#WeNeedDiverseBooks — An Interview Series with the Authors of Sigils and Spells
Today, we’re kicking off a three part interview with some of the authors from Sigils and Spells, an urban fantasy collection coming out on January 2, 2018 that is working to highlight diversity in urban fantasy fiction within the indie author community and, also, to show how big a market there is for diverse stories in urban fantasy. Currently, we’re starting with an interview with author, Kris Radcliffe, but we’re also following up with Tina Glasneck and Michel Prince as well.
- Tell us a bit about yourself and who or which book inspired you to get into writing.
I started reading adult science fiction when I was nine years old. Clifford Simak’s A Heritage of Stars was one of my early favorites, as were the Dragonriders of Pern books. Later, around eleven years old, I discovered The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, which introduced me to Tanith Lee, David Brin, and many, many, more. Star Wars come on the scene about the same time I started reading science fiction, so my love of all things speculative also spilled over into movies and comic books.
So, honestly, I don’t feel I was inspired to write so much as I started life immersed in science and science fiction narratives. Science is asking questions about the real world; science fiction is asking how an answer might change the shape of the world. Both make me happy, and I express that happiness through crafting stories.
**
2. What do you generally write about?
My main genres are science fiction, science fiction with romantic elements, and urban fantasy. I also write contemporary erotic romance.
Thematically, I tend toward characters struggling with some sort of disability. Rysa Torres, the heroine of my Fate — Fire — Shifter — Dragon universe lives with severe and sometimes debilitating ADHD, another character is hard of hearing, and several deal with some type of PTSD.
Frank Victorsson, the hero of my Northern Creatures is a re-imaging of Frankenstein’s Monster, and he lives with sensory integration issues, as well as volatile temper which he’s learned to (mostly) control.
**
3. What motivates you to write diverse characters?
Rysa Torres came about because I wanted to write a heroine who represented my ADHD-suffering daughter. Frank Victorsson evolved out of my fascination with sensory integration and brain disorders.
As for characters without disabilities, I aim to represent the world as it is. The main character of my Sigils and Spells story is gay. Minnesota (where I live) has the largest Somali immigrant community in the United States, so one of my Northern Creatures characters is Somali. The world is a diverse place; pretending it’s not is lazy and frankly, boring.
**
4. What are you writing about (without spoilers of course) for Sigils and Spells?
Dragon’s Fate is the origin story of one of my favorite Fate — Fire — Shifter — Dragon characters, Daniel Drake. Daniel is a minor-though-pivotal character in the main series, and starts his immortal life under horrific circumstances.
Here’s the blurb:
When Daniel Drake’s simple, Sixth Century life shatters, he and his brothers run for their lives — and directly into the arms of the dragons. But some fates cannot be avoided, and Daniel’s uncanny ability to see the future comes with a price, and a choice: enslavement to a Roman Emperor, or the death of the person he loves the most.
**
5. What interested you in joining this collection?
Good stories have diverse characters, and I resonated to the concept of the set. I’d wanted to tell Daniel’s story for some time, and since he happens to be gay, his story fit. He’s a fantastic character, and I’m excited to have a place for him to shine.
**
6. What do you wish more readers and people in the publishing industry knew about #weneeddiversebooks?
I’ve been struggling with the prevalence of a couple of character archetypes, most notably the Alpha Douchebag. You know the character I’m referring to — the “every man wants to be him and every woman wants to sleep with him” swaggering male who gets away with everything because he’s “the hero.” He’s the cliché of White Male Privilege. At best, he’s a boring Gary Stu. At worst, he’s raping and pillaging through a story without consequence.
He shows up in romance, too. There, he’s the bad boy in need of taming. He’s all the clichés, but in the romance, the fantasy is that the woman has enough power to either force or entice him to change his ways.
I wish the market — both readers and producers — would vanquish the Alpha Douchebag in all his manifestations. He’s lazy writing. With him gone, we’d have a lot more diversity in character stories. (The Alpha Douchebag has a female counterpart. They tend to travel together. She’s just as abhorrent.)
I’d also like to echo what so many others have said: Representation matters. Readers who see themselves reflected in a story find that story more immersive and compelling. This ties back to the prevalence of toxic and lazy archetypes — be careful of the wishes you fulfill. Narrow wishes do not expand minds, nor do they do the culture any favors. They also limit your market to those who find comfort in such small places.
**
7. What will you be working on next?
I’m about to send Elf Raised, book three of Northern Creatures, off to my editor. Expect a mid-February release. Frank and one of Alfheim’s werewolves venture to Las Vegas in search of a succubus. What could go wrong?
Once that’s off, I’ll be starting a retelling of The Wizard of Oz set in the Fate — Fire — Shifter Dragon universe for another collection scheduled for June 2018.
**
8. Where can readers buy Sigils and Spells?
They can find it on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo as well as the site which features giveaways as well.
**
9. Where can our readers find you on social media?
Join my newsletter: http://krisaustenradcliffe.sixtalonsign.com/kris-austen-radcliffe-mailing-list-sign-up/
Follow me on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Kris-Austen-Radcliffe/e/B002BMGMFC/
Follow me on BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kris-austen-radcliffe
Facebook Profile: https://www.facebook.com/kris.austenradcliffe
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKrisAustenRadcliffe/
Legendary Women, Inc. does not own the images used in this article.
Love what you read? Want to follow us closer to get all the latest Legendary Women news? Then sign up for our monthly newsletter and also our Medium collection. And don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr.
