Author Corner| Interview with F.T. Lukens

It’s always fun to know more about the authors behind books I love or books I really want to read. Spell Bound is an April release and I got to talk to F.T. Lukens about this book. So keep on reading to find out more about this book and what I talked to the author about!

Two rival apprentice sorcerers must team up to save their teachers and protect their own magic in this lively young adult romantic adventure from the New York Times bestselling author of In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After.

Edison Rooker isn’t sure what to expect when he enters the office of Antonia Hex, the powerful sorceress who runs a call center for magical emergencies. He doesn’t have much experience with hexes or curses. Heck, he doesn’t even have magic. But he does have a plan—to regain the access to the magical world he lost when his grandmother passed.

Antonia is…intimidating, but she gives him a job and a new name—Rook—both of which he’s happy to accept. Now all Rook has to do is keep his Spell Binder, an illegal magical detection device, hidden from the Magical Consortium. And contend with Sun, the grumpy and annoyingly cute apprentice to Antonia’s rival colleague, Fable. But dealing with competition isn’t so bad; as Sun seems to pop up more and more, and Rook minds less and less.

But when the Consortium gets wind of Rook’s Spell Binder, they come for Antonia. All alone, Rook runs to the only other magical person he knows: Sun. Except Fable has also been attacked, and now Rook and Sun have no choice but to work together to get their mentors back…or face losing their magic forever.

 

Author Interview

How was writing Spell Bound different to writing your previous books?

There were a few differences in the writing process for Spell Bound. Compared to In Deeper Waters and So This Is Ever After, this book is a contemporary fantasy rather than a fantasy novel which meant worldbuilding was very different. Figuring out how fantasy elements impacted the contemporary setting was one of the big challenges in writing. As was creating a setting that was real-world adjacent but still a fantasy setting.

Also, I was writing Spell Bound while promoting In Deeper Waters and editing So This Is Ever After which created its own challenge of squeezing in all the aspects of being an author in the limited amount of time I had.

 

What has been your favorite part of your publishing journey so far?

One of my favorite parts has been seeing my books in actual stores. It’s surreal sometimes to walk into a bookstore and find something I’ve written on the shelf. I’ve also loved being able to meet other authors. While most of those meetings have been virtual due to the pandemic, I’ve enjoyed getting to know several other authors via participating in events together or talking to each other on social media.

I do have a book tour coming up which will be my first in-person book tour. I’m a little nervous about traveling but I’m excited to meet readers.

 

If you were a character in Spell Bound, what kind of character would you be?

I would definitely be a background character. I would be one of the sorcerers in the magic neighborhood who use magic spells to do everyday chores like walk their dogs.

 

What is your favorite quote from Spell Bound?

I have several but this is my favorite exchange between the two main characters:

“I thought I could prove that I belong, you know?”

“You don’t have to prove your worth to be my friend.”

 

What do you hope readers take away from this book?

As with my other books, I hope readers take away that they are so much more than the roles that society or the world may assign them, and that they don’t have to accept what people think they are or want them to be. I feel that fantasy novels are inherently fun, so I hope readers have a few moments of laughter. And I hope readers find something they can relate to within the pages whether it be about defying expectations or accepting themselves flaws and all or maybe about breaking out of roles that family or society have determined for them.

About the Author

F.T. LUKENS (they/them) is a New York Times bestselling author of YA speculative fiction including the novels So This Is Ever After and In Deeper Waters (2022 ALARainbow Booklist; Junior Library Guild Selection) as well as other science fiction and fantasy works. Their contemporary fantasy novel The Rules and Regulations for Mediating Myths & Magic was a 2017 Cybils Award finalist in YA Speculative Fiction and the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Gold Winner for YA fiction and won the Bisexual Book Award for Speculative Fiction. F.T. resides in North Carolina with their spouse, three kids, three dogs, and three cats.

 

I’ll definitely be sitting down with Spell Bound soon, so keep an eye out for my review. Have you read any fun fantasy adventures lately? If you have, let me know in the comments. I’m always looking for new recommendations!

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