ReaWrite: Hi Debbie! Thank you so much for joining us on ReaWrite. First off, can you tell us a bit about yourself and The Last Witch?
Debbie: Thanks so much for having me! A little bit about me – I’m a 30-something mom of three and married to my high school sweetheart. We recently moved to southern Idaho with our three kids. In addition to writing, I play the piano, harp, and violin, and get in frequent fights with my cello. I love to read and play board games – when I’m winning.
THE LAST WITCH is about a girl who not only discovers she is a witch, but her ability to choose has been taken from her. She is an Incenaga Witch and for generations they have been forced to use their power to fulfill the wishes of others until they are drained of their magic and left to die.
Emmeline is discovered and finds herself in the grip of a traitor who will stop at nothing to get what he wants, even if it means abusing her power. She is taken to a distant country and told she must marry the Crown Prince or her own country will be overtaken, its people slaughtered. But what sort of prince would marry a witch? And why would she be the difference between war and peace?
As she fights to regain her freedom, she is faced with a choice between a prince who offers a lifetime of security and a common gamekeeper who has no idea of her power, but offers his heart. But who can she trust when her power can be used against her?
ReaWrite: From concept to completion, how long did The Last Witch take you to write?
Debbie: Four years. I got the idea for THE LAST WITCH in December of 2008 and was so excited about it that I pumped out the story in less than three weeks. And then I re-read it. Wow, it was pretty bad. But I didn’t want to stop writing because it had been so much fun! So, I took classes, went to workshops and conferences, and gave my work to a ton of critics. When agents and publishers began complimenting my writing and asking for more of my work, I knew I was headed in the right direction.
Debbie: Can you give us any insight into your writing process?
ReaWrite: I’m a very visual person so I watch my characters, scenes, etc., much like I would a movie. After I have a hint of a story in my head, I hash out who my characters are –their strengths, weaknesses, backgrounds. From there, I sit in my seat, get my popcorn, and watch the show. Haha! If only it were that easy. There is some blood, sweat, and tears in there too.
Debbie: Which scene in the book (without giving too much away) was the most difficult for you? The most fun?
I had a difficult time getting through a particular scene in which Emmeline is forced to use her power in a horrifying way. She has fought so hard to prevent it, but everything piles up on her in a way that leaves her too weak to fight it anymore.
My favorite scenes to write always involved Erick. He’s such hunk, surely no one can blame me! There is a scene in which Erick and Emmeline are spying on a meeting for the rebels. It’s late at night and when they are discovered, they get separated. This scene kept me up well past my bedtime because there was no way I was going to sleep before I figured out how to get them out of the mess and back together! It was a ton of fun to write.
ReaWrite: What kind of books do you usually read? Any favorite authors?
Debbie:I love to read just about anything with a romantic sub-plot. Classics, fantasy, paranormal, historical fiction, all of it! For me, the classic story of boy-meets-girl will never grow old.
ReaWrite: What are you working on now?
Debbie: I’m finishing up the final edits for THE UNDERGROUND WITCH, book two in the Incenaga Trilogy, which will be out in spring of 2013. I’m also finishing up the final edits for a historical fiction set in ancient Egypt that I’m very excited about. I haven’t decided on the title yet, but I’m leaning toward DESERT GUARDIAN. It is about a blue-eyed, blond-haired girl who inadvertently saves Pharaoh’s son and is rewarded with an invitation to join the elite royal school in Egypt’s capital. It’s an adventurous middle-grade novel. I’m also working on a YA contemporary set in Greece, which I’m excited about.
ReaWrite: Debbie, thank you so much for answering my questions today.
Ooo, boy. This is it, (probably) the final time I will have an excuse to talk Twilight on the blog. Breaking Dawn Part 2 came out last weekend, and while I wasn’t first in line (or even present) at a midnight showing, I did go see it on Sunday to limit my chances of any big twists being spoiled for me via Twitter.
