Writer Wednesday Interview: Zoe Forward
Hi Zoe! Welcome to my Wednesday interview. Can you tell us about
‘Dawn of a Dark Knight’ and what inspired you to write it?
I grew up heavily
influenced by Indiana Jones, James Bond, Star Trek, and Star Wars. For books I started with Ann Rice and then
got sucked into the paranormal romance world (and never looked back). So, writing paranormals was a no
brainer. For Dawn of a Dark Knight everything came together at the right
creative moment — my love of Egyptian mythology, my long-time passion for
archaeology, my ideas about a new type of paranormal hero and more. It all just
gelled.
In
Dawn of a Dark Knight Dr. Kira Hardy
jeopardizes her brilliant medical career to save Ashor Vlahos, Scimitar Magi
commander, after a brutal daemon attack. Their attraction is instant and, for
Ashor, forbidden. As an ancient nemesis
resurfaces and targets Kira, they face a crucial decision—follow the gods’
rules or follow their hearts.
‘Dawn of a Dark
Knight’ is a paranormal story – do you mainly write paranormals or do you like
to experiment with different sub-genres?
I have dabbled in other genres, but every time the story gets going, it turns paranormal. I love the flexibility this genre allows for bending the world’s rules.
You have a sequel
releasing next year – did you always know ‘Dawn of a Dark Knight’ would be
part of a series?
From the outset I envisioned each of the Scimitar magi as
special characters that deserved their own stories.
The sequel to Dawn of
a Dark Knight, the second in the Scimitar Magus series, is in editing with
my publisher. The title of this work is under discussion. In this sequel, there
is a new magus who just got released from an unjustified stint in purgatory. Long ago,
a dark-magik sorcerer cursed him and the woman he loves to murder each other
within days of meeting in each new lifetime. Being back means this cycle will
start again. He’s attempted countless curse-reversal rituals over the
centuries, and all failed. Now, he may have discovered a way to break
their vicious cycle. But it requires he kill her before she strikes her death
blow, something he’s never done in the past.
Who would play your hero and heroine in a film of the
book?
Surprisingly, this is a really tough question. I didn’t write this novel envisioning specific actors playing Ashor and Kira. I still cannot come up with just the right actor to play the hero and heroine. Therefore, I am going to have to say that if this ever turns into a movie, we will simply have to cast newcomers. :-)
What kind of research have you done for your stories?
I slogged through many dry books on Egyptian mythology. In
that process I discovered there is a lot of controversy and not a lot of
consensus in some areas of ancient history. For example, there are multiple
names for each of the gods and goddesses, and some of them do not have clear
roles. From my perspective this allows
for a lot of artistic freedom.
What aspect of
writing do you find the hardest?
World building! The rules, the people, the gods…requires a lot of research. For the Scimitar Magi series I created a new hero. As a passionate reader of paranormal romance I’ve read my fair share of vampires, weres, fae, shape shifters and demons. And loved them all. But I wanted something new. In Dawn of a Dark Knight the Scimitar Magi are ten pseudo-immortals that live within our world, but struggle to remain incognito. The guys are not exactly thrilled to discover they vowed their eternal soul eons ago to serve the Egyptian gods, and now must execute daemons for the rest of their life. With no past-life memory, they’ve got no clue how to wield the powers gifted to them by the gods. Man to super warrior in five minutes with no instruction manual. So it takes a long time for each Scimitar to work it out. At first losing control at random is the norm, and irritates the bejesus out of the more experienced guys. Incidents happen like blowing up a gas station, which is misinterpreted by the government as a terrorist act. And then there are the women. The Scimitars each get matched to one woman for all-time, and she is also reincarnated. But when, and if, this woman shows up is entirely up to the gods, who love to muck things up for their entertainment.
You’re a member of the Carolina Romance Writers and
RWA. How important do you think it is
for writers to be part of a professional group?
I love being a
member of CRW. The members are supportive and diverse in their interests,
experience, and writing genres. I’ve
learned a tremendous amount from the speakers we bring in each month. Overall,
I’m a huge advocate for a writer’s group since this is a place where a romance
writer can feel accepted and supported at any phase of her writing career.
What do you do in
your spare time, and do you think your pastimes or life experiences have
influenced your books?
I’d love to say I free climb or train for triathlons. But, I must admit to not having a lot of spare time. I’m a full-time veterinarian. When I’m not at work or on my work commute, I’m a mom. I devote my spare time to writing, which I love. When I can I’ll pick up a new book.
Where should we go to find out more about your
books?
Thank
you for inviting me to visit. I always
love to hear from readers. Drop by my website to send me an email.
Website:
http://www.zoeforward.com
You can buy my books here:
Wild
Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=5122
Thanks Zoe. I've enjoyed hearing about your books and look forward to more of the series.
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