Thanks so much for joining us, Christina. I really, really loved Black Wings so I have to say, I am especially excited to be interviewing you.
Thanks so much for having me here! I’m really happy to hear that you enjoyed the book.
For those who haven’t heard of Black Wings, can you tell us a little about it? (note to readers: you can read my review here)
Maddy Black is an Agent of death. It’s an inherited job with no pay. She’s broke, she’s stressed and she’s got to rent the apartment in her building if she wants to have some income. She takes on a new tenant who winds up bringing a whole host of new supernatural problems with him. She’s also got a very mouthy gargoyle with a bad popcorn habit who loves to express his opinion on everything.
I’m a sucker for angels, demons and nephilim. What drew you into that world?
When I sold Black Wings to Ace (a year and a half ago) there really were not very many angelic books/TV/movies out…although it does seem like there’s been a sudden explosion of angels! I was looking for creatures that had an interesting mythology and were a little different from what was out at the time when I was writing the book.
How much research went into your mythology?
I looked up a few angelic names on Wikipedia, and some basic info on the Grigori and nephilim. I didn’t want to draw too much on existing mythologies – I really wanted to try to create a mythology that is unique to the world of Black Wings.
Beezle. Such an amazingly fantastic character. How’d he develop?
I love to write dialogue so I wanted Maddy to have someone to talk to. When you write in first person there’s a danger that you’ll spend too much time in the character’s head. Having another character on hand for Maddy to bounce ideas off keeps the narrative fresh and prevents Maddy from spending too much time brooding over her problems. Really, how can you brood when you’ve got a hungry gargoyle to feed?
Plus, since Beezle is a home guardian he’s pretty much always around, unlike a roommate or relative who might possibly have a life of one’s own. Beezle’s life is Maddy’s life – he delights in sticking his beak in her business – and everyone else’s business for that matter. This keeps him readily on hand for whatever I might need.
What are your thoughts on the angel invasion we are seeing in today’s entertainment world?
I think that a lot of writers were probably like me – thinking that they wanted to do something a little different from vampires and werewolves. All these books just happened to hit the market at the same time!
Tell us a bit about your writing habits. Do you have a certain ritual or anything?
I always put together a playlist for each book that I write. I start off with an 8-10 song playlist and then I add to it as I get further into the novel until I’ve got about 20-25 songs that I listen to while I write. Every time I sit down at my laptop that playlist brings me right back into the story and the overall emotional arc of Maddy’s character. When I get to a point where the writing feels stuck or stale, I’ll put the playlist on my iPod and just listen to the music while I run errands or bake something in the kitchen. If I let my mind wander while still staying inside Maddy’s world through the music the next piece of the story will usually occur to me.
Which authors inspire you?
I may possibly be Jim Butcher’s biggest fan. I am crazy about the Dresden Files series. I also love Stephen King, Charlaine Harris, Patricia Briggs, Neil Gaiman, Tanya Huff, Lori Handeland, Kim Harrison, Kelley Armstrong, China Mieville, Nancy Holzner, Simon R. Green, Joe Hill…it’s actually kind of hard for me to make a short list!
Any books you think we shouldn’t miss?
My favorite book of all time is “Nobody’s Fool” by Richard Russo. It’s not a fantasy novel but it is an absolute masterpiece of characterization.
If a Black Wings movie were made, who do you see as cast members?
I don’t know who would play Maddy. I just think I would hate it if she was played by a super-skinny actress, because Maddy is slightly overweight and I like that about her – it makes her more human and less physically perfect than a lot of heroines. The actress would also need a major attitude, because Maddy’s definitely got a chip on her shoulder! Sandra Bullock totally could have played this role ten years ago but I don’t know who would do it now.
Gabriel could be Michael Fassbender (who was on the British TV show “Hex”, if you’ve ever seen that) or Richard Armitage (who was on the BBC’s “Robin Hood” series). They each have the really strong bone structure and quiet voice that I think of with Gabriel. Plus, it does not hurt that they are both gorgeous and have adorable accents.
Can’t you just see Gerard Butler as J.B.? He doesn’t look exactly the way I describe J.B. in the book but I can see him playing that part really well. Actually, Richard Armitage could do this role also if Michael Fassbender played Gabriel.
Of course, there is no creature in the universe as adorable as Beezle so he would have to be computer-generated.
We have quite a long wait for the sequel (Black Night is due out Autumn 2011) but can you hint at what might happen for Maddy, Gabriel and Beezle?
Quite a few people have asked about J.B. – if he’s going to be around in future books. J.B. is definitely going to play a bigger role in the next book. You also get to meet his mother – he has a cryptic comment about his mom in Black Wings that I never expanded on. His mother is a major player in the world of Black Wings and both J.B. and his mom will be around for the foreseeable future. I can’t tell you too much more than that without giving away some of the twists in the sequel.
Thanks for much for being here, Christina. Anything else you’d like to add?
Thanks so much for having me here and I hope your readers enjoy Black Wings!
Christina’s website can be found at http://www.christinahenry.net/ and her Facebook page is located at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Christina-Henry/152170358141765.
If you have any comments or questions for Christina, feel free to ask them below.
Giveaway
Thanks to Ace, we have one lovely copy of Black Wings to give away to one lucky follower. US/Canada residents only, no P.O. Boxes, please. Simply be a follower and comment below with your name, email and how you are following us (and it would be lovely if you left a question or comment for Christina as well). On December 30th (contest ends December 31st at 11:59pm central time), I’ll announce the winners.
Teresa (nom de plume: Torrance Sené) is a self-proclaimed geek, a Janeite, a lover of werewolves and bad-ass angels, an aspiring novelist and an avid book reader who freelances as a web designer. You can follow her on Twitter at @eireannoir.
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