Ocean’s Eleven meets The False Prince in this thrilling heist story for young readers, in which five kids with unusual talents are brought together to commit an impossible crime. Failure is unacceptable … but success could be deadly.
We chat with author Kevin Sands about his latest book release Children of the Fox, along with worldbuilding, writing, and more!
Hi, Kevin! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
I’m a former physics teacher and poker player turned full-time author—and I’m just as surprised about that as you are. I have two series at the moment: the Blackthorn Key adventures, and my brand new fantasy, Thieves of Shadow, which kicks off this month with Children of the Fox.
With the year gradually coming to a close, how has 2021 been for you?
Productive! I’ve released two books this year—the aforementioned Children of the Fox, and The Traitor’s Blade (Blackthorn Key #5). I’ve also written two more books that will be out next year. I must say I’ve been lucky in that the pandemic and the lockdowns have actually given me more writing time, since I’m not traveling for work anymore.
Unfortunately, that’s also a huge downside. I really miss getting out there and meeting readers. I’m just hoping we’ll be back to normal soon.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
First book I remember reading is Clifford the Big Red Dog. Tintin would have been a close second—though always first in my heart.
While I’ve been an avid reader since before I can remember, I never thought about being an author! I only became interested in that much later in life. By then, countless writers had influenced me; Michael Crichton being one of the biggest.
Recursion, by Blake Crouch, absolutely blew me away. Mind-bendingly brilliant; the best thriller I’ve read in ages.
Your new novel, Children of the Fox, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A high-stakes fantasy action-adventure heist.
What can readers expect?
Con artists, pickpockets, mysterious enchantments, big twists, fun, friendship, and adventure!
Where did the inspiration for Children of the Fox come from?
I had the basic idea for a long time—a thief gets hired to steal a magic jewel and things go very, very wrong—but I just let it sit in the back of my mind for years. Once I finally decided to write it, I drew on my love of fantasy, my enjoyment of heist movies, and my fascination with con artists who use their talents for good, à la Patrick Jane from the TV show The Mentalist.
Can you tell us a bit about your worldbuilding process?
Once I have the basic premise and a sense of who my main characters will be, I begin to think about what kind of world would make for an interesting story, both as a whole and with regards to individual scenes. Is there a magic system, for example, and if so, how does it work? What about technology? How do they dress? And so on.
Once I have the most immediate elements, I then step back and take a wider view, thinking about the broader world. What are peoples’ lives like? What is the government or power structure? Are there factions, alliances, or rivalries? How does the economy run? Is there a class system? What about religion? The difference between rural and urban living? What about the ecology of the world, or different biomes? If there are monsters or magical creatures, what is their life cycle?
What you want is to have a sense of the lives of the people your main characters pass on the street but don’t interact with. All this has three purposes: First, it fleshes out a world that will feel real to readers. Second, you’ll understand as a writer how the world can affect your characters and their story. And third, it may prompt new ideas for scenes, events, or other interesting elements, especially in an ongoing series. The more you think about this stuff, the more options you’ll have for great storytelling.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Writing the twists is always fun: the ramp-up, and then the reveal of what’s really going on—but I can’t tell you about those without massive spoilers! It was also fun to write scenes between our thieves, watching their friendship grow, because that’s a great place to add humor.
Children of the Fox is the first installment in the Thieves of Shadow series. Can you give us a little tease as to what may come next?
Really hard to do without spoilers, but I can say our friends find themselves in big trouble and have to go on a new adventure for hidden treasure. It’ll be time for a new heist—and their most dangerous con yet.
What has been the best and worst writing advice that you’ve received or heard?
The best advice came before I started to work on novels, when I was trying to write screenplays. Terry Rossio (Shrek, Pirates of the Caribbean) said that in a screenplay, every line has to either advance the plot, advance the character, or get a laugh—and the best lines do more than one of those. While novels are a very different medium, I’ve nonetheless taken that to heart. No chapter, scene, paragraph or even line makes the cut if it isn’t part of the process that does one of those three things. It really helps turn stories into page-turners.
I think the worst advice is that tired old saying, write what you know. It’s why too many aspiring writers’ first manuscript is a thinly-veiled telling of their life story. What the advice should really say is: Write what you love. Stories and genres you love will be what you’re most passionate about, and that’s how you’ll create your best work.
What’s next for you?
So many things! Blackthorn Key #6 comes out next summer, followed by Thieves of Shadow #2, Seekers of the Fox, in the fall. Those manuscripts are already done, so next on my plate is Thieves of Shadow #3, which will finish the trilogy.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I’ll suggest a series I’m reading now: the Alex Verus novels, by Benedict Jacka. It’s a superbly entertaining urban fantasy, with a great main character and well-fleshed-out worldbuilding and magic. The twelfth and final book in the series will be out this December.
