The longer I was separated from my narcissistic family, the more I started seeing the world differently and realizing that the way I had been raised was not normal. Using the framework of urban fantasy, which I love, I wrote my main character coming to the same realizations I did and undergoing a similar transformation. 

Alison Levy – 8 November 2023

The Back Flap

Ivy Nichols O’Reilly has grown up in a wealthy family full of magic, fantasy creatures, and emotional abuse—but when her narcissistic mother arranges an unwanted marriage for her, the young witch reaches her breaking point. She drops out of college, changes her name to Georgette, and flees across the country with her best friend, a Wood Nymph named Mei-Xing.

Georgette is determined to build a new identity and a new life. But her journey leads her to cross paths with a number of magical characters—a Werehyena searching for his kidnapped wife; a Vampire who runs a unique magical business; a curandero, a shamanistic practitioner of traditional medicine; and a Valkyrie who, along with her raven partner, wants to make a risky deal—who make it clear to her that the past is not so easily left behind. In order to grow into her new identity, help her new friends, and develop a healthy relationship with a man she’s beginning to care for, Georgette will have to confront the privileges that have shielded her from the pain and ugliness of the magic community in which she was raised—and find the strength to overcome the trauma of her childhood.

About the book

What is the book about?

Ivy, a witch, flees from her wealthy, manipulative family.  Changing her name to Georgette, she travels with Mei-Xing, a Wood Nymph, across the country.  They meet a Werehyena who needs magical assistance to find his kidnapped wife.  To help, Georgette must overcome her childhood trauma and confront the privileges that have previously shielded her from the magic community’s horrors.

When did you start writing the book?

I started writing Magic by Any Other Name years ago shortly after I cut off contact with a narcissistic family member.  It was one of the most stressful times in my life—breaking away from someone who has controlled you all of your life is terrifying when that control is all you’ve ever known.  I wasn’t sleeping, I was jumping at the slightest noise, and at one point my hair started falling out.  For most of my life, I’ve used writing as a means of coping with stress and anxiety, so while I was dealing with a crazy rollercoaster of emotions, I sat down at my computer and started writing.  What I wrote was an early draft of my book.

How long did it take you to write it?

I probably spent about two years writing it, off and on.  I spent another year getting feedback from my writers’ group.

Where did you get the idea from?

At the time, I was coming to terms with the emotional manipulation I grew up, so a lot of that struggle ended up in the story.  The longer I was separated from my narcissistic family, the more I started seeing the world differently and realizing that the way I had been raised was not normal.  Using the framework of urban fantasy, which I love, I wrote my main character coming to the same realizations I did and undergoing a similar transformation.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Some of the childhood memories my main character recounts are directly out of my own life.  Writing those scenes were a bit triggering for me.  An ordinary reader might not see these memories as traumatic but for me, they aren’t isolated incidents, they are part of a pattern.  Reliving them sucked me back into that old mentality, which I was actively trying to break out of.

What came easily?

Worldbuilding for the book.  I love myths and folklore so creating fleshed out characters from fantasy creatures was a real delight!

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Georgette’s emotional turmoil definitely stems from my own experience.  Her narcissistic mother shares a lot of traits with the family member I cut contact with (not my mother, for the record).  Other characters have various traits drawn from people I know but none as a whole is borrowed from a real-world person.

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?

I grew up reading books like Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia.  That brand of “high fantasy” was what I thought all fantasy books were like.  Then I read Peter S. Beagle’s The Last Unicorn, which blurs the lines between high and low fantasy while grappling with philosophical ideas, and it really broadened my understanding of what fantasy could be.  Years later, I started reading Neil Gaiman’s books. American Gods and Neverwhere and the Sandman series showed me how absolutely amazing fantasy can be when it’s combined with a familiar setting.  That was when I embraced the idea of “urban fantasy” and my writing has never been the same!

Do you have a target reader?

Fantasy lovers of all ages and anyone who grew up experiencing emotional/verbal abuse or generational trauma.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so, can you please describe it?

Anytime I sit down to write, I start by picking something to play in the background while I work, usually a movie I’ve seen many times or an epic movie soundtrack to set the mood (what I pick is often dependent on what sort of scene I’ll be writing).  Then I need some time to review whatever chapter I most recently worked on to get my head back into the story before continuing.  If I’m near a pivotal moment in the plot, I review my rough outline for guidance.  While I’m actually writing, I tend to move a lot, including walking around the room and talking to myself.  And that’s why I don’t write at coffeeshops!

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences?

I do outline but not extensively.  I outline the major events and plot-points but not every detail.  I think of my outline as a map—it guides me and shows where I’ll end up but I’m going to take some detours and see some sights along the way!

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished?

A little of column A, a little of column B.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

I’m more likely to put on a movie in the background, something I’ve seen a dozen times so it won’t distract me.  If I do put on music, I’ll choose the instrumental score of an epic fantasy movie (the scores to Dune and Lord of the Rings are favorites of mine).  I can’t listen to any music with lyrics or I end up singing along instead of writing.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No, I didn’t.  I considered it with my first book but my research suggested that a) getting an agent could be challenging and b) getting an agent was no guarantee of finding a publisher.  I decided to go a different route.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

Indie publishers are more and more becoming a mainstream method of getting your work out there.  Traditional publishing still has this air of being the “correct” way of publishing a book but it’s become almost impossible for the average person to do.  Very, very few books are picked up by traditional publishers and those that are tend to be by established authors and/or celebrities.  There are so many great books out there that never get the recognition they deserve because traditional publishers aren’t willing to take a risk on an unknown author.  Rather than spend years fighting to get seen by the big publishing groups, knowing it was unlikely to happen at all, I decided to submit to a hybrid publisher.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

SparkPress included cover design as part of the contract.  They did an amazing job!

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

I hired a publicist to help with the marketing.  Little ol’ introverted me is not comfortable doing this sort of thing on my own.

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

Understand that there is a trade-off: yes, you will be paying to have your book published and may not see an immediate profit but you will be published!  That in itself is a major accomplishment!  There are always people who will look down on Indie authors because they didn’t go the traditional route but that’s because those people don’t understand that the publishing world has undergone a massive change in recent times.  Don’t let them knock you down.  Just enjoy the feeling of seeing your name on the cover.

About You

Where did you grow up?

My family moved a lot when I was young: Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and then finally Virginia.

Where do you live now?

Greensboro, North Carolina.  I love it here!

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’m a person who wrestles with anxiety and depression, much of which stems from a sheltered upbringing in a narcissistic household.  I’ve made the conscious decision to work on myself and my writing often reflects my journey.  I have made mistakes and will undoubtedly make more of them but I’m of the opinion that every mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow.  I hope my efforts can benefit not only me but readers as well.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing book two of The Witch’s Odyssey series and I’m editing book three of The Daemon Collecting Series.

End of Interview:

Get your copy of Magic by Any Other Name from Amazon US or Amazon UK.