[Archive] Spotlight, Interview and Giveaway with CMCon16 Featured Author Deborah Blake_12.21.15
*Pretty, formatted post (with giveaway) over on our Author Interviews page of the website starting 12/21!
Spotlight, Interview and Giveaway
Hey, everybody! I am so, SO thrilled to have Deborah Blake with us today. Deborah is--I will admit--kind of one of my personal heroes. And not only is she utterly inspirational, she writes a damn good fiction novel, as well!
Deborah Blake is the author of the Baba Yaga Series from Berkley (Wickedly Dangerous, Wickedly Wonderful, Wickedly Powerful) and has published nine books on modern witchcraft with Llewellyn Worldwide. When not writing, Deborah runs The Artisans’ Guild, a cooperative shop she founded with a friend in 1999, and also works as a jewelry maker, tarot reader, and energy healer. She lives in a 120-year-old farmhouse in rural upstate New York with five cats who supervise all her activities, both magical and mundane.
You can keep up with Deborah online at her Website, on Facebook, on Twitter, on her blog, on GoodReads, and don't forget to sign up for her Newsletter!
I actually get to meet Deborah in February and I'm super excited, but I wanted you guys to be able to get to know her a little bit, as well.
Deborah is the proud creator of the BABA YAGA series. Check 'em out...
Wickedly Dangerous
BABA YAGA #1
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Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…
Older than she looks and powerful beyond measure, Barbara Yager no longer has much in common with the mortal life she left behind long ago. Posing as an herbalist and researcher, she travels the country with her faithful (mostly) dragon-turned-dog in an enchanted Airstream, fulfilling her duties as a Baba Yaga and avoiding any possibility of human attachment.
But when she is summoned to find a missing child, Barbara suddenly finds herself caught up in a web of deceit and an unexpected attraction to the charming but frustrating Sheriff Liam McClellan.
Now, as Barbara fights both human enemies and Otherworld creatures to save the lives of three innocent children, she discovers that her most difficult battle may be with her own heart…
Wickedly Wonderful
BABA YAGA #2
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Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one of them…
Though she looks like a typical California surfer girl, Beka Yancy is in fact a powerful yet inexperienced witch who’s struggling with her duties as a Baba Yaga. Luckily she has her faithful dragon-turned-dog for moral support, especially when faced with her biggest job yet…
A mysterious toxin is driving the Selkie and Mer from their homes deep in the trenches of Monterey Bay. To investigate, Beka buys her way onto the boat of Marcus Dermott, a battle-scarred former U.S. Marine, and his ailing fisherman father.
While diving for clues, Beka drives Marcus crazy with her flaky New Age ideas and dazzling blue eyes. She thinks he’s rigid and cranky (and way too attractive). Meanwhile, a charming Selkie prince has plans that include Beka. Only by trusting her powers can Beka save the underwater races, pick the right man, and choose the path she’ll follow for the rest of her life…
Wickedly Magical
BABA YAGA Novella
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Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…
Barbara Yager loves being one of the most powerful witches in the world, but sometimes she’d rather kick back in her enchanted Airstream with a beer in her hand than work out how to grant the requests of the worthy few who seek her out.
But when a man appears with the token of a family debt of honor, Barbara must drop everything to satisfy the promise owed by her predecessor—and she isn’t above being a little wicked to make sure the debt is paid in full…
Wickedly Ever After
BABA YAGA Novella
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Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make the mistake of crossing one…
Having triumphed over a powerful enemy and ended up with both a wonderful guy—Sheriff Liam McClellan—and an adorable adopted daughter to raise as a Baba Yaga, Barbara Yager is ready to welcome her happily ever after.
But first she must bring Liam to the Otherworld and get the Queen’s permission to marry him. The Queen, however, is not so easily persuaded. She gives them three impossible tasks to complete in two weeks’ time—and if they fail Barbara will have to watch Liam slowly age and die like all humans, and kiss her happily ever after good-bye forever.
Includes an exclusive preview of the next Baba Yaga Novel, Wickedly Powerful
Wickedly Powerful
BABA YAGA #3
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Known as the wicked witch of Russian fairy tales, Baba Yaga is not one woman, but rather a title carried by a chosen few. They keep the balance of nature and guard the borders of our world, but don’t make
the mistake of crossing one of them…
The only thing more fiery than Bella Young’s red hair is her temper. She knows that a Baba Yaga’s power without strict control can leave the people she cares about burned, so to protect her heart—and everyone around her—the only company she keeps is her dragon-turned-Norwegian-Forest-cat, Koshka.
