J.D. Blackrose Q&A on ‘Wish Magic’—“Combining pieces of what I know personally makes my writing more relatable.”
The author talks about writing urban fantasy with a dash of paranormal romance and a dollop of humor.
“I love urban fantasy, but I don’t think we always have to take ourselves so seriously. We can mix in a little romance and humor along the way.”
Monster Complex uses Amazon affiliate links. As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. (At no additional charge to you.)
J.D. Blackrose loves all things storytelling. She’s fearful that so-called normal people will discover exactly how often she thinks about wicked fairies, nasty wizards, homicidal elevators, treacherous forests, and the odd murder, even when she is supposed to be having coffee with a friend or paying something called “bills.” As a survival tactic, she has mastered the art of looking interested.
She would like to thank her parents for teaching her to ask questions, and—in lieu of facts—how to make up things.
Blackrose’s fiction includes the Summoner’s Mark series, the Monster Hunter Mom series, the Zombie Cosmetologist series, and the Soul Wars series.
Her latest novel is Wish Magic. In our interview with the author, Blackrose tells Monster Complex about her unique brand of urban fantasy, what inspired her to go in that direction, and why she loves connecting with readers.
About the book Wish Magic (Summoner’s Mark #5)
Hi, I’m Becs. And I’m a Summoner.
The Kiss on my wrist—a mark I’ve had since birth—signals my rare ability to call on immortals and negotiate with them on behalf of my clients for information, favors, or other services. In the past few years, these powers got me entangled with the demon Valefar, a bevy of fae and even Lucifer himself!
It’s complicated, dangerous, and exhausting…especially when dealing with a guy like my pseudo-friend, businessman/mobster Gregory Adamos.
When Gregory told me he was having a package delivered to my door, I was suspicious. After all, I know he’s desperate to get his very human hands on any sort of magic. So, I opened the package…and found a crystal that had no business being in the United States, much less Smokey Point, Ohio.
Worse—this crystal contained a djinn. And when Gregory released it, all hell broke loose. Gregory thinks he can control this ancient creature, but I know better. The djinn has to be put back in his prison and locked away forever. But Gregory wants to use the genie’s power for himself. Before long, the entire magical community of Smokey Point is in chaos.
And if that isn’t enough to keep me busy, Asher has returned. Only he’s human this time, not an angel.
I don’t know which will be harder to do--imprison a genie or trust the love of a man I thought long dead.
I wish I knew.
J.D. Blackrose Q&A on Wish Magic
Q: How do you describe your fiction that you write?
I write urban fantasy with a dash of paranormal romance and a dollop of humor. I love urban fantasy, but I don’t think we always have to take ourselves so seriously. We can mix in a little romance and humor along the way.
Q: How do you explain your unique spin on fantasy?
The combination of traditional urban fantasy tropes with a few twists, often that draw on my own life. For example, two of my heroines are Jewish, because I’m Jewish, and we just don’t find a lot of Jewish main characters in urban fantasy.
Another example: My Monster Hunter Mom (The Devils Been Busy) is a monster hunter but she also has three kids and lives in the suburbs. She has to save the world and also get snack to kindergarten on time. She also doesn’t use guns so she has to fight the bad guys with things she finds in the back of her Toyota minivan. I hear moms laugh when she reaches down to get her water bottle and comes back with a warm sippy cup of day old apple juice.
Q: What inspired you to go in this direction?
I think combining little pieces of what I know personally, like being a mom of three kids, makes my writing more relatable. In my Zombie Cosmetologist book (A Wrinkle and Crime), Waylon is a zombie, but he’s also a makeup artist and skin care expert to the biggest Hollywood stars. He gets pulled into a murder mystery when bodies show up with limbs missing and the local police captain thinks the zombie has to be the perpetrator, because who else needs the spare parts? Waylon’s expertise in cosmetics and skin care comes from my love of makeup tutorial videos. And it worked for the character because he needed to learn how to do special effects makeup to cover his own scars.
Q: When and how did you become interested in writing your brand of stories?
I read a lot as a child and wrote too, but my interest in urban fantasy and romance really bloomed when I read Interview With A Vampire by Anne Rice. I was like, “More of this, please!”
Q: What are your favorite things about the section of the genre you occupy?
I love the enthusiasm of the fans. I’ve been meeting more readers personally, and they are all just so nice.
Q: What are your pet peeves that you’ve seen other storytellers do? How do you avoid making the same mistakes?
I don’t have a lot of pet peeves but I tend to notice when words are overused. When a writer uses a word repeatedly, I notice it and have this itch to take a red pen and strike them all out. (Of course, I overuse words too, so pot, kettle.)
Q: What are the best ways for fans to keep track of what you’re writing (and related author news about you)?
Join my enewsletter at slipperywords.com! I never spam folks and I share information about other writers too, so it isn’t all “me, me, me.” You can also find me on Facebook at J.D. Blackrose.
More from Monster Complex
Charlaine Harris Q&A + True Blood / Sookie Stackhouse Books In Order
Zombie Q&A—Jonathan Maberry: “Zombie Stories Are Not About Zombies”
Kendare Blake Q&A: ‘In Every Generation’ Revisits Buffy the Vampire Slayer
D.M. Guay: comedy horror author Q&A—“My goal is to hope like hell it will make readers laugh.”
Zombie Q&A—Isaac Marion: “George Romero tried to touch on the humanity of the zombies.”
More great horror fiction articles on Monster Complex
25+ Indian Authors Who Write Science Fiction, Horror, and Urban Fantasy
30+ Indie Urban Fantasy Authors—including Ilona Andrews, Brandon Sanderson, more
‘What We Do in the Shadows’ Fans—16 Vampire Books You Should Check Out
Panel: Black Women Who Write Dark Fiction and Poetry [Video]
27 Striking Vampire Books—including horror, romance, fantasy, and comedy titles
The Rondo Awards honor the best in classic horror research, creativity and film preservation. This year's winners include the reissue of ROBOT MONSTER, the movie GODZILLA: MINUS ONE, the TV series WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS, and more! Find out the details here.