Interviewed on Almost an Author

Want to read an interview with me that Donna Jo Stone shared today on her blog, Almost an Author?  Here's a link.  We chatted about the unique challenges and strengths of writing fairy tale retellings and writing for a YA audience.  Hope you enjoy it!

Interview with Kendra E. Ardnek

There's a new Kendra E. Ardnek book launching today!   It's called Snowfield Palace, and it's a retelling of the fairy tale The Snow Queen mingled with the Jane Austen novel Mansfield Park.  I absolutely loved Emmazel, the previous book in Ardnek's Austen Fairy Tales series, and I greatly enjoyed the first two books (Rose Petals and Snowflakes and Crown and Cinder), so you know I am looking forward to reading Snowfield Palace too.

I've had the privilege of interviewing Ms. Ardnek and, today, I'm sharing that interview with you to celebrate this book's launch!

Rachel K:  How did you come up with the idea of combining fairy tales with Jane Austen books for your retellings? 

Kendra A:  It's been a niggling idea ever since I realized that Austen retellings were a thing, but nothing I ever actually pursued because, at the time, the only Austen novels I had actually read were Emma and P&P. (With some bonus points for having seen both film adaptations of S&S and I'd started Persuasion) However, it came to the forefront of my mind again when my friends released some depression-era Austen retellings, and suddenly "Mash 'em with fairy tales" just clicked and there was no turning back. 

Rachel K: How difficult was it to find fairy tales to match with Austen's books? 

Kendra A: It was varying degrees of difficult, and I actually have some friends to thank for the last two. S&S + Snow White and Rose Red was a given, as the two tales both had such strong themes of sisterhood, and I knew Brandon would make an amazing bear. I'd had Cinderella+P&P niggling at the back of my head ever since an article I'd read once, so it was also a given. Emma + Rapunzel mostly happened because I had Rapunzel on my brain from other projects, but as soon as I had the connection I was sold on it. 

The others, I still hadn't read yet as I brainstormed the project, but I did know enough about Mansfield Park to pair with The Snow Queen based on the friends-to-lovers and "other woman." Kelsey Bryant suggested Beauty and the Beast for Northanger Abbey based on the Gothic imagery, though I do have a second fairy tale that will be a plot twist, and Jenelle Leanne Schmidt pointed out that The Little Mermaid is based on the forbidden romance and the fact that Wentworth in Persuasion is a ship captain. 

Rachel K: What has surprised you while writing this series? 

Kendra A: How easy it is to sell with just "Hey! You! Have you ever wanted to read Jane Austen and a fairy tale at the same?" And also the fact that everyone assumes that it's regency fantasy. I mean, I could have gone that route, but I'm a medieval fantasy author and thought it would be more fun to reimagine Austen in the aesthetic of fairy tales, and not the other way around. 

Rachel K:  Who has been your favorite character in this series so far? 

Kendra A:  Based on how often I use her, Elinrose? Ginny has been the easiest to write, though. 

Rachel K:  What's your favorite fairy tale? Have you ever retold it? 

Kendra A:  That's a rabbit hole. I love obscure tales, and I generally have a list that I'll pull from on a given day and state as a favorite. Most I haven't had a chance to retell yet, though, just because it's far easier to market Cinderella. (But I also have an obsession with retelling Cinderella, having released two of them just this year.) But I have plans. 

Rachel K:  Do you have a favorite fairy tale retelling written by someone else? 

Kendra A:  Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. Best retelling ever written, and probably what caused my life-long obsession with retelling Cinderella. 

Rachel K:  What's your favorite Jane Austen novel? 

Kendra A:  Emma. Snarky Knightley is life. But I do have a soft spot for Mansfield Park and find it one of Austen's most fascinating works. 

Rachel K:  Do you have any favorite movie adaptations of Austen's books? 

Kendra A:  There's this little-known S&S retelling called Frozen that I think is pretty good. It's animated, and it removes the Ferrars plotline in lieu of secret ice magic, but has one of the best Marianne's I've ever seen. 

In a *cough* more serious note, I largely prefer TV series adaptations, and usually the old-old ones from the 70's and 80's. I do like the 2020 Emma movie, though. The stylization was pretty. 

Rachel K:  What's something about your writing or your books that nobody asks you, but you want to talk about or explain? 

Kendra A:  "Will I be doing more fairy tale / classic novel mashups after I'm done with Austen?" It's currently the plan! The Shakespeare Fairy Tale is going to be next, and then I have The Dickens Fairy tale and some random Classic novels that will be combined into The Classic Fairy Tale. I also have elf-human romance series of Austen retellings called Elven Prejudice. Can't promise when you'll see any of them, because The Fairy Tale Maneuver has priority, but they're in the pipeline and I look forward to writing them.

