Interview with The Vanished Knight Author M. Gerrick

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Misha Gericke, otherwise known as M. Gerrick, is here for an interview today as part of her blog tour to promote her debut novel The Vanished Knight. Welcome, Misha!

1.    Your working title for your new book was Doorways. What made you change it to The Vanished Knight?

Basically, I submitted Doorways without an idea as to what I wanted to call the series. Also, Doorways was mostly about Callan discovering the doors to another world. The symbolism of the title had to do with her having to pick where her loyalties lay, I.E. which door she’d take.
However, I signed my publishing contract on condition that I’d split Doorways in two. The first half evolved into being more about Darrion and Gawain looking for their country’s crown prince. So when I settled on War of Six Crowns as being the best title for the series, I knew that the name Doorways wouldn’t fit. The Vanished Knight did,  since it’s step one in the lead-up to the war.

2.    Do you always write in the fantasy genre or do you enjoy writing in other genres as well? If so, what are they?

Oh no I write a ton of different things. Fantasy (in more than one subgenre) takes up the majority of what I write, but I’m a bit eclectic in my writing tastes. I’m currently busy with a YA historical, a YA spy story, a NA time travel Sci Fi and a YA Urban Fantasy.

3.    When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?

It wasn’t really about wanting to be a writer. Been creating stories since when I was very young. Later, I wanted to write them down, and later still, I wanted to see them published. Also, my grandmother’s a writer in my home language and she encouraged me to write so much that it felt natural to pen the stories down.

4.    Do you write full-time or do you also have a “day job?” If so, what is it?

I have a day job… exporting fresh produce. This might change soon, though. I’ll still have a full time job, but the magical disappearing oranges trick gets tiresome real fast. I’m thinking of going into hospitality and weddings next.

5.    What do you enjoy most about writing?

When I’m drafting, I love the pure creation that comes with writing. When I’m rewriting or revising, I love seeing the story turn into the one I’d dreamed it would be.

6.    Anything you don’t enjoy or struggle with when it comes to your writing?

I don’t enjoy when writing feels like sipping yogurt through a thin straw. Struggling… mmm… I’m terrible at keeping repetition out of my work. And… sometimes I go too far with voice. So far that I get it, and my character gets it, but no one else does.

7.    What other passions or interests do you have besides writing?

Fencing, singing, yoga, horse riding and quilting. This changes though. Writing and reading are my only constant passions.

8.    Glass half-full or half-empty?

Glass-is-twice-the-size-it-should-have-been.

9.    What would you consider your dream vacation?

Europe. Yeah…

10.    What’s your favorite place you’re ever visited?

Berlin, with Paris and Amsterdam coming a close shared second. I really love how Berlin rebuilt itself after the war, taking its history and the damage inflicted into account. Also, strolling in Berlin on a wintry Sunday feels like you’re the only person in the world.

11.    Which of your characters would you say you are most like? Least like?

I’m least like Aurek and Keill. They only really feature in the sequel to The Vanished Knight, though. I’m probably the most like Gawain. Minus the fact that he’s a guy, and the fact that he’s half-elvish.

12.    What can you tell us about your next book?

I’ve started revising the sequel to The Vanished Knight, called The Heir’s Choice. In it, Darrion and Gawain need Callan’s help to rescue the Black Knight (Nordaine’s crown prince). Problem is, doing so will put her in a really bad place with the elves.

 Thanks for being here, Misha. It was fun to chat with you!

Blurb

Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

Bio

M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects. She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain.

If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add The Vanished Knight on Goodreads.

Links: 

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

All Romance Reads

Amazon France

Amazon Germany