Miranda Stork is the author of the ongoing series The Bassinville Witches. It already has two installments and has already grabbed me in for the long-haul. I wanted to know a bit more about the series and what’s in store for the future, so instead of asking Miranda privately, I felt like asking her to share her answers with my readers.
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Hello Miranda, you’re no stranger to my blog lately. Because of that I’d like to skip all the “nice to have you here” crap and get to why we’re all here; you’re series of novellas, The Bassinville Witches. Would you like to introduce people who don’t know the series to it?
Charming, shall I get my own tea as well? Only kidding!……but not about the tea. The Bassinville Witches is basically an idea I had a couple of months ago. I wanted to create a series that was almost like a serial story publication of the Victorian era. On top of that, I’m Wiccan myself, and wanted to create something that was based on Wicca. Of course the series suspends belief a little; I certainly can’t do most of the things in the books! It follows Catherine, a young witch from England, now living in Louisiana in a Wiccan town, as she goes on the trail of twelve mystical stones. This isn’t your usual magical fairy story though, there’s kidnapping, sex, danger, and even murder!
Tea? You want tea? What kind of place do you think I run here?!?!?!? Just kidding, here’s some tea for you. Don’t mind the funny taste, that’s just a little whiskey. It might calm you down a little. Hands over the tea….and bottle.
Now back to the questions. So far you have two installments, With You in Spirit and Playing With Fire. I’ve enjoyed them both and eagerly await your next release. How many should readers expect to see in the series and what kind of release schedule are you planning? Will they all be monthly installments?
Yes, I’m going to have a novella in the series out every month, and there will be 12 altogether in the series, one out on the 20th of each month. The next one, ‘An Ill Wind’ is out 20th August. I may be compiling them in some way into special editions when all of them have come out.
Wow, an entire year of sex, murder, magic…and sex. I know what I’ll be doing during that time of the month. The 20th I mean, weirdo. I know what you thought I meant.
Why did you choose to write twelve serial novellas instead of, say, 3-4 novels. I can tell from the ending of Playing With Fire that the format gives a better chance for multiple cliffhangers while a series of novels would only allow for a few.
I hadn’t really decided how many to write when I started out, but when I began to write the first one, I realised I would have to choose how many. I needed enough that I would be able to fit in all the things I had planned, so I chose to it over a year, and do one every month. It does allow for more cliffhangers as well, as you say, which hopefully will keep the excitement hanging on.
It sure does have me excited. I’m still on the edge of my seat after that last one.
You are from across the pond, yet you decided to set the series in Louisiana. What was your reasoning for doing so?
I have visited New Orleans and a little of Louisiana some time ago, and absolutely fell in love with both places. Aside from the heat, which I really didn’t like, I loved the atmosphere and the laid-back attitude there. The magical eclecticness of New Orleans really stayed with me as well.
I’m glad you enjoyed it there. I’m not one for the heat either, so maybe I’ll stay away. Thanks for sharing about the series a bit. If you wouldn’t mind, I have just a few more questions for you.
Aside from The Bassinville Witches series you also have a novel entitled Conner and a story collection Craving. Would you mind telling my readers a little bit about them and any other projects you have in store for the future?
Well Conner was my debut novel, and the sequel, Erin comes out in September. Conner is a paranormal fantasy thriller about a young psychologist who gets given a strange new patient to work with. The patient believes he is a creature of legend-a werewolf. But it soon becomes clear that there is more to him than meets the eye. Craving is a collection of paranormal erotica; I wrote these because erotica sells quite well at the moment, and I was told my *ahem* ruder scenes in Conner were okay. So I thought, ‘why not’? As I said before, the sequel to Conner, come out on September 3rd, Erin. It continues the story on from Conner, and……well, I can’t say much more yet, unless you’ve read the first one! I’m also starting a new series in December, the Scarlet Rain series. It will be focussing on a futuristic dystopian society, where vampires have taken control of humans, and humans have become somewhat de-volved. The first book will be set in present day, but will set up the series, with events that lead to the futuristic society.
You have a variety of different paranormal and mythical creatures in your writing. What is your favorite to write about? And if you can let us know (without spoiling future Bassinville stories) of any creatures to look out for.?
Wow, that’s a good question. I think my favourite creatures I’ve written about so far would have to be werewolves. They aren’t used much in literature now, and when they are, they are normally Scottish ones with too much muscle and a centuries-old longing for some random women. I wanted to change that up a little and make them more like the animal that resides within them. Ooh, I can’t give any of that away! But I can tell you that I will be including some folk-lore form the Orkney Islands, and some creatures from Nordic legend as well. It’s going to be a big cast! 
Darn it! I was hoping you’d let something slip out. You already have a great and growing cast in the series. I guess I’ll just have to be surprised. Let me get to the final question, now that I see the tea is gone…and where’d that bottle go? Oh, wait. There it is. Looks like it was in my hands the whole time.
As always, I like to leave the hardest question for the end of interviews. If I stump you, I’m sorry…just try to answer it to the best of your ability without making yourself look bad, please: If a kitten, a puppy, a wombat, and a giraffe walk into a bar….what day is it?
Well, I’ll admit I don’t know what day of the week it is, but that is one funky bar! When does the lion turn up? 
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If you’d like to find more about Miranda Stork please drop by her blog or any of the following links:
- Miranda’s Website
- Amazon Author page
Since this was mainly about The Bassinville Witches Series, I’d like to direct you to the current releases as well as my reviews for them. I highly recommend them for fans of genre.
Awesome interview! Thanks again Rob, great to be back
And I never did get any of that whiskey……Irish girls have started fights over less, ya know! And as for getting more information out of me….I’ll never talk, never! Not until the book is out, anyway.
I <3 Miranda Stork. Have her on anytime! Great interview, Rob. Charming and funny. Loved it. *author bides time until Erin release*
Aww, you’re too sweet hun! It was a fun interview, although I’d still like to know what day of the week it was. O_o
Only a few weeks to go now!