The Fast Friday Interviews: Laurie Forest

Laurie Forest

Tell me about yourself, Laurie?

I am Laurie Forest. Mother of dragons. Drinker of strong tea. Part dryad. Writing in the back woods of Vermont in front of a guttering woodstove.

Official photo (heavily photo-shopped - I told the photographer to "make me look spooky and give me a whole new head.")

Actual photo - The Black Witch cocktail pictured (this is a real thing, predating my book) - this is a more accurate representation of my vibe at the moment - and perhaps resembles me more closely than my heavily photo-shopped author photo.

Tell me about your current Book: The Black Witch

When powerless Elloren Gardner, granddaughter of her people's greatest battlemage, leaves her sheltered home in Gardneria, Elloren must find a way to navigate being thrown into an environment where most of the people are hostile towards the granddaughter of their greatest enemy - The Black Witch.

Wandfasted (e-book prequel to The Black Witch)

When all mayhem breaks loose from colliding dragon armies, Tessla Harrow must find a forbidden wand and use her unique magery, or she won't survive to meet the smoking hot Vale Gardner - who is like Mr. Darcy melded with Loki (you're welcome ;) )

The Black Witch:
All the most delicious things about all the fantasy books thrown into one, giant, dragon-filled extravaganza of awesomeness.

Wandfasted:
The hottest prequel on the entire earth. And there are battling dragon armies. And dragons set on fire pinwheeling down to crash onto scattering soldiers. And did I mention that it's the hottest thing ever written?

What are you working on now?

Book Three of The Black Witch Chronicles (oh it's fun - because it's dark with lots of action and monsters). Also, revising e-book side-novel number two of The Black Witch Chronicles (Sage Gaffney's story - the young woman who gives Elloren the White Wand and has an Icaral-demon baby in the beginning of The Black Witch).

Where is your favorite place to be when you write?

Vermont. In my home in the back woods. In a lantern-lit room. During a thunder storm that blackens the skies, lightning flashing. Or during November in Vermont. On a deeply overcast day. The trees twisty and bare, the woods shadowed and vaguely sinister.

But better would be a Scottish castle by a turbulent ocean, cast in deeply moody, bleak weather. Haven't been able to secure that yet.

Best might be a lighthouse off the coast of Maine. On an island. No one there but me. Writing by candlelight in the dead of night. With a crow on my shoulder.

What is your favorite lesson you have learned about the business of writing?

Four lessons (I cannot confine this answer to one lesson).

1. "The muse can't resist a working writer." - Ray Bradbury
2. "Don't wait for inspiration. Go after it with a club." - Jack London
3. "Write to please yourself and shut out the rest of the world. Preferably in a Scottish castle. Then, when finished, share your work boldly." - Laurie Forest
4. "Put a dragon in every book you write. No exceptions." - Laurie Forest (feel free to widely quote me on this) 

What is your favorite Website?

Any site with pretentious, overpriced black teas for sale that taste like chocolate cake or tiramisu. Which is basically my version of porn. (Along with Wandfasted, which is the hottest thing ever written).

Links: 

Email: blackwitchnovel@gmail.com

Amazon:

• THE BLACK WITCH (Book One, The Black Witch Chronicles - out now) 
• WANDFASTED (E-Book Prequel, The Black Witch Chronicles - out now) 
• THE IRON FLOWER (Book Two, The Black Witch Chronicles - available for pre-order) 

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