I’m Kyle West, a science fiction and fantasy author. I’m best known for authoring The Wasteland Chronicles and The Xenoworld Saga.
Here, I write about books, my life, and the writing process. I also share news of my new releases and what I’m working on, along with my plans for the future.
I’ve written fifteen books across two series, and I plan to write many more! My current project is a brand new series set in a totally new universe. The best way I can describe it is it will blend my favorite elements of sci-fi and fantasy.
The best way to keep up with me is to follow my blog. I try to post regularly. I also have a Facebook page and Mailing List if you want something more low maintenance, but my blog will give you the most up to date news.
I’m always glad to hear from my readers. You can also reach me at kylewestwriter[at]gmail[dot]com.
Kyle West 
I have read your first 4 books of The Wasteland Series and have enjoyed them all. I am looking forward to reading your next one. Keep it in gear and pedal to the metal.
Thanks. I definitely am putting the pedal to the metal. I’m about 60 percent done with the first draft and am going into turbo mode. I hope to have it out on the 17th. We will see…
Hello there, I have a few questions, mostly from an aspiring writer who can’t stay on one topic for more than a week, and questions about publishing your self and the difficulties that you faced. Okay, so wether it’s my ADD or my constant stream of information from my brain to my hand I’ve never been able to stay on one topic for a book or a short story, but I have so many ideas that I want to do but can’t. Have you ever had this happen? Maybe it’s my school life or just my determination teetering, but I’m stuck >.<
Okay okay onto the second question. My best friend, who has recently daughter out publisher after publisher for her book, is having trouble and I have no idea how I can truly help her. I don't understand the "whirlpool" or publishing books and my grasp on writing books might as well be non existent, what could I do to help her?
Hi Briley! It’s pretty common to have a bunch of different ideas, and it’s fairly common for new writers to have difficulty sticking to a single project. I know that was the case for me for a long time. In the end, it comes down to picking the idea you think is best to work on at the moment and committing to working on it every day. A big tipping point for me was treating writing like a job, doing it even when I didn’t feel like it. Just like you go to work or school every day and punch in the clock, you do the same for your writing. For me, that was 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day, because that was literally the only time I had. When I started doing that, I wrote Apocalypse, and the next, and then the next. I didn’t let sales or lack therof divert me from what I was doing. It was just about the daily journey of putting words on the page. A little bit every day will almost always do far more than the occasional inspirational burst. As soon as you start seeing it a job, everything changes.
As for your second question, I’ve never solicited agents or publishers with my work. I self-published for my own personal reasons, mostly to do with the fact that Apocalypse was too short to interest a publisher. In the end, though, I decided to keep doing things this way because it’s worked for me, as well as a lot of other writers. I’d tell her to keep writing. It’s not often that a first novel is good enough to publish, though there are exceptions. Apocalypse is my third book to write, and even it is not as good as my later work. Just tell her to keep writing books, and she’ll get better and better as time goes on. That’s what happened with me. It takes a bit of talent, but more than anything, it’s hard work, reading lots of books, and dedication to improving your craft – and that means committing to working on it every day, no exceptions. The writers who do this are the ones who have the best chance of succeeding.
Love this series. Can’t wait for the rest. I live in Las Vegas and some of the directions kind of threw me. But got over it pretty fast. Would love to see this in a movie.
Hi BJ – glad that you love the series! And yeah – I’ve never been to Vegas before, unfortunately. I was relying on Google Earth, mostly, which can only go so far sometimes. Hopefully nothing is too egregious).
A movie or a mini-series would be amazing, but is preeety far out of sight right now. Hasn’t quite caught on, yet, but I’m happy with the series so far and can’t wait to write on it so far. Next book will be out soon!
I read all the books in the wasteland chronicle series back to back. I love them and can’t wait for the last two. Keep up the good work and I look forward to your future writings
hey I was wondering if you were considering making a movie on apocalypse since it was such a good book
Well, that would be nice, but it has to catch the attention of someone in Hollywood first…let’s just say I’m not bating my breath!
well you certainly caught my attention
Hi Kyle West!
As soon as I started reading Apocalypse I was hooked. For the past week I’ve been so immersed in the Wasteland Chronicles that I’ve neglected chores and games I’m playing with others on the internet. Your writing skills are abundant!
Because Alex was narrating I thought he would survive. After all, you can’t write your autobiography if you’re dead. So I was sad and disappointed to see that he really did sacrifice his life. He’s what I call a “Jesus character”. (No offense intended.)
Did you kill off Julian because Makara wasn’t going to survive? I liked Julian. I felt he was minimized and not fully developed as a character.
You dealt with the warlords really well and effectively considering what a bunch of scum most of them were. Augustus is one of my favorite characters. I wonder if the sequel series will see an end to slavery and the brutal games.
I’m still trying to decide who my favorite character is. Probably Makara. But I also loved Askal.
Well, it was a great reading week! The Wasteland Chronicles fully engaged my emotions and need for suspense, action and adventure!
