Across the Darkling Sea by K. Ferrin
Publication date: Nov 12th, 2016
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Across the Darkling Sea is the first book in the new serial fantasy series Magicfall, by K. Ferrin!
Magic is forbidden in Brielle, but that never stopped Evelyn. Until Now. Because Evelyn has discovered she is magic, and now she is running for her life.
Her only hope is on an island cloaked in shadow, an island of dark magic and even darker beasts. An island warlocks call home.
Evelyn’s friends have turned against her, her own mother tried to kill her, and the place she calls home has banished her. Hidden away in the belly of a riverboat, a stowaway, her journey begins.
Across the Darkling Sea is book one in a serial series. Each book is roughly 50,000 words or about 150 pages. To emphasize, this is a serial series, meaning it’s one story that stretches across multiple books.
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with K. Ferrin~
1) What gave you
the inspiration for the storyline?
Story births, for
me at least, are always strange and somewhat inexplicable.
Across the Darkling
Sea, and the entire Magicfall series, started as a single line of dialogue that
popped randomly into my head one day. A young woman asking “Witch, what am I?”,
and an old woman replying “Child, why do you call me such after all these
years? I don’t call you changeling, though indeed you are one.”
The idea stuck in
my mind, so I sat down and began fleshing out the story. It’s interesting to
consider that one line of dialogue grew into the five books of the Magicfall
series. That line is still in the story by the way, at the end of chapter two.
2) Are there any
hidden themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?
I’m not sure how
hidden they are, but there are several themes at work in the books. The idea of
knowledge being power is definitely in there. And of course the idea of
friendships having the most powerful sort of magics, and that being different
is a strength, not a weakness or something to be ashamed off is in there. These
are common themes in my books… I was something of a brainy nerd growing up, so
I’ve got a soft spot for those folks who see the work differently or otherwise
don’t fit the ‘normal’ mold. They always find a place in my books.
3) Are any of the
characters based on real people you know?
I am an avid people
watcher. Humans are fascinating and complicated and behave in ways impossible
to predict… and that makes for excellent fiction! I definitely pull inspiration
for my characters from the people around me, both people I know and people I
just happen to encounter while I’m out and about in the world. But none of my
characters are based fully on anyone I know.
4) Who has
influenced you most as a writer?
First, I would have
to say my mother. She infected me at a very early age with a love of books and
reading and without that I certainly never would have become a writer.
Mr. Stough and Mr.
Houser had a big influence on me as well. While the curriculum of most high
school english classes at the time focused on classic literature, both Mr.
Stough and Mr. Houser were staunch advocates for all forms of literature (much
to the dismay of the principal at the time!). They both encouraged my penchant
for stories with magic in a way that I hadn’t really encountered earlier.
Authors who have
influenced me include Robin Hobb (still one of my absolute favorite authors),
of course Tolkien (of Lord of the Rings fame), and early on books like Stewart
Little or A Wrinkle in Time.
5) If you could
have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would
you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?
Interesting
question! Since I’m a fantasy author, I’m going to answer this question without
regard to practical considerations like whether or not a ship could fit in my
living room!
The first would be
Ophelia, one of the Liveships from Robin Hobb’s Liveship Traders books. She is
the living figurehead of ship, and she is a fascinating character with some
seriously interesting stories to tell.
Next I’d invite
Luna Lovegood, one of my favorite characters from the Harry Potter books. In
modern American culture hero’s are always the people at the front lines of
battle, but the truth is that heroism takes many forms. Luna is kind and
gentle, but a force to be reckoned with, and I love that!
I’m going to cheat
a little on this third one and say Lettie Hempstock, her mother, and her
grandmother. Maiden, Mother, and Crone of Neil Gaiman’s Ocean at The End of The
Lane… quirky, and with access to some of the deepest and most timeless powers
of the universe, how could you not invite them to dinner?
Author Bio:K. Ferrin spends her days surrounded by engineers, technology, and humming machinery, but her evenings are steeped in magic, myth, and adventure. She writes fantasy, loves gardening, and eats way too much pie. She lives at the foot of the Colorado Rockies with her husband and two pooches.
Her novels include the stand alone YA fantasy novel Magicless, as well as Across the Darkling Sea, and A Dying Land, the first two books of a series. You can find her online at www.kferrin.com.
Thanks for being on the tour! :)
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