My first interview for The Nerd Daily in 2021 is with Dana Swift, author of the upcoming debut fantasy novel, Cast in Firelight. It’s the first of a duology that is brimming with magic and two fiercely competitive love interests who much come together under secret identities to fight the criminal uprising that is attempting to take control of Adraa’s kingdom. You’ll definitely want to add this one to your TBR list!
Dana, can you tell me a bit about yourself and about Cast in Firelight?
Yes, of course! My name is Dana Swift and I grew up in Texas and went to the University of Texas at Austin where I double majored in English and Advertising. I’ve been writing since I was a teenager and have had the dream of being a published author for most of my life. I’m so excited for my debut, CAST IN FIRELIGHT, which is a YA Fantasy Romance coming out January 19, 2021 with Delacorte Press. It’s a combination of my favorite tropes: mistaken identities, vigilantism action, and rivals-to-lovers romance set in an epic fantasy world filled with nine types of colorful magic.
What was your writing experience like for this book? Was it an idea that suddenly came to you or did you plan this story out in stages?
This is such a great question. I had the idea of two teens arranged to be married and not liking each other for a long time sitting in a folder on my computer. But that was only a premise. The idea for the climactic moment came to me while I was working out and I rushed home and wrote about 6,000 words in two days. Back then that amounted to the first draft of the prologue and chapter one. Fun fact: the foundation of those scenes and what happens in them never changed. Since I’m a pantser I didn’t wait for an outline after that. I just began writing. I had a sense of the inciting incident and the finale. The middle I muddled through and revised a few times as I do with all projects I’ve worked on. Overall, my messy process works for me because I like discovering the story, writing out of order, and above all else, reminding myself to have fun.
Was there anything unexpected that happened while writing out Adraa and Jatin?
Plot-wise, the biggest thing I had in mind was Adraa and Jatin discovering who each other was at the very end of the book. However, while writing it things kept changing and I kept drafting different scenarios to how and when the characters discovered each other’s secret. I won’t spoil what I ended up doing, but that reveal took unexpected turns through the drafting process.
Character-wise they both surprised me sometimes in their humor and inner thoughts. Jatin at first conception was going to seem arrogant to Adraa, but also be in fact very arrogant. While writing him though the kindness, insecurities, and fears became more pronounced. There are a few moments of his awkwardness in some of his scenes that I loved exploring.
I write without an outline because I want the plot and characters to take me in unexpected directions and that way I don’t shy away from interesting ideas and moments. So thus, I live for the unexpected in my writing and find so much joy in characters or plot going in directions I hadn’t thought of before.
Which character did you find it the easiest to write for?
Adraa was by far the easiest to write for since her voice came to the page first. That beginning 6,000 words I mentioned earlier was all in Adraa’s point of view and her humor and sass were there from the start. Jatin was slower to discover and details of his personality, and thus his voice, came a little later and through revision.
How did you keep track of the worldbuilding of Wickery?
This is probably a little unusual, but I write down notes, important facts, snippets of ideas and how I want to revise the book in a single journal notebook. Every book I write gets a new journal. I know it’s not the most organized way, but I like writing out my brainstorming ideas over typing them. For CAST IN FIRELIGHT’s journal the most important worldbuilding elements included a badly sketched map, character names and their magical abilities, and a list of Gods for the magic system.
What was your favorite part of the whole publishing process?
So far, my favorite part has been connecting to my fellow debuts and making friends with other writers. It’s been so wonderful, especially in 2020 talking to people embarking on the same journey as me. On a personal level finding out my cover artist and seeing the cover for the first time was a moment filled with happy tears and pure joy. It was unforgettable.
However, I think my favorite part has yet to happen which is going to events and talking to readers. I would love to meet people who have read the book so we can discuss the magic, the world, the characters, or anything they wish. There has been a lot about this process that has felt unreal or like I’m dreaming, but I can’t wait for the moment I meet someone face to face who likes what I worked on for so long.
I am obsessed with the cover! Who was the artist who designed/drew the cover art?
I too am obsessed with the cover! The illustrator is the talented Charlie Bowater. I’ve been a huge fan of hers long before I even got a book deal. I dreamed of her doing my cover since she draws magic beautifully and is a master of lighting (two things my book revolves around). I am so happy you like it. I love it so much and am so grateful for her work.
The wonderful book designer was Casey Moses, who designed the title work and worked with Charlie Bowater to create the cover. She is such a talented artist as well. They are both working on the sequel cover, so I have the privilege of working with them again and it’s going to be just as breathtaking.
Now, I noticed that Cast in Firelight is a duology, so can you give us a little sneak peak at what Adraa and Jatin might face in the next book?
If you’ve read CAST IN FIRELIGHT, then I can say Book 2 is a lot about the consequences of the ending of Book 1. I can’t say much other than that, but I think the sequel is even more fast-paced and action packed. I also believe it has more plot twists, which was fun to write.
I’m so grateful I get to return to the World of Wickery and that readers will have another book encompassing Adraa and Jatin’s journey.
How are you planning on celebrating the release of Cast in Firelight?
I believe the day of release I will signing books for my local Indie bookstore, Books and Books here in Miami, Florida. That in itself will be such a dream come true. I also have a launch event with Books and Books that night, January 19th at 6:00pm EST. I’ll be in conversation with fellow author and friend, KayLynn Flanders, author of SHIELDED, a YA Fantasy that debuted July 21, 2020. Other than that, I know cake will be involved and spending time with my husband, mother and stepfather who have all cheered me on for years.
Do you have any book, podcast, audiobook, etc., recommendations?
I’ve been reading a lot of rom-coms and romance during the Pandemic so in YA I can recommend TWEET CUTE by Emma Lord, BY THE BOOK by Amanda Sellet and TODAY, TONIGHT, TOMORROW by Rachel Lynn Solomon. In Adult I loved BEACH READ by Emily Henry, and YOU DESERVE EACH OTHER by Sarah Hogle.
For YA Fantasy I recommend BONE CRIER’S MOON by Kathryn Purdie, THESE VIOLENT DELIGHTS by Chloe Gong, and A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY by Brigid Kemmerer. Then there are so many 2020 and 2021 debut novels I can’t wait to read. My TBR is very full.
I should have more audiobook and podcast recommendations, but I only really listened to audiobooks when I was driving and during the Pandemic, I’m driving a whole lot less. I recently did an interview with Write Away Pod and had so much fun talking to them about my debut. I’d check out their podcast where they interview authors about writing and the publishing journey.
