Author Interview-Poet Kiana Donae: Wishing You Love & Ink!

Welcome to Untamed Publishing's Author Interviews! As a company that caters to the self-published author, we want to highlight and support indie authors. There is a vast array of talent amongst us, and here's the opportunity to connect the readers to their next favorite author!

This interview features, author and poet, Kiana Donae. Sit back, relax and let's find out about all things Love & Ink!

Welcome Kiana! Why don't we start with finding out just who Kiana Donae is? Tell us a little about yourself.

I'm a wife and mom. A lover of animals and I can't live without my music. I've got a confident exterior and an insecure interior. I'm a lover first but a poet always. My pen speaks where I cannot and my love prevails where I fail. I am love and ink.

Ooh love and ink. I love it. So let's get into that. Why did you make the decision to become a published author?

There's a lot of reason why I chose to become a published author. I wanted to fulfill my dreams and I wanted to share my voice. I think the biggest reason was to show my kids that sometimes you have to go after the passions you believe in instead of waiting for others to recognize you.

Are there other genres that you write or wish to write?

I write predominantly poetry. That is where my passion lies. I have however started a fictional story about love/relationships and a non-fiction work based on my childhood.

That brings me to my next question. If you were to write a book about yourself what would you name it? Why?

As I mentioned, this is already in the works, the working title is Silence. It's based on some unpleasant events from my childhood that caused me to lose my "voice" metaphorically speaking.

Aside from Silence, what is your upcoming project about? When will it be released?

Upcoming projects will include a 3rd volume of poetry in my Love & Ink series, an erotic poetry collection, a small collection based on my NaPoWriMo pieces and the fiction & non-fiction works mentioned above. As of now, release dates are still being determined and/or projects are still incomplete.

Tell us about your current book project?

My latest release was my 2nd volume of poetry entitled, Love & Ink Volume 2: Reflections. It is a personal journey of reflections in poetic form.

What are some of your other aspirations for your writing career?

The only aspiration I have for my writing is to be able to continue sharing my voice.

Would you like to collaborate with other authors on a book project?

I recently collaborated for a small sampling of poems with another poet. At this point, I would be open to another collaboration IF we had the same goal for the finished project.

What makes your writing stand apart from other authors?

My simple answer = my voice. We all have a unique way to tell a story because of our experiences. But someone told me recently that they loved the way my heart was synchronized with my mind. I like that answer better. Lol

When it comes to writing, are you a morning person or a night owl?

Neither. As a poet, my pen is inspired by many things, which means it's always ready. I can be inspired at any time. But the time I write most is mid-afternoon.

Tell us a unique writing habit that you have.

Lol. I truly don't think I have any unique habits. I think since inspiration is spontaneous, I have to always be ready for the spark. So no rituals or habits can prepare me for that. There's not a "one thing" I have to have or do before or during my writing. I'm pretty free to the process.

Name your top 5 favorite books by indie authors. Why are they your faves?

Okay this really isn't favoritism, I promise. But truthfully all of the books by Author Untamed have made it to my library as 5 star reads. So my top 5 are from her. The 4 books from the Never Again...No More series and The View would be my top 5 indie reads. Why? It's simple, she has a true talent for writing. I can read her passion for the craft when I read her words. She can bring the characters to life and her love of writing is easily recognized in her work.

Outside of writing, what are your favorite past times?

I'm an avid angler. I love to go fishing and enjoy it immensely. I'm also a keeper of digital scrapbooks and a graphic designer.

Tell us one thing about you that is a little known fact.

I'm a hoarder of pens.

What is one lesson you’ve learned since becoming a published author?

I've learned that I can't rush my own creative process.

What is one myth about being a published author that you learned and would like to share?

I think many people think that being a published author means your work is good or that you're talented...FALSE! With the market of self publishing options, there are tons of grammatically challenged books with bad plots and terrible story lines. Lol

Kiana Donae, it was a pleasure to interview you, and we look forward to your future works! (We promise we didn't coax her into giving those awesome compliments!)

Please connect with the author and check out her books, Love & Ink and Love & Ink Volume 2: Reflections.

And we'll just go ahead and tell you that you will LOVE the ink of her poetic scribes!

Synopsis:

A personal journey of reflections in poetic form. Poems in this collection are intuitive, passionate, and many explore issues of today that are social in nature. Reflections will enter your mind and cause you to view yourself in the mirror of the writings. What do you see in your reflection?

Book Purchase Links:

Love & Ink - https://www.createspace.com/4636890

Love & Ink Vol.2 - https://www.createspace.com/5532740