Hello, disciples!

This month, we have picked "Fortune Favors the Cursed" by the-reticent-seer for our monthly interview. If you'd like to read this story, we encourage you to check it out.

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Logline:

A thieving orphan and a secret prince have to team up to find an artifact that can grant their most desired wish, despite the deadly consequences.

Blurb:

Badriya As-Sahra is sick of piling up camel dung and picking people's pockets for a living. Her world discriminates against women and orphans, and it is only her damned luck that she happens to be both. She yearns for more but can't do anything else unless she wants to rot in the streets.

Ayaz Shahrayar balances two lives: one of defiance, where he aids his people suffering from the Sultan's rule, and one of obedience, where he plays the role of a naive prince and heir in public. But his thirst for vengeance drives him more reckless by the day, and he knows that he might do something that could threaten his inheritance and his life.

When the Sultan of Zecaj, desperate for more wealth to start a war, declares a country-wide hunt for a powerful artifact lost in legends called the Jewel of Opulence, Badriya jumps at the chance for the promise of reward. When the Sultan threatens Ayaz of losing the very thing he is meant to have, he has no choice but to join the hunt.

As Badriya and Ayaz cross paths on their quest, they must learn to work together to find the Jewel and uncover the truth of its power. Only that it proves to be more difficult when the threat of betrayal and the spark of attraction try to distract them from their opposing goals.

About the Author:

Dubbing herself the Reticent Seer, her online persona, K.L. (or Keila) Agramunn is a pre-med student by day and an aspiring writer by night. She writes about empowered female protagonists, snarky side characters, action- and fantasy-packed scenarios, and magical objects of power. She is currently part of Wattpad's Creators Program, a former Wattpad Ambassador, an Open Novella Contest shortlister, and a featured author.

When not writing, Keila can be found enjoying other fantasy books, taking naps, satisfying her sweet tooth, and cramming for exams.

Interview:

1. What is your writing process? Do you outline everything or write as things come to mind? Why?

I used to just write on the fly, making up ideas on the spot, but it became pretty exhausting over time and I felt upset whenever I got stuck with no idea how to continue a scene. But I'm what people would call a plantser. I outline the major plot points of my story and add the nitty-gritty details as I go. Usually I write these in a bullet list inside a word document, aside from other details like characters, themes and logline of the story. Sometimes, I simply start with an overall summary of how the story would go, with the beginning, middle and ending, then I create a more detailed bullet list of the chapters/parts from there.

2. What are some things that influenced your story?

My family and I used to live in the Middle East, and it was such an eye-opening and lovely experience as a kid. Writing Fortune Favors the Cursed was me paying homage to that time, and I hope to preserve and reflect on that experience even as I grow older.

Also, while and before writing FFtC, I've read several stories with Middle Eastern influences, and now those books have a special place in my heart. City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty, The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury, We Hunt the Flame by Hafsah Faizal, and Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton are some of the books that shaped FFtC into what it is today. I think they're pretty underrated and more people should read them!

3. Tell us about the main character of one of your stories. What inspired their creation?

Badriya is the female protagonist of Fortune Favors the Cursed. I imagined her as a genderbent Aladdin but a little more badass. I thought that with her harsh background, she wouldn't stick to being just a harmless thief.

4. What were some challenges you experienced while writing the story?

Time. I was almost always busy with school, and even when I get free time, I'm already so tired that I often just want to read books and scroll through social media, ditching writing altogether. Not to mention the occasional writer's block during those free times.

5. What message do you hope to convey to your readers with your story?

Life is hard, and that might force us to do hard choices that we might regret later. It might make us look like the bad guys in someone else's story but that doesn't make us inherently bad. 

6. If you had the choice to transmigrate into another time or place, where would you like to go?

I honestly would go anywhere that's way more interesting than the real world, haha! If sorcery, knights, and magical creatures are involved, count me in!

7. If there was something you could learn (i.e., a specific spell, martial arts, etc.) like the main character in your book, what would it be?

Honestly, and this is probably too plain of an answer, I would like to learn how to defend myself like Ayaz, FFtC's male protagonist. It's hinted in the book that he's been trained with the sword since he was young, and I would love to be able to wield a sword, or any weapon, to fight my enemies. Or just use that skill as a party trick.

8. Would you rather go through a lifetime of never finding love or be willing to go through several lifetimes of hardships just to save your love? Why?

That's a pretty hard question... but I can't resist a good dose of angst so I'm going to choose the second one. Never finding love sounds like a sad existence. I prefer that I have someone that believes in me and loves me than none, even if it means that we're going to go through thick and thin just to become together.

9. What is your favorite creature from Asian or Pacific Islander mythology or folklore? Why?

A very interesting creature that I somehow like is the manananggal from Philippine folklore. Imagine a female vampire but it eats unborn babies and it can detach half its body during nighttime. The name manananggal is derived from the Tagalog word 'tanggal' which means "to remove". It's pretty freaky but awesome that way.

10. What is your favorite Asian or Pacific Islander myth? Why?

I'm in love with the myth surrounding Mount Mayon, one of the many volcanoes in the Philippines. Basically there's a love triangle between Daragang Magayon, a beautiful maiden, and two men. She loved one of the men, Panganoron, but the other one, Patuga, was jealous of their relationship. Eventually, the two men fought, but along the way, Daragang Magayon got struck by a poison arrow. Her lover buried her, and where she was buried a mountain mysteriously appeared. This mountain is now known as Mayon. It's said that even in death and in another form, she is still haunted by the men who loved her. When Mayon is said to erupt, this is Patuga challenging Panganoron. But when Mayon is calm, that means Panganoron is embracing her.

You can search the full story on the internet. It's so tragic, and I'm a sucker for tragic tales.

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Thank you the-reticent-seer for giving us the opportunity to interview you and chat more about your book!

We'll see you all in the next interview.