This past weekend, I had the privilege to interview one of my absolute favorite writers, NJ Simmonds. As of May 28th, 2020, book 2 in her series, "The Indigo Chronicles" was released to the public.
Description:
In a fight against destiny – who will win?
Ella has been waiting for Zac for three years. She’s convinced he’ll return for her, but fate has other plans. When Josh is thrown back into her life, Ella has a choice: step back on to her rightful path, or wait for the one who dared her to rebel.
But Ella’s not the only one missing Zac. Luci has been searching for her blue-eyed boy over two millennia and will stop at nothing to get him back. Even if that means hunting down the only girl he ever loved.
From Tuscany 5BC to 17th-century witch hunts, Ella, Zac, Luci, and Sebastian’s lives have been forever intertwined. The time has finally come to complete the circle.
Interview:
1. What was your favorite part about writing Son of Secrets and why? I loved that I got to explore some really fascinating times in history. One of my favourite things is taking an event, like the Dutch witch trials of 1613, or a time and place in history like Tuscan Fiesole in 5BC, and weaving them into my stories. I've always enjoyed how Dan Brown, Tracy Chevalier, and Philippa Gregory did that with their books. It's so satisfying to twist up preconceived ideas, beliefs, or historical facts and add your own spin.
2. What was your process while choosing each setting for Son of Secrets?
In all honesty? I tend to write about places I've lived in or have visited a lot, it's as simple as that. I think it's evident to the reader and makes it more believable when you write about a place you have an affinity with. Italy I've been to six times, Tuscany is my favourite part of the country. And the Netherlands, London and the south of Spain are all places I've lived in. Tarifa was an hour away from my house, I was born and raised in Highgate, London, and although I don't live in Roermond in the Netherlands, the house of Fire and Water in the book was based on a house in Delft I lived in that was 500 years old. It was creepy as hell!
3. How much research do you typically put into each novel?
A lot! There's nothing worse than reading a book and having one historical inaccuracy throw you out of the story. Some days I would be all day checking when potatoes were introduced to Europe or researching a certain painting, or what type of kindling was used on the pyres of burning witches. Even things like how long it takes to walk from one town to another or the type of underwear Roman soldiers wore! Although some things you can make up. No one is going to tell me that angels can't have turquoise wings. But if you're going to include historical research then you need to get it right. Thank god for Google!
4. I've wanted to ask you this since I first met Luci, so here goes, Where the heck did Luci even come from? How did you decide on her traits and qualities? She's just this really amazing, empowering woman!
Oh, yes, Luci.
Luci came from a very dark place. I went through some tough times during the writing of Son of Secrets. We'd moved country, we lost a close family member, and it was the beginning of the Me Too movement. I had a lot of fear, pain, and anger in me - but I was also feeling a lot of maternal power and strength. I wanted to write a flawed woman that did bad things for a good reason. A woman who loved so hard, so passionately, that she cared about nothing else but her boy. Combine that with the fact she's walked this earth 2,000 years and she has unlimited powers, and you have one very dangerous person. Yet I love her and I'll defend her forever. Luci is the biggest victim in the entire series. What was done to her, her child being taken away from her followed by gaslighting at such a level that her reputation was destroyed for eternity, that's a lot of pain to deal with. And what happens with pain when it's not processed? Someone has to pay. I wanted to create a character who people would argue about, discuss, and think about for a long time after reading the book. No one is good or bad - we're all a murky mix of both.
5. Any hints as to what book 3 holds for us readers?
If The Path Keeper is about love, and Son of Secrets is about pain, then the third book, Children of Shadows, is about family and identity. In the final book of the trilogy, you get answers. You find out if Zac and Ella get their happy ever after, you discover whether Ella manages to sidestep fate, you get to see more of Ella's past - and of course, we complete the cycle. Does Luci get revenge? Does she find the Nephilim she needs to finally rid the realm of tyranny? And will Zac finally step into his power?
6. Which book in the series is your favorite? Any specific reason?
This one. Son of Secrets is my darkest book - possibly the darkest I've written to date. but it also has plenty of fun and laughter! I really enjoyed the drunk karaoke scene with Ella and Josh and the scene in the tattoo shop. but exploring how Ella and Zac first met, as well as all the witchy stuff - that was so satisfying to write!
7. What was one of the most surprising things you learned while writing your novel?
That I don't actually remember writing it. That's the magic of writing - when you are in such a deep flow that you write and write and don't really give it too much thought. Then you read it back weeks later and think 'did I really write that? I like it!' I always find it both disturbing and fascinating to read the books I've written at certain times in my life and seeing what influenced me at the time. I learn a lot through writing - and in the case of Luci, I learned just how dark I can go.
8. Do you have any interesting writing quirks?
I thought I was normal with the way I write, but apparently I'm not. I don't start one word of any book until I have daydreamed the entire plot. For months I will obsess about the characters, talk to them in my head, put them in strange situations, and observe them. I need to be completely addicted to my characters to the point of being madly in love with them in order to have the strength to spend months writing their story. If I don't care about them enough then a) my readers won't either and b) I will run out of steam and won't finish writing their story. Then, after I have watched the movie of my book in my head a few times, then I write my blurb and synopsis and create a secret Pinterest board. After that, I plot the chapter by chapter so I hit the right beats and word count, and THEN (and only then) do I write the first page. All that planning, imagining, and creating is my favourite part. The actual putting words on paper is the boring tedious tough part! I've since learned other writers write and write and write and shape it as they go along. I had that luxury with my first ever book, The Path Keeper, but once you have a world and a trilogy that has to be woven together and work - nope, you need it to be tight.
I hope I managed that. I can't wait for everyone to complete the full trilogy next year and tell me what they thought of the entire epic story!
My copy of Son of Secrets will be here in just a few days so be on the look out for my own personal review and some stunning pictures of it in person!
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