A witch and a psychic walk into a bar ...
Nov 25, 2022 7:11 pm
Under the influence of literature
I was working on a scene in KM11 the other day where Kit and Aaliyah are doing some sleuthing and I realized that, despite my desire to write a heist novel, this was turning into a buddy cop novel. Well they're not cops, but it has the same dynamic. I think the reason why is that I've been listening to so many Tana French audiobooks lately. So I went to the library and asked the librarians to help me find some books about heists to read. In my experience, librarians are usually delighted to geek out about books with patrons.
All of my books are fantasy, but I borrow heavily from other genres. Other authors do this too. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch is a great example of a fantasy that's also a heist novel. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo was also pretty good, though I knock points of for ending on a cliffhanger.
Many mystery authors use the structure of the novel as a familiar vessel to deliver something else. For example, cozy mystery authors know that what readers really want is to imagine being a charming ingenue living in an adorable small town with some personable cats. The murder mystery is just the metaphorical nacho chip ferrying the delicious salsa of cozy into your head.
Faerie Killer is probably the closest thing I have to a buddy cop novel. All my knowledge of police procedure has come from books, so it's about amateur sleuths rather than real cops, but I wanted that same push-pull dynamic of mismatched partners who have to work together.
Investigating the murder of a fellow vampire is going to be hard enough without having the Guild Leader's pet human tagging along. But when Kit goes missing, Morales realizes he's in over his head. (Wide)
Did you read this book? I'd love your reviews and recommendations!
The original title of this book was simply Faerie Killer, and you might be able to still see the yellow cover with the sword on it if you snoop around on the Internet. I liked the title Faerie Killer because it made it less obvious that the death of the faerie was also significant, but when I relaunched the series I went with "Noun's Noun" as the structure. Sometimes I still think of the books by their original titles. I think in the last newsletter I referred to Shapeshifter's Turf as "Changer's Turf." Whoops!
This week's question: Do you have a heist novel you can recommend?
When a new ghost-walking tour company gives me a job, nothing runs smoothly. Graves open, tombstones collapse, the dead awaken, and chaos floods the streets of Salem. My newfound magical abilities are about to jeopardize my job. You’d think someone would have told me that magic was a family trait, right? (Free)
My entire life changed the day a mysterious packet showed up with an acceptance letter to the Windhaven Academy—a fancy school for supernatural kids. Just one problem. I don't have any supernatural powers. (Wide)
Magic has almost left the world entirely. The last piece of Shadowglass vanished centuries ago. Since then, the vampires have hunted down almost all of the Aeorian time-witches who could wield it. Now, in the final winter of World War II, a piece has reappeared–in the clutches of a dark and timeless enemy. (Free)
Beyond the witching hour, darkness and light collide in this limited edition paranormal and fantasy romance collection. These sweet to spicy stories will sweep you off your feet and sate your fantasy cravings. Gods, shifters, fated mates, enemies-to-lovers, alpha heroes, angels, demons, and so much more.
Gratuitous Cat Picture
I used this photo before, but it's still one of my favorites.
Other Novels
