Guest Author Interview with T.M. Kohl
I recently had the opportunity to interview epic fantasy author T.M. Kohl, author of The Warriors of Bhrea series. I hope you enjoy our Q&A! –AJ
Hi, T.M. Thanks for giving me the opportunity to interview you today. Can you introduce yourself and your book(s) to our readers?
Thank you for having me here, AJ! I’m T. M. Kohl, or Tabitha, and so far I have published four out of five books of my series, The Warriors of Bhrea. The series falls both under epic fantasy and portal fantasy, and there are some elements of sci fi sprinkled throughout as well. I’m a lover of fantasy and sci fi fiction, and so naturally those are the genres I focus on in my books! The fourth book of the series, The Hidden Goddess, has just come out.
Would you like to talk a little about your writing process?
I am what some call a “plantser,” meaning I combine elements of plotting and pantsing. I always have a general idea of what I want to write, but many ideas come out of the blue as I’m writing. Often, my outlines look completely different from the finished product!
I’ve read your Warriors of Bhrea series and loved the concept of blending fantasy and science fiction as you did. What was your inspiration for the series?
I was a very imaginative child growing up, and the books, movies, and TV shows I consumed inspired many ideas I utilize in my books. I was fascinated by the idea of traveling to other words when reading The Chronicles of Narnia, and I admired the worldbuilding in movies like Atlantis: The Lost Empire. As I grew older, shows like Stargate SG-1 introduced some sci fi elements that also got the ideas going!
On a more personal note, life events and interactions I’ve had with friends and family have influenced certain scenes or even entire themes in my books. For example, the relationship between parent and child is a big theme in my books, and my own experiences in life have played a part in shaping that theme.
You’ve developed quite a bit of the Bhrean language, and the reader encounters pieces of it starting from book one. Did you find it difficult to create the lexicon, and was it based on any real-world language(s)?
Creating Korvet, the Bhrean language, was a lot of fun! At times it was certainly difficult to create the lexicon, because I wanted to create words and phrases that were unique-sounding and not simply derivative of languages we Westerners are familiar with, like Latin or German. That being said, I did want Korvet to not sound so alien that it was incomprehensible, so I drew some inspiration from real-world languages like Sanskrit and Turkish. There are other, less fleshed out languages I’ve created for the series, and those are inspired by some East Asian languages like Chinese and Vietnamese, and yet a couple others by Arabic or Gaelic.
By the end of book four, you have a substantial cast of characters. Did you have a favorite one to write, and why are they your favorite? (As a reader, I think my personal favorites are Val and Radaman.)
I’m so glad you like both Val and Radaman—they are a joy for me to write! I would have to say my favorite to write of the central characters would have to be Valora. I connected with her initial sense of naivete and adventure, and after she has gone through so much, I connect with her struggle to find inner strength and resolve. A non-POV character I really enjoy writing is Am Yu Esh. I love having him around to insert some humor and heart into scenes.
You have a knack for creating some very intense action sequences. What is your process for making them feel so realistic/believable?
Part of my process is simply letting my mind wander. I’m a very visual thinker, so when I write a scene, it is often “transcribing” what feels like a movie in my head. Many times, watching something that is visually compelling helps inspire the way I want things to look—things like kung fu movies, instructional videos for fighting styles, and sometimes anime.
Do you have any upcoming releases you’d like to talk about?
There is no set release date for my fifth book yet since I am in the initial stages of writing, but I am very much hoping to release it next year (2023)!
What project(s) are you currently working on, and can you share anything about them?
I am in the very beginning stages of planning an entirely new series, and I’m excited to get more into it when The Warriors of Bhrea is finished. This series will be a trilogy and start out in Atlantis and span 30,000 years. I also have some initial ideas for a sequel trilogy to The Warriors of Bhrea, two prequel stories, and a couple side novellas and short stories!
Besides being a writer, what do you like to do in your spare time?
I love playing the piano, singing, drawing, hiking, and embroidery. I’ve also been learning how to keep vegetables alive in my garden, which can be an arduous process.
Do you have any parting thoughts you’d like to share?
Thank you so much for bringing me on! I am enjoying your first book of The Relics of War and can’t wait to continue the series!
A huge thank you to T.M. Kohl for taking the time to chat about her books.
The Warriors of Bhrea is available Amazon.com, or you can learn more about T.M. and her series on her website, tmkohl.com.