Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Illicit Magic Blog Tour!

Welcome to the next stop on the
Illicit Magic blog tour!

More than three hundred years after the most terrifying witch hunts the world has ever known, it's happening again.

Young witch, Stella, has to put her faith in strangers just to stay alive but she might not be any safer in their midst than from the danger she is running from.

There is more than one dark secret in her new family: Étoile’s sister is spoken of in fear and sadness; Marc is supposed to be a powerful witch but is missing his magic; where does the owner of their safe house vanish to every day and why does Evan have the eyes of someone not quite human? There is only one secret that someone will do anything to keep quiet, but whose secret is it and will Stella have to pay the price for silence?


 

Today, author, Camilla Chafer is here to answer some of my nosy questions. :)

Thanks so much, Camilla, for joining me here on Reality Bites!
Hi Mandy, thanks for having me!

This is the first book in the Stella Mayweather series. Can you tell us a little bit about what we can expect in Illicit Magic and beyond?
Illicit Magic is about Stella, a young woman who’s on the verge of realising incredible powers. When we first meet her she’s being chased by a gang of creeps but rescue sees her whisked away and that’s where her life really changes. Who are the Brotherhood, what happened to her parents, is she safe amongst her new friends, will she find love... and can she find it all out before it’s too late? Magic, mystery and a super-hot man who’s not quite human all roll together for a fun read.
As for beyond – we’re going to see more supernatural creatures, Stella’s powers are going to continue to develop, there are villains to battle and a lot of adventure and romance.

How many more books in this series do you currently have planned?
I’ve roughly mapped the series out for a six-story arc. The second book is out Thursday and I’ve just started writing the third which will be out in December as I don’t want to keep readers waiting!

I for one love reading about witches, and am so excited about this world you have created. What inspired you to write about witches?
I just love supernatural stuff, always have done, and witches have long held a fascination for me. I think it’s because they’re so closely aligned with female empowerment, more so than any other supernatural creature. In the paranormal genre a lot of heroines go one of two ways – they need a lot of protection from and by supe’ men, or they are so kick-ass it hurts. I wanted to get somewhere in the middle with a witch who would gradually realise incredible powers.

Have you always had an interest in the paranormal? :)
Yep. Two of my favourite childhood books were A Witch in the Family by Zilpha Snyder and Clementina by Eileen Dunlop. As for TV... Buffy, The Craft, Sookie... yeah, I love it all.

Do you have a favorite place where you go to write?
My sofa. I didn’t actually get a desk until earlier this year, so Illicit Magic was mostly written sat on the sofa. Not ideal, but it worked.

Can you give us 3 random facts about you?
My first book out was non-fiction and for parents who wanted to go back to school or college; I’ve seen Luke Perry naked (ok, to be fair, he was on stage in When Harry Met Sally at the time and there were a lot of other people there); I’ve got two degrees in Politics.

What do you enjoy doing when youʼre not writing?
Um, crochet. I swear it’s cool again. It is. No, it is. Really. I’m making a big granny blanket right now. I love hosting Friday Night Movie Night with my family, reading Apartment Therapy and house blogs makes for some happy down time and reading. I read lots.

What can we look forward to from you in the near future?
Well, tomorrow you get the sequel, Unruly Magic, so that’s not too far ahead! I’ve been plotting a new series as well – something lighter and funnier and I’m itching to get started on that.

Quickies- Favorites:
Cookie- Yes. All of them. Yum.
Comfort food- Pizza. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Not on the same plate.
Drink - Ginger beer
Music – Currently listening to Adele (‘Fire in the Rain’ gives me shivers) but generally alternative/rock.
Movie – oh... I can’t pick one. The last one I saw at the movies was Harry Potter 7 2/2 though – lump in the throat stuff.
Book-  The Blue Sword by Robin McKinley (but my list goes on and on!)
Author – Sarah Addison Allen (I adore the way she writes about North Carolina in such a magical way).

Finally, any advice for aspiring writers out there?
Perseverance. Grammar, spelling and technique you can learn. Perseverance is the toughest thing, and if I can get there, so can you.

Again, Thanks so much! I appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions! :)
Anytime :) Really happy to be here!

I'm kind of geeky-excited for the next couple books in this series! Can't wait to get my hands on those. :)


Hi, I'm Camilla and I'm the author of Illicit Magic and Unruly Magic, the first two books in the Stella Mayweather Paranormal Series. The series starts with a lonely young woman, Stella, who has been caught up in a terrifying witch hunt and is whisked thousands of miles away to what she thinks is safety to learn her craft. The series is a blend of magic, mystery and romance with a splash of humour - and while the girls really do go all out to save themselves, there's always a hunky guy or two on hand to help them out.
I live in London, UK but I try to travel as often as I can - lately I've been to Paris, all over Denmark, Luxembourg, and several US states. In my day job I'm a journalist and editor so I write for magazines, newspapers and websites throughout the world (my favourite assignment was spending a week riding rollercoasters - if you listen carefully you can probably still hear me screaming).
 




Buy the book:








Useful links:
www.camillachafer.com
@camillawrites
Amazon: http://amzn.to/mzGZrI
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/iFNS1c
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/lX5PLb
Nook: http://bit.ly/jmrAO9
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/iEShAn

Don't miss the next stop on the tour!
Jul 28 – The Great, The Good And The Bad http://thegreatthegoodandthebad.blogspot.com/

And, don't miss Camilla's awesome giveaway!
 

6 comments:

  1. I <3 Q & A. I like ginger beer too, my family looks at me weird when I drink it but oh well.

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  2. I have been following this tour and this lovely book is offered for such an incredibly low price, I could not resist - just had to get it. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. Thanks for hosting me today :-)
    Glad to find another ginger beer fan too!
    Camilla xo

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  4. Great interview! I can't wait to read this!

    ruby95660@yahoo.com

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  5. Great interview! I laughed out loud at the seeing Luke Perry naked fact :-)

    smaccall AT comcast.net

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