Author Interview – Kit Muse

This month, I caught up with author Kit Muse after they featured me on their podcast. Time to flip the script and interview them! So tell us about yourself Kit.

I’ve been writing stories since middle school and probably longer. After being published in nonfiction, mostly pagan magazines, in the 1990s, I sold my first fiction book in 2002 and began writing romance (under a different name). But fantasy has always been my first love, and I took the plunge publishing the first book in my Radio Arcanum/Musimagium world in September 2018. Currently I focus on writing fantasy and romance, and I hope to return to writing nonfiction.

You have a lot of stories featuring animals, what’s behind that?

I live on a farm in the Ozarks with a sacred herd of rescue horses. We also have a flock of chickens and many cats, most of whom arrived on the property and were taken in. I also have three parakeets and two bearded dragons, and animals make it into my stories and are a large part of what I write. When I’m not writing, I’m completing my master’s degree in religious studies or working on the farm.

I love that. Is that how you came up with the magic system in your books?

The original Musimagium stories feature magic through musical instruments and many mages have animal companions called socius who are magical and can communicate with them. I’ve since expanded the world to include different types of mages, which I share through the short stories to my membership group, Muse Happens. Mostly these stories are about people dealing with threats to their magical world and creating ways to help people realize their talents. Music, animals, and found family are big themes in my stories. All of my fantasy is set in this wider universe and most of the series and books stand alone, so you can dive in anywhere.

I understand your connection with animals, why music?

I played the clarinet from middle to high school, and I am trying to get back into a regular practice now. The combination of band music and elemental magic and then seeing this magic expand into other areas, like electronics or joy, is really the root of my series. I believe everything can be magical, and my books seek to examine this aspect.

That’s such a lovely worldview. Are there any authors that have inspired you?

My first fantasy book I read was by Mercedes Lackey, and I’ve been a life long fan of hers. I’ve also really enjoyed Anne McCaffrey, Tanya Huff, and Robin Hobb. I admit to not reading a lot of current fantasy because of being in college, but I am hoping to remedy that. I just finished Tempest Take Me Home by Charlie Knight and absolutely loved the story.

Fantastic choices there! Thanks so much for chatting to me. Where can we learn more about you and your books?

Website: https://KitAuthor.com
Newsletter: https://KitAuthor.com/newsletter
Muse Happens reader subscription group: http://MuseHappens.com
Mastodon: https://EponaAuthor.social/@KitMuse
Instagram: https://instagram.com/KitCaelsto
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kit-muse
Facebook: https://facebook.com/KitAuthor