Me with Charles de Lint at the Tucson Festival of Books in March 2011. I also met his lovely wife, MaryAnn Harris, and got to listen to them both perform their songs. Which I love. Of course.
I’m so so so thrilled to feature Charles de Lint on my blog, on this, the first edition of my interview series The Questions, since April 2017. (Yes, I’m aware of the irony of publishing it just after updating my header and discussing the changing focus of my blog. Buuut…)
As I’ve stated before (as many times and places as I can), Charles de Lint is one of my Very Favorite Authors. (My other Very Favorite Author is Terry Pratchett, and my pet turtle is named Jilly A’Tuin: after de Lint’s character Jilly [my favorite of his] and Pratchett‘s world turtle The Great A’Tuin.)
And I am doing this special edition because today, April 30, 2021, is the release date for Charles’ newest book, Juniper Wiles. And also because he agreed to answer The Questions, AND give away three e-copies of the new book on my site! (fangirl squee)
He was even kind enough to send me an e-copy of the book, which I’d say I’ve devoured, but it’s more like I’ve sipped it, like fine wine. (Also, my brain doesn’t allow for word devouring anymore.) And of course, I love what I’ve read so far, and the book had my heart when Jilly is mentioned in the very first sentence. As I told my husband, starting to read it was like walking into the arms of someone you haven’t seen for a long time and getting a hug, someone special and important to you.
Juniper Wiles is set in the imaginary metropolis of Newford, which I described as being is a lot like Ottawa or another big American city in a post from 2016. Newford is a lot like the towns we inhabit, but not as fun/funny as Pratchett’s Discworld. In fact, it can be kind of sad. But there’s also hope. A lot of it. Magic and the mundane intertwine in interesting and touching and lovely ways.
Cover design by MaryAnn Harris.
Although I love all of de Lint’s books, I’m especially drawn to the stories set in Newford.
I asked him for a short description of the city, and he responded: “I prefer not to define it myself, but I like this description from the cover copy of Tapping the Dream Tree” [affiliate link]: “The city of Newford could be any contemporary North American city…except that magic lurks in its music, in its art, in the shadows of its grittiest streets, where mythic beings walk disguised. And its people are like you and me, each looking for a bit of magic to shape their lives and transform their fate.”
In his announcement on Facebook about the new book, he wrote:
“I’ve really enjoyed revisiting Newford some 15 years post-Widdershins, checking in on old friends and discovering new ones. Consider it my take on the current wave of urban fantasy if you will. I love switching it up with my writing and, for me, Juniper’s story hit the brief. I hope you enjoy it because there are more Juniper Wiles stories in the pipeline. Thanks to MaryAnn for yet another great cover design, and of course to her and my beta readers who helped us get this off the ground.”
Visit Books2Read to buy your very own e-copy of Juniper Wiles for kindle, kobo, or if you’re in Australia. (The paperback version is available now on Amazon [affiliate link].) You can also view the list of my favorite of his books on Bookshop [affiliate link]. And don’t forget to Enter to Win one of three e-copies via the Rafflecopter below!
About the book Juniper Wiles:
Juniper Wiles once starred as a plucky teen detective in the popular TV show, Nora Constantine. When the series ended seven years ago, Juniper made a decision to leave L.A. and return home to Newford where she joined friends at the artists’ collective, Bramleyhaugh, the center of which is her pal, beloved faerie artist Jilly Coppercorn.
Now, out of the blue, the fictional world of Nora Constantine is bleeding into Newford, starting with the inexplicable murder of a young man. Juniper may have wanted to leave her role as a detective behind, but when she’s accosted by the ghost of that young man everything changes. To solve this crime will require all the skills she learned training for Nora Constantine. And the effervescent Jilly, always up for a new adventure, is ready to come along for the ride.
dSavannah note: Doesn’t that sound great?!?! (And did I use the word “love” enough times?) Now on to The Questions! I hope you enjoy this short interview.
The Questions
5. What skill(s) do you wish you’d learned as a kid?
How to play the piano; I know there’s nothing stopping me from picking it up now but my brain just can’t seem to connect the movement of the two hands and that might have been different if I’d had lessons as a kid. So I just stick to the instruments that I do know.
