INTERVIEW: Ebony McKenna

Alexandra interviews Ebony McKenna, author of Ondine: The Summer of Shambles and Ondine: The Autumn Palace.

Your Ondine novels contain so many vibrant characters. Who was the easiest to create and who was the most fun to write?

Thank you very much for the huge compliment. Ondine and Shambles/Hamish were the first to create so they've always been the most fun. I especially like the way Shambles teases Ondine, and is so reckless. I love when he's Hamish because then he's so smitten with Ondine and so charming.

I love writing Ondine because she's great fun and very driven. She makes mistakes like the rest of us but she means well.

Originally, Ondine was going to be an orphan, but that idea lasted all of two seconds before I gave her a loving - and ever so suffocating - family. I adore Old Col, I think she's got to the age in her life where she really doesn't care what people think of her.

In book two, Anathea the Infanta almost wrote herself. Her personality is so caustic - but she's got a good reason for being so messed up.

Hetty made me smile so much. Initially she didn't have much of a role, but in later drafts she really stepped up.
 
What was behind the idea of creating Brugel?

I couldn't set the Ondine novels in a real country because I was bound to offend people or get things plain wrong. In effect, I had to invent a country in order for it to seem real.

What's the old saying, "Necessity is the mother of invention"? Brugel was initially just the title of the Duke, and the whole book was simply set "in that big city in Europe with all the old buildings".

However, this didn't give the novel a clear setting, so Brugel morphed into a whole country. It seemed to fit the book to set Brugel somewhere to the east of Europe but not quite Asia. Think of those former Soviet republics that gave map-makers headaches back in the 1990s and that's Brugel for you.

Why did you decide on Hamish turning into a ferret (rather than another kind of animal)?

Here's another confession; when I first imagined Hamish, he was a rat. I had a giggle to myself but then realised I didn't like rats all that much and if I wrote a book about a rat I'd lose interest. Plus, rats had been done and I wanted something that would stand out. I don't have pet ferrets, but I'd seen them recently on TV being absolutely adorable. They were bursting with personality and running up drainpipes.

I thought a ferret would make a great spy, much better than a rat. As soon as I started thinking 'ferret' Shambles's personality jumped out at me. I then had the image of the girl (Ondine) with a ferret around her neck like a scarf - standing in front of the Duke of Brugel and telling him the incredible news that his life was in danger.

I'm so grateful I didn't stick with a rat.

Can you give us a teaser about book 3?

I don't think it's spoiling anything by saying Ondine and Hamish are even more in love than ever. BUT (because there is always a but) there is some seriously weird magic going on - even for Brugel it's off the scale. Ondine & Hamish really have their work cut out for them this time! The working title is 'The Winter of Magic' but this may change. What won't change is how perfect Ondine and Hamish are for each other.

Thank you very much, Ebony McKenna!

Comments

[vivienne]

Oh wow! Ebony had to create a whole country! That must have taken some writing. I am very impressed. This series has been on my list for ages. Will definitely get around to it soon.

[Jesse Owen]

Fab interview! I loved the first book, I can imagine the others being just as fun :D

[Ebony McKenna]

Thank you Alexandra for the interview, it's so much fun sharing the silliness of my books.

Hi Vivienne, I highly recommend making up your own country. It's so much fun.

Hi Jesse, you're fabulous. I hope you have even more fun reading book 2.

[Cliona]

Brill interview! This series sounds really fun and magical!