Author Q&A with Lizet Algras
1. Tell us about your writing/ published book(s).
I wrote The Cinnabar Medallion with a genre-blending style in mind. As a result, its tone intertwines from adventurous, suspenseful, and humorous to compassionate and romantic. It addresses personal growth and social injustice in 17th century Spain about a gypsy witch and healer who confronts her attraction to her female best friend.
Like many authors, I used several aspects of my life in my book. Abuelo’s character is based on my grandmother, a wise woman who never hesitated to run to the nearby brook to pick herbs to soothe the stomach aches I faked to drink her teas. She later lost her vision due to cataracts, which doctors found too risky to remove due to her frail health. My father, who bred German singing canaries and trained them for competitions, inspired the story about the priest’s canary business to support his charity hospital. Pablo, don Rodrigo, and Vera represent past relationships whose identities will remain private.
2. What advice would you give to someone wanting to write their first book?
Read from the writer’s perspective books on the genre and write a detailed outline, which should include the story’s timeline, a description of the characters and locations, and floorplans. That will avoid inconsistencies, loose ends, and the age of certain characters. There are many templates for free download, although I make my own in Excel. I spent one year doing the research and outline for The Cinnabar Medallion.
3. Do you do research for your books? If so, what kind of research?
As a historical writer, I research archives from digital libraries, museums, aerial views of the locations, and travel sites. I gather information about historical events that happened in those years, what clothes people wore, what kind of transportation, and the flora and fauna of the region according to the times of the year. I also consult a dictionary to avoid writing dialogues with words that were not yet used in that period.
4. Tell me about your main character
Nelia was born in Logroño, in the northern part of Spain, in 1595. She and her family fled the witch hunt when she was a child and later joined another clan. The comet’s arrival was her sign to begin her dangerous quest that would change the fate of many. She will encounter resistance and betrayal. The Spanish Inquisition could hunt her for being a Gypsy witch… and for loving the person she loves. In her search for the elixir of life, she forges her path of personal growth while confronting challenges that are still relevant today.
Even though this is a fictional character, I described her magic as real as possible. Likewise, making her overly powerful would misrepresent the constraints women faced in those years. The Cinnabar Medallion is the first book of the series, so her personal growth and sexual orientation will continue to develop in book two, which I am currently writing.
This or That Questions…
Romance or Fantasy
Fantasy.
Ebooks, Paperbacks or Audiobooks
Ebooks.
Character Driven or Plot Driven
Character Driven.
Finally, what’s the best piece of advice someone has given you about writing, marketing, or just generally about life?
“I’ve had a lot of worries in my life, most of which never happened.”
― Mark Twain
