1. Hey, Liz. Thanks so much for dropping by the blog for a chat. If there’s something I enjoy when reading, it’s broadening horizons in regards to genre and country and it’s always nice to meet a fellow author from Australia. What can you tell us about yourself and the writing community in your part of the Southern Hemisphere?
Thanks for having me! Always love meeting fellow Aussies—and fellow writers! I’ve been fortunate enough to have lived all over the country, but currently reside in Queensland. I’ve always been too shy to venture out to writing groups so all the writing friends I’ve made have been online.
2. NOTHING wrong with online friends and some of my closest friends are actually from online. Think about it, we’re friends because we read each other. How cool is that? Now in regards to your work, retellings have become popular in the last decade or so, though not all retellings are created equal. Sometimes, it feels as if authors rehash old ideas, give it a slight update, and voilà. In the case of Never Never, you DEFINITELY get the sense that you took a HARD turn somewhere to flip a well-known story on its head. What can you tell us about your take, why Peter Pan, and just how dark can in get?
I’d never had any intention of doing a retelling. If it’s not broken, then don’t fix it, you know? But then I was asked to write a short story for a twisted fairytales anthology, but as soon as I started working through the concept for Never, Never, I knew it needed to be a full-length novel to do it justice. It’s more of a prequel than a retelling, I think! Just the premise of your children being lured out of their bedroom windows in the middle of the night is scary enough, right? So it made sense to me to turn Pan into a malevolent being…
3. Oooohhh, skin crawlies just from one description but I love that. One of the fun parts of retellings it to flip characters. Heroes become villains, villains become victims, victims become something else. What’s your trick to do a really good flip?
I think you really need to let go of everything you think you know about that character. Break them down to the very core of their motivations and go from there.
4. Deconstructing a character. Interesting. So beyond the source material, it really shows you have some other influences. What other authors influence you and which works inspired you to go for this project?
I’ve always been a massive fan of Stephen King and Anne Rice, but I’m also inspired by a lot of non-fiction. I love reading about paranormal phenomena and fringe science.
5. Hey, the broader we read, the better right? So as per usual, I like random questions and making authors visiting have a thinky think sooooo… you’re hired to do 3 haunted houses. It could be original haunted houses or messed up retellings, but you have to take something sweet and make it wicked. Describe those three haunted houses.
I would definitely love one to be Amityville Horror style. The combination of ancient burial grounds and a terrible crime makes for an enduring haunted house! The second I would do a retelling of Stephen King’s 1408, and the third I would love to do a haunted house that only appears to certain people and at certain times of the year. In fact, I think you’ve just inspired me to write this story!
6. Ha!!! What more could I ask for. To inspiration from anywhere. Back to your writing though. So some of your works take place in England, which is quite a ways from Australia. I’m always intrigued in how people do research for their works. Tell us a bit about Leroux Manor and how you tackled the research aspect of that one.
I would love to say I got to travel there, but sadly, no, ha ha! Instead I created a fictional town, and my research was based around the weather, the school year, and what kind of trees etc. are found there. Lots of scenic research!
7. Scenic research is such an underused resource and with YouTube and Google Maps the world is literally a click away. Another random Q: A local entertainment company wants to do an escape room and they want YOU to produce it. What’s in the escape room, what’s the challenge, and remember, no budget restraints, go wild!
I’ve always wanted to do an escape room! Though naturally, mine would have to be scary…Let’s say the challenge is to get out of the room before an ancient witch awakens and takes you as her slave for all eternity. The escape room would look like a mausoleum, filled with sigils and symbols. There would be apparitions, whispering voices and eerie sounds, some of which are clues and others not, so you always have to pay attention.
8. Hahaha. People will need something to calm nerves after exiting, for sure. I always enjoy making food and drink related questions to authors because I think few things unite us better than food or drink. If you had to do a 3 drink cocktail menu based on your works, what are the cocktails, what is in each, and describe the experience.
What fun! Let’s see:
Fates’ Fury – Chambord, Tequila, Frozen berries
The LeRoux – Ink Gin, Blue Curacao, soda water, Crushed Ice
Never, Never – Green Fairy Absinthe, Sour Apple Liqueur, melted sugar, apple slices.
9. BOTTOMS UP!!! Nice selection. Another curious thing in each writer’s author journey is the people they connect with. Being from Australia, I’m sure there are different challenges, opportunities, and things unique to your experience. How has where you lived impacted your journey?
I don’t think it really has. The world of social media has led to so many connections with other writers that you never really feel like there’s distance or isolation.
10. I dig it and hey, you have a friend on this side of the world. Wonderful answers, Liz. Thanks so much for your time and now all that’s left is to tell people where they can find you online and where they can pass by to grab a copy of your books.
Website: https://lizbutcherauthor.com.au
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lunaloveliz
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lunaloveliz/
Tiktok: @lunaloveliz
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Liz-Butcher-1394868604152823/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13845425.Liz_Butcher
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com.au/lizbutcherauthor/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00X6XN5O6
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So there you go, fellow humans. Thanks for dropping by and getting to meet another writer. Means a lot and I appreciate you sitting down for a read. Make sure you follow Liz on the links above and til next we chat…
Peace, love, and maki rolls.
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