Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help Self-Published/Indie authors. These authors have to do it all, from cover design to editing to marketing. If I can help even a little bit with marketing, I’m happy to do it. Below is a review of a young adult space opera, Unfathomable Plan. It is Book two in the Cosmic Gem series. My review of book one, Unfathomable Chance, is here.
BOOK DESCRIPTION
It has been six months After Cosmic Adventure, and just when Diana feels like everything is getting back to normal, the new Bearer of the Cosmos and future Empress of the Universe goes missing. Worse, the very people she’d turned down that very position to, want her help. Because Diana is unwilling to get involved a second time and break a litany of promises she made to her friends and family, Dimar goes in her place. When he disappears while searching for the new Bearer, however, Diana realizes she can’t keep her feet on the ground. Once more, she is thrust across the universe, this time in search of Dimar and her replacement. As Diana zigzags across space in search of Dimar, she begins to suspect that the Heart of the Cosmos might still have a plan for her.
BOOK REVIEW
K.T. Munson delivers a solid space opera adventure that fans of young adult science fiction will love. This book has everything from a talking Guardian Cat to a space search across the galaxy. There is even some mythology woven into the story. The world-building is literally out of this world, and the author’s ability to create fascinating planets and their inhabitants is impressive. There is an underlying theme of not being afraid to reach for your destiny, or literally reach for the stars. The characters are captivating, and I connected with them easily. I definitely want my own Guardian Cat! The plot is engaging and enjoyable. Get in your spaceship, bring your cat, and start this adventure now!
4.5 stars. Rounded up to 5 on sites without a half star option.
I downloaded this book on Kindle Unlimited, where subscribers can read it for free.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
K.T. Munson is an independent author. First published at 5 years old in the young writer’s conference, she has pursued writing ever since. She maintains a blog, creatingworldswithwords.wordpress.com, which is about writing and her novels. She was born and raised in the last frontier, the great state of Alaska.
Q&A WITH K.T. MUNSON
I’m so glad to share with you a great interview I did with author K.T. Munson below.
Let’s go beyond the bio. Tell me something people might not know about you from reading your bio?
My bio mentions I’m an Alaskan, but what it doesn’t say is that I draw on a lot of experiences from growing up in Alaska. Everything from archery (both recurve and longbows) to experiencing all the diverse ecosystems the Last Frontier has to offer. I used to play in the wilderness and concoct all sorts of daring adventures.
What was your inspiration for the Cosmic Gem series?
It was the culmination of a few items; as is typically the case. Much of Diana’s dialogue and quirks are based on funny jokes, stories, and/or messages I received from a good friend of mine, Caitlin. She’s always supported my writing and it is something that I hope connects us even when life tries to get in the way. I also wanted to try my hand at a sci-fi setting and a YA-friendly book. Thus, the birth of the Cosmic Gem series!
My favorite character is Kal Zed. Who cannot love a guardian cat? Is there a real-life cat who inspired this character?
Yes! Emma-bear (who has sadly passed away) was very much the inspiration for Kal Zed. She was a unique and lively cat that was for sure my little furry companion. She brought so much joy to my life that it just felt right to include a cat as a companion in the books! Also, for anyone who has a cat, please tell me they aren’t aliens!
You have done a fantastic job of world-building a complex space adventure series. You created more than one world and its inhabitants. How did you organize and tackle such a big job?
This one is tricky to answer since world-building has always come so naturally to me—I just ‘see’ different worlds or ideas and bring them to life. When it came to building an entire cosmic universe, I wanted the first book to focus only on what Diana knew, so very little science, much more about what is observable. To accomplish this I already had ideas formed for the one-off interactions that were basically surface level. Then for the places she visited more, I started writing down what kind of experience I wanted the reader to have or what kind of world made sense for the people on it. I applied the same thinking for book two, but Diana knew more, therefore, the reader got more glimpses into technology and its different applications. As Diana learns more about the cosmos in each book, so will all of you!
Diana was chosen for a great position in book one, but did not want to accept it. She frequently admits feelings of unworthiness to herself. Was it important to you to introduce this theme?
The idea of feeling unworthy or ‘imposter syndrome’ was more to introduce the concept that Diana wasn’t ready. She didn’t feel ready to take on this powerful role at that time. I wanted to show that it is okay to not be ready when opportunities arise, but you have to live with the consequences of those choices. The second book explores the fallout from her ultimate choice in book one and how to deal with regret while not letting it paralyze you from moving forward.
What were the challenges you found when writing about space travel?
I knew I wanted the story to start off with a very soft sci-fi that gets a little more complex but still stays in the YA realm. That meant I had to make some very specific decisions about the rules, not only of the overall space travel but the limits of the universe or multiverse as a whole. With the limitless potential, it would be easy to lose the story and characters to the sheer world-building needed for a space-opera of this scope. I had to limit myself to only so many new worlds. Otherwise, I would have just kept building like an endless game of hopscotch.
How many books do you plan for The Cosmic Gem series?
There are four books planned for the series, so halfway done!
You have self-published several books. What have you learned along the way that you can pass on to other self-published/Indie authors?
Find a good editor. Bookselling is much like selling a home you’ve lived in for years, the buyers won’t love it is as much as you do. Along that same vein, not everyone is going to love your book(s) and that’s okay. Figure out which parts of the process you aren’t good at, find other writers who are able to help and do the same for them, or hire someone who fills that role. Find a good editor.
Thanks so much, K.T., for your great answers! We appreciate you taking the time to do this interview.
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Bonnie Reads and Writes 
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