Monday, November 21, 2011

Author Interview: Stephanie Burgis + Giveaway! (US)

Please Welcome Stephanie Burgis!


Stephanie Burgis’s Kat, Incorrigible (A Most Improper Magick, in the U.K.) was her first published novel and the first in a trilogy of Regency-era fantasies for children. Her second book was published as A Tangle of Magicks in the UK and will be published in the US as Renegade Magic. (Source)

 There are NO spoilers here!







Q:
What are your historical fantasy must-reads? (*Note: I have added Goodreads links for the titles Stephanie mentioned so you can easily add them to your TBR!)

A:
My two top favorites are Elizabeth Marie Pope's The Perilous Garde - Elizabethan England with creepy fairies, a smart, sensible, strong but vulnerable heroine, and a hero to die for! - and Caroline Stevermer and Patricia Wrede's Sorcery and Cecilia (and both of its sequels), which are fabulously funny Regency fantasy romances told in a series of witty letters and diary entries. I also adore Caroline Stevermer's followup MG fantasy novel, Magic Below Stairs.

Q:
What's coming up next for you in terms of publication?

A:
Kat Book 2, Renegade Magic, will be published on April 3, 2012, followed by Kat Book 3 in April 2013! (And with luck I will have come up with a title for it by then...it's already been sent to copy-edits, but I still haven't thought of a good title yet! I am terrible at titles.)

Q:
What drew you to historical fantasy?

A:
Ever since I was a kid, I've been obsessed with history (believe it or not, I used to sucker one of my younger brothers into doing my chores in exchange for true stories from history!) and with fantasy - I imprinted VERY strongly on Lord of the Rings at an early age. And since I also imprinted like a baby duckling on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice when my dad read it to me (at age eight), writing Regency-era historical fantasy makes total sense to me!

Q:
What’s your preference: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or (gulp) white chocolate?

A:
Dark chocolate all the way. Mmmm, dark chocolate...okay, that's it, I'm off to eat some! (I also use it to make truly decadent hot chocolate. Heat up milk gently in a saucepan, stirring regularly. When it starts to get hot, drop in five squares of your favorite rich dark chocolate. Stir until they melt, then pour into a mug and sigh with bliss!)

Q:
How did Kat, Incorrigible change from pre-to-post publication?

A:
It went through three different title s on the way! When I first wrote it, I called it Kat by Moonlight. Then my editor and I changed it to A Most Improper Magick (which became the title for the UK edition). Finally, my sales team had a stroke of brilliance and suggested changing it to Kat, Incorrigible. Whew! :)

Q:
Is there a genre you could never see yourself writing? Why not?

A:
True crime is probably the only one I'd rule out entirely, just because it holds no interest for me.

Q:
Both of Kat’s sisters are given small romances in Kat, Incorrigible. Will Kat find her own romance in future books?

A:
Right now, I'm only contracted to write three Kat books, and in the third, Kat is still thirteen. So she doesn't pursue her own romance in this trilogy...but various other characters do, and there's even a hint at the end of the third book of someone who just might become a potential love interest for Kat herself in the future. Maybe! ;)

Q:
Are you planning on making Kat’s adventures a trilogy or a longer series?

A:
I'd love it to turn into a longer series - it is so liberating and so much fun for me to write in Kat's voice and follow her adventures! But right now it is a trilogy, and it does have an arc that will be completed by the end of the third book. So although each book is meant to be a standalone adventure, there will definitely be some emotional closure at the end of book 3.



Thank you so much for stopping by, Stephanie!


Have any of you read Kat, Incorrigible? What did you think about it? Who is your favorite character? Have you read any of the books she recommended? Does anyone have a title suggestion for book three?

And how about that hot chocolate recipe--does that not sound like heaven on earth? I think I'm going to have to try that myself!


Simon & Schuster is generously providing a copy of Kat, Incorrigible for giveaway!



Info for the giveaway:
  • As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
  • You must have a US mailing address
  • You must be 13 years of age or older
  • One entry per person
  • Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
  • I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
  • This giveaway closes on December 7th



8 comments:

  1. Kat Incorrigible was a very cute book. I'm excited for the next one. I've been wanting to read Sorcery and Cecilia for a long time. Great interview!

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  2. I adored Kat, Incorrigble and I'm very excited to hear more books will be coming out soon! I just loved the blend of humor, romance, magic, and well..Kat! I'll have to check out the other books that Stephanie mentioned. Great interview, Small!

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  3. I've wanted to read Kat Incouragable for about a year now. It looks so adorable and I've always loved the cover. I've just never had the chance to pick it up.

    Also, Small...do you really not like white chocolate? LOL! I hate dark chocolate but love most other kinds (as long as they aren't raspberry chocolate). :D

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  4. I'm gonna try that recipe for hot chocolate fer sure. I don't generally enjoy hot chocolate because it's too milky, but five squares of my favorite dark chocolate? Oh, yum.

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  5. Alison, I think you'll like Sorcery and Cecilia. It's like a grown up Kat.

    Rummanah, Me too! I can't wait to read Renegade Magic. I hope we get lots and lots of Kat books :)

    Jen, Kat is beyond cute. The cover perfectly captures her, though her sisters are a lot more fun than I think the cover implies. Haha, no, I don't hate white chocolate. Ruby does! I...generally avoid it in favor of milk chocolate, but there are a few select types of white chocolate that I would kill for (white chocolate peppermint bark is AMAZING!) And, eeeeeewwww raspberry chocolate! That always makes me think of those raspberry chocolate covered jelly rings and I HATE those!

    Ruby, I think hot chocolate is best when it is essentially melted chocolate with only a dash of milk (and a heaping spoonful of whipped cream) :P

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  6. I could have sworn I commented on this post. But I may have entered the contest twice. I have wanted to read this book since it came out. Can't wait to read it!

    Heather

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  7. i haven't read kat, incorrigible yet but i love the title. will add to the pile.

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  8. I can't believe I missed this interview! That goes to show you I'm useless sometimes!!
    :d

    Anyway, I loved it and you know I loved KAT!

    ReplyDelete

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