Gail Z. Martin is one of Charlotte’s best-known authors of fantasy books. She is a frequent featured speaker at fantasy conventions, and her work is often anthologized in both the US and the UK. Her first big success came in 2007 with the publication of the epic fantasy novel The Summoner, the first of the four novels in her Chronicles of the Necromancer series. She then, she has gone on to write many more fantasy novels, including dozens of books that she has co-authored with her husband, Larry N. Martin.
The other day my wife mentioned something about a new book by Gail, so I decided to investigate. I contacted Gail and asked her for more information about her new work and her connections to Charlotte. Here is what she sent to me:
Thank you so much for inviting me to be on the blog! Although our books take place in many different locations, my husband and I have lived in Charlotte for almost twenty-five years and love it here.
I’ve actually got two new books—Equalizer, written under my Morgan Brice romance pen name, and Dead of Winter, co-written with my husband, Larry N. Martin.
First, a bit of background. I love the research part of writing. In my case, that leads to some unusual tidbits since the books all incorporate paranormal elements—ghosts, legends, magic, monsters, and more. I’ve found that the best way to ground a book in its time and place is to draw on the folktales and lore of that location, even if those need a little tweak to fit the story.
I have loved spooky tales all my life (Dark Shadows was my favorite show when I was a kid), and now I’m having a lot of fun telling new ones.
One of my other favorite shows back then was Wild Wild West, which followed the adventures of two handsome Secret Service agents who traveled the country in a fancy Pullman car fighting villains. That show was a definite inspiration for Equalizer, with a few twists.
First of all, the bad guys in Equalizer (book two in my Sharps and Springfield series) are all paranormal. Second, it’s male-male romance, so the two Secret Service agents are “together.” Technically, it qualifies as steampunk romance, which means a version of 1800s history with magic, fantastical gadgets, and technology that didn’t exist but would have been amazing. Equalizer is set in Chicago, so I had lots of fun doing the research on local hauntings, unsolved murders, and other lore.
It’s full of found family, paranormal Pinkertons, intrepid reporters, body snatchers and resurrectionists, Mob witches, vengeful spirits, dark spells, unholy inventions, and a love that won’t be denied. (And yes, the series and the individual books are named for famous guns.)
Dead of Winter is part of our Spells, Salt, and Steel series and follows the adventures of Mark Wojcik, mechanic and monster hunter. While there’s plenty of action, there’s also a lot of humor, so that series qualifies as horror comedy.
The Mark Wojcik series is set in northwestern Pennsylvania, where my husband and I grew up. It’s a lot of fun drawing on the history of that area and its ghost stories, haunted places, and abandoned locations. We try to make sure that the stories couldn’t be told in the same way if they happened anywhere else. That includes foods, local expressions, references to history, and the quirky little details that are a wink and a nod to people who are also familiar with the area.
Found family and a circle of close friends are big factors for the heroes’ success in all our books. Dead of Winter has creepy cryptids, spooky magic, supernatural secrets, paranormal plots, and lots of explosions! (You can read more about Mark in Spells, Salt, and Steel Seasons 1 and 2.)
I haven’t used Charlotte as a location for a book…yet. I’m sure it will happen since favorite places find their way into the series, including Charleston, Myrtle Beach, the Adirondacks, and the North Carolina mountains. I’m just waiting for the right story to claim the city for its own!
For readers who want to know more about Gail and Larry and their various books, please click on the following link: https://ascendantkingdoms.com/
I congratulate Gail and Larry on their new publications, and I thank them for their many contributions to Storied Charlotte’s veritable library of fantasy novels.