Interview with CN Crawford and Alex Rivers!
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You write collaboratively: who does the first drafts?
Alex: We outlined the book arcs and plot together over numerous chats. Then, I wrote most of the first draft, except from some scenes that Christine does much better than me. Christine does the second draft, at which point it starts looking like a book instead of the ravings of a madman. Then it goes back and forth between us until it’s done. Do you get together on Skype (or something like that) to discuss ideas, or is all your communication done by messages/ email? Christine: We’ve only communicated by messages (lots of them). I don’t want Alex to hear my awful Boston accent so it’s for the best. Give me the hook for Agent of Enchantment: Alex: “Silence of the Lambs” meets “Dark Fever” Christine: Alex writes serial killer mysteries under the name Mike Omer, and I write urban fantasy with a bit of romance, so Agent of Enchantment is our hybrid offspring. Why did you choose London as your setting? Christine: I probably chose it. I’m obsessed with London. I lived there for 8 years and was broke most of the time, so I had literally nothing to do except wander around with my friends and look at bits of the London wall, or the canals, or all London’s other amazing mysteries. What were some of your literary or TV/ film inspirations for this book? Alex: I was intrigued by FBI profilers since watching “Silence of the Lambs”. And I am deeply inspired by Dresden Files and Buffy the Vampire Slayer within the genre. Christine: For me, it was Karen Marie Moning, Kresley Cole, and Sarah J Maas. Especially the last two are big influences in how I write romance. What type of person would you not recommend Agent of Enchantment to? Alex: People with allergic reaction to adventure, excitement and action should probably stay clear of it. Also, if romantic tension makes you nauseous, you might want to skip this one. And there are some naughty words as well, so kids under the age of ten should be advised. |
How often do you write? Do you have a routine?
Alex: I write five days a week, morning until the afternoon. I don’t write during the weekend, because I have three children, and they turn into a hurricane when there’s no kindergarten.
Christine: I’m still a psychologist by day, so I write at night when my child is sleeping. My husband is also a writer, so we alternate weekend days. One person plays takes our son out to do fun stuff, and the other person writes.
What is one of your favourite hobbies/ pastimes besides writing and reading?
Christine: Haunting old Massachusetts cemeteries with my camera, and… oh god I no longer have a life outside my child and writing books. Apart from the cocktails.
Alex: I like board games, and I occasionally play the computer. But in all honesty, writing and reading consume most of my free time.
Alex: I write five days a week, morning until the afternoon. I don’t write during the weekend, because I have three children, and they turn into a hurricane when there’s no kindergarten.
Christine: I’m still a psychologist by day, so I write at night when my child is sleeping. My husband is also a writer, so we alternate weekend days. One person plays takes our son out to do fun stuff, and the other person writes.
What is one of your favourite hobbies/ pastimes besides writing and reading?
Christine: Haunting old Massachusetts cemeteries with my camera, and… oh god I no longer have a life outside my child and writing books. Apart from the cocktails.
Alex: I like board games, and I occasionally play the computer. But in all honesty, writing and reading consume most of my free time.
