Nicki Chapelway is the author of This Hollow Heart, the first in a four book multi-author series with Jes Drew, Celeste Baxendell, and C.K. Beggan (me!) called Seasons of Legend. Each novella will release in time with the season it corresponds to, and is a retelling with an enemies to lovers theme and just kisses heat level. This Hollow Heart released on October 1st and is a The Legend of Sleepy Hollow retelling.
After hosting a read along in my Facebook reader group, I had some questions to ask Nicki about This Hollow Heart, her other books and her future plans.
The Interview:
C.K. Beggan: I just finished This Hollow Heart, which of course is the first book in the Seasons of Legend series and your latest release. I have to ask. Will we see more of Evengi and Natasya in a future story?
Nicki Chapelway: Short answer is yes, absolutely! As of yet I don’t have any real plans for them to be the main characters in other books, but there are a good many books set in Ruskhazar and I’m a sucker for crossovers and guest appearances. This is definitely not the last you have seen of Natasya and Evengi. Or any of the Eels.
CKB: What books of yours would you recommend I read next?
NC: Either Bronwyn’s story in Trapped by Magic or The Gods Created Monsters, a story that follows a certain Alya Fyodorov. (If you have read This Hollow Heart, you know who she is.)
CKB: Is the story of how Elwis the Eel got together with his wife in another of your books?
NC: I have plans on writing the story of how Elwis and his wife got together (even have the cover for it) but I don’t know when I’ll be able to officially get around to writing it.
CKB: What was your inspiration for the world of Ruskhazar?
A large part of my inspiration comes from my favorite video game Skyrim. I mean what isn’t there to love about mountains, dragons, and undead things in crypts? I even have a map of Skyrim hanging on my wall next to the map of Ruskhazar. But I also draw heavy inspiration from Viking culture, Medieval Russian myths and legends, and real life places like Norway and Sweden.
CKB: In This Hollow Heart, we see a priest and a necromancer set up as the couple. What did you love about writing the “opposites attract” trope?
NC: I think my favorite part of that trope is when the two opposites go from actively disliking each other to realizing that their differences aren’t too severe after all.
CKB: What made you decide to organize Seasons of Legend?
NC: I was watching Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad last Halloween when I decided I wanted to do my own Legend of Sleepy Hollow retelling. I wanted it to be heavily seasonally themed, but it didn’t seem right to do just one season when I could make a series of it. Problem was, I didn’t want to write four whole seasonal stories so I started talking to my sister and writing partner Jes Drew and she said she wanted to do a winter seasonal story. So I decided to make a multi author series of it and find two other authors to join me in my mad scheme.
CKB: A very cozy sounding inn appears in some of your books. I have to ask, will we ever see a full on cozy romantasy from you?
NC: The thought has occurred to me, but I’m not sure if I could wholly commit to the cozy vibe. I like to sprinkle in a lot of elements including action and peril, monsters and dark magic and whatnot. I’m not sure if I could keep it completely cozy.
CKB: What’s next for you, writing and publishing wise?
NC: My next two releases are To Slay a Knight Boldly, the much awaited sequel to Bound by Knighthood as well as a second Ruskhazar Multi Author Project, both of which will be releasing early next year.