An Interview with Author Alison Deluca

Hi Everyone,

Recently I have had the pleasure of reading Alison Deluca’s superb book, “Night Watchman Express”, the first of four in her “Crown Phoenix” series.   I was delighted by the book, which kept me up reading each night much later than I wanted to be—my barometer for a good read.  Many of you are probably readers of Alison’s charming blog “Fresh Pot of Tea” but perhaps you have not yet had the chance to indulge in one of her steampunk fantasy novels.  I thought to share the wealth of a good read and asked Alison if she might do an interview… and she graciously agreed! 

Oh—and If you would like to read the “Crown Phoenix” series yourself, there is a giveaway (courtesy of Ms. DeLuca herself) at the end of the interview!

And so, without further ado…

An interview with author and steampunk maven ALISON DELUCA

*What inspired you to write the Crown Phoenix series and when did this whole journey start for you?

I think that inspiration is part coincidence and part mystery. I was playing around with an adventure story about four kids – two boys and two girls – who would encounter villains  and new countries as well as desperate danger.      
While I was at my desk, plotting out the story, I put on a CD by Angelique Kidjo, a wonderful singer from Benin.  Her songs made me think about Mana, my lovely governess who is so elegant and intelligent.

As I wrote about Miriam – my scrappy, filthy orphan – and her meeting with Mana, out of the blue I got an idea for the Crown Phoenix, a quantum computer that could bend time and space – but one that would exist in Edwardian times.

From there, the adventure simply took off.

Is there really a Crown Phoenix machine?

Of course there is! I have one in an old trunk up in my attic. Once I’ve finished raising my daughter, I plan on activating the device and visiting Lampala. Who wants to come along for the ride?

Ummm.  Me? Please?  (interviewer raised hand here…)

When did you realize you were writing a four book series and not just one book?

I set out to write a three book series at first. In fact, Night Watchman comprises the first two volumes, and the story is completed in Devil’s Kitchen. However, there was much more to add; in particular, I wanted to discover what became of Neil’s family, and I also had to find out how Miriam and Simon’s relationship turned out! After a long hiatus, I returned to the series and wrote The Lamplighter’s Special and now The South Sea Bubble. They are books three and four and the end of the series.
 

This was the first “steampunk” book I have read. (But not the last…)  For readers unfamiliar with this genre, (as I was) Wikipedia defines steampunk as : a sub-genre of science fiction that typically features steam-powered machinery,  especially in a setting inspired by industrialized Western civilization during the 19th century. Therefore, steampunk works are often set in an alternate history of the 19th century's British Victorian era or American "Wild West", in a post-apocalyptic future during which steam power has regained mainstream use, or in a fantasy world that similarly employs steam power.  

Did you choose steampunk to represent your book’s genre post publication or did you set out to write a steampunk series?

I always loved the very first steampunk authors: Doyle, Wells and Verne. I think I was influenced by their books on some level. After I wrote my books and went back to them, I realized I had written some steamy stuff. And by steamy, I mean that my world is powered by steam engines!

My books don’t include airships or clockwork men, but I think that those things don’t have to be a given in steampunk.

 The first book is entitled “Night Watchman Express”. I think that title captures the essences of the steampunk vibe very well, but I was curious as to what moved you to name the book after the story’s mysterious train, when it plays a rather minor (albeit pivotal) role in the story.  Do you see it as the vehicle for the following books?

Great question! Another inspiration for the book was a poster I gave my sister of a train called “The Scotsman” that showed an old engine surrounded by billows of smoke. For some reason I saw it as a very eerie image and devised my own Night Train that would run at midnight for nefarious purposes.

I fell in love with the name of the train and added it to Crown Phoenix. But of course, the book is really centered on Miriam, Simon, Neil, Riki, and my own gorgeous Mana.

I found your characters so vivid and memorable.   From the main characters like defiant Miriam, Simon and Neil and of course the enigmatic Mana, to scrubby Riki and her family, and then there’s fabulous Odjo the cook, (does he do catering on the side?) and even that uppity snoop Mandayala.  Did you have a favorite character you especially enjoyed creating?  Was there a character that was challenging for you to write?

Thanks! Creating characters is my favorite part of writing, and of all of them I really had the most fun with Barbara. She’s so beautiful and really evil at the same time – plus a bit of a cougar as well.

