Today on the blog we have K. R. R. Lockhaven, author of Mrs. Covington’s, The Azure Archipelago Trilogy and The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex.
It’s great to have you here Kyle, welcome!
Thank you so much for having me! I’m always game for talking about pirates!
What is it about nautical themes that particularly appeal to you?
That’s tough to explain. I could try to get all scholarly and quote Herman Melville when he speaks of the pull of the sea: “If they but knew it, almost all men in their degree, some time or other, cherish very nearly the same feelings towards the ocean with me.” But a more truthful answer would be that it’s fun. There’s an inherent joy in the idea of pirates and all things nautical. Kids are dang near unanimously drawn to ships and pirates, and it’s that childlike fascination I still find within myself today.
How much research into real life nautical terms did you have to do? Did you roll with it, being in the fantasy genre, or have you tried to stay true to existing terminology/technology?
Writing fantasy definitely gets you a bit of leeway when it comes to nautical terms (I hope, anyway). But I try my best to use the proper words. I like to utilise a bit of a cop-out using POV. My main character finds herself as a newcomer in the nautical world, so all things nautical are completely new to her. She doesn’t need to be knowledgeable in the ways of sailing, and other characters have little reason to get technical with her. I hope that works for readers!
I really loved your lego trailers for Mrs. Covington’s Kickstarter and for book two in The Azure Archipelago Trilogy, The Foundling, The Heist, and the Volcano. The Monkey Island music gave me SO MUCH NOSTALGIA. I hadn’t heard that theme in 20+ years and it brought back so many memories. How long did they take you and your son to make and are you a big fan of Monkey Island?
Thank you! It took us several hours over several days to make those but it was mostly fun. We had to work out some kinks, but eventually made something we were really happy with.
And yes, I am a huge, lifelong fan of the Monkey Island games. To go back to your first question, those games played a pretty big part in my love for all things piratey and nautical, too. That theme song is so damned good! It makes me happy every time I hear it.
Which other piratey movies, books, art, music, games etc. have inspired you as a writer or simply given you enjoyment as a consumer?
Most recently, the second book of the Gentleman Bastards series, Red Seas Under Red Skies. Treasure Island was a book that fascinated me as a teenager, too. I have a bunch of nautical-themed books on my TBR, including The Adventures of Amina Al-Sarafi by Shannon Chakraborty, The Bone Ships by R.J. Barker, and Ship of Magic by Robin Hobb. I know I should have read all of these already, but time for reading has been tough to find.
Of course, there’s the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. They may not be the deepest, but they’re fun (the first few anyway).
My wife and I watched Black Sails and Our Flag Means Death and thoroughly enjoyed them.
I’ve started to get into a little Pirate Metal like Alestorm lately. It’s good fun, too!
On the cover of Mrs. Covington’s and littered throughout your Twitter, we can find the world’s largest rodent, the Capybara! It was only last month some capybaras appeared on my work PC as the rotated wallpaper and my colleagues didn’t know what they were! (Criminal, I know) Is it safe to assume they’re your favourite animal? What do you love about them?
I’m glad you were able to educate your colleagues! Yes, it is safe to say they’re my favorite, although sloths and river otters are up there, too. They’re very cute, but the thing I love most about them is their chill attitude. I found they were the perfect animal to build a cozy fantasy around. They have a very cozy vibe. They’re seemingly kind and peaceful and inclusive, just like the characters in my cozy book.
How did you find the experience of firing up a Kickstarter for your book?
It was stressful but ultimately wonderful. I had no idea what to expect, and was blown away by the support I felt throughout. I think I gained a lot of new readers in the process, which is always great. I’m so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone to try it. I think it’s important for us indie authors to try several different publishing routes in order to find the ones that work best for us. I have little doubt that I’ll run another Kickstarter sometime in the future.
Do you have a favourite (real or imagined) pirate?
Probably an imagined version of a real pirate—Stede Bonnet as played by Rhys Darby in Our Flag Means Death. Taika Waititi’s Blackbeard is pretty damned good, too! A pirate who tries his best to be kind is A LOT like The Marauder King from my Azure Archipelago series, so I really connected with him 🙂
K. R. R. Lockhaven has been marooned on a desert island with plenty of food, water, clothing, bedding and shelter. You’re allowed supplies of 3 items and 3 books until you’re rescued in 18 months. What are you choosing?
3 Items: My laptop, a charging chord, and a power-generating wind turbine. If I’m going to be alone for that long, I may as well get some writing done!
3 Books: It’s funny, I recently did a short guest post on The Irresponsible Reader’s (another wonderful book blogger) blog concerning the same question 🙂 It’s tough, but I think I’ll go with these three:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams. It’s been too long since I read this, so a reread is far past due.
Miss Percy’s Pocket Guide to the Care and Feeding of British Dragons by Quenby Olson. I’m going to need a cozy, clever, and hilarious read to pass the time. This book checks all those boxes.
The Doors of Stone by Patrick Rothfuss. I know this isn’t out yet, so I’m technically cheating, but I’m going to stick by the story that I refuse to go on a plane or over any body of water until this book is out. Once I have it in my hot little hand, I’ll be willing to go on a trip that may leave me stranded on a desert island, but not before! I don’t think I’ve ever anticipated anything quite like I anticipate the final instalment of The Kingkiller Chronicle.
Finally, what’s on the horizon for you as a writer?
I’m currently writing book 3 of my Azure Archipelago trilogy. It will come out early next year! After that, I really don’t know. I have collected tens of thousands of notes on this somewhat dark, somewhat chonky book that I may do next. I’d also like to revisit Mrs. Covington’s pub and possibly stage a cozy mystery there. I don’t really know where the next step will be and that’s kind of refreshing!
Oh…my son and I are composing a song and making a music video for the trailer of book 3, so that’ll be fun!!
Thanks for joining us for pirate week, Kyle! Best of luck for the future.
Thank you very much! I absolutely loved these questions and relished the opportunity to chat about pirates!
Spells and Spaceships 