Dragon Soul Press had an opportunity to interview Lillian Csernica, an author featured in the Honor anthology.
- Introduce yourself.
- My stories have appeared in Weird Tales, Fantastic Stories, and Jewels Of Darkover. I’ve written two nonfiction ebooks, The Writer’s Spellbook and The Fright Factory. I’m a California native with two adult sons and two cats. History is my passion, jewelry making my hobby, and glass blowing the next item on my Bucket List.
- What prompted you to begin writing?
- Fairy tales. The idea of magic and how it works has always been exciting to me. As I got older I developed an interest in the sources of those fairy tales. That led me to study the history and culture of the various countries in Western Europe and then Asia.
- Do you have a favorite story or poem you’ve written? What’s it about?
- “Saving Grace” is about Katarina, a Russian noblewoman whose family suffered at the hands of the Tatars during that invasion. Now, in 14th Century France, Katarina holds the position of governess to Lady Yvette, daughter of Sieru Etienne and Dame Clarisse. Unknown to any of them, Katarina is a vampire. She despises her unholy nature which has cut her off from receiving the Sacraments of the Eastern Orthodox Church. Given that France is a Roman Catholic country, Katarina is also in danger of being executed as a heretic. Katarina’s fragile peace is turned upside down when a party of pilgrims seeks Sieur Etienne’s hospitality. Among them is Doktor Schwartzen, a German scholar learned enough to see through Katarina’s disguise. He is a pompous, arrogant fool. The events of the story pose the crucial question: Who is the real monster here?
- How many projects do you have planned over the next few years? Tell us about one.
- I hope to combine my love of history, mystery, and steampunk into more stories about Dr. William Harrington, the main character of my Kyoto Steampunk series. Dr. Harrington brings the cutting edge of Western medical science to the Kyoto of 1880. At the moment I have drafts written of a murder mystery, then a conspiracy featuring fox spirits.
- What is your writing process like?
- My stories usually start out with a question I want to answer or a fight between characters that pop into mind. Then I have to work forward and backward building the entire story structure around that nugget of inspiration. I love to write by hand in cheap notebooks with dollar store ballpoint pens. That lessens the pressure to turn out something high quality right away. I can jot notes, draw characters or settings, and generally brainstorm where the story might go.
- Where do you draw inspiration from?
- The folklore and mythology of various cultures. Behind the stories of monsters there’s usually a warning meant to keep children safe from danger. Other stories arise out of the human need to draw meaning from experience. Why did the volcano erupt? Why did the flood hit our village? There’s a huge amount of folklore about what brings good luck and keeps away bad luck.
- Who is your favorite author / what is your favorite book?
- Sir Terry Pratchett/SNUFF, from the Discworld series.
- What is one goal you have for your writing future?
- I’d like to attend more SF/F conventions. It’s wonderful to meet my readers and to hang out with other writers. The creative community provides so much support and joy.
- What do you hope readers enjoy most from your work?
- My characters. Whether they’re human or nonhuman, I want the struggles of my characters to draw the readers into the story and have them feeling the conflict, the suspense, and the final victory.
- Where can readers learn more about you?
Dragon Soul Press 