Can you tell readers a little bit about
yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I love historical
fantasy. I love taking a particular time period like the Regency and
introducing magic and goblins and curses. It’s especially fun to give women who
had very little personal autonomy in 1816 an extra secret weapon. Maybe Gretchen still can’t own property or
control her own finances—but at least she can set fire to the rug with a spell
or release goblins into Mayfair.
And I love
research and finding out new strange little details about life in Regency
London—some are as odd as the goblins.
Rewatching Pride
and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility
for atmosphere and pretty costumes is also never a hardship.
And do I have to say it?
Mr. Darcy
What is it about the paranormal that
fascinates you so much?
I love the mystery
of it, the unexpected turn-your-world-upside quality, and the desperately
beautiful imagery. And frankly, if the
girl turns into a monster, it’s just more fun.
Please tell us about your latest
release.
Whisper the Dead is the second book in the Lovegrove
Legacy which revolves around three cousins, Emma, Gretchen and Penelope, and
their discovery that they are witches.
In this part of the story, Gretchen
is struggling with her newfound gift as a Whisperer; the constant buzzing in
her ears from detecting spells is more frustrating than fun, especially when
she is spending time with one of the Order of Iron Nail’s Keepers, the icy but
strikingly handsome Tobias Lawless. But while Gretchen tries to hide the truth
and resolve her feelings for him, London fades from beautiful and bustling to
deathly silent …Something evil is once again menacing Mayfair, and Gretchen and
her cousins must use their powers to prevent a horrible sacrifice.
Do you
have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch
or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character
develop as you write?
Characters usually pop into my head and they are not shy
about jostling for space.
As I percolate the book, they come into focus.
There are usually character-related songs on a musical
playlist for the story, a Pinterest board for images, and occasionally
mini-book trailers that never see the light of day but help me get to know them
better.
I will also create mini collages in my working notebook,
mostly images and colours and anything that “feels” like the character. This is
more symbolic than anything else.
The Lovegrove Legacy Pinterest board is here: http://www.pinterest.com/alyxharvey/the-lovegrove-legacyby-alyxandra-harvey/
Do you write in different genres?
I write mostly
paranormal… vampires in The Drake Chronicles, Victorian ghosts in Haunting
Violet, and magical Regency London in The Lovegrove Legacy.
Do you find it difficult to write in
multiple genres?
The supernatural
aspects to my stories tend to tie them together, but I really enjoying being
able to move from a modern setting to a historical (ish) one. And my current
work-in-progress is futuristic!
What was the last amazing book you read?
I am currently reading the last book in the
Shadow and Bone (Grisha) trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. I love the fantasy and the
historical slant and the writing. And I recently finished the Under the Never
Sky trilogy by Veronica Rossi which I also loved! Futuristic world with strong
interesting characters, yum.
Where is your favorite place to
read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
I will read
anywhere, at any time, with whatever tiny light I can find. I do rather love sitting by a campfire with a
good book and my dogs sleeping peacefully. But seriously I’d read upside in a
tree if it was the only way.
Where can readers find you on the
web?
Readers can find
me at www.alyxandraharvey.com
I am also on
twitter: www.twitter.com/AlyxandraH
and tumblr: http://alyxandraharvey.tumblr.com/
and Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/alyxharvey/
Would you like to leave readers with
a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
The Lovegrove Legacy: Whisper the
Dead
Gretchen was on her way to the Worthing musicale when her
head exploded.
She finally knew exactly what a ripe melon felt like when it
burst open. Frankly, it was knowledge she could have done without.
She’d told her chaperone, Emma’s
Aunt Mildred, that she was leaving for Lady Worthing’s annual musicale from the
Rowanstone Academy, she’d told the school she was leaving from home, and she’d
avoided her mother altogether. All to snatch a few minutes alone without a
hovering chaperone or a lady’s maid who would tattle her every deed to her
parents. Gretchen had fancied herself rather clever at subterfuge. But now,
clearly as a punishment for lying, her head was exploding.
And it still wouldn’t excuse her
from another tedious evening, more’s the pity.
Magic burned inside her like embers, just waiting to catch.
But instead of doing something exciting with it, she was on her way to an event
where young ladies were expected to sing and perform for young eligible men of
the aristocracy dragged there by their own mothers. And before that, she’d
attended three balls, the opera, the theatre, and two supper parties. She’d
danced the quadrille with a perfectly polite peer’s son, curtsied at duchesses,
and had only hidden in the library twice.
A girl could only take so much.
Whisper the Dead
The Lovegrove Legacy
Book Two
Alyxandra Harvey
Genre: YA, YA historical paranormal, witches
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Date of Publication: Oct 7,2014
Word Count: 100 000
Book Description:
Gretchen is struggling with her newfound gift as a Whisperer; the constant buzzing in her ears from detecting spells is more frustrating than fun, especially when she is spending time with one of the Order of Iron Nail’s Keepers, the icy but strikingly handsome Tobias Lawless.
But while Gretchen tries to hide the truth and resolve her feelings for him, London fades from beautiful and bustling to deathly silent …Something evil is once again menacing Mayfair, and Gretchen and her cousins must use their powers to prevent a horrible sacrifice
Available at Amazon
About the Author:
Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.
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