A Supernatural Caged City: Enter at your peril!

Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sung the Michael Jackson thriller song in her bathroom mirror. She has tried her hand at many things from enlisting in the Navy for six years as a Persian-Farsi linguist to being a nude model at an art university. However, writing has been the only constant love in her life.

Now Kenya is publishing her first book, Fire Baptized, the urban fantasy novel she always wanted to read. This novel is the first book in a series.

Will she succeed? Of course.

For she has been coined The Urban Fantasy Queen, the Super Iconic Writer of this Age, The Lyrical Genius of Our Generation. Granted, these are all terms coined by her, within the private walls of her bathroom as she still sings the Michael Jackson thriller song.

Kenya Wright currently resides in Miami with her three amazing, overactive children, a supportive, gorgeous husband, and three cool black cats that refuse to stop sleeping on Kenya’s head at night.

1. Welcome, Kenya! Give us an elevator pitch for your book Fire Baptized.

Lanore is a Mixbreed that lives in a supernatural caged city. One night, she stumbles upon a murder and catches the killer’s attention. She spends the rest of the novel trying to discover the murderer’s identity.

2. Describe the sights, sounds and scents we might experience if we were to visit Lanore when she’s with other shifters during a normal day.

Sounds: The caged city is called The Santeria Habitat and is based on the Santeria religion. You’ll hear supernaturals chanting spells, drumming wooden drums shaped like hour glasses, and dancing to salsa music.

Sights: The caged city is divided into five districts. Each district is themed after a Santeria god’s colors and favorite items. In Shango District the buildings are painted in the god Shango’s favorite color orange. Even the hookers strolling around in different shades of orange. His favorite wife is Oshun so the eastern part of his district is in her favorite color, gold.

Scents: If you walk near Linderman’s Blood Factory, you’ll be assaulted by the scent of blood. If you’re lucky enough to travel toward Oshun boulevard, you’ll smell roasted meats and honey cakes.

3. How do you go about developing your characters? Do you normally start with a character or the plot?

I always start with the character and then create the plot.

I have a ten page questionnaire that I fill out for each character. Some of the questions ask about the character’s personality and story goals others are fun and ask things like “what would this character have on their book shelf?” or “what would this character have a nightmare about?”.

4. Is there any part of the writing process that you find particularly challenging and why?

I hate the revision process. I always have to cut away parts of the story. I always wish I could just keep it all, but in the end, information dumps and tedious conversation is boring to the reader.

5. What is it you like about writing urban fantasy, and what advice would you give to an aspiring author wanting to write in this genre?

Urban fantasy allows you to combine three genres together; mystery, fantasy, and romance. I love that I can include all of that into one book.

My advice to other authors is to have as many people as possible read your work before you publish it, and actually listen to what they say, whether you like it or not.

6. What do you like doing besides writing and reading? Is it dangerous?

This is so sad, but as soon as I saw this question I thought… sex. That was the most immediate answer that popped in my mind, so I’m going to go with it.

Hmmmm…. Is the sex dangerous?

Well, it is always with my husband and he’s a pretty careful dude. So I would say no. (Although it was that one time on the roof with a toilet plunger, but…. Just joking. Lol!)

Now a question from Kenya for you:

I am always on the hunt for a great book. I just read Angel Fall which was outstanding. I’m wondering if I could get some good 2012 Indie recommendations.

CONTEST:

Answer Kenya’s question above to go into a draw to win a $10 Amazon.com gift certificate. The prize will be drawn at the conclusion of Kenya’s tour. To increase your chances of winning follow the rest of Kenya’s Virtual blog tour.

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Blurb:

Since the 1970’s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.

Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend Meshach and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention.

While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

See a book trailer for Fire Baptized.

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