6. What do you want on your tombstone?
He left the world a little better than it was.
7. What was the name of your first pet and what was it?
It was a cat named Dickens when we lived in Turkey. An absolute brat, as all kittens should be.
8. Your favorite book growing up? Your favorite book now?
The Wind in the Willows, the edition illustrated by Ernest Shepard.
8b. Now?
I don’t really have a single favourite book now, or rather it changes depending on what I’m reading.
9. What is a guilty pleasure?
I take umbrage at the term. I believe that if something gives you pleasure, and doesn’t do harm to anyone else, you shouldn’t feel, or be made to feel, guilty about it.
13. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
Definitely a night owl and because of that I don’t even see much of the morning.
14. Obviously, as a creative person, every day is different, but what do you find yourself doing every day?
And yet, much of it is the same, because every day you sit down and get a little further in your current work in progress. So I write every day without fail…and also I walk my dog Johnny Cash.
23. Where is your heart home and why?
I’m kind of torn between the Sonoran desert and an ocean coast. Both offer ample opportunities for embracing a sense of small beauties and expansive ones.
26. I wish I was rich enough to ____?
…make sure everybody in the world had enough food, clean water and shelter, medicine and safety.
ENTER TO WIN! an e-copy of Juniper Wiles!
Charles has graciously agreed to give away e-copies (in the winner’s choice of format) of Juniper Wiles to three lucky winners! Just follow the instructions below to enter, and good luck! (Note: if you’re reading this post in your email, you’ll need to visit my site on the web to see the Rafflecopter and enter the giveaway.)
*Terms and Conditions: Win one of three e-copies of Charles de Lint’s brand-new book Juniper Wiles. Winners will be randomly picked by Rafflecopter. Contest ends Sunday, May 9, 2021 at midnight (EST). Winners will be notified and emailed their choice of e-book type (.epub, .mobi., or .pdf, as answered in the first entry) by Wednesday, May 12, 2021, no later than 5pm EST. No purchase necessary. If you have any questions – feel free to ask in the comments! And THANKS for playing! 🙂
About Charles de Lint:
Charles de Lint and his wife MaryAnn Harris, playing music at a friend’s house. Photo by Kay Cucumberr.
Unlike myself, Charles is sparse with his words. For instance, I asked for “a short paragraph about what you create”, and his response was simply: “I write books and play music.”
But here is his official bio (sooo impressive!):
Charles de Lint is a Canadian author with more than eighty published adult, young adult and children’s books. Widely recognized in his field, he has won the World Fantasy, Aurora, Sunburst, and White Pine awards, among others. He has been inducted into the Canadian SF & Fantasy Association Hall of Fame and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Fantasy Organization. De Lint is also a poet, musician, songwriter, performer and folklorist, and writes a monthly book review column for The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction (check out his column “Books To Look For“, all the way back to August 1998!). He makes his home in Ottawa, Ontario.
Find Charles de Lint:
- His Website
- His music site (bandcamp)
- Goodreads
- Tumblr
- Buy an e-copy of Juniper Wiles (kindle, kobo, or if you’re in Australia); or paperback (Amazon [affiliate link])
- Buy his books on Bookshop (mostly paperbacks; this is a list of my favorite of his books, but you can click his name to see his whole catalog) [affiliate link], Amazon (paperbacks and Kindle) [affiliate link], Powell’s Books (they have lots of new and used selections of his print books, tho just as many versions are sold out!), BN.com (paperbacks and Nook), or Kobo (ebooks)
PS: If you enjoyed or appreciated what you read, and aren’t currently a subscriber, then please follow my blog! Simply enter your email address in the box under “Follow dSavannah Rambles” that’s on top of the right-hand column. (Or, if on mobile, scroll aaallll the way down to the bottom of the page and enter your email address in the subscribe box.) Thanks!
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Great interview with my favorite author. And I won one of the books! I really look forward to reading Juniper Wiles and wanted to thank you for the opportunity to enter the contest. Keep up the good work!
YAY! Congrats on winning! (You were randomly picked by Rafflecopter, so… thank the Internet gods?) And it’s great to meet someone else who loves de Lint’s work as much as I do! 🙂 Enjoy the book!