AUTHORS INTERVIEWING CHARACTERS:  Katie Keridan

About REIGN RETURNED

Kyra Valorian is the most gifted Astral healer the golden-blooded realm of Aeles has seen in ages. When tragedy strikes, Kyra discovers she possesses a life-changing gift: she’s a Recovrancer, able to enter the realm of the dead and recover those who’ve died before their time. Unfortunately, recovrancy is outlawed in her realm. Desperate for answers, Kyra will do anything to get them . . . even partner with a dangerous enemy.

Sebastian Sayre is the most sought-after Daeval assassin in all of Nocens. A silver-blooded Pyromancer, he wields fire and dreams of finding Rhannu, a legendary sword that makes its holder invincible. Since the sword was long ago stolen from Nocens and hidden where no Daeval can retrieve it, however, such a dream seems impossible . . . until he encounters the one Astral who might be both able and willing to help him.

As Kyra and Sebastian work together to uncover the secrets of their realms, they also uncover secrets within their own pasts—pasts that are far more intertwined than they ever imagined. Ultimately, in this tale of discovery, destiny, and a love strong enough to outlast time, remembering the past just may prove to be the only way to change the future.

Author Interview with Kyra Valorian Main Character in REIGN RETURNED

Interviewer: Greetings, everyone, and welcome to Aeles Today. As you know, I’m the editor of this daily bulletin and in this issue, I have the great honor of speaking with Kyra Valorian. Ms. Valorian, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to meet with me. It’s such a pleasure.

Kyra: The pleasure is mine. And please, call me Kyra.

Interviewer: Thank you, Kyra. As you are no doubt aware, you’ve been selected as one of the realm’s “Twenty Under Twenty.” Names of up-and-coming young folks were submitted, votes were cast all the way from Aravost to Rynstyn, and twenty Astrals under twenty years of age were selected to be featured in this bulletin. You received a veritable landslide of votes, which can only mean one thing…everyone’s dying to learn more about you. So, tell us about yourself!

Kyra: Being chosen was a complete surprise, but I’m so grateful to everyone who voted. I’m especially grateful to my best friend Demitri…he single-handedly ran a publicity campaign I begged him to abandon that no doubt helped ensure me a place amongst such admirable Astrals. As far as talking about myself, well, I have three younger siblings—Seren, Enif, and Deneb. I’m the oldest. I graduated from school two months ago, and I’m waiting to hear where I’ll be placed for internship.

Interviewer: If we looked in the dictionary under “M” for “Modest,” we would find your picture right there! You didn’t merely graduate, Kyra…you graduated with distinction at the top of your class and gave one of the best graduation speeches we’ve heard in ages. I’m certain Donecs have been lining up all summer trying to woo you with offers, but is there a particular place you hope to be matched with for internship?

Kyra (smiles and blushes faintly): It’s always been my dream to train at the Donec Medicinae. My father completed an internship there when he was my age, and it’s the best way for me to follow in his footsteps.

Interviewer: Your father, Arakiss Valorian, is the Princeps Shaman, the highest-ranking healer in our realm and truly one of our most beloved government officials. Was he excited to see you’d inherited the same healing gift he possesses? 

Kyra: He’s always been incredibly supportive of my plans to become a healer. But just so everyone is clear, he didn’t cast a vote for the intern who’ll be working with the Donec Medicinae, so I’m not receiving any favoritism. 

Interviewer: Of course not! Unlike the silver-blooded barbarians living in Nocens, those of us in Aeles believe in fairness. Now, rumor has it you’re already an incredibly gifted healer. Is this due to the time you’ve spent training with your father?

Kyra (nods enthusiastically): Yes. I’ve been working with him since I can remember, and I’m so incredibly fortunate to have him as my mentor. One day, I hope to know as much about healing as he does.

Interviewer: It seems as if you’re already off to a very good start…you’ve co-authored quite a few healing-related papers with him. When you’re not off making healing breakthroughs or writing papers about your experiences with patients, what do you like to do for fun?

Kyra (smiles broadly): Well, I happen to think researching and writing papers is fun, but I understand if I’m alone in that position. I love taking my kadac out on the ocean; there’s nothing like salt air to clear your mind. I also volunteer at an animal rehabilitation center…folks bring in any injured wild animals they find and we heal them before releasing them back into the wild. I love to read, and I spend a lot of time with my friends and family.

Interviewer: Fascinating! Such a busy young woman, which leads me to one of my most burning questions—one of the questions most frequently asked by our readers, in fact, who are anxious to know—amidst such a busy schedule, how do you manage to make time for socializing?

Kyra: Seeing friends and family is always a priority for—

Interviewer (raises a hand): —Oh, I’m so sorry, I should have phrased that differently. Amidst such a busy schedule, how do you manage to make time for a romantic relationship?

Kyra (stiffens in chair): I’m not currently involved in a romantic relationship. I did, however, have a fascinating encounter with a patient yesterday who had—

Interviewer: So you’re single! Aeles, I can officially confirm the future Princeps Shaman of our realm is still very much looking for her perfect match. I can hear the matchmakers now, Kyra, shuffling through who they might set you up with. If you had to describe your ideal partner—the sort of Astral you could see yourself marrying and raising a family with—who would they be? 

Kyra (stares ahead and blinks, secretly wondering how to end this interview): I…

Interviewer: What would they look like? Do you have a preference when it comes to hair color? Eye color? Height?

Kyra (clearly irritated but speaking with conviction): I don’t care how they look…I care how they treat me. Whoever I end up with, I want them to support my love of learning and my goal of furthering my career. They’ll need to be smart and like books just as much as I do, but they also need to have their own passions, things they’re excited about and can introduce me to. They—

Interviewer: —And if they were going to bring you a present on your first outing together, would you prefer chocolate or some other kind of sweet? What about flowers?

Kyra (rubs fingertips against her forehead and grimaces): I just think your readers might prefer to learn about the work I’m doing instead of discussing a future romantic partner I likely won’t have for a very, very long time.

Interviewer (laughs heartily): The more the realm knows about what you’re looking for, the more everyone can help you find that special someone! Now, I’m going to give you my niece’s card, she’s a prominent matchmaker in Aarvost, and I think… (Interviewer keeps talking as Kyra presses her lips into a thin line before forcing a smile she very much does not feel to her face and accepting the card)

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BIO: Katie Keridan made her literary debut at ten years of age when she won a writing contest by crafting a tale about her favorite childhood hero, Hank the Cowdog. After that, Katie continued to write, through college and graduate school and during her career as a pediatric neuropsychologist. While Katie enjoyed being a doctor, scientific research didn’t bring her nearly as much joy as did creating her own characters and worlds, so she slowly left the medical world behind to focus exclusively on writing. In 2018 she self-published a poetry book, Once Upon a Girl, and her work has been featured in Highlights Hello Magazine, The Blue Nib, Youth Imagination Magazine, Red Fez, The Red Penguin Review, Sand Canyon Review, and Every Day Fiction, to name a few. She loves sharing her writing with others who feel different, misunderstood, or alone. Katie lives with her husband and two very demanding cats in San Jose, CA.

Follow her on Twitter @KKeridan

Website https://www.katiekeridan.com/