Pat Esden Writes Magical Stories
~ Researching Magical Stories ~
Today, I would like to introduce you to traditional and self-published romance author, Pat Esden. In her interview, she shares about her newest books, how she researches paranormal stories, and the challenge of getting published.
Take it away, Pat Esden…
Hi everyone, I’m excited to be a guest on Zara’s blog today! Actually, I’ve been dancing on air since December 11th when HIS DARK MAGIC, the first novel in my Northern Circle Coven series, came out. I’m so thrilled that I finally get to share the characters and story with you, my readers.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I live in Northern Vermont not far from where the Northern Circle Coven series takes place. Besides being an author, I’m a full-time antique dealer and a retired florist. I’m a country girl at heart. A golden retriever fan. Plus, a lover of cemeteries and abandoned buildings, weird history, and folklore in general.
Is there an event in your life that affected you as a writer?
As a rule, I don’t write about people I know or have known, or family members. However, I’d say there wasn’t an event in my life that didn’t affect my writing—from something as basic as the smells and sounds of autumn in New England, to the death of loved ones, the heat of passion, professional and personal triumphs and failures. Everything I’ve experienced plays a role in creating the emotions and sensory experiences I use when creating my characters and their stories.
How much research do you do for each book you write?
Though my novels are fantasy, I do a great deal of in person and online research. For HIS DARK MAGIC, I revisited the real world locations where its scenes are set. The coven’s main complex is located near a park which has a circle of standing stones, very much like Stonehenge. It plays a prominent role in the series, so I photographed it and the surrounding area. Here’s a link if you’d like to see it: http://bit.ly/2Noxfe1
I also attended a wonderful Tibetan cultural exhibit and dinner created and hosted by children and grandchildren of local Tibetan refugees. I discussed applying to medical school with a doctor and educator who is involved with the process at the university where Chloe, the novel’s main character, hopes to apply. I researched crystals, plants, and folklore about witchcraft and Merlin. Luckily, I love research, so doing these things and a lot more was a labor of love.
Do you ever experience writer’s block?
Most often when it feels like I’m blocked, it’s because I need to step back from what I’m working on and listen to my inner voice. It’s usually telling me that the plot has taken a wrong turn, a character is off, or that am trying to push forward too fast and need to think things through before moving forward. As you might guess from that, I’m not an author who does well when my goal is focused on speed and word count. Slow and steady with a basic outline for guidance works best for me.
Can you tell us about your challenges in getting your first book published?
The Northern Circle Coven series is my second published series. My first was the Dark Heart series from Kensington Books. I went the traditional route of querying and eventually signing with a literary agent. Actually, I signed with my agent after she saw the first book in the series on an online contest. My agent went on to sell that series and then my second series a couple of years later. The biggest challenge for me has been being patient. A majority of the traditional publication route is painfully slow. Then once in a great while, things are shockingly fast.
Can you tell us about any other upcoming books, series, or writing plans?
The second novel in the Northern Circle Coven series is THINGS SHE’S SEEN. It will be released in October 2019. This novel also centers around the Northern Circle, but is from the point of view of a different coven member, Emily. She is the survivor of an incredibly horrific childhood as the world’s youngest psychic medium. Now as a recovering alcoholic and polysexual woman in her early twenties, she becomes entangled with a powerful man from her past—a witch who is capable of destroying the Northern Circle.
His Dark Magic by Pat Edsen
Northern Circle Coven series book 1
Just Released! December 11th
Its power is legendary. It can fulfill every impossible magical desire. But for one young witch seeking redemption, the Northern Circle coven will challenge her skills—and her heart—beyond measure.
One tragic impulsive mistake made Chloe Winslow an outcast to her influential magic family. As a medical student, she wants to combine science with sorcery to heal those she hurt and right her wrongs. But brilliant, charismatic Devlin Marsh re-routes her plans with a once-in-eternity offer: membership in the exclusive Northern Circle, a mysterious Vermont coven known for pushing the limits.
Enthralled by Devlin and their mesmerizing mutual attraction, Chloe makes a dangerous sacrifice to help the Circle’s high priestess awaken Merlin himself—and learn his timeless cures. But a foreshadowing soon causes Chloe to doubt the Circle’s real motives, as well as Devlin’sNow Merlin’s demonic shade is loose in the human world, while Chloe and Devlin’s uneasy alliance will pit them against ancient enemies, malevolent illusions, and shattering betrayal.
And with the fate of two realms in the balance, Chloe must risk her untried power against a force she can’t defeat—and a passion that could destroy her.
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Learn more about Pat Esden
Pat Esden would love to say she spent her childhood in intellectual pursuits. The truth is she was fonder of exploring abandoned houses and old cemeteries. When not out on her own adventures, she can be found in her northern Vermont home writing stories about brave, smart women and the men who capture their hearts.
She is the author of the contemporary paranormal Dark Heart series from Kensington Books, and the upcoming Northern Circle Coven series. Her short fiction has appeared in a number of publications, including Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, the Mythopoeic Society’s Mythic Circle, George Scither’s Cat Tales Anthology, and the Fragments of Darkness anthology.
Website: http://patesden.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatEsden
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PatEsdenAuthor/
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/pat-esden
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/patesden
Lovely interview, Pat. It’s nice you can do so much hands-on research. The book sounds great! Wishing you all the best, Cat.
Thank you for hosting me, Zara. If any one has questions, I’ll be stopping in now and again throughout the day.