Beautiful People: Favorites Edition

Beautiful People is a blog link-up hosted by Paper Fury and Further Up and Further In. This is the last edition (for now), and it's all about favorites!

1. Favorite genre to write in?

Fantasy for sure. I occasionally write something sci-fi-ish or horror, but fantasy is where I belong.



2. What book (a real actual published book!) do you think your character would benefit from reading?

Mortimer should probably read Uprooted. Merlin would benefit from Narnia. Bryn should probably read The Book Thief.



3. Favorite piece of dialogue you’ve written?

You mean I have to choose? Robin's conversation with Vivienne from Albion Academy is probably at the top of the list. It's one of the earliest snippets from that book and really helped me define their characters.



4. What did your character want to be when they grew up, and what did they actually become?

Merlin wanted to be anything but a wizard. I don't think that's working out for him so far. Bryn wanted to be a Valkyrie, and . . . well, if you've read Albion Academy, you know how that's going. Mortimer didn't really have "when I grow up"-style dreams per se, but he did want to be a spectacular Djinni. I'd say he's off to a pretty good start.



5. Favorite character name(s)?

I'm a bit proud of Merlin's middle name, Marcellus. It just adds such a weight to any instance his full name gets used. I also like Gabriel Faust (especially when I think he was almost Melman Goode *shudders*). Alamar Stone was another fun one to pull together. And let's not forget Spork.



6. What makes your character feel loved, and who was the last person to make them feel that way?

Mortimer feels loved when he doesn't feel like people see Djinni first, Mortimer second. The last time he felt this way was whenever he last hung out with Bryn and Merlin.

Merlin feels loved whenever Kaya calls him Anaia, when Harry treats him like a normal person, and the rare occasions when his mother doesn't make her praise hinge on Merlin's magical prowess. The
first two happen most days, but the latter only happens once or twice in Albion Academy.

Bryn feels loved when she connects with others either physically or through a shared activity. When she can spend time with her sisters, go hunting with Thor, or hang out with Merlin and Mortimer, she feels loved.



7. Favorite character you’ve ever written?


This is one of those "depends on the day" kind of questions. Usually, my favorite character is the one I've just finished writing. But the characters that I have the most fun writing are usually Belchor and Robin because they can get away with almost anything. Ariel Isamu from There's No Place Like Home? is also a favorite.



8. If your character were permanently leaving town, what would they easily throw out? What would they refuse to part with? (Why?)

Mortimer wouldn't need much. He'd probably keep his wand and nothing else if push came to shove. Merlin would take his Book, ring, and staff and the picture of him and Kaya from her tenth birthday where he tried to levitate her cake and wound up making it explode. Bryn would take a spear, her wand, and her Valkyrie badge.



9. Favorite tropes to write!


I'm terrible at knowing what tropes I write, but I do a lot of kitchen sink mythology in the Albion books and I love seeing that sort of trope in fiction. I'm also a fan of tragic backstories and redemption arcs.



10. Which story has your heart and won't let go?


As far as stories that need to be written? The rest of the Albion series, its sister series the Shadow Quartet, and Ashes and Dust, my urban phoenix/vampire story. (There are lots more, but these are the ones shouting the loudest right now.)


As far as stories I've read/watched that won't let go: Narnia, Till We Have Faces, Beauty and the Beast, The Lord of the Rings (and Middle-earth in general), The Princess Bride, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell, Uprooted, Watership Down, Aladdin, Ladyhawke . . . I could go on and on.



11. Favorite relationship between characters you’ve written?


The friendships between Merlin and Harry and Merlin/Mortimer/Bryn are all top for me. There are some relationships that develop in Albion Apparent that take the cake but I won't go into those in detail because

12. Toni Morrison once said, “If there's a book that you want to read, but it hasn't been written yet, then you must write it.” What are the books that you want to see more of, and what “holes” do you think need filling in the literary world?


I really want to see more fiction that inspires bravery on an everyday level. Fiction that promotes characters mending friendships and relationships of all kinds rather than discarding them because they don't want to put in the effort to work past the other person's flaws. Stories that make the soul sing and imbue a sense of awe, wonder, and joy.



13. Favorite Pinterest board/aesthetic for a book?

I'm terrible about keeping my Pinterest boards organized and sleek, but my Albion board tends to get the most love.



14. Favorite time periods & settings to work with?

I tend to work with more or less contemporary time periods, but I like using secondary world settings where I can play with the landscape, plant/animal life, and magic in new ways. Even if we don't get as much of that in the Albion books.



15. When people are done reading your book, what feeling do you want them to come away with?

I want readers to come away from any of my books feeling they've just experienced something worthwhile. If I've given them something to feel joyful about or cry about or get angry (in a good way) about, I've done my job. If they also have a reason to think about the themes and events of the stories afterward, or better yet go back to read the stories again, I've done my job well.

With Albion Academy, I want readers to know they're not alone in this world and that true friendships exist. I want them to know that forgiveness is possible.


Thanks for joining me today! If you want to see what other folks' responses are, check out the link-up here. (And if you have a favorite from Albion Academy that didn't get mentioned, tell me what it is!)