Cassie Scot is the ungifted daughter of powerful sorcerers, born between worlds but belonging to neither. At 21, all she wants is to find a place for herself, but earning a living as a private investigator in the shadow of her family’s reputation isn’t easy. When she is pulled into a paranormal investigation, and tempted by a powerful and handsome sorcerer, she will have to decide where she truly belongs.
Tell us a little about yourself and how you got into writing.
I got “serious” about writing in 2003, when I attended a by-audition boot camp with Orson Scott Card. Before that, becoming an author was a dream. After that, it became a goal.
I love writing about characters more than anything else. Give me a person with a problem and I’ll give you a wonderful story of overcoming adversity.
It’s wonderful how the writing camp turned your dream into a goal and how you made it become a reality. What inspired you to blend urban fantasy and crime together in a novel?
The great thing about mystery/crime is that it allows each of my books to have a beginning, middle, and end (the solution to the mystery), while the bigger story arc continues (Cassie’s personal character journey).
Characters make a book for me. I love how the greater story gives plenty of room for Cassie’s personal journey. Describe her story within ten words.
Many books center on paranormal characters in normal families. What drew you to writing about a normal girl in a paranormal family and how do you feel this is important in shaping Cassie’s character?
It was a challenge! Cassie is almost defined by her lack of magic in a magical family at first. It hurts her self-worth, though she tries to put a brave face on it. (She uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism.) But Cassie is more than she realizes. (And I don’t mean that she has a secret magical talent she’s somehow repressed for 21 years. I’m proud of the fact that I gave her a problem and owned it.)
Fantasy is a lot of fun. We all like to daydream about what it would be like if we had this or that magical power. How we could save the world. Cassie finds ways to help people without any magic at all. She smart, knowledgeable, brave, and compassionate.
I love how Cassie is able to help people without magic even in a magic-prominent world. It’s something we can all learn from. Are there perks to being a normal girl living in a paranormal world?
It would be a serious handicap; at the same time, it must lend to innovation since Cassie has to find other ways to work around her lack of magic. Supposing you got the chance to visit Cassie’s world, who would you ask to be your guide and which places would you visit?
Oh, Evan. He would be a delight to meet. If you were to write a spinoff for Cassie Scot: ParaNormal Detective, who would it be about and why?
It is worth noting that there are 4 books in the Cassie Scot series — all written and all coming out in the next year or so.
I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for these stories! What are you working on right now?
Your new story sounds like a delight. I can’t wait to hear more about it. Thanks for interviewing!
Christine Amsden is a science fiction and fantasy writer. She currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children, Drake and Celeste.
Author: Crystal
A story girl at heart, Crystal is a bibliophile who can easily spend the day immersed in a good read. She writes under the name Kristy Wang. You can follow her writing adventures on X and Instagram @_kristywang.
Christine Amsden says
Thanks for having me!