My darling gentle readers, please welcome my dear friend a boon travel companion Piper to the blog today! (We do 20 Minute Delay together! )
About you, the Author! Piper J. Drake
Tea or coffee and how do you take it?
I enjoy a wide variety of teas and tisanes. My current favorites are an Earl Grey Moonlight blend with a light pour of sweetened cream to create a sort of London Fog, or a few steepings of Milk Oolong.
(Gail Note: Piper is the genius who introduced me to one of my favorite tea Taiwanese milk oolong and my favorite little teapot to seep it in.)
Please describe your personal style for author appearances.
In the Before Times, before many of us locked down, my style was smart business casual in brilliant gem tone colors. My favorite outfit was an intense sapphire dress suit ensemble of Thai silk.
Now, I’ve absorbed a lot of the Pacific Northwest casual business vibe. My body shape has also changed quite a bit due to medical challenges and I’m about to dive into in-person events meeting readers, so I want to embrace my physicality now. Not try to fit into who I was a few years ago.
I’ve found myself gravitating to K-drama and Asian drama fashion inspirations. One is likely to spot me in sleek cargo style pants and layered tops. My usual gem tones will be intermixed with more neutral black or cream.
So. tl;dr: I’m going for a comfortable, elegant, and slightly sassy aesthetic with lots of pockets.
If I were to observe the writer beast in its native environment, what surprising thing might I see? What does the environment look like?
Perhaps the surprise would be what’s missing: if I don’t have to wear pants, I really won’t.
If you could travel in any type of conveyance, what would it be?
Luxury space pod for smooth, faster than light travel with all the technology I might require available at a touch.
No deviating: vanilla or chocolate ice cream on a plain or a sugar cone?
(Gail will use this to determine your level of sanity.)
Vanilla with real vanilla bean specs on a sugar cone, if I play by the rules.
But really, why are we not considering twist soft serve?
(Gail pronounces Piper a little odd but sane.)
What’s most likely to make you laugh?
Furry animals being quirky.
Since writers inevitably end up in the bar, what’s your poison?
Non-alcoholic Shirley Temple made with ginger beer rather than Sprite or ginger ale. Otherwise, sparkling water with a splash of cranberry or pineapple juice.
No maraschino cherry garnish. I don’t prefer zombie cherries. Bring on the fruit candied in simple syrup.
About your book! Wings Once Cursed & Bound
What should readers eat while consuming your novel?
Any snack that delights them, really. It truly is wise to have something to nibble on whilst reading my stories, otherwise, readers might get inordinately hungry.
What form does evil take within its pages?
Greed and willful ignorance. What people will do out of greed and how much they will rationalize to wiggle around ethical accountability.
Cursed shoes are wise to avoid as well, no matter how glorious they are. Difficult, I know. I love a lovely pair of shoes too.
Which one of your characters would you most want to kiss and why?
Honestly? Marie. She’s not the main lead in Wings Once Cursed & Bound. She’s a 3rd generation Chinese Korean White American witch. She’s tall, curvy, and self-taught in many things. I’m a bit in love with her.
It’s a good thing she’s the lead in book 2.
What’s your favorite period in history and does it influence your world building?
Could I choose an entire era? I’m most drawn to stories set in the Modern Era, particularly alternate history fiction around the Regency and Victorian times.
In terms of world building for my books, some of the objects of myth and magic may have come from those time periods and several of my characters have lived long enough to have been around in those times.
Which one of your characters would you most like to slap and why?
Honestly, my main male-identifying lead, Bennett. He takes liberties repeatedly, sweeping my heroine up in his arms to carry her over various distances. While there’s no time to ask for consent in most of these moments, really, he deserves some push back on it.
Without spoilers, what’s the funniest (or funniest) part of the book?
Always be wary when someone asks you if you can swim.
If your story smelled of something, what would that be?
Ginger tisane with a touch of honey and lemongrass. Maybe a slice of fresh baked bread slathered in pandan custard.
Well, now I am both hungry and eager to continue writing in the world of Mythwoven with Peeraphan and Bennett, Marie, Ashke, Duncan, Asamoah, and more. Since I’m enjoying tea over this interview, shall I share a bit of virtual tea for all of you who’ve stayed with me?
If you enjoyed Wings Once Cursed & Bound and despair in waiting a whole year for the next book in the series (which is already turned in to my editor) then you might be excited to learn that I’m launching a paranormal cozy mystery series in the same universe with mentions and shout outs to the characters of Wings Once Cursed & Bound. The Ink That Bleeds is a bit like Murder, She Wrote with werewolves, a semi-sentient bookstore, and a clever Corgi. It releases this fall.
(Gail’s note, I have heard a bit of this one and it is so much fun!)
Piper J. Drake
Piper J. Drake is a bestselling author of romantic suspense, paranormal romance, science fiction, and fantasy, a frequent flyer, and day job road warrior. Wherever she goes, she enjoys tasting the world and embarking on foodie adventures. Dogs—and horses—have been known to spontaneously join her for a stroll and she enjoys pausing for a nice chat with cats of all sizes, from domestic to tiger size and beyond.
Piper aspires to give her readers stories with a taste of the hard challenges in life, a breath of laughter, a broad range of strengths and weaknesses, the sweet taste of kisses, and the heat of excitement across multiple genres.
Yours (destined to be killed by a tumbling TBR pile),
Miss Gail
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Gail’s Daily Tea Party
Tisane of Nifty
Tested out this flight flap recently, I liked it a lot. Recommended
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