Both started on a whim with no previous plans to write a story along those lines. Kiersten: Illusions and Paranormalcy were actually my most comparable writing experiences. Jessie: How was writing Illusions compared to one of my favorites, the Paranormalcy series? How were writing the different heroines? Surprise! (There was much editing and revision that followed, of course. The first scene of Illusions of Fate popped into my head, I met Jessamin and Finn in the alley, and a week later I had a finished first draft. It was a rough writing experience, and something traumatic (but ultimately OK) happened that made me want to avoid writing about real-world violence.

I was in the middle of drafting Perfect Lies, the sequel to Mind Games. Kiersten: The entire book was a surprise, actually. Jessie: Any surprises while writing Illusions of Fate? And, in addition to all this, deep down he's a hopeless romantic like his parents before him. Finn is a combination of Mister Darcy - aloof, privileged, closed-off, burdened with responsibility - and Howl from Diana Wynne Jones' brilliant Howl's Moving Castle - dashing, charming, inaccessible and damaged. Jessie: Why will readers want Finn as their book boyfriends? But she's smart and stubborn and determined, and even though she's in a world that tells her she has no power, she'll prove otherwise! She's a foreigner, she's biracial, she's a woman, she's working class. My main character, Jessamin, has everything going against her. So I envisioned a world based on Edwardian England, where the upper class is the upper class because they can access magic. Only, in this case, I wanted to write the opposite of The Chosen One. With it, I wanted to explore the idea of The Chosen One that is such a common trope in fantasy literature. It hit me out of nowhere and came together in a blinding rush. Kiersten: Illusions of Fate was one of those rare, lightning-strike books. Jessie: Welcome to HEA, Kiersten! Please tell us about Illusions of Fate and Jessamin (cool name!). We checked in with Kiersten to find out what she has to say about Finn, Jessamin and the dark world of Albion nobility. The secondary characters (especially Eleanor) add a fun spice to the mix. It's a pleasant mix of historical and paranormal and has just the right touch of snobbery. Jessamin finds herself discovering Albion nobility and magic … This story has it all, balls, fancy gowns, money, nobility, intrigue, power and, of course, magic. Kiersten White, the amazing author of my favorite series, Paranormalcy, has come out with Illusions of Fate.

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