Short and Sweet Radio Interview on Chat & Spin

These people in the Cantigas de Santa Maria
are listening to oldies from the 1280s. 

Click here to listen to the Interview with J. K. Knauss on Chat and Spin Radio. Fast forward to 1:36:00 to skip an hour and a half of awesome 80s music to just hear the chat. 

Chat and Spin Radio is an indie Internet radio station based in the UK and broadcasting to 750,000 listeners daily. They play the best music, which is to say 80s jams (they take requests!), and have little chats with an astonishing variety of literary personalities. Ron Clark was kind enough to sit down with me for a short spell (less than ten minutes) yesterday evening. As I mention above, click here and fast forward to 1:36:00 to listen. 

Here's a transcript in case you have technical issues: 

Ron: And the time now on Chat and Spin Radio in the UK is 7:36 pm, and we've got our next guest on the line right now. Who's calling and where are you calling from?

J. K.: My name is Jessica Knauss. I'm an American, and I live in Zamora, Spain. 

Ron: Jessica, you've written books, you're an author, and you want to mention a book that's coming out in December.

J. K.: Yes, so, my medieval epic novel, Seven Noble Knights is going to be released by Encircle Publications on December 11. 

It takes place in Spain, in the year 974. Gonzalo, a brave but hotheaded knight, unwittingly provokes tragedy at his uncle’s wedding to beautiful young noblewoman Doña Lambra: the adored cousin of the bride dead, his teeth scattered across the riverbank. Coveting Gonzalo’s family’s wealth and power, Doña Lambra then sends Gonzalo’s father into enemy territory to be beheaded, unleashing a vengeance that devastates Castile for a generation.

A new hero, Mudarra, rises out of the ashes of Gonzalo’s once great family. Raised as a warrior in the opulence of Muslim Córdoba, Mudarra must make a grueling journey and change his religion. Then, he chooses to take his jeweled sword to the throats of his family’s betrayers. But only when he strays from the path set for him does he find his true purpose in life.

So, as you can hear, the book is in two parts. It's a substantial read, and that’s because the feud that starts at the wedding continues for years, with the villain laying waste to the beautiful land, never knowing that the hero is just waiting for the right moment to stop him and put things right. Mudarra does this at great personal cost. He’s perfectly competent to avenge his family, but he has a lot of doubts about whether he’s doing the right thing. 

I personally really like to get lost a book, and feel transported to another world when I’m reading. Seven Noble Knights, is, I’m happy to say, one of those books. You can let it absorb you into its sights, sounds, smells. So, if you’re looking to escape from this dismal year the whole world is having, Seven Noble Knights could be a great option. 

Ron: It certainly can. The book is is great thing to read during all this. It's a form of escapism to read the book, and possibly to write it, as well. 

J. K.: Yes, indeed. In times of great anguish, we always to turn the artists, and so we should appreciate them. 

Ron: Seven Noble Knights is coming out on December the 11th. Just tell me how can people purchase that book, and also if anyone wants to get in touch with yourself, how do they do that?

J. K.: Seven Noble Knights is now available for preorder in both ebook and softcover at Amazon. It will be available at many more outlets on December 11. 

Preorders are very helpful to the book and the author, so if you’re interested at all, order Seven Noble Knights now and receive it on December 11! The ebook is specially priced at only 99 cents for preorder in America, that's only 77 p in the UK. And December 11, the price goes up! It won’t be on sale after that, so take advantage of the bargain. 

You can find much more information about Seven Noble Knights and my other books, which are a world apart, at my website, JessicaKnauss.com.

Ron: Okay, Jessica. Is there anything else you want to mention?

J. K.: I thought I would mention what inspired me to write this book, if that would be of interest. There I was, innocently studying for my PhD in medieval Spanish literature, when my thesis advisor handed me an article she’d written about the meaning of the bloody cucumber incident in a lost medieval epic poem. I’m naturally attracted to the bizarre, and this was one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever heard. So of course I had to read the historical records of the legend, and it turns out, throwing random vegetables at your enemies was a common enough occurrence in the Middle Ages in Spain that there are a couple of laws against it. And this ended up being one of the least interesting things about the legend. 

I didn’t get to focus more on this material until long after I’d finished my PhD, when it seemed to me that the best way to handle the exotic locations and complex characters would be to write a novel. The legend has had many adaptations in the Spanish-speaking world, including comic books and movies, in the hometown of the main characters, they have a rock opera that they do every year, but I strongly felt that readers in English would love this story, too. 

Ron: Okay, then, Jessica. Thank you very much, and the very best of luck with the books as well. 

