Fantasy Book Critic: Interview: Kyle Lockhaven

AUTHOR INFO: KRR (Kyle Robert Redundant) Lockhaven started out writing humorous fantasy (hence the stupid name) but has found himself pulled in the direction of cozier writing. He lives in Washington State with his wife and two sons. When not writing or raising kids, he works as a firefighter/paramedic. A portion of all proceeds of his books goes to the Washington State Council of Firefighters Burn Foundation, which sponsors Camp Eyabsut, a summer camp for burn survivor kids where he has volunteered for the last 20 years.

INTERVIEW

Thank you for taking the time to talk to us! Welcome to the Fantasy Book Critic, and I hope you’re having a good start to your year. Could you tell us a little bit about yourself, and your upcoming book?

Thank you for having me! I'm a fantasy author who started out writing purely humorous fantasy but has been drawn toward more emotionally resonant and cozy fantasy. I have self-published one book, and have had two-thirds of a trilogy published by Shadow Spark Publishing, an Indie press (the third book is set to come out early next year). My current project is a cozy fantasy novel called Mrs. Covington's, which I'm running as a Kickstarter project. The Kickstarter is set to run until April 13th. The book is about a small found family as they try to operate a capybara-themed pub and find a hidden treasure in order to save their friend's restaurant.

If you had to summarize the premise of your upcoming book Mrs. Convington's in five words or less, what would you say?

Kind people running capybara-themed pub. (I hope using a hyphenated word as one word isn't considered cheating!)

In the same vein, what three adjectives would you choose to describe your books to the uninitiated?

Mirthful, Compassionate, Adventurous.

How would you say the way you approach your writing has changed over all this time, and what themes and ideas will always be a part of your books?

My writing started out pretty silly. My first book, The Conjuring of Zoth-Avarex, is a comedy about a snarky dragon. I love writing humor, and it will always be a big part of my books, but over time, my writing has become more interested in heart than laughs. My fantasy trilogy, The Azure Archipelago, deals with difficult family dynamics but doesn't shy away from fun. The themes that will always have a place in my books are kindness, empathy, and the idea that love is the ultimate answer. My new cozy fantasy book really focuses on these things in an attempt to show that kindness is not weakness.

Big, epic, adventure books have been a part of the fantasy shelves for decades, and while they occupy a large part of mainstream fantasy, cozy books are on the rise. What attracted you toward cozy fantasy, and how long did you work on Mrs. Covington's?

I love reading everything across the fantasy spectrum, from cozy to Grimdark, but there's something about the comfort of cozy fantasy that appeals to me, and a lot of other people, right now. The world seems like it has been a tough place for kindness and empathy to thrive lately, so the warm, empathetic worlds we find in cozy books can often be welcomed respites. My writing had already been trending cozier, but I was awakened to capital C Cozy Fantasy by Travis Baldree's Legends and Lattes. But if I really examine my love for all things cozy, I have to go back to the movie My Neighbor Totoro. Watching that movie with my kids was just so...fun and wholesome and wonderful. That feeling was something I knew I wanted to capture in my own writing.
I worked on Mrs. Covington's for around half a year while I was also working on my trilogy. I love both of them, and they have many similarities, but the story of Mrs. Covington's was really pushing itself to the front of my mind. So I took a small break from the trilogy to try my hand at a Kickstarter project.

Speaking about your reading, what are your favourite cozy books?

The aforementioned Legends and Lattes comes to mind immediately, but there are a few others on that list. Miss Percy's Pocket Guide to the Feeding and Care of British Dragons by Quenby Olson is one of my favorite books of all time. I absolutely love the unique narration, which revels in hilarious asides and fourth-wall breaking. The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune is another good one. I'm currently reading and enjoying You Can't Spell Tea Without Treason by Rebecca Thorne.

Who are the readers you think will enjoy your upcoming book, and how do you think it deviates from the other cozy fantasies out there?

I think/hope that anyone who enjoyed any of the books mentioned in the last question will enjoy my book, too. The themes of found family, kindness, and empathy are strong in those books as well as mine. I think the way mine differs is that it embraces the pure adventure of a treasure hunt. Not to say that those books don't embrace adventure, because they do, but I tried my best to make mine tap into the childlike wonder that comes with searching for buried treasure.

Thank you for answering all these questions! If there is one thing you’d like our readers to take away from this interview, what would it be?

I would love for them to give cozy fantasy a try. And, to be completely honest, I would love for them to give Mrs. Covington's, my Kickstarter project, a try, too. Here is the link if anyone is interested in checking it out: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/mrscovingtons/mrs-covingtons-a-cozy-fantasy-novel

I'm on Twitter- @Kyles137 and Facebook- KRR Lockhaven and my website is krrlockhaven.com