Author Spotlight: Kia Carrington-Russell

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Hi everyone, my name is Kia Carrington-Russell. I am a fantasy/young adult author that is loving the journey my three released books have taken me on. I have many more to come, but thus far I have loved all the people I have met and been supported by.

I love animals, and own a Cavoodle dog, Sia, as well as yin and yang kitties: Forest (black) and Isa (white). They are my biggest cheer team as they always sit with me in my office while I write.
I love food, and probably eat far too much. But hey, food is awesome, so why wouldn’t you? I am competitive, in a harmless way of course. But I may sulk if you don’t let me win at Cluedo (only because if you won, then you must have cheated, because I always win!).

I am slightly clumsy; somehow manage to place myself into awkward situations; possess an airy-fairy demeanor; and have no sense of direction. But I am happy and, well, that’s me.

I’m a workaholic, as I have recently found out. I have a full-time job, a part-time job, and then I write on the side—which is just about every day. I am working hard for what I want to achieve. But I also love painting, photography, and anime. I am a bit of a hippie, I am into my spiritual beliefs, and I like to cook as if I were a master chef (although I take about two more hours than a normal cook would take to finish the dish). I enjoy the worlds of fantasy and cosplaying for events such as Supanova and Manga festivals. Why? Probably because I am a bit of a nerd. I love my family and friends—whom support me dearly—and enjoy dancing as well.

I am appreciative of the things I have and the opportunities I have been given. But mostly I am a dreamer, and I have a determination that will never let me lose sight of what it is I truly aim for: to be a well-known author with the opportunity to meet many of my supporters.

2. When did you start writing, and why?
I started writing when I was in high school at age fifteen. I published my first book when I was twenty. Writing was something I had always enjoyed and aspired to do well in, but it wasn’t until the year of 2014 that I really focused on it. I embraced my stories and began to contemplate a career in writing. Apparently my family and friends were waiting for me to take it seriously, as they had always known I would become an author, but said nothing.

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3. What do you write, and why? What do you enjoy about what you write?
I write fantasy because there are no limits or boundaries to my writing. It is so exciting to create a world and then place theory and logic in it as well to convince my readers it is a reality. Although I wouldn’t need much rationality to it all because the genre is so vast, I love to make sense of it. I want to make people question as to whether it is something that is already in our world and if such creatures could exist. It doesn’t matter what genre you write because you can always connect to your reader through the emotions and heart-pounding thoughts of your characters. It is so much fun for me to create a colorful—or a dark—world to surround the reader with. With this I am entrapping them too in my world.

4. What is your latest book or series? Any forthcoming books?
I just completed my fourth manuscript, Sia, which is the second in the Phantom Wolf series. In fact, I only sent it off to my amazing editor, Ashley, this week. Currently I am working on creating my two websites: Crystal Book Promoters and Crystal Publishing, so they will hopefully be up and running very soon. I am also trialing my first suspenseful romance and a manual with tips and advice on how to self-publish. I still have many books I want to write over various genres—last time I counted it was over twenty books!

5. "Welcome To My Worlds": Tell us a little about the world of your latest book or series.
I have two series at the moment, and I have two books left to complete in each of them. The most recent book I have finished is Sia. I love this world because the main characters are a half-human, half-wolf race, but they are oblivious to their abnormality. They fear humans, who some even dismiss as a nightmarish legend. If a human kills one of their kind, they are cursed as a Phantom Wolf. When this transformation happens they are fated to kill all of their pack—all their loved ones who are blood linked. They are forever connected to that human and only regain consciousness after they have slaughtered their entire family. The cursed wolf lives a life of unbearable loneliness in an immortal state until the human dies or they kill themselves.

The Phantom Wolves are driven by murderous intent and can’t handle the beast they become after killing their whole pack. I love this concept because it is thought-provoking; it details the lengths that an individual could go to when driven by fear or love. We humans are confident that we are the superior race on this planet—but what if we fell victim to war and slaughter at the hands of an unfamiliar species that feared us. All in the name of fear.

