BooksChatter: ℚ♫ Stealing Magic: The Legacy of Androva [1]

Today we have the pleasure of meeting up with author Alex C Vick to talk about Stealing Magic (1 October 2016, Alex C Vick, 252 pages), a Middle Grade Fantasy, book one of The Legacy of Androva series.

It’s been so long since I’ve read something with such magical appeal that didn’t feel super cliché or something I’ve read a dozen times before. So rare in this genre! … Vick tackles some pretty heavy themes here and like that she doesn’t dumb it down for her younger audience. Steph Coleman – Goodreads

I was pulled into this fantastical world from the start and thought that Shannon and Jax were great characters to go through these adventures with… I also liked that for a fantasy it didn’t have a bunch of crazy, unpronounceable names, or completely contrived plot elements! Layla Messing – Goodreads

I feel Vick did an amazing job of bringing in a fresh voice and making the story wholly her own, and making it feel original-- I didn’t feel like I’ve read this plot before. Cale Owens – Goodreads

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

A very warm welcome to fellow Brit Alex C Vick; thank you for joining us!

Here at BooksChatter we love music; do you have a music playlist that you used in Stealing Magic, or which inspired you whilst you were writing it?

"Thank you so much for featuring my book! And also for offering to put Stealing Magic’s playlist together. I’m always listening to music, and especially when I’m writing. The playlist for each book inevitably develops from all kinds of sources!"

What was the inspiration for Stealing Magic?

"It started life as a short story for my daughters. I was trying to get them to enter a writing competition, and I figured that my arguments would hold more weight if I set a good example and wrote a story myself! Once I had met Jax and Shannon, and had the idea of Androva and magic-taking, there were just too many unanswered questions for me to stop writing.

I wanted to come up with a new way to explain why there is no such thing as real magic on our world. But Stealing Magic ended up being much more about the characters and how they develop and interact. The missing magic was only the stepping off point."

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

"I haven’t intentionally reflected anything of myself in the book. However, as a reader, I do love the idea of magic, and I tried to allow that sense of wonder to come through in my writing. I had a lot of fun inventing new spells and other details in order to make Androva as unique as possible."

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

"I searched for quite a while. I was looking for a single image that would represent the story, because I didn’t have a big budget for the cover. I was very lucky in the end. I found an image that portrays magic as something immediate and almost tangible, just as it is in the story. I want the reader to wonder what it might feel like to be a magician with a force field!"

Why should we read Stealing Magic and what sets it apart from the rest? What makes your series unique?

"If a potential reader asked me for more information to help them decide if they would enjoy this series, this is what I would say:

It’s the development of the characters that drives the stories forward, rather than the other way around. The setting might be contemporary fantasy, and the obstacles might be life threatening, but underneath it all Jax, Shannon and Darius are just ordinary teenagers. Their survival depends on their loyalty to each other. They’re likeable, but definitely not perfect. They disagree, they make mistakes, and they also have a lot of fun together.

Aside from that, the books are all about magic. Where it comes from, what it feels like to be a magician, how it’s used, old spells and new spells. Portals made from magic, different magical worlds, villains who have magic or who want magic, magical time travel, magic and technology… you get the picture!"

Can you tell us something quirky about Stealing Magic, its story and characters?

"I’m not sure if this is quirky or not, but I really wanted to use the phrase ‘once upon a time’ somewhere in the book! There wasn’t an obvious way to do this, because the story has no fairy tale references. I was near the end before an opportunity presented itself. Iona, Darius’s mother, is explaining the history of Terra (our world) to the three underage magicians. Jax and Darius have never heard the phrase ‘once upon a time’ before, but Shannon recognises it immediately of course."

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

"Stealing Magic is primarily aimed at Middle Grade, but I am obviously delighted when adults find the story interesting enough to read as well."

If you could / wished to turn Stealing Magic and the The Legacy of Androva series into a movie, who would be your dream team?

"This is such a great question! Dream director (it’s imaginary, so I might as well dream big!) would be Alfonso Cuarón. The film adaptations that he directed for A Little Princess and Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban were incredible.

The actors for Jax, Shannon and Darius, my teenage characters, would have to be unknowns I think. But in terms of the adults who have the most page time, Jax’s father Revus could be played by Eric Bana and Iona, Darius’s mother, by Kate Winslet. I also think that Paul Bettany would be great as Marcus, the magician on the Androvan Council whose dedication to his job causes my characters a few problems!

Finding a location for Androva was tough, but there are parts of Iceland that come pretty close. Stunning landscapes and waterfalls, and no trees. There is a mountain in Stealing Magic which is like Kirkjufell. The Seljalandsfoss waterfall is also similar to the look and feel of Androva."

What has been your greatest challenge as a writer?

"Finishing the first book was a very big deal at the time. I’d only written shorter stories up to that point, and I doubted that I could do it. However, when I sat down to attempt the second book, that seemed like an even bigger challenge, and so has every book since then! I’ve concluded that I should just enjoy writing and not worry too much about the future. Enjoying the writing is easy, but not worrying is a lot more difficult."

What is your writing process?

"I have to balance writing with a full-time job and family life, which means that it’s more erratic than I would like it to be. I’m not a planner either. I never know what’s going to happen next in the story until I sit down to write it. The most I will have in my head is a scene or a line of dialogue that happens towards the end of the book, and I write towards that."

What is in store next?

"I released the fourth book in the series, Controlling Magic, right at the end of 2016. My characters discovered a hostile world called Imbera, and the fifth book is going to explore that world in a bit more detail. I knew that there would be a bigger backstory and future to Imbera which I had no time to discover in Controlling Magic. It’s certainly giving me a few surprises as I’m writing it!"

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 a white cat called Coconut, who is gentle, beautiful and by turns affectionate and incredibly elusive! She often keeps me company when I’m writing, in fact she’s curled up next to me now. She has a habit of turning away from cameras though, so I’ve had to hold her in place for the photo!"

Hello Coconut! You are a very beautiful girl :-D Lots of head scratches to you from all of us at BooksChatter! (even from the Cat Posse)

Alex, thank you for sharing that great pic of you and Coconut with us and for telling us all about...