About the Book
Title: Persons of Consequence
Author: K.D. Hume
Publication Date: December 29, 2017
Length: 300 pages
Categories: fiction, literary, new adult, college, cult, bisexual, coming of age, lgbt, queer, sapphic, satire
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Synopsis
Dissatisfied with her mediocre college life, Mildred distracts herself with Lucia Miller, millennial muse and mystery girl. Their fragile friendship is threatened when a charismatic philosopher draws Lucia into a burgeoning cult in the woods. As tensions and passions spark, Mildred becomes desperate to protect Lucia from her most ardent admirers.
Interview
Today K.D. Hume has stopped by to tell us a bit about life, writing, and her novel, Persons of Consequence. Welcome! Let’s start off with a more broad question. Are there any common themes you see in your work?
Manipulation is a problem I can’t stop turning over in my mind, and I think that shows in my novels. I’ve always wanted to know how predators act, and why they act the ways they do, and how they silence their victims. I’ve read, and observed manipulation, and like most people, I’ve also experienced it. That’s led me to an understanding of manipulation which has been extremely useful in writing both minor and major villains, and is honestly one of the driving forces behind my writing. I can’t think of a villain I’ve written who isn’t horrifically manipulative, and that’s purposeful. Evil, to me, is about taking choice away. Some of my villains are subtle, and some are cartoonishly, mustache-twirling evil, but I always want people to be able to recognize my villains in the manipulators they might encounter in their lives.
Similarly, belief is something I’m always trying to puzzle out: both my own, and others’. Religious and ideological movements have always fascinated me. As a child of the Bush Era, I like to see how someone’s beliefs line up against their actions. I love little moments of hypocrisy: someone passionately pontificating on the poisons of processed food before rushing outside to smoke an unfiltered cigarette. We’re all only human, but I like exploring the inner lives of those struggling to live within their beliefs, and those who most certainly do not. Besides, strong, conflicting beliefs are perfect fertilizer for drama, although I’m also a fan of throwing some truly questioning characters into the mix.
Between these two themes, it was probably inevitable that my first book would be about the meteoric rise of a cult in a subculture much like my own.
Oh, wow. Those are themes near and dear to my own heart too. I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who is fascinated by these tensions.
With that said, where do you look for inspiration for new stories?
Dreams. History. Coincidence. Wistfulness.
Combined, I suppose I could make a claim that I look for new stories in Jung’s collective unconscious. Almost all my story ideas start with an image from a recent dream, or maybe something I heard right before I woke. Then I’ll see a news article online, or a painting I’d never heard of in an art gallery I hadn’t planned on entering, or I’ll misunderstand the plot of a movie and be annoyed because what I had in mind was more interesting, and the elements will click, and I’ll have a story concept.
That’s when the real work begins. Story ideas are easy to come by, but in terms of inspiration for hammering out plots and world-building I rely on non-fiction reading, documentaries, and listening to drunk people talk about their passions at parties. That last bit is invaluable. Enthusiastic inebriated people are a resource that no writer should overlook.
Ha! I agree with you there. People in almost any uninhibited state, really. What advice would you give someone starting out?
Leave fear behind. Write everything that calls to you, and don’t be afraid to publish. Fight against the social forces which say you should only make art if people already value what you make. It will get easier, and you will get better, but keeping yourself locked away until you’ve achieved perfection will actually only lead to stagnation. It would be a shame to let your voice die out.
Wise words.
Time for some Word Sprints! What’s your favorite movie?
I’m currently obsessed with The Love Witch for its gorgeous femme aesthetic and quiet, intense anger.
In school, were you more academic, artsy, or athletic?
I was an academic kid trying desperately to suppress her artistic goth side.
What superpower do you wish you had?
Hydrokinesis would be pretty cool, and would fit my aquatic lifestyle.
Awesome, and thank you for stopping by. Let us know about any future releases.
About the Author
A queer bundle of nerves sprung from the tidal flats of Puget Sound, K. D. Hume grew up immersed in the magic and mystery of the Pacific Northwest. A graduate of the Evergreen State College and a voracious reader with a taste for science fiction and fantasy, Hume’s fictional works trend toward solarpunk and Pacific Northwest Gothic.
Hume spends the majority of her free time swimming across nearby bodies of water, sometimes while wearing a mermaid tail. The rest of her time is spent reading in the bath, doing witchcraft, and convincing friends and partners to go on unusual adventures.
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