The actual idea, or at least the opening chapter, came from a dream I had about a dragon that was chasing me through my grandparent’s house, requiring me to rush through the house and shut off all the lights, because you know someone would get mad at me if I left the house with all the lights on …
J.A. Curtis – 1 May 2021
The Back Flap
Tattoo magic. Rival brothers. Lost fae. A war full of betrayals.
Nothing is as it seems.
Fifteen-year-old Mina didn’t ask to become the center of a feud between two monster wielding, near immortal warriors and their faerie followers. Nor did she ask to be a faerie. Everything changes the night a dragon sends her nana’s home up in flames.
Mina is forced into a life of lies, monsters, and magic. But as she searches for answers that might end the fighting, an enemy threatens Mina and the lives of those she loves.
About the book
What is the book about?
Lies of the Haven, Faerie Warriors book 1, Is a fast-paced YA urban fantasy adventure novel. Mina discovers she might be a faerie on the night a group of strangely dressed teenagers crash her party and a dragon burns down her grandma’s home! They whisk her away to the Haven where she reluctantly learns how to fit into the new militaristic society with the reluctant aid of soldier-boy, Arius. The faeries of the Haven must always be on the lookout for attacks from the rival dark faeries, led by Arius’s smooth-talking brother, Dramian. While there, Mina begins to suspect there is more behind the two feuding groups than what it appears. She uncovers an enemy willing to threaten Mina’s life and threaten everything she loves.
Oh, and did I mention there are tattoos of magical creatures on the faeries’ arms that come to life and fight as their faerie guardians in battle? That’s pretty fun too. 😊
When did you start writing the book?
I started writing Lies of the Haven about five years ago.
How long did it take you to write it?
Well, I didn’t get serious about writing and publishing this story until a couple of years ago. I took a creative writing class and decided that I would try out what I was learning on the draft I was writing of Lies of the Haven. I figured if I messed it up, then I wouldn’t feel too bad about it, since it was a test run. But as I worked on it, I liked it more and more, and decided to follow the process through beta readers, and editors all the way to publication!
Where did you get the idea from?
The actual idea, or at least the opening chapter, came from a dream I had about a dragon that was chasing me through my grandparent’s house, requiring me to rush through the house and shut off all the lights, because you know someone would get mad at me if I left the house with all the lights on, regardless of the firey beast about to burn me to bits! Haha!
I wanted to write a fast paced, easy to read novel. At the time, I was teaching middle school, and I wanted to write something that I felt my students would enjoy.
Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?
Yes! Mina is such a strong character, and I had a lot to learn about building sympathy and helping readers connect to her as a character! The beginning was hard and there were a few other places where Mina came off a bit strong, and I had to learn how to place context around her decisions in order to keep her a strong character, but also keep her sympathetic to my readers. I still have that problem writing her character sometimes! Haha!
What came easily?
I enjoyed writing the action scenes. They were a lot of fun.
Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?
I feel like my characters are mostly fictitious. I really didn’t have any kind of person I knew in mind when crafting any of my characters. I also find it fun to write characters that aren’t like me, so my main characters often have traits that I don’t possess.
We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?
When I was writing Lies of the Haven, I wanted to have both a strong main female character AND a strong male character. I didn’t want people to think that I had to make Arius weak in order for Mina to appear strong. On that note, I drew from Veronica Roth’s Divergent series with Tris and Four both being very strong characters. I’ve also always enjoyed fast paced books, with a bit of mystery. So, of course, I’ve enjoyed books like the Hunger Games and books like Harry Potter. On the middle grade scene, I’ve enjoyed magical books like Brandon Mull’s Fablehaven. And I am a huge Pride and Prejudice fan so if my love stories are slow burn with an enemies to lovers feel, that is why!
Do you have a target reader?
Yes! My book is targeted toward middle grade, high school aged, and adult readers who enjoy a fast-paced urban fantasy adventures with a bit of a high fantasy feel in the mix. It is for those who like books with a little bit of everything—a good mystery, a lot of action, surprising reveals, a strong protagonist, a faerie war, magic and monsters, and a nice slow burn romance on the side!
About Writing
Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?
When I first started writing this book? No. But now I definitely do. I want to write a lot of books and I don’t want to spend two to five years putting out each book. So now I start with the overarching theme of the story then move directly into the characters, trying to figure out their flaw and what lesson they are going to learn to overcome that flaw. After that, I do an overarching story outline, so I know where I am going. At that point, I do some discovery writing to get a feel for the characters and the story on paper. If I like it, then I just keep writing until I need to stop and do research or delve more deeply into my characters or do more world building, or whatever I need to do to fill out the world more. If the book is part of the series, at this point I may do a very, very rough, overarching series outline.
Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?
Yes! So much more than I used to! However, I have found that if I do too much outlining, it kills the fun of writing for me. So, I will have an overarching outline, a few points along the way that I KNOW I have to hit and then let myself discover how to get there. That keeps the writing fun and creative for me.
Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?
I may go back and edit earlier chapters occasionally or do light editing if I notice something while doing a read through. But I wait until I am finished to do any hard-core editing.
Did you hire a professional editor?
Yes.
Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?
Not unless you count the theme song to PJ Masks? Haha! No, I usually don’t listen to music. For me, the less background noise the better.
About Publishing
Did you submit your work to Agents?
No.
What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?
I thought about the process of writing and decided that I didn’t want to wait around a long time to become a published author! I want to write a lot of books and share what I have and where I am at in my writing with others who like my stories. I may attempt to publish traditionally eventually, but didn’t want to wait years and years sitting on my manuscripts to maybe publish. Also, I like the control I have over my writing career and decisions this way.
Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?
My covers for the faerie warrior series are done by Maria Spada. You can check out more of her work at https://www.mariaspada.com/
Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?
I am learning as I go, researching, and trying out different options. Hopefully by the time the third faerie warriors book comes out, I will have learned enough to create my own marketing plans 😊
Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?
Do it! It is sooo much work, but it is so worth it! Believe in yourself, but also be willing to take feedback and work hard to know your industry and put out your best work! And know that it takes a while to get established as an Indie Author. For most people, it is a marathon, not a sprint.
About You
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Tacoma, Washington.
Where do you live now?
Tacoma, Washington
What would you like readers to know about you?
I have always loved writing stories. One of my greatest dreams as a child was to have a book published. I never knew if that dream would become a reality. There were times when I stopped writing and thought I had given it up for good, but I always found myself coming back to it. So, I have decided to share those stories in the hope that others might enjoy them as much as I do!
When I’m not writing or re-watching ATLA for the 100th time, I am spending time with my husband and two daughters, or trying to live my life with half as much determination as Mina.
What are you working on now?
This is my favorite question. 😊 Right now, book 2 of my Faerie Warrior series, Rise of the Fomori is with my editor and will be out on May 30th! YAY! I am also working on the first draft of the final book of the trilogy, Battle of the Lost Fae! I’m about half-way done! Also, I am making some adjustments to a romantic sci-fi book about aliens that can read minds, in preparation to get it out to beta readers. AND I have been working on an outline for a middle-grade hyper-local historical urban fantasy with Once Upon A Time elements. Super excited!
End of Interview.
For more from JA Curtis, visit her website, follow her on Twitter, and like her Facebook page.
Get your copy of Lies of the Haven from Amazon US or Amazon UK.