Today I have an interview with author Kyle Newton who writes two of my favourite genres, steampunk and historical. Enjoy.
Interview With Kyle Newton
Why don’t you begin by sharing a little about yourself?
Greetings, my name is
Kyle Newton. I grew up in a very small blue-collar town nestled in the heart of
New Hampshire’s White Mountains. My mother bred my creativity by watching Star
Trek and reading Tolkien, so it didn’t take long for my interest in writing
sci-fi/fantasy to bud and blossom. I indie-published my own series, “The Penny
Punkers Series,” as well as having been published in several magazines such as
Bete Noire. My first book to hit #3 in steampunk was “Revolution’s Reign,” a
novella that came as a short story challenge from my magnificent girlfriend.
Now, I write novellas about historical fiction for teens and young adults.
How long have you been writing, and how many books have
you published to date?
I have been writing most
of my life if you include all the time I preferred writing poetry in school rather than doing math or
science (Although still important, I just found myself lost in poetry). I’ve
indie-published 3 soft-covered books and 6 ebooks. “The Penny Punker Series”
take up the majority of my publishings, which is a fictitious steampunk
universe I created. Then there’s “Revolution’s Reign”, which is a standalone
historical fiction.
Of all the books you've written, do you have a favourite?
I’d have to say my
current favorite is, “Revolution’s Reign.” Having to find that sweet balance of
historical accuracy, peppered with fiction so the plot still makes sense,
really helped push my limits and helped me grow as a writer.
Do you have a favourite
character? If so, why?
For “Revolution’s
Reign,” I’d say my favorite character is Annie Oakley. She might not show up
until later in the story, but I find her time in it to be very unexpected and
full of energy. I think I reflected on more of her determination and dedication
than anything else for her character. And the fact I was able to find a place
for her at all made me very happy.
Why did you decide to write in the steampunk genre?
I’ve always loved the
Victorian era and found myself studying different aspects of it throughout my
life. And I mean it, I even did a school report about the popular clothing and
what they saw as “mainstream.” I guess my love for Tolkien’s fantasy world and
my fascination for the Victorian lifestyle kind of fused together one day and
thus, “Revolution’s Reign,” came to be.
What is the hardest part of writing historical fiction?
First, I want to say I
absolutely LOVE writing historical fiction, but the same reason I obsess about
it is the same reason it frustrates me. The amusement comes from having a “bare
bones” story already laid out for you. It’s then up to you to decide how much
escapism you want in your story. “Revolution’s Reign” definitely holds a lot of
creative licensing, but then you can find the “Dear America” books and discover
there’s very little fiction in them. I find these two are good comparisons for
showing how wide the spectrum of historical fiction is. It’s that amount of
freedom that really makes it fun for me, testing my balance of captivating
creativity and historical accuracy.
What do you enjoy most about writing in the steampunk
genre?
Similar to historical
fiction, steampunk has a thin line of “must haves,” and the rest is really up
to you. What makes steampunk so beautiful is that it doesn’t take much to
establish its presence, it all depends on how you add it to your book that
makes it a worthwhile genre. Like in “Revolution’s Reign,” I may reference
larger economical changes to establish a different Victorian/colonial age, but
their rifles and boats are the only distinct changes the reader really
interacts with. I also love hearing from readers and getting opinions through
reviews, that way, I can keep elevating my steampunk game for them. No matter
what, I always add a flavor of steampunk to my writings, so reader input is
crucial to me.
You write in several genres. Do you have a favourite? And if so, why?
Steampunk is easily my
favorite. It’s always fun for me to add a wild west heroine, or an eloquent
Victorian villain into the mix. I read a lot of historical fiction when I
entered Junior High School and didn’t really stop since then. That’s what drew
me to studying history, by learning how much of the book was made up and how
much of it was real. My first two publications were for historical magazines,
focusing on warfare. From there, I got published in Bete Noire’s magazine with
my short story, “Wulver of the Highlands,” which was my first crack at
historical fantasy. From there, I found adding steampunk elements to be a bit
more interesting and more my style. Not long after that, “Revolution’s Reign,”
was published. A month later, it hit #3 in its steampunk genre and #1 in Dieselpunk.
Who is your intended readership?
Since “Revolution’s
Reign,” I’m noticing more teenagers and
young adults picking up my books. Which, I really enjoy. My interest in being a
writer started around the sixth grade, but the small blue collar town I grew up
in made flourishing artistically almost impossible. I hope my books can reach
other teenagers to show them that if you have a passion and stick to it, you
can get out and make a name for yourself.
What’s your next project? Any upcoming book secrets you
care to reveal?
I recently got in touch
with the Mount Washington Cog Railway in New Hampshire and got to write a
mystery book for them involving the train station. It was a fascinating
challenge because I’ve never written in this genre before. It proved to have
its own story arc-issues I never anticipated due to the unfamiliar structure of
building a mystery. It’ll be the first one out before Christmas. Around that
time, I am going to have another colonial fiction novella out for my teen and
YA readers. The last two years I’ve been trying to get my books published in
between school semesters, that way students can have something to relax with
around those initial days of new classes and the stress that comes with getting
used to the schedule.
