1. Thank you kindly for being with us, Sunshine. First things first, how often do people misspell your name and how has being an indie author impacted your life?
Ha! “Summerville” happens pretty frequently, but I can’t really blame people since it fits so naturally. As for being an indie author, I’ve found that it’s impacted me more than I ever expected. Friends and family are often wonderful and supportive, of course, but being part of the indie community has meant finding my people. It’s great to click with this wide range of artsy types who share a love for creating stories. I’ve made a lot of friends from all over the world whom I never would have connected with otherwise, and I wouldn’t trade that sense of community for anything.
2. You often kid around that your first published book was at the ripe age of 9 lol. What can you tell us about that experience and how it shaped the writer you’d become in the future?
I loved borrowing my mom’s typewriter as a kid and punching out stories (some original, but most rip-offs of my favorite horse stories at the time). Because of my mom’s early encouragement, writing became one of my favorite things in the world. I know developing that love early helped me later on – writing novels is not an easy task, and you have to really, really love writing in order to get over a lot of the frustrating hurtles. Also, I think starting young helped me be less afraid to take risks with story ideas – as a kid, I got ideas from everywhere and learned how to shape them and make things fit together. I still love blending genres and fiddling with tropes, and I think after a while it became a creative habit that now kind of defines my storytelling style.
3. Seems like you had a topsy turvy 2017 in regards to moving? What can you tell us of that experience, how did it impact your writing, and what recommendations would you give people who have hectic schedules and life events that might make writing a challenge?
2017 was nuts! I started the year in Kalamazoo, Michigan, (yes, that’s a real city). Then my husband was relocated temporarily to Kansas City, Missouri, so we lived there for 6 months. Then at the end of 2017 we bought a house in the northwest suburbs of Detroit. I spent a lot of our time in Missouri by myself – I knew 3 people in the whole state and worked from home – so it was the perfect time to write. It was great to be dropped into a new place with different landscapes, different people, different cultural quirks, etc. It seemed perfectly natural to write a new story based on this different world (and Missouri IS a different world), and it was refreshing to write something completely new. It was also a little cathartic, because in the middle of the painfully hot summer I decided to turn Kansas City into a kind of hellmouth – lol.
For any writer whose life gets hectic, I think you need to find what works for you. If you honestly don’t have the time or energy or will to write, let yourself take a break. That doesn’t make you a bad writer. But when you DO feel the itch, at least write notes. If an idea pops in your head while you’re packing boxes (not hypothetically, in my case) grab your phone or a notepad and write it down for later.
4. The Kota series is an expansive sci-fi epic. What can you tell us about the series, how many books are in it and in what order should people read?
The Kota Series is based on what my brother and I and our 2 best friends played when we were little – hence writing the first version when I was 9. It evolved over the decades and now fits more in the New Adult range, I’d say. This series is probably the best example of my love of genre-blending. There are elements of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Dystopian Fiction, Superhero Fiction, etc. I use everything from zombies to angels.
Books 1-4 are the main chunk of the series and definitely need to be read in order. I wrote “The Prophet” as a free prequel that can be read first or after the main series, but it works as a good intro. At the moment, I have 2 Companion Stories that should be read after the series, and they feature characters who weren’t able to have their full stories included in the main series. Since I have decades’ worth of this epic in my head, I plan to do at least a few more Companion Stories in the future.
5. You’re also currently working on audiobook versions of your works. How has that experience been and what can you tell us about this new aspect to your writer journey?
I’ve found it refreshing. It’s a bizarre and exciting thing when you hear someone bringing your words to life. I narrated my children’s book myself because I knew exactly how I wanted it performed – I’m not sure I would do any of my more serious books myself, but the kids book was fun. For “The Woman of the Void” I found a narrator on ACX who did a great job, and it was cool to collaborate with someone new. Now for “The Prophet” I’m using my brother as the narrator, which is fun especially because he’s literally the face of the main character – it’s my brother’s face on the cover of the book.
6. If variety is the spice of life, your writing leans towards flavorful with many genres explored. If your books were the menu of a restaurant, what would the restaurant be called and how would you describe the cuisine?
Great question! Hmm… I immediately picture some wacky, colorful restaurant like something that would’ve been in “The Fifth Element” where all of the food seems a bit alien and makes you a little nervous… but curious too. I think the many-genre aspect would lead to eclectic dishes including “String Theory Pasta” and “Phantasyan Alphabet Soup.” As for a name of the restaurant, I’d go all abstract and just use the Kota Mark.
7. Complete the following sentences:
The easiest part of being an indie author is being my own boss when it comes to what stories I want to write.
No one would suspect that my greatest challenge is trying to be perky on camera – LOL.
My best triumph so far on my writer journey is hearing from a teacher that his English-learning students in China loved and understood the humor in my children’s book. That was a great feeling.
Books make life better because we get to explore infinite possibilities.
In the next five years, I will write at least 3 more books and finish audiobooks of all my books.
8. What is the craziest place you’ve ever gotten an idea and how did you write it down?
While in Missouri, the hubs and I took a day trip to explore Meramec Caverns. It was way weird and cool, and about halfway through the tour my husband whispered to me, “Is this going in your next book?” I’d already been simmering on how to use the place, and suddenly I saw a rock formation ahead and knew exactly how the caves would fit perfectly in The Alt-World Chronicles. I answered, “It is now!” and started taking video of everything. Video, when you can get it, is super helpful for recreating a scene later.
9. What’s the biggest surprise a reader has ever done once they read one of your books?
Honestly, I’m still surprised whenever anyone tells me they’ve read my books, so that’s always a pleasant surprise. LOL. I had an artist friend once draw the main characters for the Kota, so that was pretty cool too.
10. Thanks so much for being here, and hey, everyone can use a bit of Sunshine, so where could people connect with you to find your books or be in touch?
All of my books, my blog, and fun extras can be found on my website at: https://sunshinesomerville.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kynacoba/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kynacoba
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kynacoba/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7omlMreXQQ9IQQr9JqpxIw
While in Missouri, the hubs and I took a day trip to explore Meramec Caverns. It was way weird and cool, and about halfway through the tour my husband whispered to me, “Is this going in your next book?” I’d already been simmering on how to use the place, and suddenly I saw a rock formation ahead and knew exactly how the caves would fit perfectly in The Alt-World Chronicles. I answered, “It is now!” and started taking video of everything. Video, when you can get it, is super helpful for recreating a scene later.
9. What’s the biggest surprise a reader has ever done once they read one of your books?
Honestly, I’m still surprised whenever anyone tells me they’ve read my books, so that’s always a pleasant surprise. LOL. I had an artist friend once draw the main characters for the Kota, so that was pretty cool too.
10. Thanks so much for being here, and hey, everyone can use a bit of Sunshine, so where could people connect with you to find your books or be in touch?
All of my books, my blog, and fun extras can be found on my website at: https://sunshinesomerville.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kynacoba/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kynacoba
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kynacoba/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7omlMreXQQ9IQQr9JqpxIw
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