Hey, everyone! This week, I’m very excited to welcome my friend and writing buddy Chasia to my blog for an author interview. Enjoy!
Hi, Chasia, and welcome!
Thanks for having me!
Can you tell my readers a little about yourself?
I’m Chasia, pen name Chace Verity, and I’m an American citizen and Canadian permanent resident. When not writing or working a people-job, I’m reading or playing video games or watching Korean dramas & variety shows.
Can you talk a little about your inspiration for your debut novella TEAM PHISON?
It started with me overhearing two guys chatting in a multiplayer game my husband was playing. One guy had a thick country accent and was super new to the game. He kept asking questions, apologizing, etc. The other guy was very polite to him and got embarrassed every time New Guy thanked him for helping him. It’s rare to see such genuine kindness in online games between two strangers. The team ended up losing the mission, but Nice Guy was the last one standing, and New Guy was super impressed with him. It was hard to forget such a sweet interaction.
Any upcoming projects you can talk about? (Or give a sneak peak of? 😉
Here’s a short chapter from my upcoming fantasy novella, My Heart Is Ready (out December 15, 2017)!
Lester liked the crown of wildflowers woven through the strawberry farmer’s hair.
Neither of the human twins had noticed him spying on them.
Lester listened to their argument with his claws digging into the topmost branch of the twisty orange maple tree. The high noon sunlight bounced off the harpy’s golden wings and shielded him in a protective glow.
Humans had the best gossip. Even when the secrets themselves weren’t terribly interesting, humans had a way of packing intense emotions into them. Rumors and speculation would crackle in the harpy’s head and send a delightful buzz through his body.
Harpies had evolved quite a bit from their days of stealing food out of humans’ hands. Now, they stole their words.
The twins had many remarks between them. Lester didn’t understand them all, but he understood the emotions. Despair. Exasperation. Confusion.
Anyone passing by might have noticed the emotions, too. This particular farm in northern Florea was famed for its rainbow strawberries. The colors changed depending on the mood in the air. Currently, all the strawberries in the patch were a solemn shade of midnight blue. Even the pixies flitting around the fields had lost some of their glitter.
“What is an Absolute?” asked the sister, throwing her hands in the air. “There’s something more to this arrangement than being some fancy knight, isn’t there? You’ve never wanted to be a knight before.”
“Doesn’t matter,” her brother retorted. “Think of the money we’re getting. You’ll be so happy at Rosales. It’s what we’ve always wanted.”
The young woman with long, black hair had the most adorable glare. Her sunburned cheeks puffed out like a chipmunk.
Lester adjusted the rusty metal coronet on his head. In addition to being one of the rare males in his species, he had arms as well as wings. Said arms came from his human father.
No other harpy was like him. He was the king of harpies.
A glimmer of interest in finding a queen ran through him every time the woman cursed at her brother. He had observed this woman a few times while perching from this tree, and she had always looked standoffish. She never interacted with the farm’s visitors, never played with the pixies, never smiled.
It was interesting to see her so animated now.
“I’d rather not get an education at the expense of your happiness,” she said, circling her brother.
“Who said I’m unhappy?”
“Our parents gladly accept your farce, but I know you better than them. Stop lying to me. Why do the Absolutes want a peasant who has never held a sword in his life?”
“I’m good with a sickle,” he said. “No one can cut grains faster than me.”
She stopped in her tracks. “I can.”
“Besides you.”
“You love being on the farm. Why are you really going with them?”
The brother clenched his jaw. The man had attractive qualities in his doughy face, a handsome rogue similar to a magpie. Lester, queer in every aspect of his life, didn’t mind the prospect of a king or a nonbinary regent at his side, but he was currently more drawn to the woman with exquisite biceps.
“I owe the queen, you know,” the brother said. “I’ll visit you at Rosales when I can. Say, when do you leave? Next week?
Lester cocked his head to the side. Were the twins affiliated with Haveri? What could this man owe the Crow Queen?
The possibilities rattled through Lester’s brain like tiny bolts of lightning and caused the feathers along his legs to stiffen.
Goddess, rumors were magnificent.
So was this muscular woman with flowers in her hair.
Perhaps Lester could impress the strawberry farmer by finding out what an Absolute was for her.
What does your writing process look like in general?
Outrageously chaotic. Often, I write a few chapters, get a good foundation going, and then drop the project for several months while I think more on it. If I have an outline, I can hammer out the whole thing in a short time. But I rarely have the patience to sit down and outline a story.
On a more technical level, I do almost everything in Scrivener. Draft, revise, edit, etc. I share works on Google Docs to be critiqued, but I retype everything in Scrivener. If I need to jot down ideas or lines while I’m away from my computer, I send an e-mail to myself on my phone.
Any favorite snacks for when you’re writing?
Is coffee a snack? XD I’ve been trying to eat healthier – I’ve swapped candy-while-writing for banana-chips-while-writing. Sometimes I go radical and get yogurt-covered pretzels for a snack.
What are your favorite books at the moment?
I’m currently captivated by Diana Wynne Jones’s Reflections: On the Magic of Writing. This series of essays is really enlightening, especially for anyone who writes for kids. It’s a different sort of writing advice because it’s not meant to be writing advice; you just happen to learn from her observations.
Where can readers find you and your work?
The latest information about my stuff can be found on Goodreads or on my Twitter! I’m also a part of the Crystal Queer Patreon.
