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Sacrificial Magic
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AC: Stacia Kane of Sacrificial Magic (April 24-26)
Welcome Stacia, it's a pleasure to have you with us! I hope you enjoy your time with our members; and good luck to you all!
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Members, if you can please write the questions in bold; it would be easier for her to know that you have asked a question and less chance that it will be missed. Thanks!
I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you discussed in your Q&A "Finding Magic" or the next book in the series?
Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you discussed in your Q&A "Finding Magic" or the next book in..."I am anxious to learn the answer to this one. Fingers crossed. I have worked hard getting friends addicted to this series in the hopes that it will help us get a book six, seven, eight..............
Will you be doing any book signings in the United States? In particular Miami, FL? :D Also, this is literally my favorite book series.
Hi Stacia...What other character from Downside, meaning not Chess or Terrible, would you like to write about? There are so many wonderful side characters like Edsel and Red Berta and Bump, seems like all of them could be very story rich.
Thanks for being her Stacia. I haven't had a chance to read your series yet, but it sounds great. I love the name Chess- it's definitely a unique character name. So in that vein, my question is:what is the backstory behind such a interesting name?
Thanks again!
Hi, Sacrificial Magic was such an emotional roller-coaster for me. I felt my heart breaking for Chess many times. I'm already stocking up on tissues for the next book. LOL.Chess talks about the teachings of The Church of Truth and the imbalance that caused Haunted Week. Not all Downsider's believe this and many blame a conspiracy by the Church. Do you have any plans to reveal more on this subject or will it always remain a background issue?
Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you discussed in your Q&A "Finding Magic" or the next book in..."Hi Laura!
I don't have a release date for book 6 yet, no; it's not even written yet! (Though of course I know what happens.) Given that, my guess is next year at some point; I expect to have it finished by the end of June or so.
FINDING MAGIC is a novella (and yep, a little prequel story) and that should be out much sooner; perhaps before CHASING MAGIC or maybe just after, I'm not sure yet. But of course I'll post info as soon as I can. :-)
Hi everyone!Sorry I'm a bit late getting here; the time difference means I was out running errands when you all started posting, and then I had some trouble getting myself logged in etc. Thanks for all the questions, I'm looking forward to chatting with you!
Shazzy wrote: "Hi Stacia, I LOVE your books!Will you be doing any book signings in London?"
Hi Shazzy! Thank you!
I'm not sure, actually. I did sign some books in February at the SFX Weekender con, but I don't have any concrete info on further appearances.
(To be perfectly honest, book signings scare me! I'm always convinced no one will show up and I'll sit there by myself for hours feeling like a dork. But of course if the lovely folks at HarperVoyager UK want me to do an appearance, I'll be happy to. It's really up to them, since they make all those arrangements.)
Emily wrote: "Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you discussed in your..."Thanks, Emily! I certainly hope there will be future books as well, and I'm currently considering the idea that perhaps if we don't get an acceptable offer for them in the US I may self-publish them. We'll see. :-)
Stacia wrote: "Emily wrote: "Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you dis..."Awesome! If you write them I will buy them ;)
Leah wrote: "Will you be doing any book signings in the United States? In particular Miami, FL? :D Also, this is literally my favorite book series."Thanks so much, Leah!
Do you live in Miami? I lived there for a dozen years (well, Miami--South Beach--and then Ft. Lauderdale); it's funny, because while we were there my husband and I had all kinds of complaints, but we miss it terribly. (And I am still a die-hard Dolphan and always will be!)
Since I'm in England at the moment I don't have any Miami appearances planned, but we definitely intend to at least visit next summer, so we'll see. :-)
Mona wrote: "Hi Stacia...What other character from Downside, meaning not Chess or Terrible, would you like to write about? There are so many wonderful side characters like Edsel and Red Berta and Bump, seems l..."Hi Mona,
Oh, gosh. All of them, actually. I think it would be fun to do little adventures for all of them (it's actually something I've been considering as a series of little shorts). There are so many little things about them that would be fun to explore; like that Bump comes from a very wealthy and privileged background, or that Edsel had a very reckless phase in his life--kind of like Giles's "Ripper" past in Buffy. :-)
I think of all of them, though, it would be the most interesting for me to do a story about Elder Griffin. I got to show him very briefly in THE BRAVE TALE OF MADDIE CARVER, as a young hotshot-type guy, but I think it would be cool to do something really focused on him.
Sassafrass wrote: "Thanks for being her Stacia. I haven't had a chance to read your series yet, but it sounds great. I love the name Chess- it's definitely a unique character name. So in that vein, my question is:..."Thanks, Sassafrass, I hope you like the books if you decide to read them!
Actually, the name came from the son of a former boss of mine (the son is actually rather high-profile now himself, as was his darling father, and writes for HuffPo among others). His name is Cesare (pronounced Chez-uh-ray) and I just thought it was such a cool name.