But when Bella is tasked with discovering who’s setting magical fires throughout Wyoming’s Black Hills, she finds herself working closely with former hotshots firefighter Sam Corbett—and falling hard for his quiet strength and charm.
Sam may bear the scars of his past, but Bella can see beyond them and would do anything to help him heal. Only before she can rescue her Prince Charming, she'll have to overcome the mysterious foe setting the forest fires—a truly wicked witch who wields as much power and even more anger than Bella…
And the brand new release not in the BABA YAGA series...
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Since Witches came out of the broom-closet in the early 21st century, they have worked alongside humans as police officers, healers, stock traders, and more. But they aren’t the only paranormal entities in our world…
Police officer and Witch Donata Santori spends her days interrogating dead witnesses by summoning their spectral forms. Normally the job is little more than taking statements and filing reports. But when she’s called in on the case of a murdered art restorer, she finds herself suddenly in possession of a mystical portrait that both the human and paranormal communities would kill to get their hands on.
Unable to take on the forces hunting her alone, Donata seeks help from two unlikely and attractive allies: a reluctant shape-changer and a half-dragon art forger. But as the three of them hurry to uncover the truth about the powerful painting, Donata realizes that she’s caught in the middle of not one but two wars—one for possession of the painting’s secrets and one for possession of her heart…
Deborah also writes inspiring and incredibly useful non-fiction books on modern witchcraft (links will take you to her website with the buy links).
The Witch’s Broom: The Craft, Lore & Magick of Broomsticks / Circle, Coven & Grove / A Witch's Dozen / Everyday Witch Book of Rituals / Everyday Witch A to Z Spellbook / Everyday Witch A to Z / Witchcraft On a Shoestring / Everyday Witchcraft / The Goddess is in the Details.
Excited yet? I know I was!! :)
For the rest of today, let's get to know Deborah a little bit more, shall we?
INTERVIEW WITH DEBORAH BLAKE:
Chelle – LITERAL ADDICTION: Hi, Deborah! I’m so, SO thrilled to have you on LITERAL ADDICTION for an interview. I’ve been a fan of your non-fiction for ages (staples in my Craft cabinet), and love your fiction, as well. I’m super excited to meet you in February. *fangirl squeal*
Deborah: *blushes* Thanks so much. I’m happy to be here!
Chelle – LITERAL ADDICTION: I generally always start with learning some things about our V.I.Ps, so let’s begin…
#1: Can you tell us 3 things—no matter how random—about yourself that we couldn’t find out easily on the Internet?
Deborah: Gee, considering that between my blog, Facebook, and Twitter, my whole life is on the Internet… Okay, here goes: my favorite color is black (seriously—I’m not Goth, I just find it soothing), I have a weakness for Bollywood movies/music, and I’ve had a crush on Richard Dean Anderson since he starred as MacGyver. How’s that for random?
#2: If you could spend the day with anyone—alive, dead, fictional—who would it be, and what would you want to do?
Deborah: Harry Dresden. And I’d like to magically kick some bad guy ass together. I think it would be fun—a wizard and a witch walk into Mac’s bar…
#3: Can you walk us through a typical writing day for you? Anything you absolutely have to have with you to get the creative juices flowing?
Deborah: I usually write in the evening, after work and dinner are out of the way (so 6:30-7 until 10-10:30, depending on how things are going). On the days I don’t work, if I can, I also do a stint in the late morning for a couple of hours. Although I do much of my non-creative work at my desktop, I do most of my actual writing on my laptop, sitting in my red recliner in the living room. Often with my black cat Magic sitting on the back of the chair to inspire me and crack the whip. No special things needed, except peace and quiet.
#4: Since we’re going to the beach in February, which of your characters would you like to hang out with at the beach and what do you think you’d end up doing if you did go?
Deborah: I confess, the character I’d most like to hang out with is my Baba Yaga, Barbara (although she’s a little scary). But if I’m going to the beach, I’d have to pick Beka, since she is the one who is most at home on the water. I’m too chicken to have her teach me to surf, but maybe she’d take me out on her husband Marcus’s boat to go fishing.
#5: If we were to hop in your car or steal your phone, what do you think we’d be most likely to hear playing in your Music app?
Deborah: I am kind of low tech, so no fancy phone or music app. But lots of CDs in the car, since that’s where I listen to music the most. I often listen to British rock and roll—right now I’m listening to this fabulous woman who sings both in French and English, called Michelle and Queens.
#6: What was the path like to get your non-fiction books published?
