Guest Author: Kalayna Price + Giveaway!

Kalayna Price, author of Grave Witch, has been kind enough to stop by Reading with Tequila to tell us about magic in the open.

Magic in Modernity

When I first began plotting and world building for my upcoming book, Grave Witch, I decided very early on that I wanted the world to be ‘open’, as in everyone knows supernaturals and magic exist. That doesn’t mean everyone approves of magic, but its existence in the world is rather hard to deny.

My heroine, Alex, uses a very specific kind of magic called Gave Magic which allows her to raise ‘shades’--person’s memories given shape and form so that they can be questioned. But there are other types of magics in Alex’s world. The story takes place 70 years after the Magical Awakening, so magic is fairly well integrated. When world building the “big” magic, the showy stuff and the magic that will impact the story line tend to get a lot of attention, but the little stuff, the magic that is in the background, is also important.

In a world where magic is fairly common, what would your average person use magic to do? Maybe convenience spells, like a spell to keep dust bunnies out from under the bed, or a charmed coffee cup that kept coffee at the perfect temperature. Also, I imagine cosmetic spells would be popular. Would a person walk down to a charm shop and pick up and instant makeover? A breast enhancement potion? How about a charm to prevent balding? These are the types of questions I asked myself as I was building Alex’s world. It’s not the story altering flashy magic, but details like these are both fun and give a little more depth to a world.

If magic were real, what type of charms/spells/potions do you think would make your everyday life just a little easier?

About the Author

Kalayna Price is the author of the Alex Craft Novels, a new dark urban fantasy series from Roc, and the author of the Novels of Haven from Bell Bridge Books. She draws her ideas from the world around her, her studies into ancient mythologies, and her obsession with classic folklore. Her stories contain not only the mystical elements of fantasy, but also a dash of romance, a bit of gritty horror, some humor, and a large serving of mystery. She is a member of SFWA and RWA, and an avid hula-hoop dancer who has been known light her hoop on fire. To find out more, please visit her at www.kalayna.com.

About the Book

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say . . . 

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around . . .

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life . . . and her soul.

Giveaway

Kalayna has kindly offered a SIGNED copy of Grave Witch to one of you fabulous readers! To enter, leave a comment answering the question she asked above and remember to include your email address.

Open Internationally!

Entry deadline: Wednesday, October 6, 2010 11:59pm