Sincerely,
Fay
I really like Makara, too. I think she’s a fan favorite. I’d like to write a side story about her. As I’m reworking the first book, it’s giving quite a few ideas about it. Just a short story or perhaps a novelette. I like Augustus as well – he really evolved from the evil dictator he was portrayed to be in book 3 to someone who truly wants the best for his people, except he’s willing to do some bad things to make that happen (he is a former cartel leader, after all, with an interesting back story in his own right). There’s a lot of characters’ histories I’d like to explore. And I agree about Julian – there are quite a few characters who didn’t get their due just because there were 1) so many characters, and 2) I was interested in writing a fast-paced plot. I could have done a lot more of with Makara’s and Julian’s budding romance, but it was cut short by the events of the story, and also, Alex has limited perspective as he can only relate what he sees through his eyes. I would have saved Alex it I could, but I couldn’t find any way to do it, and I think that’s how real life is sometimes.
This response was longer than I’d planned, but I glad you liked the series.
Alex and Anna really tugged at the heartstrings.
I felt sad for Alex in having no choice and I felt bad that Anna would have to live without him after all they’d been through.
I’m 24 and just started reading your Wasteland Books last week, I’ve probably only read about 3 books prior to that in my entire life. I’ve never been a fan of reading but decided to start and came across your wasteland chronicles series. I have to say, I really enjoy them and can’t stop reading them, I am just about to start reading Darkness. They remind me of the Fallout games which I’m sure you’ve heard from other people. I am interested in post apacolyptic stories as well and have been contemplating on whether I should start my own novel. I just want to say your books are inspiring me to do so.
Thank you
Awesome! I hope you do start that novel. My best advice is to read lots of books that interest you, and there are definitely a lot of great post-apocalyptic books on Amazon, and most aren’t that expensive. It takes a lot of practice and reading to find your style, but if you keep at it there’s no limit to what you do.
(Spoiler for anyone who hasn’t finished the series)
Since Alex was connected to the consciousness of “Askala”/ “the Xeno mind” would he have been able to feel his fathers mind since he was a part of the Radaskim? Or would he have had to be put into the Ichor after death, which would be very difficult considering his behemoth size. Would this be the same with both sides? Would they all be combined to the same xeno mind? And since the Xenolife was still moving around would there be a possibility that Alex was still alive, but just in a deeper part of the xeno mind? Also since the group was converted to being Xenolife would they have extended lives as well as their children? (Just curious)
I left a lot intentionally vague, but I’ll see what I can do to answer your questions.
1. Since everything that was Radaskim became Elekai, Alex’s father’s consciousness would have been preserved, along with anyone else who succumbed to the Radaskim xenovirus. So, that is a happy part of the story, although not one made wholly clear by me. Everything is part of one mind and consciousness, though individuals also preserve their identity, whether Radaskim or Elekai.
2. Alex is still alive, but not in any human sense. He is bound to the Elekai Xenomind and can’t escape it in physical form, much in the way Askala was bound. The details of this will come into play more in the next series.
3. As far as the human Elekai having extended lives, yes and no. Anna and the rest lead somewhat normal lives, though Ruth and Lauren live to long ages (Samuel and Michael die a bit sooner than that, and what happens to Anna will be revealed in Xenoworld, eventually). They can communicate with dragons, have telepathy, and can commune with the Elekai Xenomind (although they can’t directly speak to Alex). A lot of this will be revealed in the next series, but suffice it to say, over the years, human Elekai and their descendants will form their own nation that is persecuted by anyone else, though the Elekai aren’t so innocent either and also have blood on their hands. All that will be revealed in Xenoworld.
Thank you Mr. West! I used to be a big time reader in my teenage years, so much so that my dad would make me do spring cleaning with my books, but fast-forward a decade or so and adult life took over… Until I found the Wasteland series. Now I find myself deeply involved in the stories, even when I have a few of downtime during work. A big question I really would like an answer too is… Are you a video gamer too? I’m currently on book 3 of the Chronicles and am finding similarities to video games such as Fallout (the newer generation versions) and Skyrim (Dragonspeech gives that one away if you are a gamer). I love these games and settings and they helped drive my interest in your books. I don’t write reading material anymore but I am a musician and would like to turn your books into concept songs, they are great stories that would be excellent metal genre stories. This would be all in my bedroom of course so I wouldn’t make money off you but it could branch out your work to more people. Thank you again Mr. West!
Yep, I’m definitely a gamer. I was inspired by the setting of Fallout (such as the Bunkers and the area its set in), and while I enjoyed Skyrim I really wasn’t thinking of Skyrim dragons when I put them in the series. I draw inspiration from a lot of things, video games included, but I also would like to think games like Starcraft (as far as the alien genetics working) and Final Fantasy (for the sense of adventure) are also big influencers, along with Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time series (though its fantasy, I’m inspired by his world-building abilities and plotting).
I’m glad you’ve liked the series and you have my blessing to write whatever music you’d like with it.
What’s going with Africa, Asia, and Europe during The Wasteland Chronicles?
It’s left vague and open because it doesn’t have anything to do with the storyline of the main series. Basically, just chaos and post-apocalyptic mayhem. In the Xenoworld Saga a little more might be revealed of what’s going on in the rest of the world in the later books.
I read thousands of books, including hundreds of classic works of fiction. Your Chapter 22 of “Apocalypse” is perhaps the finest writing in English literature about the sudden loss of a romantic loved one, and the drive to survive following such loss. Overall, yours is a unique and wonderful literary voice. Thank you for your fiction authorship.
Okay, this is probably the highest praise I’ve ever received. I’m really glad you’re enjoying the story. Thanks for taking the time to stop by!