<data:blog.pageTitle/>

Today's guest is Emma Raveling, author of Whirl. Emma will talk to us about the appeal of elemental magic. And I have also interviewed her. For the event, she will also be giving away two eCopies of her book Whirl. So everyone, please welcome Emma Raveling!

I’m a fantasy writer who lives a slightly eccentric life with my accommodating husband and our charming, neurotic dog. My debut book, Whirl, is coming out in September 2011 and is the first book in the Ondine Quartet, a new young adult urban fantasy/paranormal series. Although there are no vampires, werewolves, fairies, angels, or ghosts in it, there is a very cool shape-shifter and lots of magic, kick-ass action, fantasy, and romance. It’s a bit different and I’m really excited about it.

I have a weird love of spreadsheets and organizational tools because they give me the illusion that I am somehow in control of the chaos that is my life. I adore beautiful art such as painting and sculpture, classical music, lyrical writing, and great graphic design. My all-time favorite books (as of this writing) are Immortality by Milan Kundera, 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Beloved by Toni Morrison, and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka.

Stalk Emma here: Twitter, Facebook, Website

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

The Appeal of Elemental Magic

Elemental magic is fascinating because it ties who we are as humans to essential aspects of both life and nature. As a writer, the possibilities are endless. Each type of elemental magic has certain innate characteristics that allow me to construct deeply realized worlds, societies, races, magical powers, and characters.

The element of fire immediately conjures to mind intense words. Passion. Burning. Heat. Danger. A fire elemental world would likely emerge from deep within the Earth, closer to the crust where the temperature is hotter. A race of fire elementals implies people who are hot-tempered, passionate, and impulsive. They’d likely prefer to jump headlong into a situation rather than thinking things through. Elemental magic based on fire would be a formidable trait. It’s power would be balanced by the element’s naturally dangerous and destructive qualities, including its tendency to quickly get out of control.

An Earth elemental would imply something completely different. Stability. Stubbornness. Solid inflexibility. A different kind of sensuality, one that’s both grounded and uninhibited. The entire terrain of our planet could provide endless possible settings or worlds. Forests, mountains, meadows - all of these would be a perfect backdrop to earth elementals. Earth elemental magic could range from the destructive (mudslides and earthquakes) to the refined (connection and control over living things such as plants or animals).

Air brings to mind everything to do with freedom. Fluidity. A lack of boundaries or strict rules. The feeling of soaring up high in the clouds. Air elementals would certainly have magic related to flying, and their powers would be able to conjure the barest wisp of a breeze to the roaring force of a tornado. A race of air elementals would likely be composed of people who are both dreamy (lost in high hopes and thoughts) as well as sharp, much like the hawk who flies up high and still spots the tiniest mouse running across a field.

And finally, my book, Whirl, deals with water elementals. Water is seductive and sensual. There’s a mystery hidden in its dark depths. It can crush just as much as it can caress. It has the capacity to hide and also reveal. There is an innate pulse, like a heartbeat, that defines it’s natural rhythm. And like a heartbeat, it can pound fast and hard, or slow down to tranquility. The races, world, and magic of the Ondine Quartet series are defined by these characteristics.

Elemental magic is a rich resource to draw upon with your imagination. What sort of ideas and themes go through your head when you consider the four elements? Which of the elements best describes you?

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Welcome to The Fairytale Nerd! how are you today?
Thanks for having me on the blog, JoAnne! I’m doing great!

Happy to have you here Emma! So for the first question, tell me about your book.
Whirl is the first book of the Ondine Quartet, a young adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance. The main character is Kendra Irisavie, a seventeen-year-old water elemental known as an ondine. The water elemental world has been at war with the Aquidae, immortal demons, for thousands of years. Kendra is raised as a warrior, a tough fighter who is a master of numerous martial arts forms. When her life dramatically changes one night, she suddenly finds herself having to deal with a new world that challenges everything she has ever learned or known. She not only faces life-threatening situations, but also emotional risks of her heart as well.

Why water elementals?
A lot of it comes from a philosophical point of view. I enjoy the idea of the four elements. A lot of the Ondine Quartet series deals with themes of light and dark, and how balance must be maintained both within ourselves and our world at large.

