Check out this spotlight for fantasy author Em McDermott!
You can find all her links furthest down the page, and don’t forget to check out her books!
1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!
Hi! I’m Em McDermott, author of dark epic and fairy tale fantasy. I was raised in New England, and currently live in upstate New York. I love the privacy of the forests up here, and have so many wild deer in my yard every day that I almost consider them pets! My ideal pet would be a dragon, but in lieu of that, I have a flock of chickens. They have names like Buffy, Khaleesi, and Dobby, and they certainly have the draconic attitude down!
2. Tell us 5 fun facts people might not know about you!
1 – I am obsessed with fingerless gloves. I wear them all winter (the fuzzier, the better!), and I can’t write a first draft without wearing a special pair that’s covered in words from one of my all-time favorite stories, Peter Pan.
2 – I knew in elementary school that I wanted to be a writer. I still have a yearbook from the fourth grade (why were there yearbooks in fourth grade?!), and listed beside every child’s picture is what they wanted to be when they grew up. So I have proof!
3 – I am a huge sci-fi/fantasy nerd. I have a tattoo of the Stargate symbol for Earth on my right foot.
4 – I write every day in a cabin that I built myself (okay, my partner helped a little). It’s deep in the woods, beside a stream, and it was definitely part of the inspiration for my latest release, The Woods!
5 – I think mayonnaise belongs on everything that is not already covered in jam.
3. To get to know you just a little bit better, I’d like to ask you some “This or That”-questions. Answer 5 of these and explain why you chose this or that, or maybe an entirely different alternative!
Ebooks OR physical books?
Though I love the convenience of a Kindle, I will never be able to give up my love of physical books. It’s my dream to have a library with bookcases covering every inch of wall, and a ladder that spins around the room. I even burn candles that smell like old books!
Plot-driven OR character driven?
I am a character-driven writer and reader. I come to a book to read about a person’s journey. For me, plot is just what happens to a character while they’re on that journey. I love to watch people grow in confidence and skill into people I can admire. Sometimes characters even feel like friends. In my writing, I focus on the character first, and build a plot that is right for them.
Zombies or dragons?
Dragons! Honestly, you could ask me “literally anything OR dragons?” and the answer would be dragons. Since middle school, when I first read Anne McCaffrey’s Pern series, dragons have been my favorite creatures in the world. Go House Targaryen!
Music while reading OR silence?
Silence while reading. While writing though, I have the music blaring! It really helps me get into flow, and I design playlists that mirror the energy of each project.
TBR list OR mood reader?
Well, there’s a list…but let’s just say the order is very flexible.
4. If you were to describe your writing style using 3 words, what would they be?
Epic, character-driven, atmospheric
5. So what do you write? Tell us a bit more about your chosen genre, style and ongoing projects/WIPs/series!
I write dark epic fantasy and fairy tale fantasy. I fill my worlds with heroes you can root for. There’s always an element of romance and steam in my stories, but the world-building and character journeys take center stage.
My most recent release is a dark retelling of Little Red Riding Hood. In addition to a full-length standalone novel, The Woods, the Cursed Woods collection includes a prequel novella and a short story (which you can read for free when you sign up for my newsletter).
My current WIP is a Game of Thrones style epic with heavy elements of dark romance. It’s a lush, steamy political fantasy, perfect for fans of Kushiel’s Dart. It features dragons, demons, magic, kings, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that fans of dark romance will love.
6. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
What if Red Riding Hood liked what she found in the woods? My most recent novel, The Woods, answers that question. You’ll find some familiar characters within its pages…Red, Gran, the Huntsmen, and the big bad wolf…but I promise my versions are nothing like you remember from the fairy tale. It’s full of dangerous monsters, family secrets, magic and curses, plus a broody hero and a heroine who finds she can thrive in the dark.
You can find The Woods on Amazon (in paperback, eBook, or in Kindle Unlimited) at:
7. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Visit my website and sign up for my newsletter to receive a FREE short story from the Cursed Woods collection: https://emmcdermott.com/
Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmcdermotts/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_em_mcdermott/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17986903.Em_McDermott