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6. Introduce us to some of your characters. What do you like about them?
My favorite character so far is Sia; she is an eighteen-year-old who is sure of herself and curious about the world. She constantly tried to prove everyone wrong about their impressions of her as fragile and in need of protection. But on her journey she begins to learn who she truly is. I could find similar characteristics between her and me.

Another favorite character is Scott from Possession Of My Heart: The Three Immortal Blades, my recently released book (October 10th, 2014); he is flirtatious, fabulous and uninterested in most things. But as his traits as an Elemental Breather slowly begin to reveal themselves , he turns into a slightly darker character. He always believes himself to be superior to humans and Shielders. He is sure he is always right and has no issues with torture. His shifting personality really was fascinating to explore; he changed so quickly before me.

7. A fun fact you would like your readers to know about you or your book:
I love Japanese culture; one of my dreams and goals is to travel to Japan and bathe in their traditional culture as well as their pop obsession. And I love cosplay— oh, I am always excited to see everyone dressed up!

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About the Author:

Kia Carrington-Russell is a young author working on her first series: “The Three Immortal Blades”. Kia began writing at the age of fifteen in high school- finding that all her warped and strange dreams were giving her a fantastic new world- and since then she has never looked back.

Kia was born in a small town in Australia, moving around a lot at a young age until finding a stable town where she finished her schooling. Kia found herself enjoying and expressing herself through poetry, short stories and writing, photography, painting and drawing. All these mediums help Kia express the different world that she is so fond of.

In ‘Senior Art’ Kia focused on feminism and female empowerment; exposing through her work issues and concerns that many people would rather just “sweep under the rug”. In one art installation, Kia made a bed out of Pokémon cards- the concept being that when she slept a new world would come to life and it was the only one she saw and constantly lived in. Kia now focuses on her photography, writing and self-help blogs on her website: ‘Precious Living’.

Kia is now keenly working on “The Three Immortal Blades” series knowing that this book has to be shared with the world and that is what she aims to do now.

Kia writes in her Australian home, trying to focus at times on simply what is running through her head, as her cats either terrorize her legs as scratching posts or her puppy barks in her ear for play-time. And as she continues her series, they grow with her book.

Kia is strongly supported by her friends and family and thanks them dearly for being with her along the bumpy road and nothing would please her more than having your support as well.

Where to find Kia:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

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Phantom Wolf:
Sia is a Phantom Wolf. Neither dead nor alive—and rotting from the inside—she is on the edge of her curse. Once a Phantom Wolf has been created, they hunt their blood pack and slaughter all their loved ones. Except for Sia, who woke years after her death to find herself rampaging through the land on a lonely path. She continues to run from the rival pack that hunts her because she is a Phantom Wolf.
Attracted to a scent, Sia finds her old best friend, who is now a grown woman. Having once saved Keeley, Sia takes the role of protector yet again, despite Keeley’s involvement with the mysterious Alpha, Kiba, and his kin brother, Saith.

An ambush separates the pack and the four of them blindly fight the new warriors that attack them: desperately needing to find out where the attacks are coming from, as Sia has vowed to protect Keeley. But at what cost?

Now being chased, Sia finds herself conflicted by the mortal and spirit world while trying to protect her kin. Sia must confront her fears, as well as the human lover who killed her many years before. It is not only survival Sia contends with, but her own façade that must be broken so that she may find peace within herself once more.

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Phantom Wolf is available at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kia's website

Read on for more information and excerpts from Possession Of My Soul and Possession Of My Heart!

Possession Of My Soul:
The Three Immortal Blades is a captivating story about Karla Grey, an ordinary young woman struggling with a unique ability. Karla is a Shielder; an exceptional fighter born with the rare ability to project a shield for protection. However, Shielders are not the only kind that possesses such a talent. The Shielders battle a war that has been raging for centuries against the Starkorfs, who endeavor to harvest humans and Shielders alike to obtain immortality and power.

Amidst the chaos of war and death that surrounds her, Karla must also confront the charming Elemental Breathers. Powerful and volatile, the mysterious Elemental Breathers are quick to conjure up the element they inherited power over at birth. Unfortunately for the Shielders, the Elemental Breathers also have at their disposal a depth of knowledge unmatched by any living being, making them indispensable to the Shielders in their quest for truth.

