Interview + Giveaway: Kenya Wright, Author of Fire Baptized

Hey guys! Today I am welcoming Kenya Wright, author of Fire Baptized, the first book in her new urban fantasy series, Habitat.

Afterwards, she’ll be giving away an eBook copy of Fire Baptized. So stick around and be sure to enter to win after the interview!

Kenya Wright always knew she would be famous since the ripe old age of six when she sang 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.

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.

Welcome Kenya! Thank you so much for stopping by. What was your biggest source of inspiration before and while writing Fire Baptized?

I actually live in Miami which is my novel’s setting. This city is such a vibrant
and colorful place, rich in Afro-Cuban culture and history. I really wanted to write a fantasy novel that incorporated the spirit of Miami.

The main character of Fire Baptized, Lanore, is a mixed breed. Can you tell us, or do we find out within the book, what mix of supernatural breeds she is?

Lanore’s mother was a Fairy. Her father is a Demon. I believe both of these supernatural breeds tend to be forgotten in the urban fantasy genre. There is such an overflow of vampire and were-wolf novels out there. I really wanted to play around with another type of species when I wrote my book.

The whole idea of the caged-in cities where supernaturals are put to be separated from humans sounds really intriguing and dark. What made you decide to go with sort of a separation from society, as opposed to most Urban Fantasies, which generally are the supernaturals trying to fit in with humans?

I asked myself, “What would happen if all of the supernaturals were caged
together in their own city?”

CHAOS.

I thought it would be really unique to toy with the concept and see if it could grow into an entertaining world. I truly believe it did.

What was the most challenging aspect, and what was the most enjoyable aspect of writing Fire Baptized?

The most challenging aspect was revising my story. My first draft finished at an
180,000 words. That’s a lot of story! I spent many painstaking months cutting out scenes and chapters that really did not further the plot.

The most enjoyable aspect was creating the world. I researched the Afro-Cuban religion Santeria, and based my whole world’s caged city and magic system around it.

If you had to describe Fire Baptized in three words, what would they be and why?

Dark.
Fire Baptized’s world is full of violence. Although there is lots of fun along with glitz and glamour, the supernaturals definitely respond and react differently than humans would in society.

Diverse.
The characters are from all types of different ethnic backgrounds and supernatural species.

Fun.
In the end, the book is a whole lot of fun to read. There is violence but there is also a lot of laughter.

What are you reading right now and what book(s) have you had your eye on lately but haven’t gotten to read yet?

I am reading A Perfect Blood by my idol Kim Harrison.

I have had my eye on the book Drink, Slay, and Love by Sarah Durst.

Thank you for stopping by Kenya!

Thanks so much Sarah for having me on today!!

Since the 1970s 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 MeShack 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?

Giveaway

Okay, now it’s time for some winning! Here’s what you could get:

ONE lucky winner will get an eBook copy of Fire Baptized (international)! Enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

Giveaway Rules

You must follow our RSS feed (follow elsewhere for extra entries).
Four winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter.
Open Internationally.
Open between February 24th-March 1st. Form closes at 12:01am on March 2nd.
Use the Rafflecopter form below to enter. Just click “I Did This” after you’ve done each step.
The winner will be notified by email.

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