J. K.: Thank you very much for having me. It's been a pleasure. 

Ron: That was Jessica on the line from Zamora, Spain. Thanks very much for coming on. 

Distraction and Inspiration in Lockdown: An Interview with WWII Fiction Author Alexa Kang

I hope all the readers of this blog are staying safe and healthy at this unprecedented time.

In spite of social distancing, I’ve recently met a wonderful author and would like to introduce you to her. Alexa Kang writes fascinating WWII historical fiction. Today she’s going to share with us how she’s holding up during what we in Spain call confinement, some of the inspiration for her latest book, and why now is a great time to read.

Jessica Knauss: Are you currently in quarantine/confinement? How has it been for you so far?

Alexa Kang: I’m in the Boston suburbs and am in “lockdown” here like everybody else. To tell the truth, not much has changed for me. Writing has been my main focus for about three years now. It’s a very solitary pursuit. I was planning to slow down on that front and take on some non-writing related projects. Those are on hold now, and I’m actually glad to have this isolated time to keep writing!

JK: What activities are helping you stay sane?

AK: For us writers, it’s very important to stay active. Since we can’t go to the gym, my friends have recommended “Yoga with Adriene” on YouTube. Adriene is a fantastic yoga instructor and really helps me to destress and relax! 

JK: What is your latest series about?

AK: My latest series is “Shanghai Story.” It is a drama trilogy that starts in 1936 Shanghai. It chronicles how China fell into World War II.

JK: What inspired you to write this series?

AK: My genre is WWII fiction, and I’ve been wanting to write about the Pacific front, as there are so few novels about the war in the East, especially one set in Asia that centers on politics, and the narrative is from a male perspective. My bilingual skills and my cultural understanding of East Asia gives me a unique ability to bring this story to readers in a very authentic way.

JK: What makes it different than other books in its genre? 

AK: Aside from being a WWII story set in Shanghai, the heart of this series is a love story between Clark Yuan, a Kuomintang operative and son of a prominent Chinese family educated in America, and Eden Levine, a Jewish refugee from Munich. Interracial romance between an Asian man and a Caucasian woman in fiction is still rare today. Before the first book was published, I was quite nervous if that might impact sales. But it turns out, the audience was receptive beyond my expectations. This series is still selling very well today.

JK: Tell us more about the characters.

AK: The hero, Clark, is a KMT agent. He comes from a wealthy family of industrialists, as technological advancement was a big part early 20^th century history onward. As I was introducing a main male character who is unusual in fiction, I wanted to make him someone Western readers can relate to, and even fall in love with. So, when the story begins, he is just returning home after graduating from college in America. He has lived and studied abroad for six years, and is quite westernized. He has two younger sisters, and is the oldest and only son. That makes him someone very important and influential in Shanghai. From there, we follow the story through his eyes.

My main female character, Eden Levine, gave me a great opportunity to tell a story about Jewish people who escaped to China. Leading up to WWII, almost all the countries in the world refused to grant Jewish refugees entry. China was one of the rare few that allowed Jewish escapees from Europe to enter without a visa. This story gave me a chance to write about the challenges the Jewish people faced when they had to begin a new life in a country with a culture that was entirely foreign to them.

JK: Are any of your characters based on real historical people?

AK: My main characters were not based on real people, but I did incorporate some real historical figures. In the first book, I have a delicious chapter of the first meeting between Clark and Soong Mei-Ling, China’s first lady. Like Clark, Soong was educated in America. She graduated top of her class at Wellesley. She was very ambitious and cunning. I had a lot of fun writing her.

JK: What was your favorite scene to write?

AK: My favorite scene was one where Clark and his sister took Eden to the Paramount Nightclub, a popular dinner and dance club. Before WWII, Shanghai was the most international city in the world, full of glitz and glamour. At the Paramount Theater, I got to show readers the decadence of the city full of big bad jazz music, bottomless champagnes, and ballroom dancing, with people from all over the world. It was fun to step back in time and make this scene come alive.

JK: I think the readers can sense your delight as you wrote! What was the hardest?

AK: The hardest scene for me was one where I had to retell the torture and death of an important character in Book 3 after Japan took over Shanghai following Pearl Harbor. I can’t say more without giving too much away. To write that scene, I had to read up on historical facts of how the Kempeitai (Japanese secret police) treated their prisoners. It has been generally acknowledged that the Japanese military and Kempeitai were even more brutal than German Nazis. WWII was a very ugly time in history. A lot of things happened that show us how flawed we humans can be. For us WWII fiction writers, sometimes we have to delve into all that, and decide how much to share with readers in our stories.

