Photo by Alden Wright
Cecy Robson is the author of the new novel Bloodguard. Her other novels include the Carolina Beach series. She is also a registered nurse.
Q: What inspired you to write Bloodguard, and how did you create your characters Leith and Maeve?
A: Bloodguard actually started with a gargoyle about 12 years ago. I thought it would be cool to write four short romance novels that would take place in a fantastical world where trolls that lived beneath bridges ate wandering children.
They were Gargoyle, Avianna and Dravven’s story; Bloodguard, Maeve and Leith’s story; Elf Lord, Lyra and Caelen’s story; and Dragon King, Merry and what’s his name’s story (I honestly can’t remember).
Gargoyle immediately went to acquisitions but the publishing house wasn’t sure how to market it because back then, romantasy didn’t exist. And it also involved interspecies romance. That definitely wasn’t done. What can I say, I was a little ahead of my time.
So, originally Avianna and Dravven were developed. She was adopted by Jakeb and became Maeve’s sister. Lyra was their cousin. Dravven and Avianna, I knew very well as I’d written a hundred pages of the novel.
But that whole interspecies concern forced me to know Leith and Maeve rather quickly. Leith was easy. I write broken, desperate characters pretty well.
Maeve was harder as she was beautiful, and smart and a healer and rich and a princess. That’s a hard person for readers to relate to. So, I threw in some vulnerability, a hell of a lot of torment, and plenty of secrets, and Maeve was born. I wrote the first 50 pages and my agent shopped it, and no one picked it up.
Fast forward 12 years later to when Red Tower was launching. My agent immediately called me and said, “Send Bloodguard to me, now!” I dug it up and sent it to my agent. One day later, the incredible Liz Peltier bought it and offered me a three-book contract. And that’s how Bloodguard was born. Sorry. I realize that was really long-winded.
Q: How did you create the world in which the story takes place?
A: Great question. I was a huge fan of Lord of the Rings movies. But as I envisioned this story with a central romance, and lots of sexiness, I thought it was befitting a darker world of fantasy. I brought in scary creatures, like ogres and trolls, and interweaved stories of my Latino culture.
Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: There were so many changes! The original ending and the final match were cut. Six characters were cut. As were several more action scenes. I hope to rework them into the next novel because they were heartbreakingly awesome. But, but we were starting to look at an 800- page novel.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the novel?
A: Not to sound cheesy, but I want them to take in all the love—all different forms of it— how it can lift and destroy from one moment to the next. I also want them to root for my underdogs to the point where they are either internally or externally screaming (or both).
Q: What are you working on now?
A: The next epic novel in the Bloodguard series! I’m stressed because given how Bloodguard turned out, I’m like, dang, how will I ever top that?
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Yes. Beware of my twisted humor. You have been warned. Mwahahahaha.
Thank you for hosting me today.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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