Hey y’all! I’m super excited to bring you this post because as you can see, I’m participating in the launch tour for Heard in Silence.

Now, what’s Heard in Silence? You may ask. Heard in Silence (Or HiS as you may see it referred to) is an anthology put together by Kaytlin Phillips. The really awesome thing about it, though, is that all proceeds will be donated to American Society for Deaf Children. So definitely something to support!

For my post I’m going to be interviewing one of the lovely authors so I don’t want to take up too much time talking. I’ll leave you with the blurb:)

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Some voices can only be heard in silence.

Thirteen young authors invite you to journey deep into a silent world so often overlooked. Within these pages, you’ll find bittersweet contemporary YA, spellbinding fantasy, tender romance, and so much more, each centering on a deaf character.

Curated by author Kaytlin Phillips, this short story collection offers you a peek inside a life without sound, a fresh perspective on a world you may never have experienced. For a moment in time, hush the noise around you and absorb the quiet heartbeat of these diverse stories. Let yourself be swept away in these characters’ struggles, heartaches, and victories.

Heard in Silence features work from Saraina Whitney, Alison Stadt, K.R. Mattson, Marisa Phillips, Kylie Beevers, Riley G. Stanch, Jaiden Phillips, Lorelei Angelino, Lillian Keith, Grace A. Johnson, Kaytlin Phillips, Autumn Nicole, and Wilder W.! This unique, richly imagined short story collection will stretch your mind and hold your heart captive.

Interview Time!

Hey Kylie! I’m super excited to have you join me on the blog. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

Hi! Thanks so much for having me here, Tasha! First off, my name is Kylie, as you probably already know; though, most folks around here just refer to me as Ky. I’m a young teenage author striving to bring clean, morally sound content to the middle-grade audience! I’m very passionate about raising awareness of children’s content, as it gets harder and harder for parents to find good and beautiful books for their children to read. Amidst the darkness, I yearn to bring the light of Yahweh through tales that defend hope and courage.

I’d love to ask all the authors this, but what made you decide to write a story for Heard in  Silence?

When Kayti first made the announcement, I immediately was intrigued by the prompts and regulations for the contest. Honestly, I have never seen a collection of deaf-realated stories published before. I never expected myself to win a place in Heard in Silence, however, when I did, I was ecstatic! I got to work straight away on Wrapped Gifts of Tranquility; I wanted to spin a story that wove hope, courage, loss, and trust into its sentences.
I wanted to give whomever may pick up the analogy a reminder that they are not alone.
And I pray, that whatever it is worth, that the praise be to the Creator who gave me the pen in teh first place.

What does your writing process look like?

People ask me this a lot and each time it is asked, it varies. Right now, my writing process looks like sitting down, normally with food and a beverage (coffee, tea, or water), and writing down a skeletal structure of what my story will be. From then on, I will rewrite. I probably comb through my documents five to seven times before major grammatical and flow editing will happen. From then on out, I get a fresh pair of eyes to look at the story, and go through, yet again, more editing.
Editing without mercy.
It’s a long process and it can be very stressful and daunting as an author. However, I’ve always gotten through and that’s a victory on my end! 

I know writing a deaf character sounds really hard to me so was it really hard and what gave you the most trouble?

Indeed, it was hard. I’m not even sure that I portrayed a deaf character correctly, as I myself am not deaf.
The hardest part was figuring out how to word everything. Of course, deaf people can talk. But most people who are deaf communicate via sign language. When your character can’t speak, or hear, it cuts out a lot of the description and it’s very hard to immerse your readers in the tale. Again, I still don’t know if I portrayed it correctly. I just hope that the readers will find the tid-bits of truth held in those pages.

Do you have any other published works?

I have one published novel, Rise of the LivingWood, which is a middle-grade Christian fantasy revolving around foxes vs wolves. Bramble, the main character, is suddenly thrust into the life of a warrior when his uncle shows up to his families burrow and brings along Bramble to be a part of the King’s defense force. Wolves have besieged the borders. War seeks to devour them all.

The book follows the tracks of Bramble through his journey to discover his purpose and his path to seek the Creator in everything he does.

What is your why as a writer?

As parents (and children) struggle to find good, beautiful books in a world that is pumping out coated darkness, I strive to bring rich and impactful tales that will bless the reader and leave them yearning to know more about the light of Yeshua, our Messiah.
Why am I a writer?
So that this generation, the generation of today, can be assured that there is still hope. The light is still shining bright. And it will always keep shining as long as there are those who bear the torch.

What is your biggest tip for writers who are just starting out?

Pray. Seek your ‘why’ as a writer. Why do you want to write? What is your drive? What is at the center of your writing?
Ask yourself these questions.
And figure out why you want to be an author.
Becoming an author, sitting down and writing something for hours, is not an easy feat. It is not for the faint-hearted.
Pray for courage.
And if you feel that passion in you to continue providing this world with literature that glorifies God, I will pray a prayer of hope and protection over you.
May Yahweh equip you with a pen and paper; may you bear the light righteously!

Book Links:

Goodreads Book Link: https://www.goodreads.com-heard-in-silence-anthology

Pre-Order Link: https://www.amazon.com/heard+in+silence+anthology

Tour Schedule:

Monday, Sept. 4th

Sisters Three – Blog Tour Launch Announcement 

Tasha Van Kesteren – Author Interview

Tuesday, Sept. 5th

Writers’ Vision – Author Interviews

Wednesday, Sept. 6th

Grace A. Johnson – IG Spotlight & Author Interview on Blog

Kristina Hall – Review

Katherine Barnard – Review & Spotlight

Thursday, Sept. 7th

Lorelei Angelino – Review and Spotlight

Old Fashioned Book Love – Review and Spotlight

Friday, Sept. 8th

Autumn Nicole – IG Spotlight

Saraina Whitney – Spotlight

The Introspective Introvert – Spotlight and BTS Collab Post

M. C. Kennedy – Review

Riley G. – Spotlight

Lucy Peterson – Spotlight

Sisters Three – End TourVanessa Hall – Spotlight