JK: At this moment in human history, do you think your books are a good escape? Or can they inform and inspire the reader for our current challenges? 

AK: Despite the subject matter of WWII, I think my books can be a good escape. They take us to a different time era, away from what we’re hearing about every day. Also, they show us that we’ve been through worse, and that we can overcome huge challenges and obstacles. Compared to WWII, what we’re facing today is nothing. We’re not going hungry. We don’t have bombs and missiles dropping onto our homes. We’re not asked to go to battlefronts to shoot at each other and sleep for months in foxholes in rain, smoldering heat, or snow. We’re asked to stay home, eat, and watch TV. It really puts things in perspective when we learn about history.

JK: That’s what I always think! Any time in history has had at least as many challenges as we have, and fewer advantages. (Yes, I’m thinking of the bestselling anthology We All Fall Down.)

Alexa, thank you for being here virtually and bringing your unique stories to readers.

Readers, check out Alexa Kang’s books and escape even while you #StayHome. You might even feel inspired or strengthened!  

Alexa’s website • Facebook

Cantigas in the Air

Yours truly with a facsimile of the Codice rico of the Cantigas de Santa Maria.
It's an enduring infatuation. 

What a year it's been! One of the most surprising accomplishments I can count in 2018 is that I took part in my second radio interview. Dr. Debra J. Bolton interviewed me about the beloved Cantigas de Santa Maria for her music-filled Christmas-day broadcast. As well as introducing me and my cantigas work in a flattering fashion, Dr. Bolton managed to make my responses to her questions seem coherent even though I was suffering from the vestiges of a cold and overwhelmed with the enthusiasm of thinking about these stories and their art and music.

Mostly it's a lovely show because of the variety of cantigas recordings you get to hear. I'm honored to have been a part of this celebration of multicultural wisdom and joy.

The show will be rebroadcast on December 30 at 9 a.m. United States Central Time. You can listen from anywhere via the High Plains Public Radio site.

If time zones are an issue for you like they are for me, check out the handy dandy Time Zone Converter. Tune into hppr.org at 9 a.m. on December 30 for hours of cantiga enjoyment.

Seven Noble Knights in Search of a Home, Again

Seven Noble Knights will always belong in Salas de los Infantes... 

The steps between completing an excellent novel and becoming a published author can be painful and confusing, and frankly, most authors would rather skip them and get to "the good parts." The ones I'm thinking of include researching and querying agents and publishers, receiving multitudes of unhelpful rejections or brushoffs, wading through contracts, and waiting, waiting, waiting.

In the case of my Seven Noble Knights, I experienced all of the above plus an evisceration that ended up vastly helpful to the complete rewrite of the beginning of the novel.

When Seven Noble Knights was accepted for publication, it felt like my writerly dream come true--with all of the trepidation something like that can cause. (I read somewhere that writing long fiction is the most cognitively complex task known to brain researchers. Input from all directions! Is it any wonder that every moment of a writer's life is fraught with mixed feelings? This is not a profession for wimps.)

It turned out to be a long journey from acceptance to publication. I'm thinking about this now because this week, my contract with Bagwyn Books has been terminated and I've received the publishing rights back. Which is to say, Seven Noble Knights is again an unpublished manuscript.

The contract came to an amicable end based on mutually recognized issues at Bagwyn that have nothing to do with my novel. I'm pleased to have the rights back under auspicious circumstances. All the options are open, which is ideal and also scary.

It also feels like starting over, but it's really not. Seven Noble Knights has already debuted to critical praise from the Historical Novel Review and thrilled at least two book clubs. I fulfilled my dream of giving a reading and doing a signing at the Harvard Book Store. Seven Noble Knights has rubbed elbows with the Book Doctors, countless luminaries at the Historical Novel Society Conference and the Tin House Summer Workshop, and was the focal point of a lightning-fast radio interview.

My options include researching and approaching more agents and/or publishers, or redoing the launch and publishing myself, or letting it rest for a while until the time is right. I'll definitely consult with a few of my writer friends who have gone through something similar (rights reversion is not uncommon in the volatile publishing industry) before I make a final decision.

So there you have it. Seven Noble Knights will soon be unavailable for purchase. It's an end that promises an even brighter beginning.

Hold onto your bloody cucumbers! Great things are on their way!

UPDATE: Seven Noble Knights will be available wherever fine books are sold (particularly here) from Encircle Publications December 11, 2020! 

