Author Spotlight: EA Kafkalas

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This is the part of my blog called the “Author Spotlight.”  Once per month, I showcase another lesfic author, introducing you to her (or occasionally his) work and including a short bio and interview.  Usually, the spotlight includes a free book offer.  My hope is to introduce you to some authors you might not know of and promote the lesfic genre in general.

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Novelist and playwright, EA Kafkalas is the author of the novels “Out of Grief”, “The Second Heart”, “Soul Mistakes”, and “Frankie & Petra”, and the plays “Lopsided” and “Pandora’s Golden Box”. A true Renaissance woman, she has worked in the theatre as an actor, director and a producer. In addition, EA is a mixed media artist working with clay and acrylics.

She recently moved to a farm in upstate NY, and resides with two of her best friends, her vast library of books, movies, and art supplies. The family dog, Milo, has decided that E.A. is more fun to hang with than a good doggie treat. He accompanies her on morning walks around the back 40, is happy to be her co-pilot on trips around town, and has carved out a space for himself on her bed.

When she’s not writing about the characters living inside her head, she can be found with her circle of actual friends, who have become her family and greatest support network.

Learn more about EA at her website:  EAKafkalas.com

The Spotlight

Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?

Interestingly, I love to read a good series of books. But when I write, I like to write stand alones, but fans have requested a sequel to Frankie & Petra, and it was so fun writing them, that I am giving it a whirl.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

There is no set time period. The first book took forever. No, seriously, I mean, I started it in high school and finished it when I was 40. The others vary from two-three years.

If you could cast your characters in the Hollywood adaptation of your book, who would play your characters?

Great question. Every author likes to dream about this. But I’d prefer that other people tried to cast them based on their perception of the characters. If I had to, I could come up with a bunch of pairings. But off the top of my head I’d say Piper Perabo (Kate) and Sara Shahi (Allie) in The Second Heat. Brooke Elliot (Frankie) and Stana Katic (Petra) in Frankie & Petra. Anne Hathaway (Alex), Ilsa Fisher (Mindy), and James Marsden (Simon) in Soul Mistakes. Jennifer Lawrence (Nikki) and Rachel McAdams (Quinn) in Out of Grief.

What was an early experience where you learned that language had power?

I was raised in a household where words and language were regarded as things to be wielded with extreme caution. I was taught to carefully think about what I put on paper, as words can cut deeper than any knife. Wounds can heal, but you can remember what a person said forever.

What is the first book that made you cry?

Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden. And I don’t normally cry when reading. The next book was The Art of Racing in the Rain. I was sitting on a beach blubbering like an idiot. That was a sight.