Whilst engaged in battle Karla begins to hear a woman’s voice echo in her head and throughout her dreams. Karla faces many new and daunting challenges while simultaneously searching for a reason as to why the unknown woman seeks to possess her body.

Karla must unravel the purpose of her curse. Finding herself embroiled in a bitter war armed with a talent she has yet to gain control over, she fights to find a way to end it all. But first she must learn to never let her shield down. The woman manipulating her thoughts may be dormant for now but she has every intention of possessing Karla. Mind, body, and soul.

Karla must choose between right and wrong: the charming Lucas and the selfless Paul, death and life, lies and truth. Within this new reality the search for the Three Immortal Blades starts.

Excerpt:
“Hello?” I croaked. My kidney had felt like it had frozen; shards of ice stabbed me from inside. My knees buckled and I fell, tumbling to the pavement. I managed to keep a firm grip on the phone that was now clutched to my stomach. I opened my lips to release a scream–the pain was horrific—but no noise left my mouth, leaving the tension locked inside my body.

“Karla, where are you?” Mum’s voice was panicked and teary; my dear mother that had always took care of me. My body felt like it was decomposing under the force of a hundred spears. My wrist shook with the intensity of supporting my weight against the pavement. It felt like a good time to tell Mum that I loved her and that this may be goodbye- because that’s what my body was telling me.

“Karla?” I could hear the pain in her voice. “Karla, you need to get home. Now.” I heard my dad in the background telling Mum to ask where I was and where he could pick me up. It ripped me to shreds to imagine how heartbroken they would be to know how much pain I was in. I braced myself and yelped as I resurrected my body, only for my feet to sink once again beneath my weight.

“Karla, I’m so sorry, baby!” Mum started crying and I heard the shifting of the phone. My body felt like it was drifting—panic swept over me making my pain unbearable.

“Karla? Karla?” Dad’s voice was as frantic as Mum’s. “Karla, get home now. We have things to discuss.” He sounded jumpy and tearful. I took one step back, and my leg buckled again. I tried dragging the other leg under my body but they could no longer move. My body is shutting down on me.

My eyesight was blurring into blotches of black and then, blotches of green. The pain was like venom triggering every nerve of my body to shut down. I can’t handle it anymore. “I love you,” I gasped into the phone, while tears replaced the stream of rain drenching my face.

“What? Are they there? Don‘t become what they want you to, sweetie. Please!” my dad shouted. I heard Mum scream in the background and I felt her pain layer on top of mine. I can’t breathe. Don’t become what they want me to? What is Dad talking about?

“What who wants me to be?” I whispered, wincing as I felt myself dipping in and out of consciousness. A loud ring echoed through my head blocking out the noise of my father and the rain; then silence. All noise was lost. My knees collapsed at the same time as the world around me. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I thudded to the ground again, barely able to see my hands in front of my face. My lungs wouldn’t accept any air now.

My body had completely stopped. My mouth filled up with blood, and I could feel it dribble onto the road underneath my face. Relief and fear was all that functioned in my mind. Relief to know that the pain will go away; fear to know that I’m dying.

I felt ice-cold hands lifting me off the ground from the waist while another hand cradled my head. My eyesight could only determine the outline of his shadowy face. The sadness it contained reflected my own. Rain washed over his face and dripped off onto mine. His lips moved as if he were shouting, but I heard none of his rage or furry. Only bliss. My face was cradled in Lucas’s chest; he was embracing me in his arms. My eyesight slowly was taken away from me, leaving me in the dark. I can't breathe.

Find Possession Of My Soul at:
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Goodreads

Possession Of My Heart:
After the great fight between Tyran and Misfeata, Karla’s body is recovering. Misfeata has manipulated and possessed her body — now, she lies dormant. But for how long?

Paul and Karla continue to venture into the unknown. Karla is in pursuit of her parents, as well as a cure for her body in which Shielder blood now resides. She must find a cure for herself both physically and mentally as she struggles with the morals of this very different world.

