PHOTO: Kevin James Breaux, an inspired author capturing the essence of passion and complexity in every story he writes.
Insights Into Fantasy, Writing Philosophy, And Character Creation
Kevin James Breaux explores the depth of storytelling, blending genres, creating vivid characters, and offering advice to aspiring authors in this reflective interview filled with wisdom and inspiration.
Kevin James Breaux’s storytelling reveals a rare creative mind that navigates worlds both familiar and fantastical. With an ability to craft characters who straddle the often indistinct lines between virtue and vice, Breaux invites readers to reflect on the moral dilemmas that define humanity. His narratives refuse the simplicity of heroes and villains, offering instead figures of complexity and compromise—a reflection, perhaps, of life itself.
From Soul Born, with its grey-shaded protagonist Opal, to the intricate lore of Blood Divided, Breaux has proven himself a master not only of vivid storytelling but of world-building that runs deep with myth and history. His works blend genres effortlessly, whether merging the sweep of epic fantasy with modern romance or setting historic iconography—Davy Crockett, no less—against the thrilling backdrop of dinosaurs. They aren’t merely tales, but explorations into human connection, cultural tension, and the personal struggles of identity.
What sets Breaux apart as an author is his flair for breathing life into characters who seem to step out of the pages fully formed, deeply layered, and utterly alive. This knack for realism and relatability stems from his own immersion in 80s nostalgia, tabletop gaming, and sharp observations of human nature. His philosophy, “Write Makes Might!”, underscores the healing power of creativity, urging aspiring writers never to rush their art but embrace its transformative ways.
Kevin James Breaux’s body of work stands as both a riveting source of entertainment and a poignant lens through which the reader can examine themselves and the world around them. Few authors are able to weld together storytelling, personal depth, and unique imagination with such elegant ease.
In Soul Born, Opal’s journey is fraught with moral ambiguity. What inspired her complex character arc?
I like to write characters that are neither black nor white; instead, they are born into the thousands of shades of grey.
Think about the people you know. Then think about the old D&D alignments. Do you know any truly lawfully good people? Do you know and truly chaotic evil people? Most likely, you know a lot of people in the middle, leaning in one or the other direction. Based on this, I enjoy characters that are realistic. They struggle with doing the right thing when the wrong thing fills their needs.
Opal is a character with a goal, and she is willing to do whatever is needed to reach it. When the book begins, Opal does not label herself as evil. She rarely has introspection. She fills her time doing “her job” and it just so happens that where she lands is on the good guy side. But for how long?
Remember the old saying, “History is written by the victors.” If Opal is victorious, she will be considered a hero. She can live with that. In fact, she likes that a lot.
Blood Divided delves deeper into elven lore. How did you approach expanding this mythology?
There is a time jump between Soul Born and Blood Divided. To build on the main characters in the second generation, which are more largely elves or half elves, I wanted to show some of the history of elves in these lands. I also wanted to show how the human population was still struggling with elves in positions of power. As much as the king might hope there is a larger split in his favour, it is much less than 50-50 as to who respects that there is an elven queen. And even less approve of a half elf heir to the throne.
Through the eyes of these elf and half elf characters, we learn more and more about the mythology. There is a moment in this book where Tala (the elven queen of the human lands), is trapped under a collapsed structure. While unconscious, she dreams of the birth of her children and how difficult it was because of her young age. Through this, we learn lots of backstory and myth, and feel the emotions of a main character.
Your Water Kingdom series blends urban fantasy with romance. What challenges arise when merging these genres?
The blend of Urban Fantasy and Romance came easily for me. In any story, fact or fiction, there is a strong possibility of romance. The first book in the Water Kingdom series, One Smoking Hot Fairy Tail, is built on the romantic connections between Sabrina London, a fairy princess, and a rebel vampire as well as an everyday human man and an ancient mummy girl. While one of the couplings is obviously toxic steeped in sexual attraction, the other is a tale of budding love that is deeply soaked in desire.
While my background is writing epic and dark fantasy, I have had some experience writing in the erotic genre. So, as the series goes, each book features scenes that are more intensely erotic. I am very proud of these books, and to be honest, never found blending these or other genres to be a challenge.
Young Davy Crockett: The Wild Frontier with Dinosaurs is a unique mix of history and fantasy. What prompted this creative direction?
Years ago, my mentor, Jonathan Maberry, challenged me to write a book that was basically a horror for young adults. Since I already enjoyed writing in a multi-genre style, I took his challenge and started writing something I like to consider to be a Historical Fiction/Horror/Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
It was tons of fun to write, largely because I did a lot of research on the characters and time period. I really wanted to write something that people of all ages could enjoy. Everyone loves dinosaurs, right?
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances has been praised for its vivid characters. How do you craft such compelling personalities?
Two Polluted Black-Heart Romances is one of my favourite works. I really enjoyed writing it, because it allowed me to create a crew of different kinds of characters. I am happy to credit my youth growing up watching 80s cartoons. The characters in shows like G.I. Joe, He-Man, and Thundercats were always so interesting and diverse.
Combine that with my early days of playing the old TSR role-playing games like Dungeons and Dragons and Star Frontiers and later playing White Wolf’s Vampire, Werewolf, and others. Creating characters for those tabletop games helped me design my own vivid ones.
As far as their personalities go, the key to my writing style is that I try to imagine the characters from my books in a movie or TV series. It helps breathe life into them. When you can see them alive and living in your head, it is much easier to define and develop their unique personalities.
Your motto is “Write Makes Might!” How has this philosophy shaped your writing career?
Write Makes Might! means drawing strength from writing. Writing can be cathartic and therapeutic. I know that writing has gotten me through some of the hardest times in my life. It held me up and healed me when needed.
I fully recommend writing as a form of art therapy. Keep a journal on hand or write on your laptop daily. Challenge yourself to keep a daily word count and don’t forget to reward yourself when you meet your goals.
What key advice would you offer aspiring authors navigating today’s publishing landscape?
The biggest advice I can offer is patience. We live in a world of instant gratification. But the publishing realm does not offer that. You may need to wait months to even years (multiple years) to find the success you are looking for.
Do not rush yourself or your work. Your first novels will not be ready in their first or second or third drafts. Take your time with them and learn as you go.