Interview with Jasmine Silvera, Author of the Kindle Press Fantasy Death's Dancer

In honor of the Kindle Scout Second Anniversary Sale, I'm sitting down with Jasmine Silvera, author of the fantasy Death's Dancer. We found each other when I commented that Awash in Talent is a fantasy, but doesn't follow rules, and our conversation didn't follow many rules, either.

View the action as it unfolded here. We talked about the ways her novel surprised her, the Easter eggs she's hidden inside Death's Dancer, and whether there's any fun to be had outside of writing. See below for some good chatting between authors. Jasmine returned the favor and interviewed me, and posted a transcript at her blog, too!

About Death's Dancer:

Isela Vogel is dancing on borrowed time: a degenerative hip threatens her successful career bringing the favor of the gods to her patrons. Now, one big job could set her up for life; if it doesn't get her killed. The Necromancer Azrael must harness the power of a god to stop a killer, and that requires a dancer. 

Capricious gods and scheming necromancers are the least of Isela's worries. If she and Azrael fail, it will cost more than her life. If they succeed, she will lose everything she loves. 

And then there's the danger of falling for a Lord of Death.

Jessica Knauss Your novel is so imaginative. Did it surprise you? How?

Jasmine Silvera It was quite a surprise, though I'm a diehard plotter—when I started Death’s Dancer, I thought I was writing a straightforward alternate world fantasy, or even old school Urban Fantasy (à la Charles de Lint and Emma Bull—before it was mostly badass chicks with swords and/or guns and/or magical powers). Prague just has this otherworldly feel that leant itself to that. It was going to be much more of an ensemble book. But Azrael and Isela had such strong voices, and their attraction kept "getting in the way." So at some point, I stopped fighting it and let them do their thing.

Though, to be clear, I love a good badass chick Urban Fantasy! Marjorie Liu's Hunter's Kiss is one of my all time favorites!

Jessica Knauss I love reading about your version of Prague. What's your link with that city?

Jasmine Silvera We lived in Prague for almost two years. Shortly after we got married, Mr. Silvera's job presented the opportunity to relocate. We jumped on it! We have the best souvenir ever: my daughter was born there.

Jessica Knauss When your characters took over, did it generate any material that you had to edit out?

Jasmine Silvera Strangely, no. They really helped me focus! I did have to edit a lot of the details of the scenery and city though. I could go on and on about the cobblestone patterns throughout the city and how they change in different neighborhoods. Prague as so many incredible place details, and buildings and particular bits of history. When the book began to creep toward 100,000 words, I took a hard look at how much of that I absolutely needed to give a sense of place. Anything that didn’t help move the story forward, or define the characters in some way had to go. Sadly.

Jessica Knauss Maybe you can use the material in a travel guide later.

Jasmine Silvera Yes! I have a "streets of the necromancer" tour in the back of my mind. Someday, maybe!

Jessica Knauss Jasmine, I'll sign up for that tour.

Jasmine Silvera If anyone is looking for a book that does an AMAZING job of incorporating the history and sights of Prague in a modern mystery setting, check out City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte. It's a real work of art!

Jessica Knauss What was your favorite scene to write?

Jasmine Silvera That is such a tough question! I love writing ensemble scenes which is kind of a cheat answer because there are two in this book: the dinner scene with Isela and her friends at the Academy, and her Sunday dinner with her family (hmm, funny how they both revolve around food!)

It was a fun challenge to give everyone enough screen time to make them worth being in the scene, and make all of their personalities distinct enough that it doesn’t get too confusing and move the plot forward. I (hopefully) succeeded.

Jessica Knauss I haven't gotten there yet, but I'll bet you succeeded. I also sense that you enjoyed writing about choreography. I practically felt like I had been dancing after reading some of the scenes.

Jasmine Silvera I do, although I'm more drawn to Latin dances—flamenco, salsa, tango—than ballet or modern dance. I actually stumbled into salsa. I wanted to be a tango dancer, but I was told I had too much "hip action" and I should try salsa. I fell in love... And it turns out everybody on my mom's side of the family could Salsa but me. Who knew?!

Jessica Knauss Do you hide any secrets that only a few people will find in your books?

Jasmine Silvera I’m a huge Marvel Cinematic Universe fan, so of course I had to slip in a few easter eggs. My goal was to try to make them unnoticeable if you aren’t aware of them. I don’t want my attempt to to be "clever" to pull the reader out of the story in any way. A lot of them are around character interaction or specific character traits. People who know me will have lightbulb moments. I’ve also tried to seed a few things for future books: one bit between Gregor and Isela is a setup for something that happens later in the series.

Jessica Knauss How do you select the names of your characters? I ask because they're beautiful, unusual, and also seem to point to ancient traditions.