I find water elementals particularly fascinating. So much mythology from around the world deals with creatures and supernatural beings from the sea. Since the beginning of time, oceans have been a source of mystery to almost every culture. As a writer, the various thematic possibilities of water very much appealed to me. Water has the capacity to be beautiful and calming as well as stormy and powerfully turbulent. There’s also a sensuality about it that I find very sexy.

What is the message (from your books) that you want to convey to your readers?
Kendra’s journey is essentially one about freedom and responsibility. I think this is particularly applicable to the YA genre - how does you acknowledge and shoulder your responsibilities while still remaining true to yourself and the ideals of your own personal freedom?

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I have to write in absolute silence. Many writers choose music and other things to act as a “soundtrack” while they write, but I just can’t do it! I shut my home office door and turn my cell phone off. When I hear voices or music, it disturbs the flow of words coming out of my head.

What scares you?
I enjoy the challenge of writing about things that scare me, and I don’t just mean monsters or creatures that go bump in the night. Certain concepts or ideas can be frightening to think about. I think this is an important trait for a writer to have - it deepens our writing and the emotional power with which our story connects with the reader.

Someone like Kendra, who’s so honest and confident and raw, used to intimidate me when I was her age. I was in awe of people like that - the power and aura they seemed to command. I never thought that someone who had that much confidence might deal with issues of fear or doubt and other insecurities that plague everyone. Writing Kendra’s story allowed me to dig deep into myself to explore those ideas and bring to life an imperfect character who discovers her own true self and identity as the story progresses.

Who is your hero in real life? What about in books?
In real life, my mother is my hero. An extraordinarily strong and compassionate woman, she never fails to amaze me with her capacity to love. In books, I adore characters who search within themselves to find strength and courage that perhaps they didn’t know existed. An example would be Harry Potter and his friends Hermione Granger (who just might be my favorite female character of all time) and Ron Weasley. All of them grow and develop tremendously over the course of the series, never giving up on hope and love regardless of how dark their circumstances become.

The man who loves you or the man you love?
Oh, definitely the man I love.

Boxers or briefs?
Hehe. Depends on the guy ; )

Pancake or waffle?
Sadly, neither. I used to LOVE pancakes and ate them almost every Sunday for breakfast. But I recently changed my eating habits to a Paleo lifestyle, which involves no gluten. I still miss having pancakes on Sunday! *groans*

Fantasy or reality?
Hmmm. This one’s hard. I’d have to say fantasy that emerges from reality.

Yoga or pilates?
Pilates. I do it twice a week.

Comedy or drama?
In books, drama imbued with comedy. In real life, comedy with a little drama. : )

Vampires or shifters?
Definitely shifters. Something about the idea of a shifter’s soul tied to an animal and to the earth really gets to me. It’s similar to the attraction I feel toward elemental magic. I enjoy exploring the connection between ourselves and something that’s an essential part of life on this planet.

What's your next project?
I’m currently working like crazy on Billow, which is the second book in the Ondine Quartet series. I hope to have it out by the end of the year. I’m also working through ideas on another young adult series, a rather dark urban fantasy.

Thank you for visiting The Fairytale Nerd Emma!

BUY

Whirl

by Emma Raveling

Seventeen-year-old Kendra Irisavie is an ondine, a water elemental caught in the middle of an ancient war with the Aquidae, immortal dark demons who will stop at nothing to destroy the fragile balance of the Elemental world.
Fierce and independent, Kendra has always played by her own rules. Gifted with the powerful magic of Virtue and trained to be a deadly fighter, she has spent her life breaking hearts and getting into trouble.
When her life explodes one violent night in a northern California city, a dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past. Alone and with no one to trust, she must now navigate through a dangerous new world, face the temptations of a forbidden romance, and remain true to her duty and destiny.
All while the Aquidae continue to hunt her down, in the hopes of eliminating her forever…
An edgy urban fantasy/paranormal romance, Whirl is recommended for older teens and mature readers due to strong language and mild sexual situations.

Here's the trailer of Whirl, if you want to check it out!