Radiah Hubbert : Tell us about Passion For the Heist.
K’wan: Passion started out as my ode to the outlaw. Those unrepentant spirits, who operate by their own sets of rules. It was about the thrill of the heist, but I think it changed somewhere along the lines, as I began to develop Passion’s character more. What I found myself with was two stories being told at once. On one side you have Pain, the former heist man who is looking to go straight but having a hard time of it. Then you have Passion, the troubled girl living what feels like an unforgiving life. What I ended up with is two stories about halves that end up becoming a whole. If that makes sense?
RH: How did you come up with the title for this book?
K: Well, it was originally called “The Passion of The Heist,” which was a play on the movie title Passion of the Christ. My editor felt like it needed tweaking. Something that was not quite as long, but still hit the mark I was shooting for. So we re-named it “Passion for The Heist.”
RH: What made you continue Pain’s story?
K: I don’t know if when I started out I intended on continuing Pain’s story specifically. Pain has always been a character that I was partial to since I introduced him in Reluctant King. There was depth to him that readers really didn’t get a chance to see because Shadow was the main character. So, when creating the main character for Passion I decided to make him an older version of Pain. It fit almost perfectly. This was my way to give Pain the voice that he deserved.
RH: Do you know when the next installment of this series will be released?
K: Not off the top of my head. I’m just about done writing it, so I’m guessing summer of 25, but only my editor can really answer that question.
RH: What one piece of advice would you give aspiring authors in today’s literary industry?
K: Be original. Respectfully, a lot of stuff these days seems like a carbon copy of something else. While it might feel/seem like the popular thing now, how will it translate in five years? Niche stories have very short lifespans. If you want to be remembered, write what’s in your heart. Carve out your own lane.
RH: Where can readers find you?
K: In traffic LOL. Nah, you can usually find my on my socials: IG – Kwan_iamlegend, Twitter – KwanThe Writer and also on Facebook under Kwan The Writer, or Kwan Writes.
Click here for the review for Passion for the Heist.
