Heart-to-Heart with Emily Rooke, author of The Bloodwitch Series

Posted on 27/12/2023 09:15:50

author : Rooke, Emily

Today The Magic Book Corner brings you a little interview with Emily Rooke, author of 'The Dying Light' and 'A Silent Night'.

Here is our little Heart-to-Heart:

1. What inspired you to write A Silent Night?

I finished one of the later drafts of The Dying Light (Book 1 in the Bloodwitch series) in August 2020, and planned to set it aside for a while before I returned to editing. But I felt so lost without the experience of writing a story about Charlie that I desperately wanted to think of something else to write for him straight away. The Dying Light is a dark story, and writing it took a lot out of me emotionally. Charlie goes through a lot over the course of the novel, so I wanted to create something gentle and sweet for both of us. The fact that I honestly considered A Silent Night gentle by comparison might give you a bit of a sense of how dark The Dying Light gets at times. In the end, I decided that a Christmas romance was what we both needed! It took me two days to plan and outline A Silent Night, then about ten days to draft it. I think of it as being like a period of recovery for us both!

2. A Silent Night is the prequel to your upcoming series Bloodwitch. Can you please tell us a bit about the series?

The Bloodwitch series is an LGBTQ+ dark fantasy trilogy. Book 1, The Dying Light, is coming out in a couple of months, and I’m working on Book 2 now. The story is told from the perspective of Charlie Carroway, a reckless, determined teenager, who will do just about anything if it means protecting his family. It is set in the city of Penumbra, where the gangs rule and every day is a fight for survival. From the High Throne in Elysia, Nikolai Ignatiev protects his people, keeping a watchful eye on the witch covens threatening the safety of the city. For three years, Charlie has been doing his best to keep his head down and stay out of trouble. But when an old enemy reappears, Charlie will learn that his dark past is harder to outrun than he thought. As Charlie makes a desperate attempt to save his family, new friendships and confusing feelings start to emerge, while threats close in on him from all sides. Will he find the courage to protect his loved ones, without losing himself?

3. Your novella is pretty dark and deals with themes like trauma and abuse as well as their emotional impact. Why did you choose to portray these?

I was always looking for a character like Charlie when I was growing up, but I never found one. I feel as though survivor narratives are very much lacking in fiction, and I wanted to change that. I wanted to work hard to represent the emotional impact of trauma and abuse well (to the best of my ability) because I think that’s the least I should do if I decide to take on this kind of story and this kind of character. Ultimately, I think it comes down to wanting to challenge the stigma and shame that is so intertwined with trauma and abuse. I spent so many years silenced, and by writing these stories, I feel as though Charlie has given me my voice back. This is me healing.

4. Should we expect the series to be just as dark, raw and gritty as your novella?

If anything, you can expect it to be darker, rawer, and grittier. I think for Charlie’s story to be told authentically, this is the only way. With that said, I always want to find a way to balance the dark with the light. I want to show that there is hope in the darkness, even when things seem impossibly bleak. Friendship, family, and love all play an essential role in the series. I think of The Dying Light as being a story about trauma, while Book 2, which I’m working on now, is a story about recovery.

5. Why M/M? Why choose to write in this genre?

I wish I had something more interesting to tell you, but the honest answer is that Charlie and Vasco both came into my head almost fully-formed, and I knew from the very beginning that they would find a way to be together. I’ve been driven to tell their story for the last three years, and I’m sure I will be for years to come!

6. Will the readers get to see more of Charlie and Vasco and Alexandra?

Absolutely! I think of Charlie and Vasco as my two main characters in the Bloodwitch series, but in reality there is a group of about five main characters, and Alexandra is included in that group. Every character that appears in A Silent Night appears again in The Dying Light, and there are quite a few characters we haven’t met yet that I’m excited to introduce you to!

