BooksChatter: ℚ Conjuring Zephyr

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author D. Lieber to talk about Conjuring Zephyr (23 June 2016, Black Rose Writing, 153 pages), a Fantasy Romance.

|| Synopsis || Trailer || Teaser: KCR Preview || Author Q&A || About the Author || Giveaway & Tour Stops ||

A very warm welcome to D. Lieber; thank you for joining us on BooksChatter!

What was the inspiration for Conjuring Zephyr?

"My inspiration for Conjuring Zephyr was my love for reverse harem anime and Korean drama. I wanted to use the archetypes of that genre and let them loose in my own world, to challenge gender stereotypes, and introduce the common Asian genre to Western audiences in an easily digestible way. I also wanted to see what questioning and challenging a society’s established principles of science looked like, which I feel modern scientists have gotten away from."

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

"Since Conjuring Zephyr is a fantasy romance, not much of it is reflective of my actual life and experiences. I’ve read and watched a lot of media in the genre, and I’ve studied real magick. The characters are a combination of archetypes and people I’ve met or observed. The only direct experience of mine that is reflected in the novel is going to university alone. It’s intimidating, but you quickly make friends. Every woman has faced the sexism that Kai confronts, myself included, and every man has faced the gender stereotypes that Leif struggles with. Growing into a sexually mature adult within the confines of society is something everyone has to deal with. While I may be a stanch feminist like Kai, I wish I could be as compassionate as her."

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

"I love my book cover! My publisher’s graphic artist, David King, and I worked closely to find something we were both happy with. We found a model that looked like Kai, and Dave did an excellent job of making the background magical and representative of the element of air."

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

"Every fantasy writer has their own unique world he or she creates. If you’re interested in a subterranean, post-apocalyptic, regency-esque society, you should check it out. As far as the romance aspect, my male characters come in all personality types, like real men. They aren’t unattainable fantasies who are perfectly molded. I don’t believe that’s what romance readers want. I know that I, as a reader, want my male characters to be as diverse as they are in life. I also find it unfair to pressure real men into pursing something that’s not reachable. It’s not right when society tells women to be a specific way, and it’s not right for men either. Also, I believe readers will be surprised by which male character Kai falls in love with, I know I was."

Can you tell us something quirky about Conjuring Zephyr, its story and characters?

"Fantasy books are built on being different and unusual. I did name Kai’s hometown after the town in Once Upon a Time in the West, even though I didn’t like that movie. Readers may also find it interesting that in every book I write, there is always a character named Charlie, which was my grandfather’s name. The characters aren’t reflective of his personality at all, but it’s just a little homage I do."

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

"I would recommend this book to any adult who enjoys fantasy and/or romance. I’ve been told it’s like a combination of Harry Potter and Avatar: the Last Airbender. If you like K-Drama and romance anime, you will love this book. My only disclaimer is that there is adult content. Since books aren’t censored like movies, music, or video games, underage readers should be aware."

If you could / wished to turn Conjuring Zephyr into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"I don’t have a dream team. I love movies and have many favorite actors, actresses and directors. However, I would rather have people who are best suited for my characters, whether they are well known or not."

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 pretty much always write in fantasy romance. The fantasy is mostly urban, but sometimes it’s supernatural. I love to read fantasy romance, but I also like historical fiction, classics, and all other genres of fantasy."

What is your writing process?

"An idea needs to reach a certain point before I start to pursue it. I have to have a clear view of the main characters and conflict and a broad overview of the world. After I have a few major plot points in mind, I just start to write. I write by hand with a fountain pen in a brown leather journal my Dad got me that has “Hakuna Matata” etched on the cover. After I finish a chapter, I type it and make edits as I go. I edit a lot throughout my entire process. My husband, John, copyedits my chapters as I go and talks to me about the storyline and characters and such. After I’m finished writing, I read the entire story front to back. When I’m happy with it, I send it to my lovely beta readers, who give me feedback. Then, it’s back to editing. However, the story I’m working on now is a detective novel, so I have to outline the plot in much greater detail before writing."

What is in store next?

"I’m waiting to hear from publishers on my second novel, which is a steampunk story with Fae. My third novel, which has Fae, werewolves, and vampires, is finished but hasn’t been submitted yet. I’m currently writing a gumshoe detective story in an alternate (magical) 1920s. As for a sequel to Conjuring Zephyr, I am planning one. Without giving too much away, it will have many of the same characters, but will not be from Kai’s perspective."

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?

"I have two furbabies: a black lab named Samwise and a black cat with a white spot named Yin."

What a lovely picture :-) Big cuddles to Samwise and Yin! (p.s. apologies to Yin for keeping him from his busy schedule!)

D. many thanks again for being with us and sharing all about Conjuring Zephyr!