If you want to know more about Snowfield Palace, here's the official description:

Ginny doesn't belong in Snowfield Palace, but she has nowhere else to go. An old promise between her mother and Lady Bethim keeps her off the streets when she's left alone in the world, and she's eternally grateful for the home - and the friendship of Kaimund, Lady Bethim's son. She makes herself useful however possible and life is quiet. Until the far-too-charming Prince Hans and his sister Maia visit and send her world spinning. A shattered mirror is nothing to laugh about, and a new, dark magic could destroy everything.

You can buy Snowfield Palace here for Kindle today, and there will be a paperback edition available soon.  You can find the whole series on Amazon here.  And here's the Goodreads page for Snowfield Palace so you can add it to your want-to-read shelf.

Thank you for letting me interview you, Ms. Ardnek!  This has been a genuine pleasure :-)

Author Interview with Allison Tebo

Today, I'm taking part in the blog tour for Allison Tebo's new book, A Flash of Magic, which is a collection of short stories set in her Ambia world.  I got to interview Allison about this new book and her writing, and I'm sharing that with you today!  You don't want to miss the recipe she shares, and there's info about a book givaway toward the end of this post.  Read on!

Rachel Kovaciny: Do you like writing books or short stories better? Which comes more naturally to you? 

Allison Tebo: I actually prefer writing shorter stories! I’m a very visual writer and editor and it feels far easier to step back and evaluate the story as a whole when the book is more condensed and I can see the entire thing “at a glance.” 

I also love finishing projects and shorter works make it far easier to achieve the exhilaration of completing a project in a shorter amount of time. 

As far as what comes naturally, it depends on the project. I don’t think I’m naturally inclined towards one or the other. Some projects are short and others are (lamentably) long! 

RK: Would it be better to read all three Tales of Ambia novellas first, before reading these short stories? 

AT: You absolutely should. A Flash Of Magic is a collection of short stories featuring characters from the previous books and these short stories continue the respective arcs of the characters. It is only by reading the previous books that A Flash Of Magic will be understood and appreciated. 

RK: Could you share some inspiration behind creating Burndee, Ella, and their friends? 

AT: I wish I could share specific inspiration behind these characters but the truth is Burndee, Ella, Colin and Cynthia simply sprang into my head fully formed: as did the entire story. 

Characterization is the easiest part of the writing process for me and characters tend to just walk into my mind and make themselves at home. Poppy was the one character that grew more slowly. She began as a more classic archetype in A Royal Masquerade but a dear friend of mine inspired me to expand the character. Now Poppy is a multi-dimensional character partly inspired by some of my favorite book characters, and partly inspired by said friend! 

(Allison Tebo)

RK: If you could step into a fairy tale and take over for a character in it for a day, what fairy tale would you choose, and who would you replace? 

AT: I would like to step into Cinderella and become the fairy godmother! I honestly can’t think of anything nicer than making people’s wishes come true. I love helping people and surprising the people I love with gifts, so it’s a good fit for me. I’m also a bit of a fashionista with a love for parties, so I would definitely be the person to get you the right outfit for an event and an invitation to the ball. 

RK: Do you have any recipes you're particularly fond of baking, ala Burndee? 

AT: I love baking my great grandmother’s gingerbread! Every time I make it, I feel a special connection to past family and the previous generations of women who brought comfort and nourishment and love to the people in they care about through their baking. Here’s the recipe! 

GREAT GRANDMA PEARL’S GINGERBREAD 

2 1/4 cups flour 

1/3 cup sugar 

1 cup dark molasses 

1/2 cup butter or oil 

1 egg 

1 tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. ginger 

3/4 tsp. salt 

Sift dry ingredients together. Add wet. Mix for 3 minutes on medium speed. Bake in 9 x 9 pan at 325 for 50 minutes. 

(note: I’ve actually found that baking this gingerbread in a mini bundt cake pan is superior to a 9 x 9 pan. The texture gets even better when the gingerbread is made into small cakes). 

RK: What are you writing now, or planning to write soon? 

AT: Right now I am drafting a retelling of Beowulf. It’s one of my favorite pieces of classic literature, so I’m both excited and intimidated to tackle it. This retelling is a very serious project, more in the style of Rosemary Sutcliff or Tolkien, so it’s typical territory for me. 

I also have a Wizard of Oz retelling that I’m in the process of outlining that is a return to my comedy writing and a salute to another one of my favorite classics. 

