A Slice of Cake With... Anita Stewart

This week I am delighted to be having a slice of cake with indie author A. F. Stewart.

A steadfast and proud sci-fi and fantasy geek, A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada and still calls it home. The youngest in a family of seven children, she always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She favours the dark and deadly when writing—her genres of choice being fantasy and horror—but she has been known to venture into the light on occasion. As an indie author she’s published novellas and story collections, with a few side trips into poetry.

She is fond of good books, action movies, sword collecting, geeky things, comic books, and oil painting as a hobby. She has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories.

What kind of books do you write?

I love myths and legends so my writing is full of mythical creatures such as banshees, dragons, faeries, and gods. There’s a great deal of magic and dysfunction in my books and I do love a good villain. Plus, you will find a generous helping of matters dark and creepy in my tales, with ghosts and other dead things turning up quite often.

Can you describe your writing why?

What motivates me is that I suffer from an excess of imagination and an insistent muse. The ideas and characters keeping knocking about in my head but writing makes them behave and stop annoying me.

Share with us your favourite passage from the book you enjoyed writing the most

This section is from the first book in my Saga of the Outer Islands series, Ghosts of the Sea Moon. This scene takes place during a memorial for the dead.

Sparks danced like earthbound stars, and the smoke wafted towards the drifting clouds. The pungent scent of the smoke tickled Rafe’s nose, and he inhaled deeply. He loved the smell, even on such occasions as this. He raised his head again, staring into the firmament of starlight shining against the black and watched the haze and ash ascend on the night’s wind.

From somewhere within the gathered came the strumming of a stringed instrument, and the soft rhythmic thump of a skin drum. Soon the trill of pipes joined in, and the accompaniment of humming voices. In moments, a feminine voice began to sing, with others coming in including, Rafe recognized, Short Davy. Soon, the words of the song filled the space of the beach and reached sweet tendrils out to sea.

Tell us about your latest project

My latest project is my Saga of the Outer Islands trilogy. It’s an epic, mythical, seafaring fantasy series the tells the story of Captain Rafe Morrow and the crew of the magical ship, Celestial Jewel. It has ghosts, a dysfunctional family of gods, sea monsters, witches, pirates, and a sinister Nightmare Crow rolled up in a three-book adventure. Book one, Ghosts of the Sea Moon, and book two, Souls of the Dark Sea, are currently available and book three, Renegades of the Lost Sea, will be published this year.

What is your favourite cake?

That would be a Black Forest Cake. Nothing better than chocolate cake, cherries and whipped cream. I also created a recipe for a trifle version of the cake that’s scrumptious.

That has been a very popular cake on this blog! If you'd like to keep in touch with A. F. Stewart, you can find out more about her and all her social media links on her website.

Join me next week when I'll be having a slice of cake with Tim Walker.

If you would like to take part in A Slice of Cake With... please fill in the form found here. I'd be delighted to have you.

You can also support my writing endeavours and buy me tea & cake - it's what makes the world go round!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.