mesh together has been a challenge, but I love to write, my husband is amazingly supporting, and I love the fact that I can tell my kids, “I was scared to death to put a book out there, but you know what? I conquered those fears, and look what happened?!”
Was there a particular character whose voice you found it easiest to write in?
Actually it was Jasper! For some reason his pragmatism just clicks with me.
Were any characters in your book inspired by real people?
Nope! All originals, although I will say it was very important for me to make both women really relatable—almost as though they could be a friend of yours or someone you know—and yet so powerful that they really do leave their mark on the world. I spent a lot of time developing them. Nora starts the story as someone who has been beaten down and lost her voice. Annabel is someone who is angry about the wrongs in her life and she doesn’t care what she has to do, but she’s going to do something! With the guys, I tried to give Tobin the ‘backbone’ of the modern military servicemember—smart, loyal, fights because he loves what’s behind him not because he hates what’s in front of him, maaaaybe a bit of a temper, but definitely someone who, when faced with a “wrong” in his world, will not let it slide if he can do anything about it. Jasper was a confluence of the political world (I used to be a congressional staffer.) He’s VERY smart, he doesn’t start fights he can’t finish, his focus is on winning the war, not necessarily every battle.
Tell us more about your writing habits: how do you make time to write? What does an average writing day look like for you?
LOL, well… I tend to write best in the mornings, but I’m a mom. No matter what I think the day will look like, there are always surprises and curveballs. My kids wake up ready to go, and they keep me on my toes, so I’ve had to learn to roll with it. My saving grace is plotting. If I have an hour at naptime, I need to hit the ground sprinting; that time has to be ultra efficient. I tend to use Jami Gold’s Scrivener templates to keep me focused so when I do have time, I’m making the most of it. Also, I have writing goals. They vary based on where I am in the book (I devote more time to plot points to make sure I get them right). If the kids have been sick, if there’s been school projects or sport tournaments, I still have to make my goals, even if that means I’m up until 2 AM… or later, lol.
Do you ever suffer from writer's block and, if so, how do you deal with it?
YES. Typically, writers block happens for me when I’m trying to write and revise at the same time. I’ve learned that I need to just get a draft out before I can really look at it critically. I’m not panicked anymore if the first draft is awful because I know I can fix it so that helps.
What are you working on right now?
Right now, I’m making some final plot revisions to Warriors, book 2 of my series, and I’m writing a short story that I’ll be giving away for free to my newsletter subscribers this summer
Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?
The best way to get all the latest is to join my newsletter list (https://katherinebennet.com/newsletter/) I made a promise to my subscribers that they’d be the first (and sometimes only ones) to receive the latest news, sneak peeks, cover reveals, etc., and I really hold to that promise. That said, I love it when readers get in touch with me! The best ways to interact are probably email ([email protected]), my website (https://katherinebennet.com/), or Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/KatherineBennetAuthor/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/KBennetWrites), Amazon (https://amazon.com/author/katherinebennet), and BookBub (https://bookbub.com/authors/katherine-bennet).
