Starting today and running for….as long as it needs to, you’ll find a new feature on this humble blog: interviews with debut authors!
For the past year, I have found great camaraderie and help from my fellow 2019 debut authors. As we seek to support one another, some of us have offered to do interviews for our blogs. So every once in a while, you’re going to see one of them on here. Now, I haven’t read all of these books — some of them just aren’t in my wheelhouse, but that doesn’t mean they’re not in yours or in the wheelhouse of someone you know.
For the first, allow me to introduce you to B.P. Donigan.
B.P. Donigan was born and raised in Wasilla, Alaska (which she reminds us would later become famous thanks to one infamous politician who could see Russia from her house, but at the time was about as rural as you can get).
She attended college in rural Idaho earning a degree in Print Journalism, and then not-so-rural Utah earning a degree in Marketing, and finally moved to very-not-rural Boston where she lived and worked for ten years. After paying her dues to the Extreme Winters, she resides now in sunny California, with her two kids, two fish, two dogs, and one amazing husband. Like any good superhero she spends her days building her cover story behind a desk, and her nights saving the world (on paper, at least).
Donigan’s debut is Fate Forged.
Here’s the description:
Growing up on the streets of Boston, Maeve O’Neill learned to rely only on herself. Paying bills isn’t glamorous, but her life is on a better track—until she starts having agonizing visions of torture. Desperate to rid herself of the paralyzing episodes, she follows her visions to the scene of a murder. Instead of answers, she gets an unexpected gift from the victim: Magic.
With the unwanted power, Maeve becomes the access point to all of Earth’s untapped magic. Now, powerful enemies are after her and staying alive means striking a bargain with an untrustworthy ally with a long-shot plan. Maeve has to keep the magic in check until she can get rid of it, but her control is slipping and everything could go wrong. If the plan fails, her unlikely ally betrays her, or her enemies catch her, she’ll be handing over all of Earth’s magic…and her life.
Interest piqued? Let’s find out more:
What sparked the idea for Fate Forged?
Fate Forged started with a ‘what if’ questions. What if a woman inherited crazy magic powers, but had no idea how to control them? From there, I let the questions lead me into a story. Who is she? Why doesn’t she know how to control the magic powers? Where do the powers come from? What if she doesn’t remember something critical about herself…
Did anything from your real life influence your book at all?
Definitely! I grew up in Alaska, which is where my characters go to search for a Fate who can remove the uncontrollable magic powers from my main character. They hike over a glacier and to the top of a mountain in a re-creation of a three-day hike I did when I was a teenager. (I wasn’t chased by demon dogs at the time, but otherwise it’s the same hike.) The locations, and even the hiker’s huts where they stop over, are all real places. Also, the book starts out in Boston where I lived for a decade after college, and I mention Davis Square and a fortune cookie factory, which are real places that are near and dear to my heart. I had a lot of fun putting my favorite places into my story.
Did you have to do any research for Fate Forged?
I researched everything! For the story itself, I had to map out the character’s road trip, and Google search weapons, how to realistically kill someone in hand-to-hand combat, and watch lots of videos online just to make a coherent fight scene. For a while there, I was pretty sure my internet searches were going to flag an FBI raid on my house.
How long did it take for you to write Fate Forged?
I first sat down to write a novel four years before Fate Forged was published. The first year was all about learning how to write a novel. I’ve always been an avid reader, and I knew what I liked, but I had no idea how to plan, plot, or pace a novel. An entire second year was spent editing my work in progress and then getting beta readers and critique partners.
Did anything change significantly in your book during the writing or editing process?
Yes! Many of the characters’ names changed, and the title used to be The Lost Sect, which I liked, but the publisher didn’t think had enough depth. After some soul searching, I decided “Fate” was a thread that will reach across the entire series, and then I attempted to find a title with the word Fate that didn’t sound like a romance novel! To make it all cohesive, I ended up coming up with titles for the first three books (as well as the series title) so the extra effort was worth it.
Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Plotter all the way. I’m always looking for better ways to plan out the plot, the characters, and pacing. For me, it’s so much easier to write creatively if I know the bones of the story are solid.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
When I’m not writing, I have a full-time job, two kids, two dogs, and a husband. All that keeps me busy! When I have spare time, I love to dabble in home improvement projects and arts and crafts. I love trying new things, but honestly I have a hard time finishing up the projects I start.
What are you working on right now?
I’m working on book two in the Bound Magic Series, which is tentatively titled Fate Changed. Although the main characters overcome a lot of challenges in Fate Forged, there are still some people who need to be stopped, and the fate of Earth’s magic hangs in the balance in a new way.
Where can we find the book?
You can buy the book on Amazon | Kobo | Red Adept Publishing | B&N | GooglePlay
Where can we find you?
Website www.bpdonigan.com
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Erin Bartels 
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