LB First of all would you like to tell us a bit about yourself as an introduction to the visitors to my site?
EC Let’s see…I live outside of Charlotte, NC, USA, with four crazed cats and my wonderful husband. I’m currently completing my Master’s degree in biology, and I also work part-time at a wildlife rehabilitation center. I’ve been making up stories for as long as I can remember, but I didn’t decide I wanted to be a writer until age 8. Of course, it took another twenty years to get anything published, but that is another story!
LB Wolfkin is the first book in the Lord of Wind and Fire series. I understand it continues with The Crow Queen and Dragon's Son. Can you please tell us about that series? Are more books planned to continue the story?
EC I like to think of The Crow Queen, the middle book in the series, as “the downward spiral” portion of the story. All of the lies of omission that Yozerf has made by the end of Wolfkin come home to roost, while at the same time he must deal with the ghosts of the past.
Dragon’s Son is the transformative book, the one where several characters come to new understandings both of themselves and those around them. One of the themes that occurs over and over again in all three books is that of betrayal. “To trust is to die,” Yozerf claims at the beginning, and certainly various characters betray one another throughout and on all levels. But at the same time, the consequences of *not* trusting when you should, of holding back from your friends and loved ones, are equally terrible. It’s an interesting quandary.
I don’t have any more books *planned* in the series, but that may change someday. My novels are as messy as real life in some ways; every single thread isn’t finished and neatly wrapped up by the end. In particular, Owl, a character introduced in Dragon’s Son, clearly has a story to tell someday.
LB Wolfkin introduces a number of different races and beings. There is also a complex history to each of the races. Can you tell us about the races we have already met and what races new races, if any, we are likely to meet in future novels in the series?
EC There are three major races in the kingdom of Jenel: Wolfkin, Aclytes, and humans. I’ll assume most of my readers are familiar with humans already. The Wolfkin are essentially werewolves; they can take on either human or wolf form at will. Even in human form, however, their wolf instincts are very strong—the desire to find a pack, to protect their territory, etc. Unlike most literary werewolves, I think it would be fair to say that they are more wolves that change into humans rather than humans that change into wolves. They are fewer in number than either of the other two main races, and generally keep to themselves. There are all sorts of horrifying and untrue tales about them—they eat babies, kill everything in sight, etc.—and because of this they are feared and persecuted.
Aclytes are a wholly separate species from either Wolfkin or humans, and any children born from cross-species unions are sterile. The Aclytes once ruled a great kingdom, which was destroyed in a vicious war with Jenel 300 years ago. The conquering Jenelese army brought many Aclytes into Jenel with them as slaves. Although slavery has vanished in the intervening time, Aclytes are still discriminated against in both law and deed. As a result, many of them have a very poor opinion of humans.
As for minor races, there are the Red Guard, servants of Jahcgroth, the Emperor who wants to take over Jenel. They are also shape-changers, shifting from human form to that of a gargoyle-like creature. They and the Wolfkin are almost instinctive enemies; they will generally not hesitate to attack one another, although the Red Guard seem to have a little more self control when it comes to this.
Dragons are transformed Aclytes rather than a naturally-occurring species, and do not procreate as such.
LB I love the fact that your site has pictures on it of the two main characters in Wolfkin. Your site indicates that you did a number of the great "cast" pictures for your novels. The cover of the Wolfkin is pretty much true to those pictures. Did you have much say in the cover? Which came first?
EC I’m a very visually-oriented person—I “see” the scenes and characters in my books very clearly. Part of the creative process for me has always been to do sketches or pictures of the things I see in my mind, and once I had a web site I decided to share those pictures with others.
One of the great things about working with smaller presses is that authors get more input into the cover art. When it came time to work on the cover, I was able to send some pictures I had done to my cover artist (the extremely talented Stacey L. King). Stacey sent me concept sketches of the characters back and discussed her ideas for the cover with me. I think the end result was something we were both very pleased with.
LB A Treasure in and of Itself shows us a younger Yozerf in a shorter story. Do you have any plans to show us Suchen in her earlier life in a similar form?
EC Hmm, that’s a good idea. ;-)
Seriously, both of the characters have quite a bit of back story that never makes it into the novels. There are a lot of stories I’d like to tell someday. The siege of Kellsjard, when Suchen and her brother first met Lord Auglar is one of them. The story of how Yozerf finally found out that he was a shapeshifter is another. What really happened to Lord Auglar’s father all those years ago? Why did Yozerf decide to return from the Eastern Forest and rejoin human civilization? What was he up to during all those years of wandering?
LB Can you tell us about your "fae" novel Winter's Orphans?
EC Winter’s Orphans was written to explore what would happen if a person who had been largely powerless in all aspects of her life suddenly discovered that she had great power. Would she use it? If so, how? Where would she draw the line—and what might make her cross that line, despite her best intentions?
Winter’s Orphans as been described as “if Charles Dickens wrote fantasy.” The heroine, Mina Cole, is a poor factory worker in a quasi-Victorian, industrial revolution world. She discovers that she is a faeling—part human, part fae—which is the source of her magic.
This book won the 2002 Eppie Award for Best Fantasy Novel, the 2001 Dream Realm Award for Best Fantasy Novel, and the Word Weaving Award for Excellence.
LB Can you tell us about your novels Tyrant Moon and the Heretic Sun? Are there likely to be more sequels to these?
EC Tyrant Moon takes place in a Bronze Age society. A barbarian warrior woman, Arrow, must seek the help of a pacifist wizard, Thraxis, to stop a second wizard who is leading her people into war. The trick was to put together two such very different people, and yet have their relationship come off naturally.
This book explores the idea of “why do good people sometimes do bad things?” It’s really about redemption, I think.
Heretic Sun continues the adventures of Thraxis and Arrow where the first book left off. It takes place in an Egypt-like background, and I had great fun researching ancient Egyptian magical beliefs.
I hope someday to write a third book in the series, but for right now it’s up in the air.
LB You have a lot of information compiled on your site about the various people, places etc in the Lord of Wind and Fire series. Have you considered putting together a companion book to go with the series?
EC Maybe someday! But for now, I’m just giving it away on my website.
LB You have a few items available at an online store that relate to your books. What is the response to these and are you planning on adding any more items for sale?
EC I only just set up the store at CafePress.com, so it’s too early to say. But I do plan on adding more items. If there’s something in particular that a reader would like to see, they can always drop me a line at elaine@onecrow.net, and I’ll do my best to provide it.
LB Finally do you have a message for all your readers out there?
EC Follow your dream, whatever it may be. If you want to write, paint, dance—anything—don’t let anyone else’s negative vibes discourage you from pursuing your goals.
And with that positive advice we are winding up the interview and it only remains to thank Elaine for taking the time (over Christmas no less) to answer questions for the magical romance website.
Links to online stores
Also by Elaine Corvidae: The Crow Queen, Dragon's Son, Winter's Orphans, Tyrant Moon and Heretic Sun.
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