Title: A Flight in the Heavens
Series: The Theurgy of the Gods, Tome One
Author: Gabrielle Gagne-Cyr
Genre: Science Fantasy, LGBTQ+, some steampunk elements
Cover artist: Elita Maalouf
Content warnings: A couple of short graphic scenes (dismemberment). Psychopathic behaviour by a secondary character (appears in a couple of chapters). Brief mention of past sexual assault and abusive behaviours by said character not condoned by the main characters and not in details.
Blurb:
“I see you my little moppets.”
The king is dead, long live his murderer. After fifteen years of passive torment, Farrah and her implacable group of renegades endeavour to alter their fates by attempting to assassinate the man who stole everything from them, Daemon Daromas. Alas, he who wields the theurgy of the gods has no rivals in the lands of Iscar but those foolish enough to challenge their wrath.
When confronted by this ancient and destructive force, the renegades have no choice but to flee the capital and embark on the airship of Iscar’s most notorious sky corsair Captain Feras Sadahl, daughter of the late pirate sovereign. Their meeting with the corsair, however, might not have been as welcome as they would have hoped.
As Farrah and her allies set out on a journey to find the means to challenge their oppressor, they soon discover that the price of power is steep and the road to get one’s hands on it, perilous.
Author Interview:
1. Tell us a little about how this story first came to be. Did it start with an image, a voice, a concept, a dilemma or something else?
I always start off with the main characters. I develop the first one and once I’m satisfied with their personality, I find them a love interest. Romance drives me as a storyteller even though it’s not usually what’s on the foreground of my stories. There’s definitely a good balance of adventure and heartache in them. The next step is finding a reason for these characters to meet based on the background I created for them; something that will make sense, be coherent with who they are. I build on that. Whatever happens before or after is intimately linked to that first meeting. I rarely know how a story will begin, nor how it will finish. My characters drive the unfolding events. For the longest time, I didn’t even know what the first chapter of “A Flight in the Heavens” would be though most of the story had already been imagined.
2. What, if anything, did you learn when writing the book?
Writing is the easy part. My talent is imagination, I know how to development interesting relatable characters. Editing, however, is still a learning curve. I learned that editing takes as much time as the actual writing, if not more. Oh, and you also absolutely need a professional editor to go over your work, if not two. No choice.
3. What surprised you the most in writing it?
How much people seemed to like the world I had built and the characters in it. It’s a humbling experience. I started off writing this quest as a hobby to pass time. I was stuck at home for a few weeks because I had sprained my groin. I was bored out of my mind after a few days and decided to write for the fun of it. The more the writing unfolded (I had already imagined most of the story months prior), the more I realized I had something taking form on paper (on screen?). There was something there that was worth exploring. I did.
4. What does the title mean?
“A Flight in the Heavens” refers to the airship that later becomes one of the focal points in the story. It’s also a reference to how it was use as a means of “escaping” a terrible threat. And what led to my main characters meeting.
5. Were any of the characters inspired by real people? If so, do they know?
Most of my characters embody things from my life and the people in it. I’m each of them in different situations, some more than others. I use my past feelings and emotions to drive their persona. One of them, however, though I won’t say which one, was somewhat based on a person I met some years back. Hint: That person ain’t one of our “heroes”.
6. Do you consider the book to have a lesson or moral?
I try to imbue meaning and spiritual values to my writing. There’s a whole (subtle? hidden? clear? who knows) concept in the story that’s really a big metaphor for finding your inner self.
7. What is your favorite part of the book?
When both of my main characters meet for the first time. Their exchanges are infused with banter. Magic to me. I love impossible, difficult, angsty love stories.
8. Which character was most challenging to create? Why?
None. When I imagine stories, it can take months, if not years to go through them. Each scene is rehearsed, each dialogue is thought through. I do all of this before the idea of writing it down even begins.
9. What are your immediate future plans?
There’s a second instalment in store for the book (yay!). Since it’s already written (double yay!), I’m thinking of spending the following year editing it. Hoping for a release next year. Cheers
About the Author:
Gabrielle Gagne-Cyr, author of The Theurgy of the Gods series, is a French Canadian who studied Digital Video Production and Psychology at Concordia University in Montreal. After working a few years as a counsellor at a youth centre, she somehow decided that writing on the sidelines would be as good a career (though her dream job would be sky pirate—a nice one obviously). In the meantime, she reads and writes, walks her badass German Shepherd and plays video games (Team PlayStation). And playing swords is no childish affair, friends; grown-ass adults love it too. This one certainly does. Netflix also happens. Oh and tattoos. Lots of tattoos. You can connect with Gabrielle via:
Website: gabriellegagnecyr.com
Facebook Page: @gabriellegagnecyrauthor
Twitter: @GGagneCyr
Instagram: @gabriellegagnecyrauthor
Tik Tok: @gabriellegagnecyrauthor
Steam punky lesbian airship pirates. Yep, that sounds like fun.