Jessica McHugh is a talented author which I had the pleasure of interviewing. I would also like to take the time to showcase two of her current books....
Song of Eidolons:
Delaney Lortal is a
unique breed of girl. She is well spoken, extremely well read, and highly
ambitious for love, but it is not those qualities that make her so unique. It's
not even because in twenty-two years of life, she has never set foot outside of
her grandfather's house. What makes her so unique is the truth behind a
mysterious secret that has made her the target of a clandestine Order called
the Orisanima.
As wondrous as it is
heartbreaking, Song of Eidolons follows Delaney's journey of enlightenment as
she struggles to peel back the layers of deceit to discover the amazing truth
about her origins.
The Sky: The World:
Who is Doctor
Azaz?
It is the 19th
Century, and Azazian England is at it's pinnacle. Aeroplanes rule the sky and
crystalline technology has transformed life itself. But for stunt pilot Jack
Racine, life is little more than an endless tailspin into liquor, laudanum, and
loose women.
All that is about to
change.
Jack Racine is about
to have an audience with the architect of the age: the mysterious Doctor
Azaz...
Tell
us a little about yourself.
I’m
a 29 year old who’s spent the majority of her adult life playing with pens. I’m
a novelist, poet, playwright, and flash fictionalist, and I’ve had 11 books
published by small presses in the past 4 years. My 12th book, PINS,
will be released by Post Mortem Press in October 2012.
How
did you get into writing and did you know you always know you wanted to be a
writer?
I
always loved using my imagination—whether I was writing down those stories or
not—and when assigned to write one for school, I tackled the project with
gusto. I still have some of those tales, going as far back as 2nd
grade.
I
didn’t start writing seriously until I was 19. While work at a mall perfume kiosk
for 11 hours a day (one that sold little perfume), so I didn’t have much to do
but read and write. At that time, I was
struck by a huge wave of inspiration, and, thankfully, that deluge has never stopped.
There is nothing in this world I love more than writing, but I could never write
as well as I do without having people in my life I love just as much.
Tell
us a little about your book?
“The
Sky: The World” is a neo-Victorian adventure (or steampunk, if you prefer) that
follows Captain Jack Racine’s life after the untimely death of his brother. In
Azazian England, planes own the sky and children are born through
picofertilization, all thanks to the architect of the age, the mysterious man
known as Doctor Azaz. When Jack Racine is tapped by Doctor Azaz to finish his
brother’s secret mission, he is hesitant—mostly because he’d rather smoke opium
and sleep with his co-pilot, Harlow Haddix. But behind Jack’s rough
exterior…well, there’s a rough interior, too. Can Doctor Azaz change his mind
about the mission, or will Jack disappear into despair, drugs, and dames?
“Song
of Eidolons” is a slipstream fantasy tale. Slivers of otherworldliness are
inserted into a story about a girl named Delaney who is kept inside her
grandfather’s house for 22 years. At first, she thinks this is normal for
everyone, but when she when she figures out it isn’t, her adventure to discover
the secrets of her imprisonment really begins. This is a story I try to not to
spill too much about—it is also my favorite story I’ve yet written. It will be
re-released in October by eTreasures Publishing with a new cover and new
revisions.
How
did you come up with the concept for your book?
“The
Sky: The World” was somewhat inspired by an idea my husband had. He gave me the
idea to play with, but after a few days of brainstorming, it evolved into
something completely different. I actually forgot to submit a dedication for
that book, so I’d like to take this time to thank my husband Dave McHugh for
inspiring me to write this book. Hell, you inspire me to write every book, just
by supporting me as much as you do. I owe the essence of “The Sky: The World”
to Dave McHugh.
I
wrote “Song of Eidolons” after “Camelot Lost,” so I was still on a legend kick.
Originally, I starting writing a story about Irish legend, Fionn MacCool, but
during my research, I realized that I didn’t want to write yet another
interpretation of a famous legend. I wanted to write a story about the power of legends.
“Song
of Eidolons” was one of those stories that happened all on its own. I didn’t
have the slightest hiccup. The book poured out of me like it wanted to be
written, and it’s still my favorite story to this day. There’s actually a
re-release happening in October. I’m cleaning up some of the prose and the
cover has been redone. I’m really looking forward to it.
What
authors inspired you?
Roald
Dahl is (and has always been) my favorite author and inspiration, although our
novel styles couldn’t be more different. Our short stories, however, do share a
bit of the same macabre twist. I’m also hugely inspired by Bret Easton Ellis,
Anne Rice, and Warren Ellis.
What
is your favorite book of all time?
“The
Phantom Tollbooth” by Norman Juster. Every sentence in that book possesses a
musical assonance that captivates me every time I read it. And I read it a lot.
Who
is your favorite fictional character of all time?
Matilda
Wormwood from Dahl’s “Matilda” is pretty excellent. I definitely identified
with her hunger for books when I was a kid. Plus, I always wanted her powers of
telekinesis!
Okay,
desert island time…if you could be stranded on a desert island with any
fictional character who would it be and why?
Well,
if I’m stranded, I guess I’d need a man around for company…I’ll go with Michael Curry from Anne Rice’s “The Mayfair
Witches” series. I always found him really sexy, but he also seemed really
sweet and considerate. Michael seems like the kind of guy who would give you a
hot night, and then, bring you ice cream in bed.
What
do you have coming up for the future?
My
newest novel “PINS” will be released in October 2o12. Along with promoting
that, I’m writing extensions for my historical fiction “Verses of
Villainy,” working on the 2nd novel in my YA series “Darla Decker
Takes the Cake,” and I’m always writing short stories and flash fiction for anthologies.
I’ve already started writing bits and pieces, but I hope to start writing my
bizarro sci-fi novel “The Green Kangaroos” full-time in a few months.
Tell
us something unusual about yourself?
I
write funny insults to myself when I’m editing my manuscripts. Sometimes I get lazy when I’m editing, and
instead of actually fixing the problem I’ll just write “FIX” or “MORE.” But I
might call myself a silly derogatory name in order to force myself to do the actual
fixing—and to make myself laugh.
Paranormal Authors:
Do
you prefer paranormal/supernatural genre books over others?
What
pulled you towards the paranormal genre?
Did
any other paranormal books inspire you to write your own?
Where
can we find your work?
All
of my books are available on Amazon, and most of them are on Kindle. They’re
also at Barnes and Noble, the publishers’ websites, and various other places
that pop up when you Google “Jessica McHugh.”
Where
can we find you?
Thank
you so much for having me, and thanks for the wonderful questions. Happy
reading, and THINK IN INK!
