Interview with Deva Fagan

Deva Fagan, author of Circus Galacticus, has joined me to talk a little bit about herself and her upcoming book.  I’m really looking forward to the release of Circus Galacticus as it sounds completely different.  It’s circus meets space and looks like a ton of fun. Out of excitement for this interview, I posted the Circus Galacticus book trailer a couple of days ago.  Be sure to check it out.

Deva’s Bio

I’m Deva Fagan, a writer of fantasy and science fiction for teens and tweens.

My humorous fantasy adventures Fortune’s Folly and The Magical Misadventures of Prunella Bogthistle are available now, and coming in Fall 2011 is Circus Galacticus, the story of Trix Ling, an Earth-girl who runs away to a life of adventure and danger as part of an intergalactic circus.

A few things I love: astronomy, tea, Dr. Who, owls, fiddles, walks in the woods, bright blue flowers.

Interview

Can you tell us a little more about your upcoming book Circus Galacticus? What was your inspiration for this intergalactic adventure?

I’ve been a fan of scifi since I was a kid. Star Wars, Star Trek, Starblazers, the old Tripods television series… I loved it all, but my favorite was Doctor Who. I started watching at the very end of the Tom Baker era, but Peter Davidson was “my” doctor. So I imprinted at an early age on the concept of a charming, mysterious, amusing alien fellow coming and inviting a young (usually female) woman to run away and have adventures across the universe.

I’ve also been a fan of superhero stories since the fateful summer when (age 13) I bought a copy of Uncanny X-Men 211. I immediately set about reading all the back issues and expanding into the other X-books (especially the New Mutants). I loved the idea of mutants with superpowers, trying to use them for good in a world that feared them.

Fast forward to 2009. I was playing around with ideas for a new book, and I wanted to challenge myself to do something different from my previous two fantasy novels, something that would stretch me as a writer. I remembered an idea I’d had a few years back for a gritty adult scifi book about genetically engineered freaks who made a living as a circus. But I wanted to write another book for younger readers, so I thought about how the idea might work if I changed the characters to teens.

It was also around that time that I watched a bunch of DVDs of the Cirque du Soleil, and fell in love with the creepy, beautiful, twisted, bizarre, gorgeous aesthetic of their shows.

That was when it all came together: the dashing Ringmaster who invites an outcast Earth-girl to run away and join his intergalactic circus of misfit teens struggling to survive against an ancient enemy that’s trying to stamp out their mutant genes.

But of course I had to find my own story to tell, and to find the character who would tell it. Which led me to find Beatrix Ling, my heroine, with her pink hair and loyalty and spunk. Which leads nicely into your next question!

Trix is the main character in Circus Galacticus.  What is she like?  Who/What is your inspiration for her character?

Trix is basically the complete opposite of me in many ways. She acts before she thinks, she’s brash and rebellious, she speaks her mind loudly, and she’s a champion gymnast. I, on the other hand, am a quiet, confrontation-avoiding girl who hates getting in trouble and have never been able to turn a cartwheel even when I was 10.

In a way, those differences were the inspiration for the character — I wanted to write about a girl who was very different from me. I wanted her to be a really active– proactive– character who got into trouble and made mistakes. I didn’t want adventure to just happen to her. I wanted her to embrace it and seek it out.

But there are some things in Trix that came from my own experiences, both as a kid and even now: a strong desire to be a part of something bigger than oneself, and at the same time, a desire to be “special”, to be recognized.

Who are your favorite authors? What are some of your favorite books? Did any particular books/authors inspire you to become a writer?

In the interest of keeping this answer from exploding into a huge list, I’m going to restrict myself to five authors/books that inspired me to want to write a science fiction adventure, specifically.

1. EARTHSEED by Pamela Sargent. The story of a diverse group of kids raised by a sentient ship taking them to colonize a new world. I was fascinated by both the idea of living on board a sentient ship, and by the concept of a group of kids trying to form their own community, and how they would interact without any adults.
2. The Young Wizards series by Diane Duane. Normal kids discover they have the ability to become Wizards — but wizardry in this case is bound by wonderfully scientific laws and rules. I love how these books feel like fantasy in the best way, but also include elements of science fiction (aliens, sentient computers). And as a girl who wanted to be a marine biologist for a good many years, I especially adored DEEP WIZARDRY, the second book in the series, which introduces whale wizards(!).
3. Bunches of Star Trek novels, especially those featuring Uhura, like UHURA’S SONG by Janet Hagen and THE TEARS OF THE SINGERS by Melinda Snodgrass. These are adult scifi, but I loved them as a teen reader. I appreciated that these books reveal a universe full of wonder and coolness and beauty, as well as danger. I love all types of scifi, but sometimes I do get overwhelmed by stories where all aliens are evil and all technology goes bad and tries to kill humanity. I want to believe that there’s enormous potential in space exploration, and wondrous things waiting for us to discover.
4. The New Mutants comic book series from Marvel Comics. A diverse band of kids with superpowers, who train with the X-Men! I especially loved Dani Moonstar, the tough Cheyenne girl who becomes co-leader of the team, and shy Rahne Sinclair. This was also one of the few places I saw a really diverse array of characters presented (the other members of the team are a Brazilian soccer star, a Vietnamese girl, and a coal-miner’s son from Kentucky). Check out the cover of the first issue!
5. THE GIRL WITH THE SILVER EYES by Willo Davis Roberts (recently re-issued!). A bookish girl with glasses, silver eyes, and superpowers! As a shy, bookish, bespeckled kid myself I adored this book, and the idea that even if you were “weird” you could have cool powers and have adventures and find other people like you.

There is a picture of you on your website with your adorable dog. Can you tell us about your dog? Any funny stories?

Sure! That’s Charlie, who came to our household when he was just under a year old, after being found as a stray in northern Maine. We don’t know anything about his life before that, though the poor guy was terrified of everything (running water, cars, stairs, the television) when we first adopted him. But he’s gotten much braver now, 5 years later! He’s a wonderful dog and we’re thrilled to have him. Even if he did once steal an entire plate of turkey burgers from the kitchen counter…

I think a dog is an excellent addition to a writer’s household, in particular, because (A) a dog will force you to tear yourself from the computer and go on a walk every day and (B) when you face disappointments and rejections, there’s nothing like a wagging tail to make you feel better!

And I highly recommend adopting a dog from a shelter — there are so many wonderful dogs (and cats!) out there looking for loving homes!

Is there anything else you would like to say to readers or fans?

Thank you for reading! Any book I write is really only half a story. The other half comes from the reader, experiencing the words and bringing their own understanding to it.