All about the novel In Her Shadow

Who is K.L. Hazlett?

K.L. Hazlett has always had an active imagination and a knack for making up stories. Her love of reading and sci-fi video games inspired her to write worlds and characters of her own. She lives in Niagara, Ontario, with her husband and two cats. In Her Shadow is her first book and the beginning of The Umbra Archives series.

What is In Her Shadow?

Twenty-one-year-old sorceress Adara has trained since childhood to be a killer. Her grandfather, as head of the Assassins’ Guild, raised her to believe in the morality of their mission: to rid the world of criminals and the suffering they cause.

But there’s more to Adara than her lethal abilities—more than she even knows herself.
When a routine mission goes wrong, she is kidnapped by enemies of her estranged mother, and soon, Adara is caught up in politics at the highest level. In discovering the truth about her parents and the origins of her powers, Adara must decide who she wants to be . . . even if it means leaving everything from her old life behind. The fate of the world may rest in the balance.

Interview

What was your inspiration for In Her Shadow?

I have always loved the magic of fantasy, but in recent years science fiction has really captured my heart. I wanted to create a world in which there was both magic and advanced technology.  You could say that I was inspired by the Mass Effect universe. There isn’t magic but there are people with special abilities referred to as biotics.  I’ve also by inspired by Jim Butcher’s, as well as Kelly Armstrong’s unique magic systems.

What drew you to writing fantasy? 

Fantasy is such a HUGE genre with a wide range of possibilities. I think that’s why I love playing in fantasy worlds so much. 

What was your process for writing In Her Shadow?

I can’t pinpoint a specific process. I have a very loose outline that I try and stick to, but my characters tend to run away with me.  I also tend to use a lot of music to help guide my writing. I listen to classical music when world-building or in slower sections of the story. I lean on punk/rock for the more intense sections. Bands like I Prevail, Falling in Reverse, and Bad Omens are good go-tos’.

How did you choose which character to focus the story? 

I think I actually built the story around the character. Adara, my main female character, has a complicated family history that we don’t really touch on in this first book. Then of course there’s the world that she lives in. Adara is an assassin, so I built a world in which that kind of profession would exist. Everything spiraled from there and there is more to come. 

What is your approach to world and character building?

I started with the characters and their motivations. I found it easier to the build the world around them once I had determined each character’s role and their responsibilities in the plot. 

Again, I don’t have a strict system so struggle with consistency. I combat that struggle with multiple read-throughs. 

Did you have a favourite moment to write In Her Shadow?

I think my favourite addition to the book was the epilogue. Adara’s mother is shrouded in mystery and I am very proud of the twist I had come up with. I don’t think many readers saw it coming. 

How would you describe In Her Shadow in five words?

Magical, Exciting, Fast, Complex, and Dystopian

What was your favourite book growing up?

Inheart by Cornelia Funke

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

It’s probably predictable to say that I read the very broad genre of fantasy. What can I say? I like what I like.