We have talked to Susan Dennard, author of the Something Strange and Deadly series.
Tell us a bit about your “Something Strange and Deadly” series.
Something Strange and Deadly is the first book in a young adult series following Eleanor Fitt–a sixteen year old from 1876 Philadelphia’s high society–and a ragtag trio of ghost hunters as they battle walking dead, demons, and spirits around the world.
Where did you get the inspiration from?
As cliché as it is, the idea for the series first came from a dream. I dreamt my brother was missing and that I would have done anything to get him back…but the only people who could help me do that were a group of society’s outcasts. Ultimately, I transformed that first spark into a full book–the missing brother was kidnapped by a necromancer, the outcasts were a group of ghost-fighters, and the setting was 1876 Philadelphia!
The series started out in Philadelphia, then Paris… and in the third book you will take us to Egypt. Was this the plan from the beginning and why Egypt?
This was the plan from the beginning–or at least it was as soon as I realized midway through drafting the first book that I wasn’t even close to telling the whole story. I realized, as I wrote, that there was a much larger tale lurking beneath the missing brother and rising corpses of Philadelphia. As I researched more deeply into the history of necromancy and grimoires, I read about this mythical creature called the Black Pullet…and the origins of that legend led me (and ultimately Eleanor and the Spirit-Hunters!) to Paris and then Egypt.
Do you do a lot of research?
Oh goodness, yes. Every time I set out to write a sequel (or prequel), I have always managed to forget just how much research I did the time before. My main sources are primary documents from 1876–original guidebooks to the cities or else journals. I also travel to the areas and try to imagine what everything looked like–and more importantly felt like–in 1876.
Tell us about the covers and how they came about.
The covers were the brain child of my fabulous designer Cara E. Petrus. She and her team hired a photographer and model, held a photoshoot, and even acquired custom-made dresses for the 16-year-old model to wear. The first cover evokes the vibe of the cemeteries and forests in Something Strange & Deadly. The second cover features the clock from Musée D’Orsay, which I think gives the perfect feeling of Paris. As for the unrevealed third cover (which I adore), the designer has yet again managed to subtly bring the Cairo setting to life.
You are also writing a serialized space opera called The Starkillers Cycle together with Sarah J. Maas. Can you tell us a bit about that project?
The Starkillers Cycle is a project that Sarah J. Maas (NYT-bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series) and I began during a trip to Vegas several years back. We had coauthored projects before, and we decided right from the get-go that this one would be “just for fun.” Almost like an escape from our contracted novels. Yet the more we wrote, the more we felt like we were onto something–onto a story worth sharing with the world.
But we also realized, as we planned and drafted, that the story was not appropriate for our current young adult audiences. For that matter, we realized that the way we told our story wasn’t really going to work in a traditional book format. Since we both got our starts writing on a public website called Fictionpress, where stories are shared for free, we thought it could be fun to harken back to those roots. Plus, writing for free and sharing as we created would allow us to keep that “just for fun” vibe in the story.
And so, our free, online, serialized space opera was born. Those interested, can read the first chapter here. 🙂
When did you know that you wanted to become a writer?
I started writing as a kid–and it was primarily copycat fiction of such greats as Tamora Pierce or Anne McCaffrey. I also dabbled throughout junior high and high school in fan fiction. I knew I wanted to be an author from about age 12 on, and I dutifully went off to college intending to do just that. But then I got sidetracked by marine biology, and I discovered a deep love for science. I wound up getting a masters in marine biology and traveling all around the world to study fish. Of course, as Fate would have it, when I moved to Germany to be with my husband, I couldn’t get a job in my field. So back to the writing grind I went! Three years later, Something Strange and Deadly hit stores, and I haven’t looked back since! 🙂
What kind of books do you read, any favourite authors?
I read a lot of different kinds of books–from nonfiction (lately I’ve been on a behavioral/neuroscience kick) to drawing room mysteries (I heart Agatha Christie forever) to sprawling epic fantasies. I honestly read anything that strikes my fancy. As for my favorite authors–goodness, I suppose Ursula K. Le Guin, Robin Hobb, Megan Whalen Turner, Michael Crichton, and E.M. Forster are the first to come to mind.
What do you do when you’re not writing, any hobbies?
My husband and I recently bought a house, so almost all of my free time is spent painting or sanding or assembling various things. I actually love updating/building furniture or painting rooms–it’s a creative outlet, you know?
My other main hobby at the moment is sewing. It’s a new endeavor–and I’m definitely still learning–but again, I love having other creative outlets beyond my writing.
What’s next?
Other than The Starkillers Cycle, which is a constantly update project, I have a few manuscripts soon to be making the publisher rounds (i.e. my agent is about to start submitting). One projects is a sweeping epic fantasy series, and then I also have a YA horror and a MG fantasy soon to be ready for editorial eyes. Like my reading tastes, my writing tends to run the gamut.
