Greetings witches, wizards, and muggles!
The book I have chosen for this month is Summoned by MB Thurman.
Summoned is an enchanting novel that takes place in Paris with the main character, Hadley Weston, meeting up with her love interest Fitz MacGregor. Due to government orders, the two are forbidden to see each other, but with a connection like theirs, it is nearly impossible. This book touches on the seventeenth-century witch trials held in Forfar, Scotland. The two partner up to solve a mystery revolving around these trials, but are forced to choose whether to align themselves with the government who restrained them or allow an evil being to destroy the peace created between witches and humans.
Along with purchasing this beautifully bound novel, I had the chance to interview the author MB! Here are the questions I asked along with the author’s responses.
When you first had the idea in your head, did you draw on your own personal travel experiences when choosing the setting?
- Yes, all of the descriptions in the book, landscape, and surrounding areas are based on trips I have personally taken.
How did you begin? In other words, how did Summoned come to be?
- There was this image in my head that, was really just one particular scene. I had no idea what to do with it, I had this thought of “What was I supposed to do with this?” If there is one piece of advice I could give you, listen to those instincts. If you have something that you can clearly see, or even if it is just a single scene, write it down.
I am an aspiring author myself and I would love to know what your editing and publishing experience was like.
- It was a long road. Throughout my entire process, I reflected back to when I met Stephanie Meyer. She told me, “Write for you, finish for you, and don’t even think about publishing before then.”
- I went through the writer’s digest courses that held editing services. They actually changed the way the story unfolded based on the editing they gave me. There is also a Twitter writing community that holds editors, cover artists, and that is actually where I found my cover artist. I just posted that I needed a cover artist and I found this most amazing and professional artist that created the book cover you see now. It is completely original and hand-drawn. The cover itself inspired me to write another scene. When it comes to the manuscript, there were two options I had. Sending it to multiple agents in hopes they would believe in my book enough to publish, or believe in it myself. I went through numerous blog posts and even videos on how to publish your own novel and I landed on Kendall Direct Publishing through Amazon and it was the best decision.
I know sometimes authors want their readers to gain something when they finish their novel. Is this the same for you?
- Oh gosh, I think even if my book helped one person, that would be great. I have been told by some of the readers already that my book was a great escape for them. I also hope that they can gain an interest in the witch trials and the stories of the people and what they went through. Not many people know the stories of King James in Scotland and while I can go on for hours about him, I would love if people researched him after reading my book.
Summoned was such a fantastic read, can the readers expect a sequel or even more?
- Well without saying too much, the sequel is currently in progress. There will be a connection between the characters and the stories. Sometimes one character from my third novel may be drinking tea in a cafe while a character from the first novel walks through the doors. I have always loved that connection in stories because it answers the question of what is this other character up to.
I hope you all enjoyed this month’s Wildcat Book of the Month! It was truly an incredible experience to speak with MB Thurman and I can’t wait for the sequel!
“Even considering the uncertainty of our future, I was learning to live in the moment and to truly appreciate it. And I was happy. Really Happy.” – Summoned
HC XOXO