K. Thomas - Tense, Supernatural Slow-Burn Mystery Thriller

K. Thomas is a human, not a talking cat. Time to Wake was her first novel. She meant to publish one sooner, but fell in love with her day job. Unlike her main character, she likes numbers and budgets, almost as much as she likes words.​Follow K. Thomas on Twitter for updates on book releases, book promos, and general shenanigans. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Time to Wake.

Please give us a short introduction to what Time to Wake is about.

Time to Wake is your typical girl meets boy, girl happens to be a soul-devouring Nephilim romance, where people start to go missing and friends launch a hunt for the villain. The group’s greatest talents include vlogging, introversion, and awkward flirting attempts—What could go wrong? It is New Adult, with some adult language, adult themes, and high levels of pining.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything that made you want to tackle this?

I started it as a teenager. It was just a personal goal to finally finish it. The drive was to have a story with healthy body images, flawed characters, strong platonic friendships, and various representation.

This is your first novel. What has the experience been like so far?

Great fun! I didn’t plan for anyone to ever read my writing, so it’s been a large bit of growth for me putting myself “out there.”

Tell us more about Senlis. What makes her tick?

Food. And caffeine. Seriously though, one thing that makes her different for a protagonist is she doesn’t want to save the world, she just wants to stay out of its way. She’s not a “chosen one” character, just a supernatural person trying to navigate everyday life.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

Does making a good cheesecake count? Is it still a secret now that I’ve told you?

Why did you include a paranormal twist? Where does your fascination with the paranormal come from?

Adding fantasy and paranormal elements can bring tension and escalation to stories that allow readers to have the thrills without the triggers of real trauma. It lets them feel emotions without reliving experiences they don’t want to. For example, Senlis has anxiety in crowds, which is driven by her supernatural abilities, but many people live with that level of anxiety every day. She gives them something to relate to but with a fictional spin, so it’s gentler to walk beside her through her journey.

What did you have the most fun with when writing this story?

I really enjoy creating characters that change as you get to know them. Perspective is everything and it drives all my character development.

Which of your characters was the most challenging to create?

Benny. He’s a ghost that never stops talking, but no one can hear him. The readers get to determine what he’s saying based on characters interpreting him.

Readers say that you did extensive worldbuilding in this book. How did you pull this off?

Accidentally, I promise. I don’t write in order, it’s very chaotic. Whatever scene comes to me I write it, then piece everything together, which helped me tie it all out. If you already know how something is going to end, it’s easy to be consistent about how it started.

One reviewer says that your characters sound and read like people they know. How did you make them this relatable? Are they based on anybody you know?

A couple of the characters are absolutely inspired by good friends and my younger self. I always share my writing secret of reading each character’s dialogue independently. As a writer, it helps you make their individual voices stronger, their actions more believable.

This is the first book of a series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

I would not read it as a stand-alone unless cliffhangers leave you peaceful. The second and third books follow the same characters to wrap-up what is effectively Senlis origin story.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I’m a binge writer. I will go weeks or months without writing, then obsessively write every available moment until the project is done.

What are you working on right now?

Too much! Finishing the third book in the Time to Wake series, of course. Also posting weekly chapters for an unrelated dystopian fae romance on Kindle Vella (it’s a sapphic, heist-style story, with magical robotic Changelings. Why? Because everything I just typed). And working with the very talented artist, Sae, to start publishing episodes of Time to Wake as a Webtoon comic. They did a fantastic job one the first love-interest meeting from the novel, and I was hooked! Sae currently creates the Anacrine Complex on Hiveworks and I’m thrilled to get to work with them!

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

Kthomasbooks.com is my website where anyone can find the books and sign-up for free short stories. I’m on most social media platforms, but Twitter is where I’m most active @SenlisHasWings.