But I love the others too: Riki was a delight, and Simon was a blast as well. I thought he would be one-dimensional at first, but he really grew on me, with his loyalty and stubbornness.

And then there’s my Miriam, filled with anger just on the verge of growing up into a young lady. Mana saves her from becoming feral, and in the end it is her own anger that saves her.

The beautiful island paradise of Lampala sounds simply marvelous.  The food, the customs, their way of dress, the architecture, is all just so sumptuous!  (I’m still craving fried plantain and honey-rolls with nuts!)  Did you use any linguistic models for the Lampalan language or did you just come up with it on the fly? Oh—and what does “Ipa” mean?

Aha! Ipa means ‘Hey!’ or “Oy!’ And now you know that the language was based on Kidjo’s songs and her Benin language. I spent a long time devising Lampalan – thanks so much for noticing it!

And for anyone who hasn’t heard Kidjo’s music, do yourself a favor a give it a listen. It’s like an African version of ABBA, with lyrics that evolve into deepening layers of meaning. I got to see her in concert once, and I’ll never forget her energy and sincere love for her music and the audience.

How did you come up with the setting(s) of mainland vs. islands?  It works well for the story.  I always enjoy having a map in the beginning of a book too.  Was that your idea?

FISTBUMP – I’m a huge map slut. I always loved opening a book and seeing a map of the setting, whether it exists on the globe in reality or not. Narnia and Middle Earth – I’m all about those maps.

I am lucky enough to work and write with Dr. Ross Kitson, an incredibly wonderful author and cartographer. I send him my very basic sketches, and he draws the lovely maps and floor plans for my books. (And I simply must plug his Infinity Bridge book for anyone who loves steampunk and urban fantasy – it’s amazing.)

As for the island setting – that’s one of those things that was a bit of a mystery. Somehow the island of Lampala evolved as I wrote, and I created the language and economy for it.

Lampala is based on the real-life island of Madeira. It has lots of wooded areas, of course, that grow my magical Bolemor trees. As well, it was very important that my island population was NOT colonial in nature but rather a thriving, independent people who had their own art, architecture, and (as you pointed out!) culinary skills.

Can you tell us a bit about your publishing journey?  Was this series your first foray into being published?  Did you initially market your book(s) as a series or as a single book?  Did you/do you have an agent? 

The Crown Phoenix series has always been an Indie venture. I’ve met amazing people along the way, and I’ve learned some very important lessons – how to guard oneself from the wolves who are all too ready to pounce, alas, as well as how to produce a polished, mature work for my readers. And, yes, Crown Phoenix started as a single book. Once it went to print, we saw that it was far too long to be one single volume. Although I do fantasize of one hardcover omnibus edition…. Perhaps in the future!

Can you tell us a bit about Myrddin Publishing?

Yes! Myrddin is a writers’ collective. We self-publish under the Myrddin name and meet every day on Facebook. Our authors are international and very talented. We include Ross Kitson, whom I mentioned, as well as Carlie Cullen, Connie Jasperson, Ceri Clark, Shaun Allan, Kathleen Barker, Gary Hoover… and many other lovely people. It’s a fun group, and I’m very lucky to have found such an amazing support system.

What’s going on in your writing world at the moment?

I just finished The South Sea Bubble, the fourth book in the series. It’s going through edits and beta readers at the moment, and I hope to publish in April or May.

What’s next for you?

I have a new book started. It’s a completely different world from the Crown Phoenix books, with new characters and plots… and of course I have a few other books inside that crowded turret room I call a brain, just waiting to be born.

You can find me here:

Facebook - http://on.fb.me/TNWEfb

Twitter - https://twitter.com/AlisonDeLuca

Author Central: http://amzn.to/ADeLucaAuthorCentral

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/alisondeluca/

Crown Phoenix: Night Watchman Express is available on Amazon US : http://bit.ly/CPNWEus

And UK: http://bit.ly/CPNWEuk

Thanks so much for having me on the blog. This was a blast!

And thank you Alison!  How fun for me to read a book and then get to pump the author with questions!  I’ve enjoyed learning all these juicy tidbits about “Night Watchman Express” and the “Crown Phoenix” series. (I’ve always been a foot-note-kinda-gal.)  I look forward to savoring the other two books, and just let me know when we leave for Lamapala…

~Just Jill

 

 

 

 

 

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