Interview: Daisy Whitney, author of 'The Fire Artist'
HEA chats with Daisy Whitney about her latest, The Fire Artist, out today (Tuesday), lightning and starting fires.
Jessie: How did you get the idea for stealing power from lightning? And of course being a fire artist?
Daisy: Alice Hoffman wrote a gorgeous book called The Ice Queen about a woman changed when she is struck by lightning. That story has always stayed with me because of the concept of nature transforming a person's emotions and capacity for love. But I didn't latch onto a story idea until I read Holly Black's amazing Curse Workers series where magic is a curse. I wanted to play in that same sandbox — giving people powers that allowed for greatness but also destruction. Elemental powers were born.
Jessie: Tell us about the Granter, our awesome hero, Taj.
Daisy: Oh, he's lovely and handsome and trapped, isn't he? He'd my modern-day genie, the twist on the wish granter legend. He has the ability to deliver the greatest, deepest, darkest wishes at a tremendous cost to the wisher. And yet he's trapped by his powers. Unless, perhaps, our heroine can save him!
Jessie: Can you give readers a highlight or two of The Fire Artist?
Daisy: The Fire Artist is Firestarter meets Aladdin. It's a story about wishes, and Faustian bargains, and impossible choices to save yourself and your family. Making a deal with the devil can have great consequences, and both Aria and Taj learn how deep in this story. As for highlights, I'm quite partial to all the scenes with the snow gator. He's an alligator who does some cool things in the novel.
Jessie: What are you currently working on?
Daisy: I'm currently working on 21 Kisses, a New Adult romance about a forbidden love and it should release in early 2015 under both my names — Daisy Whitney and Lauren Blakely.
Jessie: What's the craziest idea for a book you've had?
Daisy: The Fire Artist is definitely out there since it's about a girl who makes fire from her body and has to strike a deal with a modern-day genie! Starry Nights is a bit wild, too, with art that comes alive at night.
Jessie: Anything you'd like to leave readers and fans with?
Daisy: Be careful what you wish for!
Now for some rapid-fire questions …
What would you ask a Granter for? Calorie-free cake!
Which elemental magic would you want? I'd like to be a water artist and create gorgeous fountains and swim with dolphins.
Favorite feisty/fiery heroine? Evie from Paranormalcy by Kiersten White is fabulously feisty!
Do you like good boys or bad boys? Good guys!
Which book boyfriend would you steal lightning for? Any Stephanie Perkins or Bella Andre hero. They write the most swoony guys!
Favorite TV show? Favorite show of all time is Seinfeld, and currently it's Silicon Valley' on HBO.
Favorite writing snack? Green tea and chocolate.
Epic one-liner from The Fire Artist?
Daisy: "This is the fire in me. Wild and ravaging. Devouring."
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Find out more about Daisy and her books at daisywhitney.com.
Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions department at Dreamspinner Press. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).