Time for another author spotlight and interview.
Welcome, Niki Kamerzell, author of Last Time She Died. So glad to learn more about you!
What is the first story you remember telling (not necessarily writing)?
A few friends of mine used to have this notebook and we would just write a constant stream of randomness in it. I think we ended up having like 3 or 4 of them. They weren’t really ‘stories’ because we didn’t write much in seriousness. It was always like “how can this get more ridiculous and funnier’. I really enjoyed it.
That sounds like fun! I wonder if I could get my kids to do that with me?
You have a book published - Yay! Do you have a favorite character (and, if so, which one)?
I like Alexia and Cali both a lot, but I have to say, writing Blaine (the villain) really was a lot of fun. After I was done with the book, I went back and wrote his whole backstory just for fun and while he’s just a normal incel weirdo, it was fun to get into his head and find his reasons.
What is your favorite activity to do in the summer? Winter?
To be outside. In the summer, I camp frequently. Both in a tent, in a camper, and backpacking. I love it. Day hikes are also great.
In the winter, I like to snowshoe. I just really like to be outside.
What led you to start writing novels?
It started as a bit of a joke. I went through this thing where I flipped a kayak and could have died and when I talked to a friend about it, we joked together about our near death experiences and how maybe we were both dead and just hadn’t realized it. I wrote up some funny, dumb story about it. Eventually, I decided I liked writing and reworked the silly thing I’d been writing and it became ‘Last Time She Died’.
Wowza, what a way to ignite a story idea! So glad you are able to talk about it.
Cats or dogs?
I grew up with cats and I love them. I got a corgi puppy (he’s 12 now) and can’t imagine my life without him. I’d like to be both!
If you were to be gifted a superpower that you had to use continuously for 8 hours every day, what would it be?
The ability to multiply myself. That way I could send a clone to work for 8 hours and then do whatever I want with that time. Let clone me suffer, haha.
Star trek or Star Wars?
Really depends on my mood, I guess. Star Trek has all these shows so if I don’t want to commit to a movie, I’m good. And I know Star Wars does too, but I’ve never really gotten into those ones. As far as the movies go, I think I prefer Star Wars (because that Star Trek movie about the whales is just stupid. There, I said it). Though I do really enjoy the rebooted Star Trek movies with Chris Pine. So, you know, I can’t make decisions.
Ha. I like the Star Trek reboots, too, but William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy left behind some pretty big boots to fill.
What is your favorite author/book?
It’s hard to pick just one. I have a lot of Stephen King on my shelf and I’ve read a lot of his books. I’d love to say I write like him, but that’s just a dream. Growing up, I was a huge RL Stine fan and reading Goosebumps and Fear Street really formed what I enjoy as an adult.
Funny enough though, if I had to pick a favorite book, it would probably be A Wrinkle in Time. I do love that book.
The zombie apocalypse will happen in two days. You are fully stocked with food, water, and toilet paper. What is the one thing you will have stocked up on as your guilty pleasure?
Chapstick. Could you imagine not having any? Awful.
Oh if you mean food, probably those golden Lindt easter bunny chocolates. Yum.
I know who to seek out when the zombie apocalypse strikes. :)
When is your favorite time to write?
When I find time. I like to be alone or outside though. I get a lot done if I can feel grass between my toes.
Where do you draw inspiration?
Dreams mostly. I get a little nugget of something interesting and run with it. Sometimes I don’t get far.
Tell us your favorite "dad joke."
I do this really annoying thing when people say ‘c'est la vie’ where I respond with ‘la vie’ and I think it’s hilarious every time. Every Time.
And now I have a new favorite joke. Lol.
Thank you so much, Niki, for answering my questions. I wish you the best with your book and all your future endeavors. Shine on!
A rainy night. A slick road. A car crash. ‘A puff of yellow dust blew from the vent, and the car filled with a strong sulfur smell. Laughter whispered through the speakers, then blared at full volume.’ Everything changes for Alexia Harper the night she leaves late from her waitressing job. When voices threaten her through the radio, she wonders if she’s gone crazy. Then lightning explodes close by, and Alexia crashes. Following the accident, every day is the same. Every night the same nightmare stalks her. It’s like her life is on repeat, but she can’t shake the fearful warning her subconscious is screaming at her. When Leland starts working at the diner, Alexia is drawn to him. He’s kind, funny and handsome, and he’s…familiar. It’s like they’ve spent the past eight lifetimes getting to know each other. Now, the memory-like dreams make sense. She recognizes people she doesn’t know—and they are giving her clues; answers she desperately needs to stop the thing that’s coming for her. Coming for all of them. Again.
Bio
Niki Kamerzell lives in Colorado and spends her summers out in the wild enjoying camping and fishing. Her favorite place to visit is Yellowstone National Park.
She spends her free time reading and writing and will read just about anything recommended to her. She's been known to sacrifice eating and sleeping to finish a good book. Niki writes fantasy and has been writing for the last ten years. When not writing or reading, Niki is probably distracted by her Corgi or out hiking in the Rocky Mountains with her husband.
Her other distractions include driving around and singing off key with the radio and scrapbooking. Always willing to make things awkward, sarcasm is like a second language to her and, next to her passion for writing, probably one of the things Niki’s most proud of.
See what Niki is up to at…
Facebook: @NikiKWrites
Twitter and Instagram: @Niki_K_Writes
Website: https://nkamerzellwriting.wixsite.com/website