Books can spring from a
multitude of different places; the love of a particular genre, a brainstorming
session with an agent, or even the distant memory of a childhood tale, told by
a grandfather on a Saturday night. My debut novel, Wickedly Dangerous, came in part from all of these things, but it
also was directly influenced by two of my favorite books by other authors,
people whose writing made me think: I want to write that!
Interestingly, although
these two books were written by authors whose body of work I already adored,
both of them were departures from their usual books. And the books were very
different from each other, but they had a few important features in common;
features which I eventually incorporated into my own book (and hopefully did
half as well as they did).
The Magical Emporium, by Tanya Huff, is now on my top ten list of
favorite books ever, and I’ve probably reread it a half a dozen times. Huff,
who is best known for her Blood books
(made into the short-lived but wonderful TV series, Blood Ties) has written everything from science fiction to
vampires, but her Gale Girls series,
of which The Magical Emporium was the
first, are set in a realistic world that just happens to have magic in it.
That’s also true of
Patricia McKillip’s Solstice Wood.
McKillip is best known for her lyrically beautiful fantasy books, and I
absolutely worship her for the way she can paint pictures with words. I tried
to do a little of that in my own series, although with nothing approaching her
skill.
So what do these two
novels have in common that inspired me to write a book that in some ways
followed in their footsteps? They are both set in our normal world, with true
magic hidden just below the surface. And they are both filled with interesting,
quirky characters who are still realistic and familiar. Characters that you
would want to meet, if you could. Magic you would love to see for yourself.
Wickedly Dangerous, as well as its prequel novella Wickedly Magical and the second book in
the series, Wickedly Wonderful,
features a woman plucked out of Russian fairy tales and mythology: the Baba
Yaga. I’ve updated her for the modern world, changing her hut on chicken legs
to an Airstream trailer, and her flying mortar and pestle to a classic BMW
motorcycle. She is still accompanied by her faithful(ish) dragon companion,
Chudo-Yudo, but these days he is disguised as a giant white pit bull. And much
like in the old stories, the Baba Yaga has “sisters,” other magical women like
her who are charged with guarding the doorway to the Otherworld and keeping the
balance of nature. Each book features a different Baba, all of them very
different from each other.
I hope you’ll come meet
Baba Yaga, and tell me what you think of what I’ve done with all this
inspiration.
Question One: Do you
prefer fantasy or paranormal novels that are set in a completely different
world, or magic that is hidden in our own?
Question Two: What
qualities do YOU look for in a book? Interesting characters? Detailed
descriptions? A satisfying love story? Humor? A plot that will keep you on the
edge of your seat?
Interested in winning a $25 BN or Amazon gift card plus swag and a signed copy of Wickedly Dangerous?
Answer Deborah's questions in the comments below then complete the Rafflecopter form to enter
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Posts
16 comments:
Welcome to Fang-tastic Books. Your new book looks amazing.
It is in the top of my to -read pile.
I meant to have it read by now but it's been a crazy couple of weeks.
But it's there...beckoning me....LOL
Read me...read me....
(Or the dragon-dog will eat you.)
I'm off to work right now, but I'll be back this afternoon to answer questions and respond to comments. Let 'er rip, people!
I like both types, set in a different world and hidden in our own. As long as the story pulls me in and makes me want to believe whatever the author is saying.
This book sounds awesome, can't wait to read it :)
I like both fantasy worlds and worlds that resemble our own with elements of magic. I probably prefer the latter, though.
Howdy Deborah! To answer a few of your questions: I like hidden magic in our world. I also enjoy strange combinations of humor. My sister and I also discovered we will drool over any book with a dog on the cover! (dragon-dogs included!) Much success to you... ~Maria Kay
I like both too, although I admit to having a soft spot to the hidden magic...because I like to believe it might be out there somewhere.
And yes, dogs on covers get me too (don't tell the cats!).
Question One: Do you prefer fantasy or paranormal novels that are set in a completely different world, or magic that is hidden in our own?
Answer One: Paranormal novels hidden in our own world. Because, deep down.. one wants to imagine that they may be real!
Question Two: What qualities do YOU look for in a book? Interesting characters? Detailed descriptions? A satisfying love story? Humor? A plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat?
Answer Two: Interesting characters, detailed research of the history, a bit of dry humor, and YES! A plot that keeps you flipping the pages until you consume the book! :)
PS.. Momma Bear is me, Cherei! :)
good writing and interesting characters
Sounds like what I look for too!
I like both because they each have intriguing possibilities for a great story. I do enjoy a well thought out new world though, it takes a lot of imagination to come up with something different than the norm.
That is so true, Barbara! I love Kim Harrison's books, which have amazing world building.
I like both types of fantasy. I love learning about new worlds, but I also like thinking that magic is happening just around the corner in ours.
I can't wait to read this book!
I hope you enjoy it, Kayla!
I just saw the tag about "top 10 favorite books." Is it really?
I like both fantasy and paranormal set in different worlds and also magic hidden in the "real" world; it just depends. I look for characters that "catch" me from the first and I look for strong females
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