Q1. Hello, can you please introduce yourself? Readers would love to know more about you.
A1. My name is Kevin Moonn, I’m a first year Creative Writing and English Literature student at the University of East Anglia and I love to write science fiction and fantasy stories. Coming from a Christian background, I aim to apply God’s morals and teachings into every work that I complete. Furthermore, I’m ethnically from India, Kerala, and a lot of The Last Chimaera represents the culture of my community and background.
Q2. What were the key challenges you faced while writing your book “The Last Chimaera”?
A2. Some of the physical difficulties that I faced when creating this book was cover designing and a lack of time. As everyone knows, being a university student doesn’t come cheap, therefore, I had to design the cover myself and ask a friend to edit my book. As someone who just came out of surgery recently, I lacked the time to edit/ write my book and design my cover. The medicine made me drowsy and unmotivated, yet I managed somehow! Learning how to design a cover also proved difficult, since this was not my area of expertise. However, I’m happy with the way it came out and the details that I implemented into it, for example the kalarippayattu shield on the ‘R.’
Q3. What books or authors have most influenced your own writing?
A3. Technically, the main ideas weren’t inspired from books exactly but rather anime and manga. Full metal alchemist portrayed the evil that comes from human desire when they try experiment on children and animals. Failed experiments in that anime inspired the creation of chimaeras. However, many books that have inspired my book writing journey are the Hunger Games and Percy Jackson, basic but impactful.
Q4. What’s your favourite spot to visit in your own country? And what makes it so special to you?
A4. When I travel to India, a place that I love seeing is my great grandfather’s and grandmother’s house and back garden. Unlike places like America and England, her back garden is a forest, her house is practically a shack. Though wild animals, like snakes and mosquitoes, wander the forest, it reminds me of the relentless determination my great grandparents had when raising 8 children while taking care of animals like cows and dogs even at an old age, 98 to be exact. The shack is a reminder of their kindness and love. Therefore, despite its dangerous surroundings nowadays, it is still a beautiful place to see.
Q5. What inspired you to write the book ‘The Last Chimaera’?
A5. The inspiration for The Last Chimaera came from an old children’s story my father used to tell me a child, about 2 children, a father and a tiger. They were naughty children who did not obey their parents and lived as they liked. One day they disobeyed their father again and ran away. They encountered a tiger and it pounced on them however, before it could, the father rushed in and saved them. At first, I thought this was a stupid children’s story meant to scare me and make my dad look stronger than he is. But I realised later that parents love us so much that they would jump in the face of danger to protect us. Another inspiring quote is from the Bible, John 15:13, “There is no greater love than this—that a man should lay down his life for his friends.”
Q6. How long did it take you to write your book ‘The Last Chimaera’?
A6. It took me 2 years, not including the writer’s block I had for another 2 years in between. However, it did take a long time because I worked on 2 other books at the same time, a fantasy series that will come out soon – stay tuned.
Q7. On what platforms can readers buy your books?
A7. Amazon and lulu publishing.
Q8. Tell us about the process of coming up with the book cover and the title ‘The Last Chimaera’?
A8. The Last Chimaera was chosen as a title with thought behind it. Like any other book, it foreshadows contents of the story and like any title, plays a huge role for the story. It made sure I made my readers question who the last chimaera is. The book designing was more complicated, however. I always knew I wanted the 2 brothers facing each other, and so I did. But every book cover has meaning integrated into it other than just 2 characters. The corn is meant to symbolise the cycle of life and death. The shield on the ‘R’ in the title is meant to foreshadow the underrepresented martial arts, kalarippayattu, as the main fighting technique.
Q9. When writing a book how do you keep things fresh, for both your readers and also yourself?
A9. Taking inspiration from real life events helped me keep things fresh, as a writer and for my readers. Watching things unfold helps give me new and fresh ideas. Every book is a mixture of interactions and events that have unfolded in the author’s life.
Q10. What is the most valuable piece of advice you’ve been given about writing?
A10. Stay consistent. Whether it’s a few words a day or a whole page, consistency is so important.
Buy The Last Chimaera on Amazon
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