7. What prompted you to choose Christmas as the time for Charlie and Vasco to meet?

I was trying to think about a scenario in which Charlie and Vasco could meet in a believable, yet somehow magical way. Coupled with that, I shaved off a bit of both of their hard edges in this story, compared to The Dying Light, so I knew I needed to choose a gentle, special time of year to go along with that mood. A Silent Night almost asks you to suspend your disbelief for a moment, and believe that someone good can do something kind for someone they don’t know, simply because they feel it’s the right thing to do. For me, Christmastime embodies a hope that the world can be better, that one person can make a difference, that someone can be saved – no matter who they are and what has happened to them. Christmastime is like the light in the darkest time of the year, and Vasco and Alexandra represent that for Charlie.

8. I was impressed by the way you portray the aftermath of abuse, complete with that package of self-loathing and despair. Where did you get your inspiration for this?

Thank you so much. This is an issue that is very close to my heart, and it is something I want to work hard to represent respectfully and truthfully in my writing. Charlie and I share a lot of similar traits and difficulties, and I drew on a lot of my own experiences while writing him and his story. Vasco is also based on a real person, and a lot of the conversations that take place between him and Charlie are inspired by real-life discussions. For me, writing is an extension of my own recovery. I work things out by writing about them, and writing Charlie has been hugely cathartic for me.

9. What should readers expect when picking up A Silent Night as well as your upcoming Book 1?

A Silent Night is contemporary, while The Dying Light is a dark fantasy thriller. Both are LGBTQ+, New Adult, and neither are suitable for younger readers.

In A Silent Night, you can expect to meet a lonely orphan who hates Christmas, a sweet-natured soldier with a heart of gold, and an enthusiastic baker of Christmas cookies and definite shipper-on-board. There will be matching Christmas sweaters, ice-skating, mistletoe, and meetings in the snow. You’ll find a story about love, hope, redemption, and the chance of recovery.

For The Dying Light, in a city where everyday brutality is unremarkable, that same teenage boy must face his past head-on when an old enemy sets their sights on his family. You can expect prison breaks, witch covens, an inescapable fate, not to mention new and confusing feelings. Charlie is determined to save everyone, but who will be there to protect him?

10. Is there a publishing date planned for any of the books?

The Dying Light is scheduled for release on 20th March 2021 through Amazon. Chapter 1 is included at the end of A Silent Night, so by purchasing a copy you can get to meet the characters early, as well as get a sneak peak of what’s to come for Charlie.

11. Are there any difficulties you are facing in your writing career? And if yes, which is the worst?

Before going down the self-publishing route, I went through the query trenches in an attempt to seek representation for The Dying Light. I was very lucky, because I got a lot of responses to my queries, when it can be typical not to receive anything at all. Unfortunately, most agents said that while they liked what I sent and saw merit in it, they did not feel they would be able to market it to publishers. This was a bit disheartening for a while, because I know there are a lot of people out there who are looking to see themselves represented in a story about this, involving the themes we discussed before. I certainly was. The experience of querying helped me realise that publishing is a business, first and foremost. It helped me grow up, and pushed me to advocate for myself and my characters. So, although it was a tough path to walk down, I think it’s made me stronger, and better prepared to market myself and my novel.

12. Do you have any message for other upcoming writers out there or for our readers?

For writers, I would like to encourage you to keep writing, and to never give up. Your words are important, and you have a story in your heart that only you can share. It’s not going to be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. Keep chasing after that feeling where you believe that you could spend the rest of your life working on your novel and living with your characters. Let that feeling sustain you through the hard times. Also, try to find a supportive writing community to join (even if you’re shy or anxious), because the experience of making friends with fellow writers is indescribable.

Thank you so much to everyone who has read this article, and I hope you’ll consider meeting Charlie and Vasco in A Silent Night, and checking out The Dying Light when it is released in March!

About the author: Emily Rooke

Emily Rooke is the author of 'The Dying Light' and 'A Silent Night'. She has lived in a number of different cities, including Osaka and Berlin. She was born in the south-east of England and is a graduate of the University of York and King's College London. She currently lives and writes in Tbilisi, Georgia. She is often anxious and checks things far more often than is necessary. Nothing makes her happier than when she spots a dog coming towards her.