Jasmine Silvera Thank you! I wanted them to be unique but pronounceable. Sometimes characters come fully formed, names and all. Isela was always going to be Isela. She was pretty stubborn about that. And I have no idea where it came from. I just woke up one morning with "Isela. Issy." Azrael on the other hand was a mystery until the middle of the second draft. I wanted something that sounded old but familiar. I was flipping through a book of Angels for an entirely different project and came on the Angel of Death. Azrael is one of the few angels that appears in the theology of Judaism, Christianity and Islam under a similar name. That got my ‘what if’ machine going. Divinity is a fickle thing: it’s a matter of faith and interpretation. What if Azrael wasn’t an angel, but a powerful sorcerer with the ability to control death?

For side characters I tend to look up popular names in the years that character would have been born. I also try to be conscious of a character’s background when naming.

One of my favorite antidotes (also a great argument for why you need beta readers) revolves around naming a character. One of Isela’s friends originally had a very Czech name. At one point pretty late in Dancer’s production, a friend (who is Czech) pointed out that as the character came from a Russian background it was unlikely she would have been given a Czech name. It was a tiny detail that most people wouldn’t have noticed, but I think those details add up to credibility to a story, especially one that veers so heavily into the fantastic.

I probably obsess over it way more than I should.

Jessica Knauss Did you read a lot as a child? Was there one book that you couldn't live without?

Jasmine Silvera My ability to come home from the library with stacks of books (and read them all) was legendary in my family. I still get a little overwhelmed with gratitude when I step into a library (and did you know Prague has some of the most beautiful libraries in the world?!)

But to answer the question: I read Watership Down probably a dozen times. It was terrifying and thrilling and mundane all at once. I’ve never looked at rabbits the same way. Yes I get something new out of it every time. It's also the book I've bought and given away more than any other.

Jessica Knauss That's a complex book that stands up well to multiple readings, even by a brilliant reader. And I hope there will be libraries on your Prague tour.

Jasmine Silvera Here's my personal favorite. 

Jessica Knauss All this creative writing can really take it out of you. How do you relax?

Jasmine Silvera Yeah, blocking dance and fight scenes really takes it out of me. I’ve practiced yoga for over ten years, so I tend to unroll my mat when I’m feeling stressed. I used to be a runner, but I was always getting injured. Walking the Camino de Santiago taught me to enjoy the joy of just taking a steady pace and looking around at the things I pass grounds me. It’s deeply restorative. Now I'm a walker.

Jessica Knauss I commend you for using physical activity to unwind from the brain drain of writing. I hope to walk at least some of the Camino someday. It seems like a great idea, and it's my duty as a medieval Hispanist.

Jasmine Silvera Jessica, with your extensive background in Spanish history you would probably get way more out of it than I did. If you ever do decide to do it, let me know. I'd come along just to learn a few things!

Jessica Knauss Sure thing! Last question: Besides writing and walking, what other things do you enjoy?

Jasmine Silvera I love making photos. In another life I would have definitely been a photographer. I’m pretty devoted to my Instagram account, because it lets my inner shutterbug have an outlet. I started playing the cello in my late twenties, and though I’m not very good (and have very little time to practice these days) it’s one of my favorite nonwriting challenges.

Jessica Knauss Find Jasmine’s lovely photos on Instagram. Thanks for a lively conversation, Jasmine.

Jasmine Silvera Thanks so much for taking the time to talk to me, Jessica! It's been a wonderful exchange.

All Kindle Scout–winning titles are on sale for 99 cents now through April 3. Fantasy, YA, romance, mystery, thriller, suspense—Kindle Scout loves them all!

Book Clubs, Authorial Fame, and Real Life

Look, Ma! I'm famous! 

As part of my deliberate, full-of-intention book launch for Seven Noble Knights, I arranged an interview with my local newspaper. It came out last week and looks impressive, taking up the entire content of page A3. (If you click the picture, you should be able to enlarge and read the article.)

I unexpectedly got two calls from local well-wishers when they saw the article. All right, I thought, today St. Helens, tomorrow the world! On Friday, I learned that Seven Noble Knights is the official selection of the Literary Divas Book Club for February 2017. I think the choice is a direct result of the article in the paper. I prepared for book clubs with a set of discussion questions in the back of the book, and I'm happy to visit or Skype with a book club with members who enjoy historical fiction—just contact me. I'll make an appearance at the Literary Divas meeting, which will demand an in-person performance of my authorial persona.

