Interview with Urban Fantasy/Mystery Author Misha Handman @frivyeti #Interview #blogtour

Born on Vancouver Island, Canada, Misha Handman spent his early life immersed in the arts, with one parent a teacher and the other a manager of theatre and opera. Moving across the country to Ottawa, and then Toronto, he began writing at a young age – first writing comics and designing card games for his closest friends and then, buoyed by their approval, gradually expanding out to submissions to magazines and short story collections, and graduating from the University of Toronto with a classic English degree.

Misha has always believed in the importance of entertainment to our health and well-being. He is also interested in our shared fictional history, working in game design to develop collaborative games and story-driven experiences and exploring the new worlds that we are sharing. His fascination with these things led to the development of his first novel, Shadow Stitcher, as an exploration of the English classic “Peter Pan.”

When not writing, Misha spends his time in Victoria, Canada, working as a professional fundraiser for charities – a job he describes as “helping people to help people.” He continues to work on game design on the side, and is always excited to see the myriad ways that people approach story construction and creation, both as a voracious reader of genre fiction and a dedicated player of games.

WEBSITE & SOCIAL LINKS:

Website: www.mishahandman.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/frivyeti
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mjmhandman/


About the Book

Basil Stark isn’t the man he once was. A reformed pirate and private detective, he walks the line between criminal and hero, living in the corners of what was once the island of Neverland, its magic slowly fading into the new world of the 1950s.

When a routine missing-persons case turns into a murder investigation, Basil finds himself pulled into a tale of organized crime, murder, unstitched shadows and dangerous espionage. With only a handful of fellow outcasts and a stubborn determination to bring a killer to justice, will he survive the many people who want him dead?

ORDER YOUR COPY

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1770531998/
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadow-stitcher-misha-handman/1132633222

Can you tell us what your new book is about?

Shadow Stitcher is a hardboiled mystery set in the 1950s, on what was once the island of Neverland. Decades ago, corporate interests came to the island, looking to industrialize its magic, and now they live in uneasy truce with its inhabitants. Basil Stark, the island’s most notorious private detective, accepts a case to find a woman who has vanished, and is almost immediately drawn into mob struggles, dangerous experiments, and deadly new magic.

Basil’s been in Everland longer than almost anyone. He has a lot of old friends and older enemies. But he’s on the fringe of the island’s many societies, and when push comes to shove, he’s going to need all his tricks and all of his allies if he wants to survive.

Can you tell us a little about your main and supporting characters?

Basil, who I mentioned above, is the main character of Shadow Stitcher. He was Captain Hook’s first mate in the bad old days, but he’s mellowed with age, after spending years caring for the children of the Piccadilly nation in recompense for his crimes against them. He spends his time trying to help people without getting trapped in Everland’s corrupt power structures.

Basil’s main allies in this book are Holly Blossom and Glimmer Mop. Holly is Basil’s ‘niece’ – one of the children that he looked after, now grown and looking to become a detective in her own right. And no Everland tale would be right without a fairy; Glimmer has a short temper and a big heart, and adopts Basil and his crew when he finds her during the case.

Of course, there are plenty of mysterious folks about. Adelaide Evans, the reporter from America, keeps showing up where she isn’t expected. Quentin Lark, the mob lieutenant, is trying to warn Basil off the case, while his assistant, Stephanie Tate, just wants to keep his operations running smoothly. And Police Commissioner Darling bears a grudge from the old days, and is just waiting for Stark to slip up.

Your book is set in Neverland.  Can you tell us why you chose this location in particular?

In this case, the location came first. The story started with the idea of Neverland as a grown-up, colonized land, its magic stolen for war machines and people trying to make do with what was left. Basil, and the mystery, grew up from there. I love the idea of taking old ideas and giving them a new spin; so many people have their own version of Neverland in their heads that it felt right to invite them to take a look at mine!

How long did it take you to write your book?

Three years from the first word to the final draft, with a few long spaces in the middle!

What has been the most pivotal point of your writing life?

It was the moment that I was hired a second time to provide writing. I had managed a few successful sales here and there before, but having someone offer me a writing contract, based on previous work, suggested to me that this was something I could really do, and not just a fun pastime that wouldn’t mean anything.

What kind of advice would you give other urban fantasy/mystery authors?

I would have two pieces of advice: read as wide a range of materials as possible, and think about your assumptions before you start writing. Read romances, read memoirs, read histories, read books by authors who aren’t from your culture, aren’t from your social circles. Read books that have been translated from other languages. Do everything that you can to find as many viewpoints as you can, and listen to them. It will make your work better.