Deborah: It was actually pretty simple (fiction, on the other hand, was crazy difficult). I figured out a book I wanted to read that apparently didn’t exist. So I went to the Llewellyn website, read all their rules about how to submit, followed them, sent in an outline, introduction, and the first fifty pages, and got a “please send us the rest of the book” letter almost immediately. Which was a fluke, since my editor Elysia had just gotten the job and had what she called “an eerily empty desk.” (It never happened that fast again, btw.) I wrote the rest, sent it in, she loved it, and I’m about to start on my tenth book for them. Ta da! (Did I mention that fiction was a lot harder? That took me two years and over 67 rejections to get me my agent, three years and four books to get my first contract.)
#7: Besides the obvious, was there any specific inspiration behind the creation of the Baba Yaga series?
Deborah: My agent, the lovely Elaine Spencer from The Knight Agency, and I had talked about me writing a modern fairy tale (since we both loved them), and something that had a witch character in it. I sat down to figure out which fairy tales hadn’t already been done to death, preferably ones with witches in them, and I came up with Baba Yaga. It helped that I had come from a Russian Jewish household, so I knew who she was. Also, I loved that fact that in the fairy tales, the Baba Yaga could be either good or evil, depending on how she was approached.
#8: Veiled Magic was just released and is not from the Baba Yaga series (I can't wait to check it out by the way). Are there more installments planned for Baba Yaga, though?
Deborah: As you said, Veiled Magic is from a different series (well, hopefully a series, we’ll have to see how it does). But there are definitely more Baba Yaga stories on the way. January 19th there will be another novella out—Wickedly Ever After, which tells us what happened to Barbara and Liam after the end of Wickedly Dangerous. Then on February 2nd (just in time for Coastal Magic!!!) comes the release of Wickedly Powerful, the story of Bella, the third of the Baba Yagas. Then in October, Mikhail Day, the first of the Riders (characters from the Baba Yaga books) gets his own book, Dangerously Charming. But don’t worry, the Babas will still show up. His brother Gregori’s story is out sometime next year.
#9: What else is in the works for Deborah Blake?
Deborah: I’m currently doing revisions on Dangerously Charming and working on that second Riders book, plus another project, plus putting the final touches on a tarot deck coming out from Llewellyn in early 2017. I’m also hoping to sell a romantic comedy my agent and I will be shopping after the holidays. I love humor and romance, don’t you? Other than that, I’m deep in the holiday season for the artist’s cooperative shop I run, making jewelry, and trying to come up with great recipes for Blue Moon Circle’s yearly Yule Dinner Party.
#10: Anything you would like to say to our readers while we have you here today?
Deborah: Just how much I love my readers. I couldn’t do what I do if it weren’t for them. (I’m pretty fond of bloggers too, LOL.
O.K, rapid-fire… Go.
I’m gonna get you here… Favorite Dresden character? ;-)
You know I love me some Harry. Although I’m quite fond of his cat Mister, too.
Chocolate or Vanilla?
Chocolate all the way!
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Trek—seriously, since I was 6.
DC or Marvel?
Marvel
Bewitched or Charmed?
Charmed
PC or Mac?
PC
Big Screen or TV/DVD?
Mostly TV/DVD, although I love to go see big movies (anything with huge action, like Star Wars or The Hunger Games or James Bond) on the big screen.
Call or Text?
Call. I’m only just learning to text and I am Not Good at it. (It doesn’t help that cell phones don’t work at my house.)
Cats or Dogs?
CATS. (Did I mention I have 5?) I love dogs too, but if I tried to get one, Magic the Cat would kill me in my sleep.
Coke or Pepsi?
Guinness
Chelle – LITERAL ADDICTION: Deborah, thank you so much for having some fun with us today and I am so, SO excited to meet you in a couple of months. :) Blessed Solstice!
Deborah: Thank you for having me—it was a blast. I can’t wait to meet you in person and hang out on the beach! Have a lovely Winter Solstice.
Do you want to meet Deborah in person? You can! You can! You can meet Deborah, tons of other amazing UF and PNR authors, LITERAL ADDICTION's officers and other well known featured bloggers, and loads of fellow book addicts and paranormal junkies at the Coastal Magic Convention in Daytona Beach, FL Feb 4-7 2016.
Coastal Magic is a super casual, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and other romance focused convention in Daytona. With panels designed to start interesting discussion, and meet & greets with fun themes, we’ve got something for every fan. Join us for reader, blogger, and author shenanigans, and lots of activities. The charity book sale and signing is open to convention attendees, and FREE to the public. Come take a bite out of the beach with us!! Feb 4-7, 2016. Registration opened 7/1/15, so get your ticket HERE.
Keep up with all things Coastal Magic at the Website / Facebook Page / Facebook Event / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Tumblr / Google+
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