The authorial persona is the face an author presents to the world, an integral part of her "brand" in this new age of authorship. My persona is based heavily on the real me, but as it's developed, I've emphasized only the fun, exciting, or humorous parts of me. I figure no one wants to read books from a gloomy Gus. When circumstances have become too frustrating to bear in silence, I've blogged about them from a humorous angle to make them easier to swallow. See my posts about living in a hotel for nine months in 2013 or getting an apartment in Arizona with no furniture in 2011 for examples.

Last July, something happened to me that is not funny at all, ever, and that changed everything about my life down to the finest detail. I'm talking about the death of my beloved husband. I've written about it a couple of times here, but overall, I'm no Helen Macdonald (author of H is for Hawk) and no one wants to read about my grief, especially before I've had time to frame it with a tangible piece of wisdom.

It hasn't been easy to gauge how much of the truth to reveal during Seven Noble Knights' book release. Sometimes I mention my husband deliberately, and sometimes I gloss over his existence. Both options feel wrong. I hate to mention that death has already parted us, but we had an insanely happy marriage that deserves celebration. If I try to gloss over my grief, there's always the risk that people will ask a question whose answer cannot be fudged, and I will go too deeply into territory I don't want to visit publicly. During the book launch, these have usually been questions about my writing process and my future writing plans. My husband's love was woven throughout my life, even my writing process, and now that he's gone, I'm faced with existential questions about whether to move forward that must be answered before I can answer how.

I completed both of my novels before my husband became ill, and I dedicated both of them to him. When the page proofs of Seven Noble Knights came back with my paragraph about him in the present tense, it was intensely painful to have to remind the publisher that my husband can only be referred to in the past tense now. It doubly hurt that I had never shown the dedication to him, so he never got to see it. I had been saving it as a surprise.

My mother found a typo in the published edition, and I don't know whether it's been corrected. In the second-to-last chapter, I refer to a character as a "young window." It should be "widow." I think the typo was a Freudian slip, because I didn't want to be a widow when I first wrote the passage any more than I do now, to the extent that I didn't even want to type the word.

But these are not the anecdotes that sell a medieval epic, are they?

In the newspaper interview, I approached this issue subtly. Notice that I don't go into why I've returned home to my mother, and I only mention that because of the local connection. In any other context, it would be a nonissue. I refer to my husband simply as "late." Such a small word doesn't describe the wonders of our marriage or the yawning black abyss that is my grief—because no one wants to know about that. It provides only the bare fact. In order to maintain the positivity of my authorial persona, that small word may be as far as I can go.

The part about the idea for the sequel is true. Recently, I've recuperated hope for life, and I hope that I will actually do some writing on that project soon.

I've discussed where to draw the line with a couple of psychology professionals, and their conclusion was to "Do what makes you comfortable." Not easy, since I haven't felt comfortable about anything for more than six months! If you have brilliant ideas about how much of my own sad story to tell as part of my authorial persona, I'd love to hear them.

Character Interview with Sorcha Faye from Cara McKinnon's Fay of Skye Series

Q: Tell us a little about where you live.

A: I have spent nearly my entire life on the Fay House grounds on the isle of Skye in Scotland. The house sits up on the cliffs above Loch Fay, near the village of Kinlochfay on the River Fay.

Q: That’s a lot of Fays!

A: My family has lived there for over a thousand years, although the name “Fay” is a recent addition, brought in by a French ancestor. But that was long enough ago that everything in the area bears our name.

Q: What is your family like?

A: Large, and loud! When we get together for clan gatherings, births, weddings, and wakes, everyone talks at once and we sound like a barnyard. We squabble sometimes, but we love each other very much. I don’t spend much time with them, though, as they live all throughout the Highlands and I am almost always on Skye. Recently one of our far-flung members, a distant cousin, returned to us from America. Her name is Etta.

Q: If you could have anything in the world, what would it be?

A: At the moment, I would like to have money to help improve Fay House. While there was no Duchess of Fay, the funds for the house were tied up by solicitors and trustees. While they’d release money for major repairs, the house has very few modern amenities, and I would like to refurbish some of the ancient furniture and repaint and paper several of the rooms.

Q: Do you have any special magical talents?

A: I have very strong magical intuition. I can often tell what other people are thinking and feeling, and I get hunches that warn me not to do some things, or help me decide to do others. I also have frequent visions of the future.

Q: Last question—You can see the future. Is there anything you can tell us about what is coming?

A: Magic visions don’t need to come true. There is no such thing as fate, or destiny. My visions are based on possibilities—things that might happen, or are likely to happen. But I can say that what worries me are the choices we make for dark reasons, for jealousy or envy, for hate or anger. Those lead to dark futures. Love, acceptance, understanding, and empathy are the ways to the light, and peace.

