Hello! Welcome to our Author Interview with ALICIA JACINSKA, author of this month’s title The Dark Tide. Read on to find out some of the inspirations and ideas for this great new LoveOzYA debut…
Where did you get the idea for “The Dark Tide”?
I was inspired by so many things! But I got the first sort of spark when I was watching Wicked. I really love the dynamic between the two girls in the musical and I wanted to write my own dark fairy-tale fantasy with witches, but with queer characters as the leads. The kind of story I didn’t get to see a lot growing up. The book is also a very, very loose retelling of ‘The Ballad of Tam Lin,’ a Scottish folktale about a girl who saves the boy she loves from being sacrificed by an evil queen.
You write very interesting characters. Did you base them on anyone real or fiction?
I think I’d be in a lot of trouble if I based my characters on anyone I knew in real life! That said I do sometimes draw from my own experiences, when I’m writing I find it easier to get into a character’s head if we share something in common. So like with Lina’s family there’s some little nods in there to my own.
Your book has an awesome title. But what might it have been called, if it wasn’t called what it is now?
I’m actually really bad at coming up with titles, haha. So all the credit goes to my agent, editor, and publisher for helping me to come up with a good one! Previous story titles included: NOTHING LOST, THESE VENGEFUL TIDES, and THE DARKEST TIDE, before we settled on THE DARK TIDE.
What is a curious or unusual thing about you that most people don’t know?
When I’m not
spending all my free time writing, I really love hanging upside down &
training aerials! Mostly aerial hoop and dance trapeze, by myself and also
performing doubles with a partner. If you get a chance to try, I totally
recommend it! It’s super fun and a great way to stay fit!
If you could only take 3 books with you on holiday, what
would they be?
Only 3? That’s so hard! I think I’ll have to go with two of my go-to comfort reads: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern and STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor. And a new favourite I read recently: STAR DAUGHTER by Shveta Thakrar.
Thank you so much Alicia for answering all our questions and for taking part in our book of the month!
Stay tuned for our discussion post for The Dark Tide on the #LoveOzYAbookclub Facebook Page in the coming days
Emm xx