Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Frances Evelyn
Book Title: Bibliomancer
Released: 10/1/21
Genre: Women’s Fantasy/Literary Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “Bibliomancer”?
Evelyn: I've always loved books about books, so that's really what I started from: Emily returns to her small hometown (Oakham, in Rutland) and takes a job in a bookshop. She's a very sweet and lovely person, but I wanted to take her on a journey where readers would start to doubt the decisions she's making.
Pride and Prejudice puts in an appearance in physical form, but it also influenced some of my characters and the relationships between them.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Evelyn: This is going to sound boring, but I prefer my characters to have names that a real person might have in real life, so I start by choosing first names that were popular when the characters were born. I often change them as I write, particularly if more than one name starts with the same letter -- I'm a terribly careless reader so I skim characters' names and get confused. Then I change the names if they don't flow well when I read the book aloud: the bookseller in Bibliomancer is called Dominic, which I changed from Nicholas because conversations between him and Julius were too hissy.
With last names, I tend to amuse myself by working to a theme. Most readers will never notice, but it's a little Easter egg for anyone who likes being inside my head.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Evelyn: I'm available for reading groups, online or (if you're anywhere near Rutland) in person. Contact me through social media.
If "Bibliomancer” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Evelyn: I see the best friends, Emily and Lauren, as Carey Mulligan (who played Kitty in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice) and Emily Blunt (A Quiet Place and The Girl on the Train). Tom Ellis, who played the title role in Lucifer, would make a great Julius, and John Hurt would be an excellent Dominic because he was excellent in everything he did. This is a fantasy, right? They're not all entirely alive, but while I'm at it I'll have Judi Dench as Joyce next door.
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Evelyn: Don't take too much notice of advice. Find what works for you and stick with it.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Evelyn: I'm probably jinxing myself by saying so, but I don't have that problem. I think it helps that I don't sit down to write a perfect novel -- I know I'll have plenty of opportunities to improve it, so I can always write a scrappy version of a scene and come back to it later. It helps having time to talk or think any knotty bits through while I walk the dog in the mornings.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Evelyn: You can't make me choose!
What are you working on next?
Evelyn: I'm working on the last book in The Changeling Tree series, The Last Time. All I have to do is resolve multiple storylines across multiple time-periods, restore the Faerie world to its former glory and stop time from running out.
Learn More About the Author and Bibliomancer here:
https://bit.ly/FrancesEvelynNews
Frances Evelyn, Author | Facebook www.facebook.com/FrancesEvelynAuthor
Frances Evelyn (@fmevelyn) • Instagram photos and videos www.instagram.com/fmevelyn/
Wonderfully witty real-world fantasy (@ChangelingTree) / Twitter twitter.com/ChangelingTree
Interested in checking out the book for yourself?
Find it for purchase here or on Kindle Unlimited
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