Tell us a little bit about yourself. How did you get into writing?

I was a screenwriter here in Canada for 12 years, which was incredibly fun. However, after some changes to the industry left me burned out, I decided to try writing a book and see if I could find my joy of writing again, just in a different medium. The thing about working on television series is that ultimately, we serve the needs of the show. What really appealed to me about writing a book was not having to worry about budgets or actor hours or how many special effects I could have. My imagination was the limit. 

What inspired you to write your book?

Well, ACE OF SHADES was the final book in the series, but the idea for the first book, THROWING SHADE, came back when I was still teaching screenwriting. A group of my film school students had an argument about whether a female character in her forties would still have any sexual desire or be seen sexually. Most were arguing that the male character would go for a younger woman. 

With this series, I showed why that was not always the case. Lol 

Older fantasy heroines are an absolute delight to write because they have scars and experiences and wisdom that a twenty-something just doesn’t have. Plus, it’s very different to be saving the world when you have other responsibilities or be starting a sexy romance when you’re older and perhaps more cautious. I get to channel a lot more of myself and my life into these women, which makes me happy. 

What theme or message do you hope readers will take away from your book?

I’d been so happy to turn forty because I’d gotten rid of a lot of negative thinking, especially around my body image, and worrying about how other people saw me, and yet I kept feeling like even though I’d broken out of this box, there were a lot of others trying to keep me inside it.

That got me thinking about invisibility as a strength, and the idea that if you’re invisible, no one sees you coming, which led me to Miriam’s powers.

Ultimately, it’s a story of empowerment. 

What drew you into this particular genre?

I’ve always loved fantasy, but urban fantasy allows me to combine my love of magic adventures, mystery, old Hollywood witty banter, and spicy romance. Happily, readers liked that combination as well, because my first Deborah Wilde book, THE UNLIKEABLE DEMON HUNTER, became an Amazon bestseller. Twenty-five books later, I’m still having a blast doing this.

If you could sit down with any character in your book, what would you ask them and why?

Tatiana, my octogenarian magic fixer, artist, and bon vivant. No question. I would bug her endlessly for stories of her world travels and strangest cases over perfect martinis.

What social media site has been the most helpful in developing your readership?

Facebook for sure. Come hang out with me on my author page. https://www.facebook.com/DeborahWildeAuthor 

What advice would you give to aspiring or just starting authors out there?

Give yourself permission to let your first draft suck. I was once reminded that jewelers don’t mine rings and necklaces, they mine raw materials. Then they look at what they’ve got and refine it until they have that beautiful finished piece. That’s always stuck with me. There is definitely a temptation to just keep improving a first draft, but I keep pushing forward. Even if I hate it, I know there will be nuggets of gold there that I want to refine. And honestly, I have yet to hate it so much that I trash the entire draft. It’s just nice to know I can if I want to.

What does the future hold in store for you? Any new books/projects on the horizon?

I’m about to send the first book of my fifth series off to my proofreader. It’s called GOLEM FOR BROKE (Mad Queens Inc., #1) and it features another heroine in her forties. It will release early on my store, deborahwildebooks.com, on September 28 and then wide at all other retailers on October 12. I can’t wait to share this new adventure. 

Thank you so much for having me!

About the Author

Deborah Wilde is a global wanderer and hopeless romantic. After twelve years as a screenwriter, she was also a total cynic with a broken edit button, so, she jumped ship, started writing funny, sexy urban fantasy books and never looked back.

She loves writing smart, flawed, wisecracking women who can solve a mystery, kick supernatural butt, banter with hot men, and still make time for their best female friend, because those were the women she grew up around and admired. Granted, her grandmother never had a to kill a demon at her weekly friend lunches, but Deborah is pretty sure she could have.

Smart (ass) heroines. Epic magic. Red-hot romance.

**Pronounced Deb-O-rah.

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