As Karla tries to avoid the war, she inevitably drags Paul into dangerous circumstances. A rare Elemental Breather is after Karla and out for war, but why? Now, not only combating the Starkorfs, Karla must contend with the Elemental Breathers and her own fighting spirit.

In this time of hardship, Lucas comes back into her life. He is also targeted by the strange Elemental Breather, Taskatae, who calls herself ‘Mother.’ After his betrayal, Karla must learn to trust him again as he reminds her who she truly is now.

Can she survive the constant battles from not only the physical world but from within? For a while Misfeata is dormant; Karla must try to keep hidden her true feelings. Karla is in turmoil as she faces who may truly possess her heart.

Excerpt:
They’re after the blades, I realized to myself, searching for where Aeisha once was. I looked down at her paired blade in my hand, summoning the energy it possessed. I could sense her partnered blade — it was not that far from here. Was the girl a distraction?

As if hearing my annoyance, Ashley ran over to me as the Starkorfs all began to flee behind the small girl that took Paul’s knife, which held no significant power to it, why run away with it? Plus, they had Aeisha’s other blade.

“They’re here for the Immortal Blades. Chase them and find that girl, find out who sent them,” I shouted.
I felt Aeisha’s pulse once more from whoever held it and ran with my blade. The girl that had taken Paul’s knife must have been a distraction. I ran into the direction where Aeisha called to me. It did not take me long to run past only eight houses until I found the four Starkorfs that ran from me. The one in front was holding Aeisha.

They quickly turned to face me as another arrow shot for me, this time breaking through my Shield and into my shoulder. I winced at it, holding my hand firmly to the injury. How did it get through my Shield? I felt the pulse of Tyran and then the shiver of Misfeata coming to the surface. But how is Tyran close, does that mean Nathanial is behind this ambush and close by? Have they been following us this whole time or is Lucas working with him, telling him of our location?

“Get out!” I screamed ripping at the arrow and tearing it from my shoulder. Pain stirred in my wound more than usual. What does this mean? Is Nathanial absent, but still leading this ambush?

I projected my Shield once again as orange ripples swirled around me, only to be broken by another arrow that shot into my leg. I screamed once more in anger as I felt my face twist, trying to compose Misfeata. Where are these arrows coming from and how are they penetrating my Shield?

Anger swelled within me as I faced the Starkorfs, running for them.

“Give me Aeisha!” I raged, angered by my attackers, annoyed they thought they could steal Aeisha from me successfully.

I cut the first Starkorf’s stomach quickly, catching it as it fell forward and using its body as a barrier, noticing another arrow coming for me. The arrow pierced into the Starkorf’s body as I dropped it, leaping for the other. I caught its wrist and swung him in front of me as another arrow shot for me. Another Starkorf’s burned face caught the corner of my eye as it tried to use Aeisha against me, trying to strike me down with her.

I crouched quickly, using the Starkorf I had hold of as the shield to my back. I elbowed the oncoming attacker in the stomach and quickly slashed Aeisha across his knees. He staggered and dropped as I pierced his leg, catching Aeisha’s partnered blade as his grotesque figure screamed on the ground.

I jumped over a fence and hid against the side of a house, firming my back to the wall to hide from the archer. I searched for the archer, noticing the other Starkorf who now ran in the opposite direction, away from me. An arrow hit her back and she dropped to the ground as another caved into the side of her head. The archer is killing their own kind.

Perhaps the archer was no ally of the Starkorfs either? Or maybe because they hadn’t killed me or stolen Aeisha the archer was displeased. I stared for a little longer, hearing a sob behind me. I turned with blades in hand ready to confront my attacker, only to find a small child in front of me with tears running down her face.

My eyes widened. Is it human? Or is it a trick? I briefly searched behind: a trampoline, a few toys on the ground, a vegetable garden at the back. No hiding places for any others to attack from. I stared back into the child’s face as emptiness filled it and shock echoed through such innocent eyes. There is no evil in this girl. This is only a mere human child. I looked away in disbelief. She would have seen everything. The reality of this other world made me nostalgic. I have taken the innocence of this girl away, opening such a horrific nightmare in front of her.

I will now be the memory of her greatest fear.

Find Possession Of My Heart at:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads