Heather’s Bookshelf: Author Interview with Peter W. Blaisdell
Book Title: The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms
Released: 04/27/22
Genre: Literary Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Interview by Heather L. Barksdale
What inspired you to write “The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms”?
Blaisdell: “The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms” is a fantasy with drama, a dash of action, and a bit of romance. I wrote it because I wanted to create a cool, magical story set long ago in Spain and in an enchanted kingdom of jinn (genies), demons, and mile-high palaces. A portal connects these worlds allowing them to violently interact. The main character, Thiago, is a jinn who starts the story as a thief, but winds up trying to stop a supernatural war between these two worlds.
How did you come up with the names of your main characters?
Blaisdell: My main character is a jinn (or genie) called ‘Thiago’. This is a Spanish name and it seemed to fit his personality – adventurous and sometimes out of control. Also, he spends time in medieval Spain. There are two strong woman characters: ‘Lubna’, a brilliant and beautiful scribe who might become Thiago’s friend, and Lila, a demon who used to be Thiago’s lover, but is now his bitter enemy.
Is there anything that you want readers to know about you, your writing process or your book?
Blaisdell: Well, my youngest daughter just graduated from college. Now, she’ll have to deal with the real world – I think she’s ready! My ‘day job’ is in biotechnology. I have a PhD in biochemistry. With this background, you’d expect I would write science fiction and I do like this genre. But I like fantasy as well, so my first four novels have been fantasies.
As far as my writing process is concerned, set a schedule and try to stick with it. Writing is (usually) fun, but it’s also a job. When I’m writing, I start out with a plot outline and character descriptions and whatever themes/ideas I want to explore in the story. I also do a lot of research on setting before launching into the novel.
However, I never lock myself into a strict outline. If you’re writing well, ideas will occur to you along the way and the characters will start doing their own thing. That’s fine. You’re the god of your little world, but that doesn’t mean you have to be a tyrant!
If "The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms” were adapted into a movie, who would you like to see cast to play your lead characters?
Blaisdell: For Thiago, the jinn: Tom Hiddleston For Lubna, the librarian: Eva Green For Lila, the demon: Salma Hayek
Are there any tips that you would like to share with other aspiring authors?
Blaisdell: Learn how to market/promote your work. Your biggest worry is obscurity. There are so many books published that it’s easy to get lost in the mix. Even ‘famous’ authors sometimes have their best books ignored. Self-marketing doesn’t guarantee success, but if you don’t do it, you’re guaranteed failure.
On the mechanical side of writing fantasy, I’d recommend ‘in medias res’ (start in the middle). Instead of a long build-up at the beginning of your novel with lots of flashy scene setting and too many adjectives – and bored readers – get the story going, then layer in the background detail. And do this in a way that doesn’t have the plot grind to a halt as your filling in the back story. Easier said than done, but if you succeed, readers appreciate it.
When you encounter writer’s block, what do you do to break yourself out of it?
Blaisdell: Walk away from your story and come back to it later. A couple of glasses of wine also helps.
What is your favorite genre, book, and/or author?
Blaisdell: I like fantasy because it’s a genre that encourages – demands – that the author use their imagination. And also because you can mix interesting themes in with the magic, spell-craft and witches. My main goal is to entertain readers, but if I can also include cool ideas, that’s where the real magic happens. As far as my favorite book/author, I love anything by Dickens because his characters are so much fun. In the fantasy space, I like Brandon Sanderson and George RR Martin.
What are you working on next?
Blaisdell: I’m currently writing two novels – at the same time! This is crazy so we’ll see how it goes. One builds on “The Jinn and the Two Kingdoms” and the second is a sequel to my modern fantasy, “The Lords of the Summer Season”. Neither is titled yet. The planned publication date for both (he said rashly) will be 2023.
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