I ran through a few ideas for names for Chess--Josephine was one of them, I recall--but nothing seemed to fit. Then I remembered how much I'd always liked Cesare and thought of what a female version might be; Cesaria popped into my head and I decided to go with it, because it just instantly felt right. It's not a common name but there have been a few other Cesarias over the years. :-) (I'm actually kind of sad sometimes that I used it for a character because I love it so much I think it would be really fun as a baby name, not that I'm planning on more kids but one never knows, right?)
One of the best parts for me is that "Chess" is not only a great nickname but given how much intrigue and maneuvering always seems to be going on around her, it's such a great allusion to the game itself, and the need to stay one step ahead, and the idea of pawns etc. So I was/am really pleased to have found it.
Stacia, I am glad that you did not conform to "this is what a heroine is" I have never connected to all of the characters like I have in your books. Each one of them touches something in me. So thank you!!! Q: Did you ever think that you would get the types of emotional responses from your readers that your getting? I have been reading reviews and comments on your books since I finished them and the response of your readers is incredible
Stacia wrote: "Oh, gosh. All of them, actually. I think it would be fun to do little adventures for all of them (it's actually something I've been considering as a series of little shorts). ..."WOW...that would be SO brilliant! I'd love a series of shorts on various Downside folks. An Elder Griffin story would be excellent...to see him as a young powerful magic user when things were maybe a bit scarier, Haunted Week a bit fresher. I'd love to know why he feels such an affinity for Chess? His belief in her and his kindness towards her is so important to her well being.
Daffodil wrote: "Hi, Sacrificial Magic was such an emotional roller-coaster for me. I felt my heart breaking for Chess many times. I'm already stocking up on tissues for the next book. LOL.Chess talks about the..."
Hi Daffodil! Heh, good idea on the tissues. :-) I needed a few, I admit.
As for the Church/Haunted Week/etc....to be honest, I'm not sure how much will be revealed. More, definitely, but even I am still not sure whether it'll all come out. I'm pretty sure the Church didn't cause Haunted Week, though.
Certainly the 6th book will be VERY Church-focused, so there'll be a lot more info there. And we *may* find out what did cause HW. :-) I think there's going to be some really interesting stuff revealed in that one; certainly I hope you guys find it as interesting as I do!
Stacia I know you have answered this before but how many books have you "planned" I am thinking you may have said nine?..................
Hi Stacia. I first found your Megan Chase series a few years ago (ok, my daughter found it and passed it along, but still...) and was so excited to see a new series from you. I really enjoy the Downside Ghosts series. It was so different than the Megan Chase series it surprised me a little. That said, could you tell us why you chose to go in such a different direction with Downside Ghosts than you did with the Personal Demons series?
Stacia wrote: "Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you discussed in your..."Oh gosh, that Finding Magic may come out around the same time as Chasing Magic makes my heart happy! :-)
And definitely keeps us in the loop about book 6!!!!
The downside series is without a doubt one of my favourites and I am completely in love with terrible! So my question is thisWAS THE CHARACTER TERRIBLE BASED ON ANYONE IN PARTICULAR (AND IF SO CAN I HAVE HIS NUMBER HAHA! )
Zoe wrote: "The downside series is without a doubt one of my favourites and I am completely in love with terrible! So my question is thisWAS THE CHARACTER TERRIBLE BASED ON ANYONE IN PARTICULAR (AND IF SO CA..."
BAHAHAHAHAHA Oh wow lol I am in agreement on this question!
Emily wrote: "Stacia wrote: "Emily wrote: "Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the ..."Thanks Emily!
Cmunroe wrote: "Stacia, I am glad that you did not conform to "this is what a heroine is" I have never connected to all of the characters like I have in your books. Each one of them touches something in me. So tha..."Thanks, Cmunroe!
I didn't really connect to most of the heroines out there, either, to be honest. I just didn't relate much to them or their problems, or especially their outlooks/the way they dealt with things.
Certainly I hoped readers would connect with her. I never even dreamed that people would connect SO strongly, though, or that she'd grow to be so important to so many of them. It's just amazing, and really gratifying, and honestly makes me feel pretty good. :-) I think it's always nice to know one is not alone in having certain thoughts or feelings or whatever.
I wish there were more of you, lol, but it's awesome to have any at all. :-)
Stacia wrote: "Cmunroe wrote: "Stacia, I am glad that you did not conform to "this is what a heroine is" I have never connected to all of the characters like I have in your books. Each one of them touches somethi..."Give us time LOL we fans of yours are spreading the word. Goodreads is an awesome site. I just found it in March. Thats how I found your books!!
Qwill / The Qwillery wrote: "Hi Stacia. Love the series! How did you develop the language that is spoken in Downside?"Hi Qwill! Thanks!
