The Backup Who Cried Wolf, Kayla Hicks third novella in The Backup Superhero series, comes out tomorrow. Yesterday I spotlighted the book and gave my thoughts on the advance review copy I received. Today I have some Q&A with the author.
Image Credit: Kayla Hicks
Tell us a bit about yourself. Looking at your website, I see that you write books in several genres and also do some teaching, correct?
Yes, I am a multi-genre author, having books in YA Dystopian, YA Contemporary Romance, and Superhero Fiction. The Backup Who Cried Wolf will be my eighth book as I also have a story in an Anthology called The Decagon Key. As for teaching, I have a course on Skillshare called Outlining Your Book where I explain how to outline your book chapter by chapter to help organize your book and make writing easier. I also have a course on Gumroad called Starting Your Publishing Journey: A Beginners Guide which covers building your platform for both self-publishing and traditional publishing and helps you build it as you go.
How did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I always loved writing. As a kid, I had a 'make your own story' program where I was able to write the story and make illustrations on the computer. I also wrote for my school newspaper in high school and I tried writing my first book at 15.
How did you come up with the idea for The Backup Superhero series?
I always loved superheroes but since they have been so popular for so long, I needed to think of a new angle. This made me look at superheroes from the vigilante standpoint. I also hadn't meant for it to be a novella, but a short story for my email subscribers. They loved it so much that I decided to publish it and elaborate on it a bit. And now it has turned into my most successful series.
I've only read Book 3. While the story stood alone, I was left wondering: do any of the Superheroes in this universe have powers? If not, what defines a superhero in this world?
Yes, none of the superheroes have powers. The idea behind them still qualifying as superheroes are that they save people, they wear spandex or costumes to do so, and the public now relies on them to aid the police.
Dwighter is a conflicted character with some obvious issues. How do you go about writing flawed characters?
Writing flawed characters is actually very difficult for me. Dwighter was actually a character people didn't like so I wanted to give him a story, or more so, give him more qualities to like. I think it's about making the character relatable to the reader in some way. This could be how they deal with their issues or what results from them.
How does The Backup Superhero series compare to your other books?
It's a more realistic view of what could happen with superheroes. People would need to keep them in check and how they work with the public feels more realistic. And this compared to my other books has a more humorous tone as my contemporary romance book, Anywhere Else, deals with toxic family relationships and alcoholism.
What are you doing when you're not writing?
When I'm not writing, I'm spending time with family, getting outside, or taking pictures.
What are you currently reading?
Currently I am reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
What are some of your favorite books / authors / genres?
Some of my favorite authors are Colleen Hoover, Ted Dekker, and Sara Dessen. I love the genres Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Dystopian, and most things YA.
How can fans find out more about your books?
You can find sneak peeks of my books on my blog, talk-throughs on my Youtube Channel, and in-depth posts on my Facebook Page.
Connect with Kayla at:
Facebook
Twitter
Tiktok
Medium
Website
Youtube
Skillshare
Gumroad
Thanks for reading! Check out Kayla's books here.
Yes, I am a multi-genre author, having books in YA Dystopian, YA Contemporary Romance, and Superhero Fiction. The Backup Who Cried Wolf will be my eighth book as I also have a story in an Anthology called The Decagon Key. As for teaching, I have a course on Skillshare called Outlining Your Book where I explain how to outline your book chapter by chapter to help organize your book and make writing easier. I also have a course on Gumroad called Starting Your Publishing Journey: A Beginners Guide which covers building your platform for both self-publishing and traditional publishing and helps you build it as you go.
How did you decide you wanted to be a writer?
I always loved writing. As a kid, I had a 'make your own story' program where I was able to write the story and make illustrations on the computer. I also wrote for my school newspaper in high school and I tried writing my first book at 15.
How did you come up with the idea for The Backup Superhero series?
I always loved superheroes but since they have been so popular for so long, I needed to think of a new angle. This made me look at superheroes from the vigilante standpoint. I also hadn't meant for it to be a novella, but a short story for my email subscribers. They loved it so much that I decided to publish it and elaborate on it a bit. And now it has turned into my most successful series.
I've only read Book 3. While the story stood alone, I was left wondering: do any of the Superheroes in this universe have powers? If not, what defines a superhero in this world?
Yes, none of the superheroes have powers. The idea behind them still qualifying as superheroes are that they save people, they wear spandex or costumes to do so, and the public now relies on them to aid the police.
Dwighter is a conflicted character with some obvious issues. How do you go about writing flawed characters?
Writing flawed characters is actually very difficult for me. Dwighter was actually a character people didn't like so I wanted to give him a story, or more so, give him more qualities to like. I think it's about making the character relatable to the reader in some way. This could be how they deal with their issues or what results from them.
How does The Backup Superhero series compare to your other books?
It's a more realistic view of what could happen with superheroes. People would need to keep them in check and how they work with the public feels more realistic. And this compared to my other books has a more humorous tone as my contemporary romance book, Anywhere Else, deals with toxic family relationships and alcoholism.
What are you doing when you're not writing?
When I'm not writing, I'm spending time with family, getting outside, or taking pictures.
What are you currently reading?
Currently I am reading Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.
What are some of your favorite books / authors / genres?
Some of my favorite authors are Colleen Hoover, Ted Dekker, and Sara Dessen. I love the genres Mystery, Contemporary Romance, Dystopian, and most things YA.
How can fans find out more about your books?
You can find sneak peeks of my books on my blog, talk-throughs on my Youtube Channel, and in-depth posts on my Facebook Page.
Connect with Kayla at:
Tiktok
Medium
Website
Youtube
Skillshare
Gumroad
Thanks for reading! Check out Kayla's books here.