On writing, duologies, and witchcraft | Q+A with Laure Eve

Author Interview | Laure Eve
Last month I teased on my Instagram that I got to interview the breath-taking Laure Eve and how I hoped to have it all transcribed soon.

Unfortunately for you, I lost the bloody audio.

Luckily Laure is such a Queen that she agreed to re answer the questions over email for us so I can still scream about her work.

I’m actually a little sad that I did loose the audio because we had such a great conversation, but once the others go live too I can also edit in links to there so you can experience some of the magic.

Keep reading to find out more about Laure Eve, The Graces, and her future work.

Laure Eve

A French-British hybrid who grew up in Cornwall, a place saturated with myth and fantasy. Being a child of two cultures taught her everything she needed to know about trying to fit in at the same time as trying to stand out.

She speaks English and French, and can hold a vague conversation, usually about food, in Greek.

A random selection of favourite things: Terry Pratchett quotes, characters with questionable morals, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Häagen-Dazs cookie dough ice cream, anything Trent Reznor is remotely involved in even if it only extends to ‘he once touched this artist’s arm’, bad 90s dance music and anything a bit weird (see: Davids Lynch and Cronenberg).

Find her on Instagram | Twitter | Goodreads | Website

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Is The Graces a duology or will you be revisiting the world?
It is a duology for the moment, though I’d definitely revisit the world if another story for it came to me. I think at the moment it’d be taken up from someone else’s point of view, like say Marcus. I think it would be interesting to do a series where each book was told from a different character’s POV.

Do you prefer reading standalones or series and do you think that influences your writing?
On balance I probably read a lot more standalones than I do series, I think mostly because series are much more of an investment, and I tend to have to read so much varied stuff – new books that I get sent, research for my own writing – that it takes me a really long time to get to the next book in a series. I’d really love to write a series, but for some bizarre reason I keep unconsciously defaulting to duologies…

I spoke to a friend who loved The Graces and she thinks it would be interesting to know how you researched the magic, where you got the inspiration from, and whether you view yourself as Wiccan?
The inspiration for the magic in the books definitely comes from modern Wicca and the resurgence of pagan/earth religions in the 20th century. For me where magic gets interesting is when it sits between the intersection of willpower, spirituality and belief, and is therefore more nebulous in nature. I grew up in an area that was very open to those kinds of alternative spiritualities, so I really drew from the experiences of my childhood. I wouldn’t necessarily say I am Wiccan, no – mostly because I am an atheist, and there are dimensions to Wicca that draws on the belief in some kind of higher power. But I am very interested in its philosophies, and its approach to reality.

Is your favourite genre to read different to what you write? Do you have any recommendations?
I honestly don’t have a favourite genre. I read contemporary, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller and horror, they all offer different experiences for me. Recommendations – too many! The best thing to do for recs is follow me on instagram. I tend to post about the books I really love that I’ve read recently.

Are there any fantasy/paranormal elements you’d love to explore in the future?
Actually I find myself being drawn back towards science fiction a little more. In the new thing I’m writing right now, I’ve been exploring the intersection of magic and technology, and how that would work, what that would look like. It is a very fun concept to play around with.

What is the best thing about being an author?
You get a moment every so often where you realise that you’re being paid to make stuff up. It’s the strangest and most wonderful feeling.

If you can tell us anything, what are you working on next?
It’s an alternative world fantasy inspired by the stories of King Arthur and Merlin, but set in a city with trains and motorbikes and electricity. It has a very modern gothic kind of vibe. I’ve no idea if it will ever get published, but I’m having immense fun creating it.

And lastly, if you could write a book with anyone dead or alive who would it be and why?
Wishful answer: I’d have loved to have written a book with Terry Pratchett. As a writer he has had a huge influence on me. It would have been quite something to be able to draw on his amazingly creative and sharply perceptive mind.

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I hope you enjoyed this post and you get the chance to see Laure speak at an event because she’s super awesome. After hearing her at NYALIT my pals all bought her books too so we’re now a Laure Eve Fan Club 💖

Have you read either of Laure Eve’s duologies?

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