It just sort of flowed, really; I wanted something unique that would really help define the world and characters, and tell readers something about them (just the way language/accent/speech patterns do in the real world). It's funny, because I remember reading a comment somewhere from someone who was offended that only poor people spoke Downspeech, and it was like, well, yeah, that's the *point.* It shows us something about them, where they're from, what kind of lives they've lived, without us even knowing what they look like or anything else. To me it was like complaining that a Southerner speaks with a Southern accent or that a native St. Louisan asks another character where they went to high school (for those who didn't grow up in St. Louis, that's an old joke/code for those of us who did; it's one of the first questions St. Louisans ask each other).
I had a dictionary of old slang called THE WORD MUSEUM, and I loved all those words; they're so fascinating, and so useful and interesting. And I wanted to create a kind of dialect where they fit in and sounded organic. Plus I had the image of Church employees in their Pilgrim-esque outfits (the Church began during the Salem Witch Trials, and so has kept a lot of the traditions etc. of that period alive, though of course with a very different outlook) so it made sense to use a more archaic-sounding type of dialect. And I think in many cases the language of the "ruling classes" or upper classes is mirrored by the lowest, or imitated, and it changes as it drifts down. So you had people using older words and speech patterns, but in an uneducated way. So I messed with the pronouns and got rid of some of the filler-type words we use; I made the speech more direct (as I believe dialects of the uneducated tend to be).
It was just incredibly fun to do. I admit it's hard for me to write without using dialect now, because I find the whole concept of how people's lives inform and change their spoken language so interesting, and that it provides such insight.
Emily wrote: "Stacia I know you have answered this before but how many books have you "planned" I am thinking you may have said nine?.................."Nine is my original plan, yes, and probably still where it'll go. But we'll see. A lot is going to depend on how well things go as far as sales etc. :-)
Jeanne wrote: "Hi Stacia. I first found your Megan Chase series a few years ago (ok, my daughter found it and passed it along, but still...) and was so excited to see a new series from you. I really enjoy the D..."Thanks Jeanne!
Honestly? I think I just decided I wanted to stretch myself a bit, and express myself a bit more, too. My work had been turning darker for some time--I came up with the idea for UNHOLY GHOSTS when I was about a third of the way through DEMON INSIDE, and I think the darker tone is pretty evident in that book--but I decided to just go for it, and not hold anything back, and really take a chance.
I was very worried about how readers of the Demons books would react, though, because the tone was so different (I even tried to let them know in advance what to expect, because I didn't want to upset them or make them feel betrayed or cheated, which backfired in a pretty horrible way). So it's nice to hear from people who like the Downside books just as much!
Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "Stacia wrote: "Laura *Little Read Riding Hood* wrote: "I know Chasing Magic comes out in June ... Do we have any estimation of when the next one will come out? Or if that will be the prequel you di..."Thanks, I will!
Zoe wrote: "The downside series is without a doubt one of my favourites and I am completely in love with terrible! So my question is thisWAS THE CHARACTER TERRIBLE BASED ON ANYONE IN PARTICULAR (AND IF SO CA..."
Hahahaha Zoe!
Sorry, no. He's 100% invented. But if you happen to find him, do give him my number. ;-)
I'm off to eat and watch MAD MEN (we get new eps on Tuesday here) so will be back in two hours or so to get the questions I haven't yet answered and hopefully some new ones! Please keep the questions etc. coming!Meanwhile, let me ask you one: Where do you think the series will go? What would you like to see happen? (I've already got everything planned, both for nine books and for twelve, but I'd love to know what you think would be fun/cool to see.) Also, what sorts of "other" stories would you be interested in?
Stacia wrote: "Zoe wrote: "The downside series is without a doubt one of my favourites and I am completely in love with terrible! So my question is thisWAS THE CHARACTER TERRIBLE BASED ON ANYONE IN PARTICULAR (..."
Damn! Knew he was too good to be true :'( haha
Well this series has basically introduced me to the whole urban fantasy style books I don't normally go for romantic books as such but I like romance in a book (if that makes sense and I'm not just rambling on! )
DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE SAME KIND OF GENRE?
Stacia wrote: "I'm off to eat and watch MAD MEN (we get new eps on Tuesday here) so will be back in two hours or so to get the questions I haven't yet answered and hopefully some new ones! Please keep the questio..."I have been wondering whether chess will come up against Tyson again I doubt very much he took kindly to what took place and there was alot of mystery still around him I think he's definitely an interesting character
Other Stories:Terrible POV!!!!!!! do i need to explain?
Bump for sure!! There is not enough information in the stories about him and his character is shown through Chess's eyes. I would like to see who he really is
Lex and Blue:
Blue really surprised me, I hope that she really is as nice a person as she appears. Lex because you know there is more going on behind those eyes than what we have been shown
The Pipe Room!!! - It would be interesting to see the POV of someone who works at a pipe room. What they see and know about the people in Downside.
