April 22, 2007
I’m so excited that my very good friend Emily Gee has agreed to let me interview her. Her debut book is incredible, and already selling huge numbers on Amazon, despite it not being due for release until April 30th.
Please tell us about your latest book.
Thief With No Shadow is a dark and romantic fantasy adventure. It’s set on a world where the ordinary and extraordinary co-exist and magic runs in certain bloodlines. The heroine Melke is a wraith and can become unseen. In exchange for her brother’s freedom she is forced to use her magical gift to steal.
Melke’s theft has devastating consequences. The stolen necklace was strung with tears, and without it Bastian sal Vere can’t break the curse that is destroying his family–a curse that will reach its brutal climax at the next full moon. He strikes a desperate bargain with Melke: a healer to save her brother’s life, in return for the necklace.
But undoing her crime may cost Melke her life. The necklace is deep within a salamander’s den, a place of flame and pain that no thief has ever returned from. And time is running short. The moon grows full, and someone must face the creature that laid the curse and suffer its terrible vengeance.
How long have you been writing, and what made you start?
I was overseas travelling in the mid 1990s when I first thought about writing fiction as a career, but I didn’t start seriously until four or five years ago. And as for why I started: I’m a daydreamer. My head is always full of stories. Writing allows me to justify all the daydreaming I do!
Many people spend a long time finding an agent. Can you tell us about your agent hunt?
I found my agent (Richard Curtis in
Richard liked my work, but it took six months of re-writing to turn the manuscript into something he wanted to represent. That manuscript didn’t sell, but the next one (Thief With No Shadow) did.
Everyone loves a call story. What was yours?
It’s an ‘email’ story, and not at all exciting. My agent emailed me–and I almost didn’t see it because I was running late for work. It wasn’t until I was in my car and driving down the street that reality hit. Would you believe I started crying? (Totally not the reaction I ever thought I’d have.) I work mainly with men, but fortunately it was vintage and they were all out harvesting grapes, so none of them saw!
Do you have a writing routine?
My routine is to walk, then write. Weekday mornings, I go for an hour’s walk and then sit down at my laptop until it’s time to go to work. In the weekends I go for longer walks up the hills, and I write for more hours. The walking really helps me to write. By the time I get home I can see the next scene clearly in my head. And if I ever get stuck, I go for another walk. Usually the problem is sorted by the time I get home!
(And if I’m writing in the evenings, I have another routine–one involving a glass or two of wine. It makes the words come more easily!)
What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Firstly, don’t give up. Secondly, be prepared to make changes to your manuscript. Often my first reaction to suggested changes is a flat-out No. But usually after a day or two of reflection–or a week or two–I realise that the changes will make the story stronger.
Can you tell us about what you’re working on now?
I’m writing another dark and romantic fantasy adventure. It’s not set on the same world as Thief With No Shadow, so isn’t a sequel. The main characters are spies. One’s a poorhouse foundling and the other is a nobleman. Magic doesn’t play such a large a part in this book, although it’s still pivotal to the plot. The working title is Witch-Eye.
Emily Gee is the daughter of award winning
Posted by Sara Hantz in Interviews @ 5:08 pm
Alyssa Goodnight Says:
What a fascinating life! Oh, and the book sounds great too! I always wonder how authors manage to come up with ideas like that…amazing.
Sara Hantz Says:
I know, Alyssa. I’m in awe of how Emily can come up with such incredible plots.