Today on the blog we have the ever-talented Jessica Scarlett. She’s here to celebrate the release of her new novel, Town of Shadows.
Welcome! Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what got you into writing?
Hi! So glad to participate! Growing up I’d always been a storyteller, but that mainly centered around writing music, and once I got a little older, plays. Then shortly after I got married, I was working a desk job that had a lot of downtime. My boss didn’t care if I brought books to read, but because I was going through so many, I found it increasingly difficult to find stories that pulled me in and made me swoon. A niggling voice in the back of my mind kept whispering, “You have all this downtime…why don’t you write the perfect story instead?” News flash, it was far from perfect, but I found writing to be so rewarding that I haven’t looked back!
Are there any books that have really influenced you as a writer?
The biggest ones that stick out to me are Goose Girl by Shannon Hale, and Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, mainly because these were the books that turned me into a reader. Without that love of reading, I never would’ve stumbled upon my passion for writing!
What do you enjoy most about writing historical fantasy?
What I enjoy the most is also what I hate the most, which is weaving magic into an already existing world. Because I’m working within history, there are certain rules I can’t break, certain things I have to know or else it all crumbles apart, but when everything blends, the end result is something incredibly unique and interesting. In some ways it’s twice the work (I have to incorporate historical details and worldbuild a magic system), but in other ways it’s half the work, because the era gives me a jumping off point and I don’t completely have to start from scratch.
What inspired this book in particular?
Hoo boy, I’m bad at this question. I stumbled across a book once—I couldn’t tell you if it was fiction or nonfiction—and the blurb was about spies in Victorian London who thwarted a bomb…or maybe the bomb went off and they dealt with the political aftermath…I seriously can’t remember. Well, Town of Shadows has nothing to do with thwarting explosions, but it got my gears turning about hidden identities, betrayals, secrets, magic, and the seed of a story was planted. Thank you, random book.
Can you tell us a little bit about the magic system in Town of Shadows?
Because my FMC is a chemist, I tried really hard to incorporate science into the magic system. For those that have magic—or a slant, as it’s called in the book—it always manifests in a way that is unique to that person. Like fingerprints, no two slants are the same. When you use your magic, magical particles burst out of your palms to perform your slant, then return to your blood to “recharge”—but there’s a catch. These particles are invisible to the naked eye, only apparent when you view them through a special magnifying glass that the constables carry. And if they see magical blue dust on your hands, you’ll swing by your neck the next day.
Can you tell us about your writing space? Where do you do most of your writing?
Most of my writing happens on my laptop, and I’ll write on the couch, in bed, at the table, or even outside (bonus if the weather is moody). With editing, I prefer a bigger screen and an actual mouse, so I do that on a desktop in my bedroom (where also sits a teacup and a miniature of Big Ben). I dream of one day having my own office!
What helps you when you have writers block?
I’ve written enough stories to know that for me, writer’s block is frequently my sense of perfectionism flaring up, and sometimes the best thing to do is muscle through. Other times, it’s because my creative well is dry, which I refill by stepping away from screens, and taking nature walks. It’s often those quiet moments alone in my thoughts where something clicks on its own and solves a plot hole for me. Other things I’ve found helpful are revisiting my Pinterest board for the book or listening to the playlist I created.
What are some things you are really enjoying reading right now? Books, TV, foods, etc.?
I just started the last book in the Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. This series has pulled me out of a years-long reading slump which has felt really amazing. It centers around a lot of politics and moving players, and it feels epic despite being YA, which I’ve absolutely loved. As for shows, I recently enjoyed House of David and Alex Rider, both of which are on Amazon Prime. One’s a dramatized story of David and Goliath, and the other is a twisty series about a teenage British spy, and the way both of them unfold had me hooked!
Want to learn more about Town of Shadows?
In Victorian London, magic earns you a noose.
Eighteen-year-old Dorothy St. James can’t control her magic. To avoid arrest, she locks herself at home and buries her nose in her experiments. But a kidnapper called the Rook is on the loose, and his victims keep turning up insane. When Dorothy’s father is taken, she must exchange her beakers for bravery and find the Rook’s trail—the problem is, only one person ever has: a mysterious masked hero.
Ashley Gardner unabashedly casts illusions, using his charm to flit between the upper
ton
and the magical underbelly below. When Dorothy accuses him of knowing the masked hero’s identity, he flatly denies it. Until the clever beauty intercepts a communique he desperately needs.
They strike a bargain: she’ll give him the message in exchange for three clues to point her in the right direction. But Ashley won’t make them easy. In fact, he’ll make them impossible, because he has his own dangerous reasons for keeping Dorothy away—and Ashley always gets what he wants.
Through dazzling ballets, wild carnivals, and death-defying train rides, Dorothy must use her wits and magic to solve Ashley’s riddles and unravel her budding feelings for the illusionist mastermind behind them. The masked hero isn’t who she believes, and the Rook is closer than she suspects. While the game was always rigged against her, returning her father—mind intact—might just cheat her out of a heart too.
Get to know Jessica Scarlett:
Jessica Scarlett writes amazing books and lame author bios. She hates the pressure of encapsulating everything about herself in a hundred words or less, because she’s too divergent, dynamic, and different for that. And simultaneously not that interesting.
She is the author of the Wycliffe Family Series, Slanted London series, and a couple plays. When not writing, she loves composing music, laughing with her four kids, or doing life on a ranch in Utah with her cinnamon-roll husband.
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