And, as always, I have the next Tales of Ambia story rattling around in the back of my mind. Ambia grows exponentially with every book and I can’t wait to unleash the next adventure!

RK: Thanks for answering my questions, Allison!

And now, a little more about this new book:

A Flash of Magic is a magical and rambunctious compilation featuring eight stories with eight irresistible characters navigating their way through the oddities and the wonders of fairy tales. 

The Tales of Ambia series continues with this charming collection of short stories and novelettes offering a deeper look into a magical land like no other. 

Whether it’s an intimate look at Ella’s wedding day, a hilarious glimpse of Burndee’s holiday baking, or an explosive first meeting between a prince and his fairy, there is adventure for everyone in A Flash Of Magic.

You can buy A Flash of Magic right here on Amazon in both paperback and e-book formats.

And, you can learn more about Allison Tebo and her writing at these places:

Newsletter  / Facebook /  Instagram  /  Patreon / Website

Allison is currently hosting a giveaway to celebrate this book's launch!  She's giving away one signed paperback copy.  You can learn more and enter that giveaway on Instagram here.

This book tour continues today at the following websites:

The Caffeinated Fangirl 

Jenelle Leanne Schmidt 

Shelved Thoughts 

Blooming with Books

Faith on the Farm

Discipleship with Joy

Interview with Emily Hayse

I am so excited to have the chance to interview Emily Hayse about her new release, In the Glorious Fields, which is the grand finale for her Knights of Tin and Lead series.  You may recall that the first two books in the trilogy, These War-Torn Hands (my review here) and The Beautiful Ones (my review here) were on my list of top favorite reads from 2021.  I definitely have high expectations for this third and final installment!

(All photos are mine from my Instagram)

The Knights of Tin and Lead series retells the legend of King Arthur as magical-realism westerns.  Set in a fictional Old West territory, the books have the flavor of a classic western movie sprinkled with some pixie dust.  Thanks to them, Emily Hayse has shot onto my Auto-Buy Author list, and I am planning to read her back list as soon as I finish this series.

Okay, that's enough nattering from me!  On to the interview:

Rachel Kovaciny: Did you write all three books of this trilogy together and then revise and edit before each release, or did you write them one at a time?

Emily Hayse: One at a time! My original hope was to write them all together and do the revise and edit, but life didn't allow for that. However, I did have a lot of plotting and some scenes done ahead of time.

RK: If you were to describe In the Glorious Fields using three unrelated books, what would those three books be?

EH: The Killer Angels, San Domingo, Medicine Hat Stallion, and maybe Return of the King?

RK: Which character was the most fun to write? Why?

EH: That's so hard because truly, they were all fun! Maybe Peter. He's a lot like a brother of mine and I just love all the little details about his character because they just feel so true to life.

RK: Which character was hardest to write? Why?

EH: Honestly, none of them gave me that much trouble. Occasionally I got frustrated with Sikes for being incredibly obtuse, but his voice was always right there and very vivid. I guess, maybe Britt as well could be hard because he was so closed off it was hard to get anything out of him.

RK: What is your favorite western book?

EH: It's maybe a tad more in the historical fiction realm, but I love San Domingo, Medicine Hat Stallion. It was one of the books that really brought the West to life for me. After that, I really enjoy any of the Louis L'Amour Sackett books that feature Tell Sackett.

RK: What is your favorite western movie?

EH: Probably Conagher. It's a very sweet, poetic adaptation of a Louis L'Amour novel that Sam Elliott and his wife did shortly after Louis' death.

RK: What was your introduction to the King Arthur legend?

EH: Probably The Sword in the Stone, though that was a very long time ago. I remember reading adaptations for kids, Landmark books and such. I wish I had a childhood favorite, but I just sort of read whatever.

RK: Do you have a favorite version of King Arthur, book or movie (besides your own)?

EH: I became really fond of Roger Lancelyn Green's King Arthur and His Knights of the Round Table while I was drafting this. I also really like Rosemary Sutcliff's trilogy.

RK: If you were a character in the King Arthur legend, who would you like to be?

EH: I would like to be Gawain maybe? He's very loyal, very family oriented, and has few flaws. But that doesn't necessarily mean I would be him!

RK: Any idea what you'll be writing next?

EH: Yes! It's mostly under wraps right now, but it's a shorter standalone novel, and it's sort of The Great Gatsby meets The Illusionist. And you can look forward to that probably in December.

You can find Emily Hayse at the following places:

Author Website

Author Newsletter

Instagram

Facebook

I hope you've enjoyed this interview!  Thank you for answering my questions, Ms. Hayse :-)  It's been a pleasure!

