Interview with Tammy Falkner, author of A Lady and Her Magic - September 19, 2012

Please welcome Tammy Falkner to The Qwillery. A Lady and Her Magic was published on September 1, 2012 by Sourcebooks.

TQ:  Welcome to The Qwillery!

Tammy:  Thanks for having me!


TQ:  What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Tammy:  I see books in scenes, kind of like scenes in a movie. And I can’t sit down to write a scene until I have the whole scene in my head. Then I write, and I wait to “see” the next scene. The hardest books for me to write are the ones where I can see the scenes that come 40 pages after the one I’m on!


TQ:  Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Tammy:  A little bit of both, actually. I have to know the characters’ motivation, as well as have some key plot points before I can even begin to write. But, sometimes, as those scenes come to me, there are some odd things that come to me, too. So, at that point, I’m a bit of a pantser. I’d say I’m a mix between the two!


TQ:  What is the most challenging thing for you about writing?

Tammy:  Right now, finding time to write is the hardest part. I have double contracts going on as both myself and Lydia Dare, still work full time and have a family that needs me to come out of my cave on special occasions.


TQ:  What inspired you to write A Lady and Her Magic?

Tammy:  As Lydia Dare, my writing partner and I had dropped Lycans, vampyres and witches into Regency England. And I started to think about what other beings might live and interact with the British ton. Faeries have about as many rules as the aristocracy, so it seemed interesting to place them in Regency England as well.


TQ:  What sort of research did you do for A Lady and Her Magic?

Tammy:  Most of my research revolved around historical accuracy, actually. What fish would be in a water feature in Regency England? Would they be called carp or coy at that time in history? What card games were popular? What items might little girls covet? But then add to that looking up mythology and lore. It was actually a lot of fun finding out all I could about faeries, which are a myth by design, but apparently have their own culture.


TQ:  Tell us something about A Lady and Her Magic that is not in the book description.

Tammy:  When I originally wrote it, Sophia was entranced by all music, and not just by Ashley’s or her mother’s. Then it came to me that each of the three Thorne children were left with a token by their parents. Her love of music was a token left by her mother, so that she could recognize the song of a loved one if she ever stumbled upon them later in life. Little does her mother know that she would recognize the Duke of Robinsworth’s song as that of a loved one. I liked that twist. And there’s an even bigger twist like that in the next book, THE MAGIC OF I DO, when we find out what token was left with Claire.


TQ:  Why do you think that Regency Romance and fantasy blend so well?

Tammy:  Both the Regency and the fae world are built upon rules. They are unbreakable in most cases, or there are consequences. The fact that Sophia is fae is one more reason why they can’t be together. And her lack of social graces and his being boosted from society adds to the tension, a little. I think that it all blended perfectly, but I may be a little biased.


TQ:  Who was the easiest character to write and why? Hardest and why?

Tammy:  Ashley Trimble, the duke of Robinsworth, was the easiest character to write. He was a bit broken in the beginning, and I love a wounded hero. The hardest was Ronald (a gnome), actually. He had a tendency to steal the scene and take the focus off the characters. But he was so much fun that he had to have a part in the book.


TQ:  Without giving anything away, what is/are your favorite scene(s) in A Lady and Her Magic?

Tammy:  My favorite scenes are the ones where they’re alone late at night and his music calls to her. I think you get an unbiased view of how they feel about one another, and it’s the only time you do get that view all the way up to the end of the book.


TQ:  What's next?

Tammy:  Next up, I have a release writing as Lydia Dare called WOLFISHLY YOURS in November of 2012. Then THE MAGIC OF I DO by Tammy Falkner in June of 2013.


TQ:  Thank you for joining us at The Qwillery.

Tammy:  Thanks for having me and for giving me such thoughtful questions to answer!




A Lady and Her Magic

A Lady and Her Magic
Sourcebooks Casablanca, September 1, 2012
Mass Market Paperback and eBook, 352 pages

Rules Are Made to be Disobeyed...
Sophia Thorne is new to the Regency's glittering high society, which resembles her magical homeland only insofar as both places are filled with ridiculous rules. Which means no matter where she goes, she's bound for trouble...

And Scandals Are Meant to be Shocking...
The Duke of Robinsworth has flaunted and shocked society for years. In a moment of fateful mischief, Robinsworth encounters the enchanting and distinctly scandalous Sophia. Between her streak of magical mischief and his penchant for scandal, they're about to take rule-breaking to a whole new level...

Amazon : Barnes and Noble : Book Depository : Books-A-Million : IndieBound

About Tammy Falkner

As half of the Lydia Dare writing team, Tammy Falkner has co-written ten books, including A Certain Wolfish Charm and In the Heat of the Bite. A huge fan of Regency England, her new series explores the theory that the fae can walk between the glittering world of the ton and their own land. Tammy lives on a farm in rural North Carolina with her husband and a house full of boys, a few dogs, and a cat or two.

For more information, please visit http://www.tammyfalkner.com and follow her on Twitter, @TFalkner.

You may also find Tammy on Facebook:
Tammy Falkner (New Author Page!)









The Giveaway

THE RULES

What:  One commenter will win a copy of A Lady and Her Magic from Sourcebooks! US/CANADA ONLY

How:   Answer the following questions:

What is your favorite era of British History - Tudor, Victorian, Regency, etc?

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Who and When:  The contest is open to all humans on the planet earth with a US or Canadian mailing address. Contest ends at 11:59pm US Eastern Time on Wednesday, September 26, 2012. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 years old or older to enter.

*Giveaway rules are subject to change.*