If you love reading urban fantasy, you’ll love Courtney’s Fawn Malero series set in Seattle. She describes her series as the supernatural version of the Stephanie Plum novels. I’ll let Courtney tell you about her character, books, and life as a writer and teacher. Scroll down to read more about her latest book in this series, Lucky Rabbit’s Foot. She’s also given some spicy book recommendations.
- It’s time to get your protagonist out of their comfort zone. You want to present her with a challenge, and you’ve given her the following choices: climb Mount Everest; run a Marathon; trek across the Sierra Desert with a tribe of nomads; or sail around the world alone. Which would she choose?
I think she’d have the hardest time sailing around the world alone. Fawn, although at the beginning of the series would have told herself and everyone else that she didn’t need anyone… has come to realize she needs everyone! She is a woman who has surrounded herself with wonderful friends who help her every day, and she would be lost without them. Alone and without any problems to solve, she’d whither away in depression for sure.
- If your protagonist could live in another era, which would she choose and why?
I think Fawn would love to live in the future… is that an option lol. She would like to see the world a few millennia from now, perhaps when the humans and supernatural creatures know about each other and no longer live in fear and hiding.
- If she could change anything in her life, what would it be and why?
She would definitely change the childhood incident that got Logan’s brother kicked out of the wolf pack and banned from the city of Seattle. Although it wasn’t really her fault, she was the catalyst, and it drove a wedge between her and Logan that lasted years. Maybe they would have found each other sooner if she hadn’t been involved in that incident.
- What do you and your protagonist have in common?
Living in the Pacific Northwest! Beautiful part of the world, although she’s much more coastal than me. And we both love animals and yoga.
- If you had an argument, who would win and why?
I think me because I wouldn’t give up, and she’d probably get annoyed and just give in.
- How long have you been writing? What was the motivating factor that got you started?
I have been writing for over twenty years, but more recently for the last three. I took a nine-year break and started writing under a new name in 2020. My motivation is that I love writing and reading, and I have always wanted to be able to say it’s my full-time career. I am not there yet… but someday, I hope. For now, I will write when I can and continue teaching kindergarteners how to read.
- What do you want most for your readers to come away with after they read your books?
I want them to smile. To feel like they just read something that made them laugh and escape reality for a bit. I want it to hang on to the back of their mind like a good book you’ll never fully forget and sometimes will pop up like, oh yeah, that was a good one!
- Tell us about your perfect writing day.
Wake up early, drink coffee, and write until eleven. Watch the sun stream through the windows and the kids taking care of their own needs for a few hours. That is my most productive time. Then spend time doing adult necessary things and spending time with my family, then back to it in the evening before bed.
- What is the last book you’ve read purely for pleasure?
I read almost exclusively for pleasure. I sometimes have to read a book for work about teaching or behavior etc. … but I read for pleasure because I write for pleasure. For October, I am reading almost exclusively witch books! I love spooky season.
- What was the oddest job you ever had?
I don’t know if it is considered odd, but maybe surprising because of where I grew up, but my first real job was in a casino, and I was a tech. I was supposed to fix the machines when they broke. I was eighteen, still in high school, and I am not sure what they were thinking hiring me for that lol.
- Tell us about your latest book.
Lucky Rabbit’s Foot is the fourth book in my Fawn Malero series. A cozy mystery urban fantasy series set in Seattle, Washington because, it’s a city where supernaturals could live and thrive and go unnoticed among all the other weirdness.
Fawn is a magician, which means she is born with some special abilities; she can talk to animals, she’s super stretchy, has a supernatural empathetic drive, and can do some healing. All this and the fact that her dad is in charge of all the supernaturals in the Seattle area makes her a great candidate for being a Private Investigator for the supernaturals in the city. She is confronted with a few issues in this book, rabbits everywhere, and there’s something off about them… weather that is out of control weird, super hot one minute and snowstorm the next.