Q: That’s good advice. Thanks for answering!

A: You’re welcome. Thanks for having me!

ABOUT CARA

Cara McKinnon wrote her first fantasy romance at the age of six, about a unicorn couple that falls in love and has adventures (there is also pie). Now she writes about humans falling in love and having adventures, but she can't quite stop including magic.

She loves history and historical romance, so she decided to set her books in an alternate Victorian era where magic is not only real, but a part of everyday life.

Cara attended the best writing school in the world, Seton Hill University, where she received an MFA in Writing Popular Fiction and found her writing tribe. She lives on the East Coast of the United States with her husband, two kids, and an oversized lapdog named Jake.

Visit her on her website caramckinnon.com, where you can find more information about the Fay of Skye series, writing and romance, and ways to get in touch!

Interview with Versatile Author Andi Adams

Andi Adams writes, teaches, gets excited about performing random acts of kindness, invents words, and talks with strangers, as often as she can. She loves learning about the world, about others, and about herself, and uses that knowledge to write realistic fiction – everything from YA Fantasy to Women’s Lit. She has a passion for travel, for all things Harry Potter (of course!), and for her two dogs, who are also incidentally her biggest fans. The Girl in the Glass Box is Andi’s first novel. For a daily dose of crazy or to see pictures of her cute fur-babies, follow her on Twitter and on Instagram.

What are five things people may not know about you?

1.     I lived in Paris and went to the Sorbonne to study French Civilization and Phonetics.

2.     I have a Harry Potter tattoo on my ankle. (And I'm pretty sure I'd be sorted into Ravenclaw.)

3.     I sang in an all-girls a cappella group in college and still keep in touch with many of them. (SOP Shout Out!)

4.     I've competed in four Sprint Triathlons over the past five years and I hope to do another at the end of this month.

5.     I'm really crafty and love creative artsy stuff. Painting, party-planning, cooking – all of it. (My brother-in-law swears I should open a food truck that serves enchiladas and key lime pie, two of my specialties according to him.) I also paint canvas shoes for fun. I painted myself a pair of Harry Potter shoes and get stopped all the time about them. This penchant for creative pursuits lends itself well to my obsession with Pinterest (aka – the time vortex.)

Have you written any other books that are not published?

I have written a children's book series and am working on getting them published. And I've written a bunch of poetry, some of which has been published here and there.

What do you think about the ebook revolution?

Ebooks are awesome, especially for those who travel and need to have a bunch of books with them. I will always prefer reading a printed copy, but there are many instances when I've been grateful to have a number of books with me when I'm away from home. In addition, I feel like they've really liberated certain reading demographics. Many times people have felt embarrassed to read certain book genres or topics for one reason or another, but e-readers have eliminated that fear of judgment, which is really awesome.

What is your writing style? 

I really love writing dialogue. Actually, I like it so much that I've given a lot of thought to writing screenplays. I mean, I love movies and I love dialogue. Sounds like something I should attempt, right? And I also really think it's important to incorporate female characters who are diverse, well-rounded, and dynamic. But never at the expense of men. Empowering women and treating them like, you know, humans, should not be done in an effort to bring down another group of people. Characters should be individuals. There are bad men and bad women, just as there are good men and good women. Generalizations and stereotypes don't belong in realistic fiction.

Do you write alone or in public?

It's really hard for me to stay focused when I'm home and family and friends are around. I hate having to excuse myself from what's going on to get work done (I have a little bit of FOMO, "fear of missing out," when it comes to that.) But usually, I like to take my work elsewhere, out of my apartment to limit my distractions. For instance, there's a conference room in my apartment building, so sometimes I'll go sit in there and work. Or I'll grab my computer and head to a coffee shop. For someone who works from home, it's almost like getting up and reporting in for work when I have to leave the comfort of home. That simple act of leaving makes my working time while I'm out more focused and uninterrupted. But of course, on rainy or lazy days, it's nice to work on my couch in my pjs.

Do you set goals for writing a certain number of words a week or do you only write when inspiration strikes?

Writing only when inspiration strikes is a recipe for never completing anything. Truth be told, I wish I was more diligent about keeping a daily writing goal, but for sure, I write more regularly than only when inspiration strikes. When I was in my MFA program for Writing Popular Fiction, I had a pretty stringent writing goal per month. It was incredibly difficult and stressful to keep, especially while teaching full-time and completing the rest of my coursework.

What do you think is the hardest part about writing?

