Tides of Magic
by Andi R. Christopher
Released: Jan 24, 2023
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Why this book and why now?
In 2020-22 I was part of a group project called “Witchy Fiction” – starting in lockdown, we wrote light novellas about witches, set in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand. I loved writing them and realised I wanted more, but to also go a little more in depth and focus on one character. I grew up on an island and I now live in a city on a harbour so it’s no surprise that sea magic came to mind. I created a character whose emotional arc covered multiple books, and started thinking about possible locations. Before long, I had Charley Deacon and I had the fictional coastal settlement of Inver Aora.
Would you and your main character(s) get along?
I write a lot of characters who are like me, and I actually had a lot of fun with Charley in how unlike me she is. Sure, there are some things in common, but not much. She’s not a nerd, she doesn’t have useless facts at her disposal, she doesn’t have strong political views. She likes running! I thankfully have a better relationship with my parents. I have good relationships with my siblings but we’re not close in age so I don’t have the closeness Charley has with Melissa. I’d like to have her level of determination, but I’m not quite there.
All this is to say that we probably wouldn’t find it easy to connect, but we’d probably like each other once we did. I’d say we’d most likely get along fine, but not be besties. But you never know. Sometimes the strongest friendships are with the most unlikely people.
What TV show would your main character(s) most likely binge watch and why?
Charley would probably enjoy one of those dramas that go on and on, year after year, because she likes being immersed in things. Maybe Grey’s Anatomy because her sister’s a med student and she’d totally enjoy winding her up with everything a hospital drama gets wrong.
What 3 things would your main character want with them if they got stranded away from civilization, and why?
Charley isn’t totally away from civilisation in the book, but she’s in a more isolated place than she’s used to and I think she manages pretty well. With the basics taken care of, and assuming she has some open space to go running, being away from loved ones is going to be hardest for her. But when it comes to actual things, I’m going to assume there’s mysteriously electricity in this place and say a gaming console as first choice. Secondly, she needs some sort of puzzle to focus on – maybe a Rubik’s cube or something more complicated. And thirdly, while it sounds like essential clothing is sorted, she probably still wants her favourite hoodie to feel comfortable in.
Publishing a book is a huge accomplishment and it’s time to party! Choose a celebratory beverage for one of your main characters to toast the release of your new book.
One of my favourite cocktails is a Sunset Blue Lagoon – blue curaçao, vodka, lemonade and a little grenadine, and it seems thematically appropriate. Charley may not be organised for cocktail making in this book, but True? True would make them for everyone.
I recently splashed out on a soda maker which has been the best non-book purchasing decision of the year, and I’m really loving Six Barrel Soda Company’s Rose Lemon syrup. So swap in Rose Lemonade soda for the regular lemonade and I think it’s perfect.
