Brhi Stokes Interview
Welcome to Ink & Magick. I'm your friendly neighborhood witch. What kind of spell can I get for you (or your character) today?
For me, something that pauses time for a bit so I can take a break from how busy I am. Or a good sleeping draught. Boring, yes, but super vital!
I suggest a warm cup of chamomile tea.
For Ripley, he'd probably like something to take him home. Or, at the very least, some sort of knowledge potion to tell him what the hell is going on! Or maybe something that turns him into one of the monstrous things he encounters - he'd probably be less terrified that way (or more terrified if we didn't tell him about it first, your choice).
I'm sorry. I cannot fulfill such a request. It is all part of his journey. Tell me a little about your dark urban fantasy, C A L I G A T I O N.
Ripley Mason is a university dropout, casual drinker, and newly fledged hitchhiker. Tired of the daily grind of study, drink, repeat, and only halfway done with a degree he never chose, Ripley heads north to see if life won’t throw him something less monotonous.
Early into his journey, Ripley suffers a brutal car accident and awakens in a rundown hospital. Nervous, he ventures into dark, unfamiliar streets and comes face to face with indescribable beasts. Thrown into a world of the supernatural, Ripley fights to discover where he is, how he came to be here and, most importantly, if he can even get home.
All he knows of this place is a single word: C A L I G A T I O N
Okay, I'm super intrigued. Through me a bone. Can you tell me just one supernatural creature he encounters?
I'm notorious for being super secretive about the city of Caligation. No information packs on characters or creatures on the site, a lot of "just read the book" responses to questions on the city and its denizens. But since you asked so nicely:
One of the first creatures he encounters calls herself a Feranthrope. What Ripley thought was a human woman quickly turned out to be sporting a tail and elongated canines. She didn't seem to fear the monstrous beasts out on the street, either. In fact, she may just have something to do with them.
The Feranthropes generally sport animal-like qualities in their appearance. Of course, it's not their only trick...
Intriguing...Which one of your characters surprised you?
A lot of these characters originally came from the roleplay site I used to run, so they've been with me a while. Thus, I know most of their tricks. I would say it's one of those I created for the story that did so. Oliver, part of the mob that Ripley gets embroiled in, has some actions later on that I was not expecting.
So, you've been planning this one for a while then. Who is your favorite (or least favorite) character and why?
One thing about C A L I G A T I O N, which I haven't mentioned but which some of the reviews go into, is the animals that roam the city. I won't spoil things too much but they tend to have their own personalities and attachments.
Nyx is a raven, and companion to Ajax, and she is definitely my favourite character. She's a little unhinged, but in a friendly way. Also, she's a self-proclaimed cat... or badger... or whatever else she's on a tangent about at the time.
Writing her dialogue is some of the most fun I've had when putting C A L I G A T I O N together. She'll say one or two dorky things that my husband and I still quote at each other from time to time (and not even accurately, mind you).
I think I've met people like her in real life. They are a hoot. If you could time-travel, would you travel to the future or the past? Where would you like to go, and why would you choose that time period?
The past, for sure. Although I'm not sure when to exactly. Most of the times I'm interested in are dangerous (though I suppose all are). I would love to go back to when most of the world was still being explored. Or perhaps back to the Viking Age in Scandinavia around the 10th century (I lived in Sweden for a while and developed a healthy love of Norse mythology and Vikings).
You lived in Sweden? That sounds like an interesting story. A gamer, eh? Are there any video games or table top games that influenced
C A L I G A T I O N?
C A L I G A T I O N definitely has a World of Darkness vibe (White Wolf's tabletop game). Or, if we're talking video games - Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines (based on the above tabletop). It's dark and gritty and urban, much like WoD.
Fun! What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
I think most writers would agree that reviews mean the world to us. They let others know that this is a book that was (or was not) enjoyed by people. For me, also, just spreading the word. If you read and enjoyed C A L I G A T I O N, tell someone about it, get them a copy or just let me know that you liked it.
What can we expect from you next?
Okay, so I have two projects available to me at the moment, and I am having the hardest time deciding.
I accidentally'd my way 30,000 words through a YA fantasy, which I could continue working on.
Alternately, I have a sort of soul-sequel (similar premise, I suppose) to C A L I G A T I O N, which would also be gritty urban fantasy featuring a genderless main character and told in first person, sort of noir-style.
One of those (ideally both) will eventually exist. I'm just not sure which one will come first.
Well, we are all interested to see which you pursue next. Thanks so much for stopping in to talk with me!
A budding author, Brhi has been writing ever since she could put pen to paper and daydreaming in every spare second.
C A L I G A T I O N, her first published novel, is an urban fantasy.
She is currently beginning a new profession, but decided 2017 was the right time to brush the dust off Caligation and deliver it to an audience.
In her spare time, Brhi enjoys reading, video games, tabletop RPGs, going for long, solitary jogs and music.
You can get a copy of Caligation on Amazon.
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