An Authorial Interview with.. Me!

(If you follow both of my blogs, sorry for the double posting.)

My sweet blogging friend Heidi Peterson has a new author blog, as you may recall.  She's just posted an interview with... me!  :-D  Please do go read it here, and follow her blog if you're interested in writerly things.  She posts an inspirational or thought-provoking writing quote every month, reviews books about writing, and interviews writers -- great fun!

(Um, because I'm supposed to be making breakfast for my kids?)

Baskervilles Read-Along: Interview with Laurie R. King!

I feel like there should be eighty exclamation points after the title of this post.  Because in case you hadn't noticed, this post contains an interview with Laurie R. King, the New York Times bestselling author of some of my favorite books, like The Beekeeper's Apprentice.  My favorite living author, in fact.  And she graciously consented to do an email interview with me for this read-along.

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm trying to remain calm.  Trying really hard.  Honest :-)

Laurie R. King writes mysteries, including a series about a pair of detectives named Mary Russell and Sherlock Holmes.  (You're starting to see why this interview fits with this read-along, right?)  I absolutely adore her writing, and The Beekeeper's Apprentice is one of my top ten favorite books of all time.  She brings Sherlock Holmes to life in a way that thoroughly delights me, and I heartily recommend her Russell/Holmes books to anyone who enjoys reading good mysteries.

Something too much of this.  Time for the interview!

(Source)

Me:  You worked The Hound of the Baskervilles into your Russell/Holmes book The Moor.  You haven't used any other canon stories to such a degree -- what is it about Baskervilles that made you want to build your own mystery around it?

Laurie R. King: The Hound of the Baskervilles is such a gorgeous novel: mystery, spookiness, romance -- and Sherlock Holmes! Even Dr Watson gets to show his best side here, which isn't always so in the stories. When I first went to Dartmoor, it was a sunny June day, with cheerful sheep, perky little ponies, and hikers all over: really not what you think of when someone says, "Dartmoor." But the next time, it was October. Everything was dripping including the sheep, the ponies were glum, there was both heavy fog AND a strong wind. Now, it's not that I like to torment my characters, exactly, but… shall we say, Mary Russell has yet to travel to a nice warm vacation spot.

Me:  Do you revisit any particular canon stories for inspiration when you're writing a new Russell/Holmes book?

LRK: It depends on what I'm working on. For the pair of books about Damian Adler, for example, I took a close look at "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Adventure of the Empty House," as well as several of the stories that touch on Holmes' attitude toward women, such as "Copper Beeches" and "Solitary Cyclist." For The Moor, obviously I pored closely over The Hound of the Baskervilles and "Silver Blaze."

Me:  How old were you when you first encountered Sherlock Holmes?  Did you read the stories or see an adaptation first?

LRK: I must have read a couple of stories when I was young, probably Hound and "The Speckled Band," but I didn't start reading them methodically until I began writing the Russell stories. The Jeremy Brett series was being televised at about the same time, so I suppose my print and film immersions were about simultaneous.

Me:  Do you have any favorite filmed adaptations of The Hound of the Baskervilles?

LRK: In fact, I did love the recent re-telling in the BBC’s Sherlock, "The Hounds of Baskerville." The entire series approaches the Sherlockian canon with marvelous creativity, mixing a deep respect for the stories with a bold iconoclasm. Newcomers to the Conan Doyle stories view the BBC productions simply as great tales; those who know every detail of the originals can delight in the twists, references, and word plays.

Me:  What draws you to the mystery genre and makes you want to write mysteries more than some other form of fiction?

LRK:  I wrote a short piece for the Edgars Annual some years back on precisely this question (link), concluding: Why the mystery? Because it's human.

I can't thank Ms. King enough for answering my questions for this interview!  If you're interested in learning more about her and all her books, please visit her website, laurierking.com.  My absolute favorite is The Beekeeper's Apprentice, and I'm even considering doing a read-along for it at some point.  I re-read it earlier this year, and you can read my review of it here.  If you like Sherlock Holmes at all, or mysteries, or books set in the early 20th century, definitely give it a try!  This year is actually its twentieth anniversary, and a new hardcover edition has been released -- read more about that here.

Also, the latest Russell/Holmes book, Dreaming Spies (number thirteen!), will be coming out in February.  I'm eagerly awaiting its release, as you might imagine.  You can read more about it here.

I hope you've enjoyed this interview with Laurie R. King -- I know I still get all tingly and bouncy when I realize that this happened for real :-)