ℚ Mercury Retrograde: Dark Alchemy [2] - Laura Bickle

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Laura Bickle to talk about Mercury Retrograde (27 October 2015, Harper Voyager Impulse, 384 pages) a Dark Urban Fantasy, book two of the Dark Alchemy series.

“Bickle has a knack for creating atmosphere, and she fills the fast-paced narrative with vivid scenes of wonder and a poignant story of death and rebirth. [N]ew readers will easily fall into the quirky, dusty land that Petra and her unusual friends inhabit.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review) on MERCURY RETROGRADE

“Petra’s adventures in a magic-choked version of Yellowstone continue to balance nicely with a sense of fun, well-done and subtle worldbuilding and characterization, plus some serious stakes. Our protagonist is competent, resourceful and tough without becoming unrealistically formidable. The series feels like it’s building splendidly.” — RT Book Reviews on MERCURY RETROGRADE

Author Q&A | Synopsis | Teaser | The Series | About the Author | Giveaway & Tour Stops

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Hello Laura, welcome to BooksChatter and thank you for joining us today.

What was the inspiration for Mercury Retrograde?

"I love writing about creatures.  I’ve been fascinated by basilisks for a long time.  The basilisk is a recurring image in alchemical texts, and I worked with the idea of its deadly venom.  Said to be descended from the blood of Medusa, the blood of the basilisk can kill or grant eternal life.   I wondered what would happen if a basilisk was awoken in the Yellowstone Park, and what the motivations of such a creature might be.

Classical alchemy describes seven stages in transformation: calcination, dissolution, separation, conjunction, fermentation, distillation, and coagulation.  MERCURY RETROGRADE is inspired by the second phase, dissolution, in which parts of the soul are dissolved in what’s been denied or buried.  That’s an interesting type of psychological pressure to apply to my characters – I enjoy putting them in tough spots."

How much of yourself is reflected in this book, and how?

"My protagonist, Petra Dee, is a geologist and the daughter of an alchemist.  She’s very left-brained, and believes in what she can see and measure scientifically.  I enjoy watching her build MacGyver-like contraptions to get herself out of trouble, like a potato cannon that fires beer bottles full of lye.

I’m reasonably handy, like Petra is.  And I adore animals.  Where Petra has a coyote sidekick, I have a house full of cats.  But I’m definitely more right-brained than she is.  She’d be Scully to my Mulder."

The first thing that draws me to a book is its cover.  Can you tell us about your cover for Mercury Retrograde - why you chose that concept and who the artist is.

"The cover was produced by the wonderful folks at Harper Voyager Impulse.  The motorcycle belongs to the leader of a biker gang, the Sisters of Serpens, who are searching for a spiritual connection to the basilisk.  I really wanted a cover with Sig, Petra’s coyote, featured on it, and I got my wish.

I love seeing the characters come to life in a cover – it’s the best surprise in the world!"

Why should we read Mercury Retrograde and what sets it apart from the rest?   What makes your book unique?

"The DARK ALCHEMY series has been described as “Stephen King’s THE GUNSLINGER meets BREAKING BAD.”  It’s a weird west mashup of alchemy and contemporary dark fantasy.  In the small town of Temperance, undead cowboys do battle with drug-dealing alchemists.  The remnants of centuries-old alchemical experiments lurk in the backcountry, and the alchemical Tree of Life blooms in secret.

Both DARK ALCHEMY and the sequel, MERCURY RETROGRADE, have received Publishers Weekly starred reviews, and I’m thrilled that they’re both out in the wild."

Can you tell us something quirky about Mercury Retrograde, its story and characters?

"Many of my characters were named after obscure or famous alchemists.  Petra Dee was named for John Dee, the alchemyst to Queen Elizabeth I.  Names in novels are my private Easter Egg hunt.

There’s also been some discussion about whether or not Sig the coyote is The Coyote from legend.  And…yeah, he might well be.  At least, he believes that he is!"

Who would you recommend Mercury Retrograde to and what should readers be aware of (any warnings or disclaimers)?

"I’d recommend my books to fans of dark fantasy, horror, and urban fantasy…especially animal lovers.  Animals always play a big role in my books, and they often become my most-loved characters.  I think there’s something special about the bond between a protagonist and an animal sidekick, and I just can’t resist having that in a story."

Dean M. Chriss Photography

If you could / wished to turn Mercury Retrograde and the Dark Alchemy series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I’m a big fan of unknown actors, and I never base characters on existing people.  I’d love for it to be shot using a lot of the film conventions of westerns – the standoffs at high noon in the streets, gunfights in the desert, etc.  I’d love for it to be shot in the fall out west, with all that lovely molten sunset light."

What do you like to write and read about?  Do you stick to a particular genre or do you like to explore different ones?

"I love writing about the monsters under the stairs . I’ve written urban fantasy, contemporary fantasy, and YA horror.  I really like the idea of magical realism, of putting something extraordinary in an ordinary setting.

Having grown up in a rural area, I especially love writing rural fantasy.  There’s something incredibly creepy about what might be at the end of a gravel road on a moonless night.  There’s no light except the stars, and no help coming.  I love throwing characters in those situations…and I like seeing what comes out to chase them."

What is your writing process?

"I’m a dyed-in-the-wool plotter.  Nothing scares me more than the blank page, so I create a roadmap for where I’m going.  It’s my security blanket.  I often veer off course and go exploring in the weeds, but I like to have some idea of the shape of the story before I start wrestling with it."

What is in store next?

"The third book in the DARK ALCHEMY series is in the works, and will be released by Harper Voyager Impulse on April 12, 2016.  The plot is secret for now, but there are some things happening that I guarantee nobody will see coming!

And I’ll have a story in A FANTASY MEDLEY 3, coming December 31, 2015, from Subterranean Press.  In “Ashes,” I get to revisit my Anya Kalinczyk series with the finale I’ve always wanted for Anya and her fire salamander, Sparky."

And as a final quirky thing, to get to know you a little bit better... do you have a pet or something that is special to you that you could share with us?

"Attached is a picture of our latest cat acquisition, Gibby! He turned up on our doorstep and has achieved his fondest wish in life – he’s now a housecat."

Gorgeous - Gibby, you are a very lucky boy!

Mercury Retrograde
Out 27 October 2015!

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