Interview with YA fantasy author C. J. Davidson

Fantasy author C. J. Davidson is here today and we’re chatting about her new teen novel, A Daughter’s Curse: The Queen of Water’s Forbidden Love.

During her virtual book tour, C. J. will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner's choice) gift card to a lucky randomly drawn winner. To be entered for your chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit her other tour stops and enter there, too.

Welcome, C. J. Please tell us a little bit about yourself.

Today, I am married and have four children. Their names are Dluce, Marin, Carlos, and Isabella. I work as Branch Manager at a financial institution. I couldn't be happier with what I have accomplished so far.

My next step is to somehow help those affected by domestic violence. What hurts the most, is when children are in the middle of it. It is my belief that no one should have to feel unsafe, living life on the edge, wondering when they are going to get hurt. Sleeping with one eye open is the worst feeling in the world. Fear that catches in your throat paralyzes your whole body. Living life like that hurts and it comes with consequences. I know.

Please share a little bit about your current release.
A Daughter’s Curse introduces a new mystical fantasy world incorporating the four elements: Earth, air, water, and fire. The parallel world in which only certain mortals have their own type of weapon and powers, depending in which element they are born in, is intriguing and contains realistic, believable characters.

A suspenseful romance about 16-year-old Brisnay Caplin who is not only discovering who she is, but where she comes from and what that means, is also introduced. She is part of the elemental society, and according to their rules, shouldn’t exist. Facing many hardships, and overcoming even more obstacles to deal with the consequences of her heritage and a forbidden love, she decides to take a stand and fight for the right to love.

Along Brisnay’s journey through this new world, some of the truth she discovers shocks her to the core. Without her knowledge, she faces a powerful enemy who is out to destroy her and strip her of the powers she’s rightfully inherited. Betrayal and deceit tends may come from someone least expected, and it may be too late to do something about it.

A Daughter’s Curse: The Queen of Water’s Forbidden Love is a story of survival…and a forbidden love that will not be denied, despite all obstacles.

What inspired you to write this book?

A Daughter’s Curse also has an important message that is meant to get delivered to many who will relate to the main character, Brisnay. See, I write with a purpose. I dedicated this book to those affected by domestic violence in hopes of letting them know something: Imagination is a powerful thing. The book demonstrates how relatable the fantasy world I created is to real life scenarios today: The bad character who abuses, the mother who is scared to leave, the daughter (Brisnay) who wants to escape the situation but won’t leave her mother behind, and a forbidden love.

If you are a victim of domestic violence, (and I say victim, because at this point, you are going through it) don’t just let it happen. Use whatever means you must to help you cope and escape. Personally, I used imagination and held onto hope. That was all I could do back then.

So, my question to you is: Are you a victim? Or are you a survivor?

If you are a victim, then fight to be a survivor.

Be Brisnay, a walking symbol for change.

Excerpt from A Daughter’s Curse: The Queen of Water’s Forbidden Love:
“Where is it?” Brisnay heard her father’s voice thunder.

She shot up in bed and glanced at the clock. It was nearly three a.m.

      It was barely an hour ago when Nickolaus had helped her into her house through the bathroom window. And it had taken at least thirty minutes to go to sleep from all the excitement she had experienced.

      Brisnay groaned.

      What is he yelling about now?

      “I don’t know,” she heard her mother answer in a gravelly voice.

      “Did you take it?”

      “No! I haven’t touched it! I have no idea where it is!”

      Brisnay felt like her chest was caving in. She sharply breathed out as she felt her insides churn. She got up and paced.

      Are they talking about the book? What am I going to do now?

      “It’s not here! Where is it?” her father demanded.

      “I’m telling you the truth! I haven’t seen it!” her mother yelled back.

      Brisnay heard a sickening slap. She was sure her father had struck her mother. All at once, she heard her father’s heavy footsteps heading toward her room. With an erratic heartbeat, she slipped quietly back into bed and pulled the covers up to her face, squeezing her eyes shut. A knot started to build in her throat.

      She heard her father shove open her bedroom door, and then he flipped the lights on. “Brisnay!”

      Brisnay lay frozen.

      “Brisnay! Get the hell up!”

      Then, out of nowhere, a sharp pain cut through Brisnay’s body. She didn’t know how, but her father had struck her in the stomach. She stumbled out of bed, breathless, and leaned over as she clutched her stomach with both hands.

