Today, I’d like to welcome to The Happy Booker, Inara Scott, author of the wonderful Delacroix series for Young Adults, and most recently the author of the amazing romantic fantasy Radiant Desire. You can see my review here.
Enter to win an eBook of Radiant Desire here. You can also buy a copy Radiant Desire at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
About the Author
Inara Scott grew up in the winter wonderland of Buffalo, NY. Consequently, she spent much of
her childhood complaining about being cold. To spare the world her whining, she fled the cold
climate and eventually wound up in the Pacific NW. She loves it there — they get occasional
snow, tons of rain in the winter, and lots of sun in the summer. The forests are huge, and the old
Douglas Fir trees and thick ferns make you think you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. She would be
surprised if there weren’t fairies and elves living there. Seriously.
She loves to hike, canoe, and play outside. She is addicted to yoga. She has a deep affinity for
water (she used to believe she could learn to breathe underwater, if she stayed down there long
enough).
Inara is a geek through and through. She fears deep, intellectual books and loves romance and
fantasies. She listens to cheesy, happy music. When she was in high school, her friends
considered having a clothing intervention for her because she insisted on making her own
clothes and shopping at thrift stores. Somehow, she survived.
Me: Hi Inara! Can you describe Radiant Desire in just a few words?
Inara: Naughty faeries, mosquito bites, true love, happily ever after.
How did you first become interested in fey legend and mythology?
I love reading about fairies and the Fey, but the real inspiration for this particular story came from my daughter's Barbie faeries! I just kept looking at that plastic creature and wondering what she might feel like if she had to experience life as a regular, flawed woman.
What inspired you to blend fey legend with adult fantasy?
I have been a romance reader and writer from my early teens. I think at this point, I view everything as a possible romance novel!
What, if any, personality traits or beliefs do you share with Kaia?
I have a really deep-seated optimism and belief that people are beautiful creatures, capable of amazing love and sacrifice. I think Kaia feels that way (at least, she does by the end of the book!).
What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing Radiant Desire?
I'm always startled by the way my characters develop as I write a novel. Someone asked me once how long it takes me to get to know my characters, and the truth is, it takes an entire book. So I learned more about Garrett and Kaia the further I got. I understood Kaia fairly well throughout, but Garrett took me a little longer to understand.
Were there any particular songs that you listened to while writing this book?
I actually can't write to music. If I have music playing I get terribly unfocused and sit around singing instead of writing!
You also have a young adult series, "Delcroix Academy", How did writing Radiant Desire differ from writing Delcroix Academy? Was one more challenging that the other?
The challenge in writing YA is that the field is totally open -- you don't necessarily have a happy ending, you can leave things unsettled for a sequel, and you can tackle some really big themes as part of the character arcs. Romances are a little more settled, in the sense that I know going in I've got a hero and heroine who are going to fall in love and get their happily ever after. That means the challenge of writing romance is keeping the basic story fresh and meaningful.
Can you tell us one of your writing quirks? Something unusual that you do as part of your writing ritual.
I really wish I was quirky! I'm afraid I just sit down and write. But I will confess that I'm a terrible nail biter. When I'm deeply engaged in writing, I tend to chow down on my fingers! It's terrible, and I always thought I'd grow out of the habit. At this point, I've given up. ;-)
Radiant Desire is the first in a series. Could you share a little bit about the sequel, without giving too much away?
I might call these books companion books, rather than sequels, because Kaia and Garrett won't feature much in future books, except perhaps in cameo appearances. The book I'm working on now is Mina's story. The only thing I can tell you is that writers live to exploit their characters' deepest fears and weaknesses. So Mina's in for a rough ride!
Last question, if you were to take Kaia on a shopping spree, what stores would she want to visit and what would she buy?
Oh my! How fun would that be!? I don't think Kaia would know of any stores in particular, but I'd love to take her to a big department story, like Macy's, and head for the designer racks. As a Handmaid, she was used to beautiful fabrics and expensive clothes, and her days wearing secondhand bargain bin clothes were painful! I just know she'd love a gorgeous, silky evening dress, and perhaps some naughty silk lingerie.
Thanks so much for taking the time to do the interview Inara! I LOVED Radiant Desire and can’t wait to read the next in this series. The Handmaids were fascinating so I’m eager to see what happens with Mina!
If you’d like to find out more about Inara Scott and Radiant Desire, you can connect with her at any of these websites.
Twitter: @inarascott
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/inarawrites
Inara’s Website: www.inarascott.com
Blog: http://www.inarascott.com/blog/
Email: inara.scott@gmail.com
About the Book
The object of every man’s fantasy just lost her wings…
ancient wrong done to Zafira by a human king, the Handmaids make sport of mortal men,
seducing and humiliating them. When Kaia sets out to seduce Garrett Jameson, but ends up
being the one surrendering to pleasure, Zafira is furious. Kaia’s punishment is simple: make
Garrett fall in love with her by the summer solstice, then break his heart, or face eternity without
her wings — or her soul. To make the task harder, Zafira tells Kaia she cannot use her faerie
magic or charm to lure Garrett into her bed.
…and now she’s losing her heart…
Kaia thinks her task will be relatively easy—as a faerie, she understands lust, and can love be
much different? But once she is living among the humans, Kaia discovers the race she once
disparaged is far more complex and beautiful than she imagined. She learns before she can
break Garrett’s heart, she must find a way to heal it. And eventually, discovers that losing her
wings may be a far easier price to pay than losing her heart
Enter to win an eBook of Radiant Desire here. You can also buy a copy Radiant Desire at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.
3 comments:
I'm glad there will be sequels...or companions. I love companions a lot. Gives a new perspective.
Great Interview! I used to have these little dolls that came in plastic cases and they were scented like grape and orange. They weren't kewpie dolls. They were beautiful and you could wear them as neclaces and I wonder what life would be life for them. They'd probably come up to Barbie's knee. they were children.
Anyone remember them?
Heather
@BURIED IN BOOKS
I don't remember anything like that, but I wish someone would have gotten me one! They sound wonderful! Little necklace fairies!
@Vivien I like companions too, for me its because they put more focus on some of the background characters that interested me in the first book.
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