Author of The Mage’s Curse
And the Realm of Darkness authors keep on coming. Today I am chatting with Fantasy author, Bethany Adams about her contribution to the boxset, The Mage’s Curse which releases on October 4th, 2022 and is currently available on preorder.
Helen: Welcome Bethany, I am so excited to chat with you about The Mage’s curse. Tell us a little about your book.
Bethany: My contribution is called The Mage’s Curse, and it’s about a fae mage who is trapped in a magical realm after a meeting with a god went wrong. In order to escape, Chalmys has to find someone to write his story, but since he’s trapped, he has to try to reach people through dreams. He finds Holly, a single mom and technical writer, on Earth and chooses her to ask for help with his latest attempt.
Helen: This sounds so good! I can’t wait to read it, and your cover! Oh my – it’s gorgeous! I am assuming that is Chalmys?
Bethany: My cover was designed by Ana Cruz, who took my descriptions of a couple of scenes and created magic. It shows Chalmys working magic inside a stone circle and even features the crystals he often uses during his work. I absolutely love it!
Helen: So you should it is beautiful. What made you write a book for an anthology?
Bethany: Honestly? Because several of my writing friends had joined, and I thought it would be fun to be in a book together. I’ve really enjoyed getting to know other authors, too.
Helen: It has been fun, hasn’t it? Can’t believe we’re nearly at launch day. What made you write this specific book?
Bethany: The idea for this was sparked by a conversation with one of my long-time readers (who might not want to be named here, but she’ll know it’s her). When she read my book, Soulbound, there were several details that reminded her of a story idea she’d had. We live on different continents and had never even spoken before, so it was just one of those weird things that we found amusing. But then I got to thinking…what if there’s some fae/god/etc out there trying to get people to write about him by sending out dreams? Wouldn’t it be funny to see what would happen? And so Chalmys was born.
Helen: What a lovely story and a great way for this book to be born. Maybe if we all read it we’ll help to save Chalmys! Is this the type of book you usually write?
Bethany: I generally write some blend of fantasy and romance. Sometimes, the stories are heavier on the fantasy and sometimes heavier on the romance, but both are usually there. They’ve just always been my two favorite genres to read, so I find them blending when I write.
Helen: Tell us about the other books you’ve written.
Bethany: I currently have nine books in The Return of the Elves series, which begins with Soulbound. I also write steamy fantasy romance serials as Willow McCain. The first season of my Kindle Vella serial will soon release as an ebook titled The Fae Kings’ Bargain.
Helen: I love that your first book was Soulbound. My contribution to the anthology is SoulBreather, so i feel a connection between us already! If your main characters could answer this question, why would they say we should read your book?
Bethany: Well, Chalmys wants everyone to read his story so he can be freed from his curse, and Holly would tell you that you should read because she worked hard to write it all down. Ohh, if a fae mage shows up to thank you for reading, tell him he owes me a bag of gold, okay? hehe
Helen: LOL! Let’s talk a little about your writing process. What first made you start writing fantasy novels?
Bethany: At this point, it feels like something I’ve always done. I’ve been a reader for as long as I can remember, and at some point as a kid, I started trying to write stories down. I even carried around notebooks in high school.
Helen: How do you fit writing into your daily life?
Bethany: When I was younger, I used to follow my muse, but now I sit at my computer every morning (well, Monday-Friday) and try to coax her to show up. I find that the more habit I build for my brain, the easier it goes.
Helen: When writing do your prefer silence or do you like to listen to music?
Bethany: Almost always. For some books, I have a playlist that fits the mood, but it can also be more general. The what is really random. Sometimes, the music is instrumental. Or love songs. Or heavy, moody stuff. I’ve always connected emotionally with music, so it often helps me slip into the mood of a scene.
Helen: Do you plan out your books with outlines and knowing where you’re going or do you write free form?
Bethany: I’m a pantser, but I wouldn’t say I sit down each day with literally no idea where the story is going. I might have a couple of rough goalposts in mind, but I also tend to mull over the next scene or two in the time between writing sessions. Much of it is drifting around back there in my subconscious.
Helen: Just to finish, tell us what you do when you’re not writing.
Bethany: I love video games and reading. I play a lot on my Switch or on PC. I especially love tycoon/simulation games and role-playing games, though I rarely have time to finish an RPG these days. Lately, I’ve been reading a lot of manhwa/webcomics. When I read books, it’s usually historical or contemporary romance.
Helen: Thank you, Bethany, for joining me today. I enjoyed speaking with you, and like you, I am so excited to be part of this anthology. It has been a great experience, and I can’t believe the launch is in a few days. It has come around so quickly! You can preorder the anthology here for the insane price of 99c! You can also enter the competitions and claim free gifts if you by on Apple or Barnes and Noble here.
Make sure you can check out some of my other posts as I spotlight the authors as they reveal their covers!
About the Author:
Ever since finding The Hero and the Crown in her school library, Bethany Adams has loved fantasy, even subjecting her school friends to stories scrawled in notebooks. Eventually, she decided to publish novels of her own. She currently writes romantic portal fantasy as Bethany Adams and steamy fantasy romance serials as Willow McCain. When not writing, Bethany enjoys reading and playing video games.
For all the latest news:
- Author webpage– Bethany Adams
- Author webpage – Willow McCain
Other books by Bethany Adams
Soulbound, book one of The Return of the Elves series
Link to ebook on Amazon UK | Amazon US
Link to paperback on Amazon UK | Amazon US
As an Amazon Associate I may earn commission from purchases made using these links.
If you enjoy fantasy romance books then you will love my new release SoulBreather, part of the Realm of Darkness Anthology, and my epic fantasy Sentinal series. As a new threat against Remargaren is discovered, only one man can wake the ancient guards who can protect them, only he doesn’t know how. Start the adventure and stay for the journey. Sign up to my newsletter and download a free novella called Sentinals Stirring and get notified when my next books are published.
Helen Garraway 