Today at Wolf Majick Reviews we were lucky enough to catch up with Author Rivka Spicer. Rivka is the author of a fantastic Urban Fantasy Novel Masquerade. I will be posting a review for Masquerade later this week but first lets talk with Rivka.
Delia: What do you like most about being a writer?
Rivka: I don't think I can condense it into just one thing. Mostly it's escapism. That's certainly how it started out for me anyway. It also settles the voices in my head. I know that sounds crazy (and probably is!!) but once I get an idea it just turns and turns in my imagination, growing away until I can't think about anything else until I have it down on the paper. I've always been creative - with textiles, jewellery, dance and writing. Sometimes there's just not enough room in my brain for all the ideas that I have and I can lie awake at night for hours with my thoughts going at a million miles an hour. Writing them down, focusing my creative abilities on a plot line and on characters, it grounds me. Then there's the reward of seeing the way my work affects others. A close friend is still not speaking to me after 2 weeks because I made her cry with the book but to affect people on such a base emotional level is very touching.
Delia: Can you tell us anything about your inspiration for writing this book?
Rivka: The book started with Oceana. I did an indexing course last September and absolutely loved it - there was something about the whole flow of information that really appealed to me. It sounds weird but it profoundly changed the way I look at life - everything suddenly became interconnected and it was an extraordinary feeling. I realised I had to create a character within that role and Oceana was born.
Delia: Tell us about the cover art, it is absolutely breathtaking did you pick it yourself or did the publisher point you in the right direction?
Rivka: I was really lucky with the cover art to have a friend who is a graphic designer - Mathew Ward (his details are in the book). I chose the photograph and he then cropped it and added in the text. I think we're both really proud of it - it's very striking. He was incredibly easy to work with and didn't mind my whole laid back attitude of 'this is the picture but you can pick the rest because I trust you absolutely'. I'll definitely use him again for future covers.
Delia: What kind of research did you have to do about police procedures? Bead working?
Rivka: I actually work as a civilian for the Police in my day job so I guess I kind of cheated when it comes to this question. I also make jewellery as one of my many random hobbies so I have a working knowledge of all the techniques I described in the books.
Delia: Are any of your characters based on real people?
Rivka: I guess Oceana is based on me in a roundabout way. She has the same hobbies. Charlie and Xav are based on two of my brother's best friends from school - I loved them to bits growing up. I was very lucky to have a whole phalanx of big brothers. Jo is also very loosely based on a friend from work. I like to base characters on people I love - I think it gives them a certain kind of depth but it's also really nice to see how excited they get when they realise they're in one of my books. I have kept a text message Jo sent me, utterly delighted that she'd become a vampire!
Delia: Why vampires? are they your favorite supernatural creatures? If not what is?
Rivka: I went with vampires for two reasons. One, I absolutely loved the idea of a snarky Tristan and it seemed the only way to give him that backdrop was to show him struggling with his humanity. Two, I liked the idea of journals spanning centuries. Could you imagine...first hand accounts of every major historical event. It would just be fascinating. I'm not sure if they're my favourite supernatural being. I'll always have a soft spot for witches.
Delia: Will we be seeing more of Oceana in the future?
Rivka: You will definitely be seeing more of Oceana in the future. I've already written more than 11 thousand words of the follow-up to Masquerade. It's got a working title of 'Carnevale' and will feature Oceana, Will, the rest of the crew and a couple of new faces too. I'm hoping to have it completed and published by the end of the summer.
Delia: Do you have any other published works available?
Rivka: There is a short novella on Amazon called Beautiful of Heart. It's a little story set in the town where I live. Up here it's still very much Viking country and there's a lot of local history if you're keen enough to go out and look for it. I loved the idea of a vampire coming back more than a thousand years later to find his roots, to see how the world where he lived his mortal life has changed. It has funny moments and poignant moments and I really just wanted to put it out there at a very low price for anyone that wanted to see my style before they bought Masquerade.
Delia: How can readers stay connected with you? Twitter? facebook? Website?
Rivka: I'm on Twitter as @Alylonna and I try to respond to every mention I get. I'll also usually follow back. I love to hear from people that read my books. I also blog occasionally on wordpress - http://alylonna.wordpress.com/ . I tend not to accept friend requests on Facebook because it's more to keep in touch with family. There'll also be a site going up in the next few weeks where people will be able to buy my jewellery but I don't have the URL yet. I'll be linking it from Twitter though so if anyone is curious they can keep an eye out for it.
Delia: A special thanks to Rivka for stopping by today. Don't forget you can check out Rivika on Amazon too.
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