She doesn’t work alone, though, and through the books, has gathered a posse of characters that she relies on as much as her own abilities to solve the problems and keep the humans in the dark.
- How many books do you read in a typical month? Do you read in your genre while you are writing?
In the summer, I read like 14 a month, and during the school year, more like 7. I read a lot of urban fantasy, tons of romance of all spice levels, and try to put in other things here and there for variety. I don’t mind reading along the same lines as I’m writing; I think it helps me figure out what I do and don’t like in the genre.
- Name three authors you would recommend and tell us what you like about their writing.
For urban fantasy, I would recommend Kim Harrison; her Hallows series is wonderful. The world she created and how she was able to continue the story for so many books is a great thing to see.
For fun spice, I recommend Ruby Dixon, you don’t take it seriously, but it’s got fun spice in a fantasy world.
For dark romance, I recommend Emily Mcintire; her Never After Series has not disappointed in making you want that evil character to get all the things he/she wants and more!
- What themes do you regularly employ in your writing?
I like strong female characters, strong friendships, and choosing love over everything else.
- What is the most challenging area for you as a writer?
I have a hard time writing fight scenes. I don’t love reading long ones and don’t feel like I am good at writing them. I also struggle with endings. I always want to rush it after the climax, again, because I get annoyed with books where the ending is dragged on and on just seemingly to add word count.
- What motivates you to write?
It relaxes me, and I enjoy it. If I never sold another book, I’d still write. But I definitely want to sell, I want to make enough money to stay home and do what I love full-time!
- How did you develop the idea for your most recent work?
The Fawn Malero series came about because I wanted to write a book that was low-spice fantasy with elements of romance and humor. I wanted a supernatural version of the Stephanie Plum novels. I think I hit it!
- Name three writers from whom you have drawn inspiration and tell us why.
Janet Evanovich. I love how she adds so much humor to her writing.
Patricia Briggs. I think she does a great job world building.
Karen Marie Moning. Her character development and world-building/supernatural rules are all amazing.
All three of these women have inspired my writing in some way.
- What was the best writing advice you ever received, and why was it valuable?
Rejection is part of the process. If I thought everyone hit it on their first try, I would have never even published one book. This is what has helped me the most because although every rejection is disappointing, I know that my writing is enjoyed by readers and worthy of being on the market. I just had to wait for the right person to give me a chance.
BIO:
Courtney Davis is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, urban fantasy mystery, and space fantasy with a little romance and humor thrown in. Writing for over twenty years, she finds her own escape and relaxation when creating characters and seeing where they take her. She started out writing romance and erotica when she was younger, and after a nine-year break, she has come back with urban fantasy romance as her main genre. She loves creating worlds and exploring human and inhuman interactions with her stories; for her, the characters come first. She grew up and currently resides in North Idaho with her husband, children, and animals. She has her master’s degree in education and teaches kindergarten. When she isn’t in the classroom, she is reading, writing, and soaking up sunshine all summer long. She hopes you find joy and an escape in her writing.
Blurb:
Rabbits! Lots and lots of rabbits! And what’s up with this weather?
These were only the beginning of Fawn Malero’s problems, but they coincided with a vampire wedding-of-the-century coming to town, and that made them a top priority. And as Logan began to take on more duties as pack Alpha, her loyalties were being tested by everyone. Could she run part of the city and part of the pack?
Then the burglaries started… of human homes, threatening exposure!
Being pulled in so many directions, Fawn feared she was failing her father and the supernaturals of Seattle, leaving them open for challengers to their authority. Will Fawn’s ability to enlist the help of other supernaturals be enough? Or will they finally see that she doesn’t have what it takes to keep Seattle safe and its supernaturals hidden?
Links:
Website: www.authrocourtneydavis.com
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/AuthorCDavis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorcourtneydavis
Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/authorcdavis
Newsletter: https://www.substack.com/@courtneydavis
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Thanks, Courtney, for being my guest on Books, Birds, and Banter!
Thank you so much for having me today! I had fun with the interview.