Please give a warm welcome to author Kira Stanley

Tell us a bit about yourself…

I am the oldest child of 4 and an Aries which means I am a super go getter as well as my own worst critic. I have always been an artsy kid growing up and my parents always encouraged me to do what I was happy doing. I play a few different instruments, am an avid movie watcher and occasional drawler.  I graduated Arizona State University with a degree in Fine Arts with a concentration in Sculpture because I found I really liked making things with my hands and saying, “Look – I made that. . .this is why. . .now what do you think?”. I love all different mediums of art (painting, music, writing, performance, etc.) and find that I enjoy most of it because it’s a different point of view I never thought of. I think it takes incredible courage and bravery to be in these kinds of creative roles as you are putting a piece of yourself out there that people will judge you on solely based on this ONE thing. 

I am a mother of 2 children under four which makes life. . .interesting. LOL  I have been married to my high school sweetheart for the past 12 years and I am very close with my family and siblings so I do most things with them. I am up for most any adventures (not camping . . . never camping *internal shutter*) and find that life is better if you laugh, A LOT. 

Have you always wanted to become an author?

To be honest, No. At first I wanted to be an artist in drawing and graphics but I couldn’t make hands and faces well. Then I wanted to be stunt woman so I took martial arts and knife throwing. Then I wanted to be a hairstylist. Once I got into the real world after college I figured I could do artistic things on the side while working an 8-5 job to pay the bills. I actually stumbled into the author world because I had stories that had been building in my mind for the past couple of years and I wanted to get them out. 

What was your inspiration for your current book/series?

I have a lot of people around me that range from severe to mild mental issues. My husband has severe PTSD and my sisters and friends have varied versions of depression, anxiety and paranoia. I am constantly surrounded by these people but because I love them I see them differently than others do. 

I found it fascinating that people like psychopaths and sociopaths can be running free around the world and no one second guesses it but people who are depressed or have social issues are thought of as weird and crazy. 

I then thought what it would be like for someone of higher academia, a “smart” person, to being forced into a mental institution. What it would be like for that person to have structure and goals for their life to then turn around and have it blow up in their face. Would they crumble? Would they lose hope? Or would they find a different side of themselves that they never knew? 

And that’s were Crazy People was born. 

What are you working on now?

Crazy People just came out on 4/20/21, so I am currently working on book 2 and outlining book 3. BUT I do have a WIP that I am working on about a fantasy world where the people believe that the color of your hair determines how light or dark your soul is. So for example a person with white blonde hair is a symbol of beauty and grace while someone with black hair is ugly and evil. This thought processes lead to what kind of life you lead and such. 

Do you have any quirks while working?

Let’s see. . .I have to have it quite and I enjoy the click clacking of the keyboard while I work. It makes me feel like I am getting a lot done. I also talk to my characters. Like I will be making breakfast for my kids and I will say something in my head and my character will respond and I will laugh out loud or when I am by myself, turn to an invisible character and talk to them while a scene is playing out in my head. It’s kinda weird. LOL

What are your hopes for the future?

Truly I just want to get my characters and stories out there . . . even if everyone hates them and only one person loves them I am fine with that. I will write for that one person. It’s more important for me to show my kids that art has many forms and that you just need to be brave enough to do it. 

Do you have any advice for new authors about the publishing world?

WOW that’s a loaded question. I am just a little baby author myself but I would say to start building an inner circle of authors/PA’s or avid book readers before your book is even done been written. 

I have recently met some authors that have taken me under the wing and it has been amazing. Just to have another person to talk about the highs and the lows with as well as to bounce ideas off of. I wish I would have been more vocal about writing my own book so that I would have had that support earlier on instead of just trying to build it once my book came out. 

Do you have anything to say to your followers?

I love you, really I do. If you follow me I truly do appreciate you having your faith in me as a writer, having my back online and supporting me while I learn and grow on this author journey. No matter how strong a person is it’s very easy to feel alone and unappreciated but those of you that follow me remind me that I am not alone.