I’m so excited to welcome Tay LaRoi to the blog today. She’s a new-to-me author, and her book looks amazing. I’d complain about having a longer to-read list, but that’s hardly a bad thing.
Interview
Welcome! Your book looks amazing. What inspired you to write it?
A whole lot of things. Primarily the fact that I made a huge career change and moved in with my dad, whom I was not out to at the time. There were a lot of worst-case scenarios running though my head at the time and, instead of working them out in a journal like a normal person, I ended up making them the back story for DJ Suzuki, the main character of The Tale of a Faerie Knight. Giving those scenarios a more hopeful ending helped me a lot and I hope it’ll help young adults as well, regardless of where they are their coming-out process.
That’s fantastic, and I hope many young adults feel hopeful and inspired by your words. Tell us a little about any upcoming projects. Will they have the same feel?
The third instalment of the Faerie Court Chronicles, The Song of the Faerie Prince, is out in May and I’m SUPER excited for it. While the series is YA, it definitely focuses more on the fantasy element. Song is a chance to focus more on the YA aspect since it takes place primarily at a high school and the main character, Gia, is very much so inspired by my awkward teenage years. She learns a lot of things I wish I had gotten though my head at her age, but I was a lot more stubborn than she is.
I think a lot of us can relate to that, even when we’ve been away from it for a long time. How do you hope your writing influences other people?
I want to people to first and foremost have a little fun. My favorite books are ones where I can take a break from the world and just have fun in a different world for a while, so I’d like to pay that forward. In addition, I want people, ESPECIALLY queer teens, to know that they’re not alone. I didn’t really come of age with any stories with girls or women like me and it really does go a long way to make you feel like you belong in the world
That is so important! As a parent of teens, I know I appreciate that they can read these stories and hopefully see themselves and their friends.
Okay, time for some word sprints. What’s your favorite food?
Curry! Especially yellow curry.
What’s one of your hobbies?
I love to crochet, but I haven’t had time recently.
What’s your favorite season?
Spring and Autumn are currently tied.
Thank you for stopping by! Please be sure to let us know when the next book in the series is out.
About the Author
Tay grew up reading too many fairy tales and watching too many movies, which is probably why she writes fantasy now. When she’s not at her day job or writing, she can be found taking spontaneous drives to new places, and drinking way too much coffee. Her first series, The Faerie Court Chronicles, is available from NineStar Press.
Social Media
About the Book
Title: The Tale of a Faerie Knight
Author: Tay LaRoi
Publisher: NineStar Press
Date: December 25, 2017
Length: 74,600 words
Categories: YA, LGBT, Bisexual/Pansexual, Urban Fantasy, f/f, road trip
Synopsis
After the fall of Queen Mab, DJ Suzuki resolves herself to an aimless life of entertaining, drinking, and hooking up within the Faerie Realm. After twenty ageless years, she knows she can’t go back to her family, despite the fact that her brother still searches for her and the small voice telling her that her parents might have had a change of heart about her orientation.
When a young woman named Talia shows up at DJ’s workplace desperate for help, DJ sees a way to rid herself of the guilt of staying away: she’ll take Talia where she needs to go if Talia rids DJ’s family of all memory of her. Talia will be safe and DJ will be free to live in the Faerie Realm with a clear conscience. Everyone wins.
Except there’s more to Talia and her situation than she’s letting on. Her pursuers want more than just her. They want the Faerie Court, and Talia is the key to getting it. If DJ can’t get Talia to safety before they catch up, a guilty conscience will be the least of her worries. She just might have a faerie civil war on her hands.
Purchase Links
NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Kobo
Excerpt
This girl isn’t Queen Mab. They just have a few similar features. That’s all. People look like each other all the time. I’m just a little tipsy. The longer I look at this girl, the less she looks like the woman I once served. Mab didn’t have freckles or blonde hair. Mab’s ears tapered to a point like every other faerie I’ve seen around here, and this girl’s are rounded like mine. She must be human, which is exactly why she shouldn’t be here in the Time Between.
She gently shakes me out of my thoughts. “Please, is there somewhere I can hide?”
I take her by her wrists. “Slow down. What are you doing here?”
The girl takes a deep breath. “I was kidnapped by a group of trolls and goblins. They’re dragging me to only the gods know where, but they stopped nearby for the night. I managed to bewitch them and escape, but I’m sure it’s worn off by now. My magic’s terrible.”
“Wait, what? Your magic? But you’re…”
A light bulb flicks on.
“You’re half human.”
“Correct. Now can you help me or not?”
I don’t think I can, but Iver might be able to. Queen Shaylee’s half human, and he’s pretty good friends with her. He’ll know what to do with this girl, even if she’s being kidnapped. I take her hand and lead her toward the bar.
The girl squeezes my hand and whispers, “Thank you.”
She’s warm like a human. I can’t remember the last time I felt this sort of heat, the gentle warm pulse that radiates from within.
I shake my head again. Maybe Iver’s right. I should quit drinking.
Nah. Just lighten up.
We wiggle through the crowd near the bar, so I can slip behind the counter. “Iver, we’ve got a situation.”
He turns our way, still pouring a drink, and frowns. “What did you break this time?”
“Bite me. I didn’t break anything. Look, this girl needs help.” I pull her forward, so my boss can have a look at her. “She said a bunch of trolls and goblins kidnapped her.” As he looks her over, I stand on my tiptoes to whisper in his ear, “And she’s half human.”
His eyes go wide and blink at me a few times, then at the girl. He studies her for a few minutes more and concludes, “So you are.”
“What should we do?” I ask.
Iver looks over our heads toward the entrance. “Get down.” Sure enough, there’s a troll lumbering through the doorway. He must be young because he only has to duck to get in. The dim and flashing lights don’t do any favors for his ashen complexion and warts. The other patrons give him a wide berth. As if a troll’s bulk isn’t enough to scare people off, it looks like he hasn’t washed that brown tunic in years. It can’t smell pleasant.
The three goblins that tag along aren’t much better. Their big ears flap and their long noses bounce with their crouched steps. They can’t be that old either. Two hundred years old, maybe. Two hundred fifty, tops.
I turn to tell the girl to get beneath the counter, but she already thought of that. She’s curled up beside the mini-freezer, hugging her legs to her chest for dear life. Iver glances around the bar, giving everyone a warning look to keep their mouths shut. Judging by the way everyone goes quiet and stiff at the group’s approach, there shouldn’t be an issue.
Even if we weren’t hiding a possible fugitive, I doubt anyone would give these guys a warm welcome. Ever since the Faerie Courts split back up, faeries in Seelie Court lands haven’t been too fond of faeries that willingly served Queen Mab, like trolls and goblins. One hundred years of oppression will do that to people. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but this crew doesn’t look like one of them.
The goblins hop up on a couple of barstools and lean over the counter. “Evening, Iver,” one says with a snaggle-toothed grin. “How’s business?”