      “Did you get a book out of our closet?”

      Brisnay’s heart sank faster than a rock sinking to the bottom of the ocean. She had never seen her father this angry.

      “No,” she gasped, peering up at Demetrious.

      “Eleanor! Come here! Eleanor!”

      Brisnay almost cried when she saw her mother stagger into her room. She had a huge red bump beside one of her eyes and was bleeding from a busted lower lip. Eleanor leaned her back against the wall and held her left side, as if she had been struck there.

      Brisnay’s heart thundered wildly with fear as she cried out, “Mom!” She rushed toward Eleanor.

      Without warning, her father grabbed Brisnay by the hair and threw her on the bed with a tremendous force that she fell off on the other side.

      “One of you is lying to me. There are only three people living in this house who could’ve taken it. And I know it’s not me! Where is it, Eleanor?”

      “I don’t know,” her mother gasped, shaking her head. “I haven’t seen it.”

      “Brisnay, have you taken something that’s not yours?” her father hissed.

      “No,” she answered, her voice shaking, not knowing what else to say.

      Her father’s eyes flashed in anger. He stormed out of the room, and Brisnay went to her mother at once. She could hear him throwing stuff around, looking for a book she knew he wasn’t going to find.

      “Are you okay? Are you okay?” Brisnay asked her mother, pushing Eleanor’s hair from her face. “I am so, so sorry. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

      “You have it?” her mother whispered.

      Brisnay hesitated before nodding, and then she quickly glanced at the door. Furniture scraped against the floor in the other room.

      “What are we going to do?” her mother whimpered.

      “Don’t worry,” Brisnay consoled her. “I’ve got this.”

      “You don’t know what your father is capable of. He’s crazy. Don’t say anything,” her mother pleaded. “Just don’t say anything. Nothing. I will handle this.” A determined, odd expression washed over Eleanor’s face.

      “Look at you. You can’t take any more,” said Brisnay. “This is my fault, and I’m going to own up to it.”

      “No. Don’t say anything. I forbid you to.”

      They heard Demetrious heading back toward the room, his heavy footsteps like a gauntlet.

      “It’s not there! Where is it?” Demetrious shouted. Then, he turned to Brisnay. “Where is it, Brisnay? Where is it?” yelled her father, getting angrier by the second.

      Brisnay glanced at her wide-eyed mother, who was lightly shaking her head.

      “I-I don’t know,” Brisnay answered.

      “Then, you have it, Eleanor. Where is it?” roared Demetrious, menacingly towering over Eleanor.

      Horrified, Brisnay watched her father grab her mother by the throat with one hand. He pushed her against the wall and raised his iron fist, ready to strike her face.

      No! Brisnay thought to herself as she helplessly stared at her mother. I am not about to have my mother take a fall for this!

      Brisnay stood firm and took a big breath. “I have it!” she roared, her voice trembling, her hands balled into fists at her sides.

What exciting story are you working on next?
A Daughter’s Curse will be a trilogy. I am currently working on the second book, and I am about 18 chapters in.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

Back when I was in high school, I was in the yearbook club for all three years. I loved writing about the action, and I felt the words come to life when I did so. At age sixteen was when wrote my first full-length novel. Unfortunately, it was lost in a hard drive and I couldn’t get it back. That was disappointing. Ever since, time did not permit me to continue writing until recently. So, you see, I considered myself a writer at an early age, more so because I loved to write. It must come from the heart. If I go days without writing, my head will explode with all the ideas that had accumulated.

Do you write full-time? If so, what's your work day like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I wish to write full-time. However, working over forty hours a week limits my time. I try to put in about four hours every other day. I usually like to write during night, because that is when the kids go to bed. That is the time when my imagination flares, especially when it’s raining.

What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
After I write a chapter, I can’t seem to stop editing. When I wrote this book, I would edit it by reading it from end to the beginning, from the middle and out, on my phone, on paper, etc. There are many ways to edit your work, and I am sure I done all of it.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

Don’t laugh. I wanted to be an actress, and then I moved on to a singer, next came a dancer, then a psychiatrist, a CPS case worker, etc. I am very sure I wanted to do a lot when I grew up.

Links:
Website | Facebook | Amazon

Thank you for being my guest today, C. J.

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