Stacia wrote: "I'm off to eat and watch MAD MEN (we get new eps on Tuesday here) so will be back in two hours or so to get the questions I haven't yet answered and hopefully some new ones! Please keep the questio..."Where do I see the story going? I see Chess and Terrible on different adventures that further explore the Church and it's truth. I really think if something is wrong with the truth, and I do think there is, then those two will explore it and maybe unearth it. They may end up changing the way people live.......again. But one thing I am sure of is that they will do it together. They are two parts of a whole. When alone they are not at their fullest potentials and they compliment each other.
I see more difficulties for Terrible and Bump and keeping control but think between those two they will have it down........no offense Lex....
Hey all!I'm so sorry to do this, but my dinner was too heavy (quesadillas) and my stomach hurts, which always makes me really tired for some reason (it doesn't help that I've only gotten four hours or so of sleep a night the last few nights). So I'm going to bed (it's after ten here). I will be back bright and early tomorrow morning and will be around all day to chat; I don't want to miss any questions and I definitely don't want to miss having more fun with you guys!
Please forgive me! I'm so sorry, I'm just not feeling great. But I can't wait to talk to you all some more tomorrow!
Good MAD MEN, though. :-)
Stacia - I don't have a question - I just want to say thank you for writing this absolutely wonderful series. I get lost in these books and I love the world. I just finished Chasing Magic and I was sad that I finished reading it. I want more. Thanks!
Stacia, will Chess have a HEA? Will she every quit drugs? Will you do a story on just Trouble? What about the Priest what's his story. I know I'm weird. I like background stories. Thanks Mary
If you were to dish on one of your guilty pleasures, what would it be?for me, I love buying vanilla pudding (the little kiddie size packs), a bag of oreos and dunking the oreo's in the pudding...but I have no idea why...I'm also a sucker for Nilla wafers and frosting
Hi Stacia, hope you get some rest tonight. I have to confess that although I own City of Ghosts, Unholy Magic and Unholy Ghosts, I haven't read them yet. :(Do you have a favorite character? And what makes that one your favorite?
Mona wrote: "Stacia wrote: "Oh, gosh. All of them, actually. I think it would be fun to do little adventures for all of them (it's actually something I've been considering as a series of little shorts). ..."W..."
Hi Mona!
Yes, Elder Griffin's support is very important to Chess; she almost doesn't realize how much it matters (although as the series has progressed she's been more willing to admit that to herself).
There's a brief hint of it in MADDIE CARVER--a mention of his family not accepting him/his sexuality--but that's a big part of it. He didn't grow up poor like Chess but his family wasn't kind to him, and he had a fairly difficult childhood. He knows a bit about what Chess's life was like--he's seen her file, of course, but he's smart enough to have made inferences from her behavior as well. He knows how it feels to be an outsider and to feel unloved.
And he sees a bit of himself in her; he understands her and what she's going through (and she reminds him of a childhood friend of his).
The Church made a huge difference for Elder Griffin as far as accepting himself and feeling good about himself, and he had someone "take him under his wing" to some extent to help him do that, so he's reaching out to help Chess do the same.
Zoe wrote: "Well this series has basically introduced me to the whole urban fantasy style books I don't normally go for romantic books as such but I like romance in a book (if that makes sense and I'm not just rambling on! )DO YOU HAVE ANY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE SAME KIND OF GENRE?"
Definitely! :-)
I absolutely recommend my friend Stacey Jay's Annabel Lee books: DEAD ON THE DELTA is the first one. And my friend Caitlin Kittredge's Black London series, which starts with STREET MAGIC. And my friend Carolyn Crane's Disilusionist series.
I know since they're friends of mine it may sound like I'm just recommending them to recommend them, but I think people who enjoy my books will absolutely enjoy these; not only do I love them but there are similarities in voice etc. So I definitely believe that if you like the Downside books you'll also like those.
Other books I really enjoy: Richelle Mead's Succubus series, Seressia Glass's Shadowchaser books, Allison Pang's books...all of those are great!
Romance Readers Reading Challenges
Books mentioned in this topic
Chasing Magic (other topics)The Brave Tale of Maddie Carver (other topics)
Unholy Ghosts (other topics)
Unholy Magic (other topics)
Demon Inside (other topics)
More...
Meet Stacia:
Stacia Kane is the author of the light-hearted romantic urban fantasy "Megan Chase" series starting with PERSONAL DEMONS.
She currently writes the gritty dystopian urban fantasy "Downside" series starring Chess Putnam and featuring ghosts, human sacrifice, drugs, witchcraft, punk rock, and a badass '69 Chevelle. She bleaches her hair and wears a lot of black.
Sacrificial Magic:
When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.
Website: http://www.staciakane.com/
Books:
Giveaway: TBD