I used to think, "Writing the first draft is the worst! This is definitely the hardest part," until I finished my first draft and had to begin revisions. Then I thought, "Ugh, revision is so difficult. Where do I even start!? Okay, so revision is definitely the hardest part." Haha. So I guess any part you're currently working on can be considered the "hardest part." But in truth, I think the most difficult aspect of writing is just getting your butt in the chair. Trying to not find excuses or moving writing to the bottom of the priority list is what's most tricky. Even if you're only writing 15 minutes a day, you need to make writing important enough that you carve out that time to write or else it just won't get done. If you're writing as a hobby and only pick it up when it's convenient or easy, then that's fine for you. But if you are looking to pursue writing as a career and actually turn out completed, published works, there is no time for excuses. Just get your butt in the chair and write.

 
What have you put most of your effort into regarding craft and writing?

            Attaining my MFA in Writing Popular Fiction was along road to hoe. As I mentioned, I completed my MFA over the span of two and a half years (the full duration of the program with no breaks), while I was working full-time as a teacher and I had a second job. The coursework, the deadlines, the stress – it was all pretty brutal. For as much as I loved the content and the material I was learning, everything was a great deal of effort and nothing was easy. In addition, most of our coursework was done online and, though I loved being able to complete my work from wherever I was living (London at one point, as a matter of fact), I certainly enjoy a classroom environment much more.

            Outside of finishing the MFA, I would say that I put a great deal of effort into reading, both works of fiction and craft books. I am always reading. Seeing how authors I admire construct their stories is such a great way to understand craft in practice. I wrote a guest blog post about craft books and there are a ton out there that are really wonderful. Sure, no one can tell you how to write in a step-by-step guide, but there is always something new to try and practice in order for you to develop your own style.

Does your book have a moral/lesson?

            Absolutely. A couple, actually. But I think the one that is most prominent and the one I want most people to take away from the book is that everyone has the power to create their own "happily ever after" and that happily ever after is a relative term. In any story, mine included, the villain strives to create her version of HEA through a particular course of action, which of course, many people would find reprehensible. But to her, it is what she wants/needs in order to be happy. Life is like that. Everyone believes themselves to be the hero of their own story and that their motivations for their actions are justifiable. It's all about perspective. There are two sides to every story and everyone is just trying to find their own happiness. If we take a minute to realize that, we may find ourselves to be a little more empathetic to others.

What is your favorite part of the book?

            Hmm… that's a hard one. I really like the first chapter. After I finished writing the first draft, I ended up deleting pretty much the first third (about 100 pages) of my manuscript and writing them over. It was painful to just pitch all of that hard work, but I am so glad I did because what I wrote in its place is so much better than it was before. It is a first chapter that (hopefully) really grabs a reader's attention and sets the story up as a Dark Fantasy. I like the action, the pacing, the twists. It turned out to be one of the sections of which I'm most proud.

            So that, and the part where Grog gives Genevieve his slippers. I just think it's so cute and such a turning point in their relationship. I have to be honest, I love all of my characters for different reasons, but Grog is my ultimate fav. He was so fun to write and I think some of his lines are laugh-out-loud funny. And his shift is incredibly meaningful.

What is your favorite book? 

Anyone who knows me can tell you I am obsessed with Harry Potter for oh-so-many reasons. I am beyond impressed with Rowling's ability to world build, write dynamic and well-rounded characters, and hide information in the text to be used later. She herself is a wizard (well, umm... witch) to have created such magic. I could only hope to influence even half the number of readers she has.

I also used to teach high school English for almost 10 years. And I can honestly say that I am a huge Shakespeare nerd. I also love Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, and Frankenstein. As far as genre fiction, my favorite book is Jurassic Park Michael Crichton. I'm not even a big sci-fi fan, but that book is just AMAZING. In that same vein, The Martian by Andy Weir was equally awesome. The voice in which that book is told is funny and witty and clever and just plain great. Oh man, we've opened a can of worms talking about favorite books – I'm pretty sure I could go on forever about this. 

The Girl in the Glass Box:

A witch. An apple. A mirror. That’s all most people think of when they recall the story of Snow White. But the truth is rarely so simple. What if the Queen wasn’t born evil and the princess wasn’t always so pure of heart? Is it possible that these two women could have ended up in one another’s place? 

The Girl in the Glass Box tells the story of Agrippine and Genevieve, two women who are not all that different, but who quickly learn through a series of choices, encounters, and devastating losses that the course of their fates can change in an instant. Through the influences of the people they love and lose, both are redefined as their stories head for a different sort of happily-ever-after.

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