1--What is the title of your latest release?
THE ORNITHOLOGIST’S FIELD GUIDE TO LOVE
2--What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
Rival ornithology professors hunt through England for a rare magical bird.
3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I originally considered having the characters travel across Europe, but considering the complexities involved in that, such as different languages, currencies, cultures, and so forth, I chose to limit my research to England and France.
4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Absolutely. Beth is very much a woman I’d be friends with.
5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Clever, kind, intrepid.
6--What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned more than I could possibly ever need to know about the structure of a bird’s feather!
7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I edit as I draft; it’s an integral part of my process. Besides, I’m never totally done! I could go on rewriting and editing a book forever if someone didn’t rein me in.
8--What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Smoked chicken fettucine.
9--Describe your writing space/office!
My desk is set beside a large window that I have open at all times, regardless of the weather, but I keep the curtain closed behind my computer, so I’m not distracted by the beautiful view of the hills. The workspace is fairly uncluttered except for candles, flowers, teacup, and a basket in which my kitten sleeps while I write.
10--Who is an author you admire?
So many, choosing just one name is difficult! I will say that Patricia McKillip was the author who most inspired me in my younger days. Her writing is pure magic.
11--Is there a book that changed your life?
Every book does in one way or another.
12--Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It was very early in the morning, thanks to international time differences. We’d been going through rounds of an auction and had accepted Berkley’s latest offer. Because of the hour I couldn’t tell anyone straight away, which was probably just as well because I was slightly hysterical with delight! I vaguely recall that dancing was involved, which should come as no surprise to anyone who’s read my books.
13--What’s your favorite genre to read?
Fantasy romance.
14--What’s your favorite movie?
It’s a three-way tie between Ever After, Ladyhawke, and Strictly Ballroom.
15--What is your favorite season?
Winter.
16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
Very quietly.
17--What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
For the past year I’ve been recommending Love Between Fairy and Devil to everyone, and I’m not yet weary of doing so. Its glorious, beautiful, funny, magical tv.
18--What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Japanese food, although I remain sadly incompetent at using chopsticks.
19--What do you do when you have free time?
Read books; listen to history podcasts; wander around looking at nature and pretending that my half-a-mile-per-hour stroll is proper exercise.
20--What can readers expect from you next?
The second book in the Love’s Academic series is called The Geographer’s Map to Romance. It’s my “Anne of Green Gables meets disaster movie” book, and I had a lot of fun writing it!
Rival ornithologists hunt through England for a rare magical bird in this historical-fantasy rom-com reminiscent of Indiana Jones but with manners, tea, and helicopter parasols.
Beth Pickering is on the verge of finally capturing the rare deathwhistler bird when Professor Devon Lockley swoops in, capturing both her bird and her imagination like a villain. Albeit a handsome and charming villain, but that's beside the point. As someone highly educated in the ruthless discipline of ornithology, Beth knows trouble when she sees it, and she is determined to keep her distance from Devon.
For his part, Devon has never been more smitten than when he first set eyes on Professor Beth Pickering. She's so pretty, so polite, so capable of bringing down a fiery, deadly bird using only her wits. In other words, an angel. Devon understands he must not get close to her, however, since they're professional rivals.
When a competition to become Birder of the Year by capturing an endangered caladrius bird is announced, Beth and Devon are forced to team up to have any chance of winning. Now keeping their distance becomes a question of one bed or two. But they must take the risk, because fowl play is afoot, and they can't trust anyone else—for all may be fair in love and war, but this is ornithology.
Romance Fantasy | Fantasy | Romance Comedy [Berkley, On Sale: July 23, 2024, Trade Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780593547281 / eISBN: 9780593547298]
When a magical bird can melt railway tracks, a birding contest gets out of hand
India Holton is the author of The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels, a fantastical romcom set in an alternate Victorian era. She lives in coastal New Zealand, where she grew up running barefoot around islands, following ghosts through forests, and messing around in boats. She spent several years teaching and now writes about plucky girls, unconventional women, and the men who love them. India's writing is fuelled by tea, buttered scones, and thunderstorms.
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