Interview with Beth Fantaskey

I was delighted when author Beth Fantaskey agreed to a interview for my blog. Beth Fantaskey is the author of Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Darkside and Jekel Loves Hyde.

Interview:

Tell me something about yourself that is not in your author bio.


Last fall, I fell down a flight of stairs and broke my hand, and now I can’t make a fist with my left hand. It’s all messed up. So I guess I’ll never finish my (long-delayed) quest for a black belt in Tae Kwon Do!

How hard was it to incorporate a old book (The Strange Case of Dr. Jekel and Mr. Hyde) into a modern story like Jekel Loves Hyde?


It was a little bit challenging, because I had to work within the parameters of the existing story. For example, I was fortunate that, in the original novel, the formula that transforms mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll into evil Mr. Hyde also worked the other way – transforming him back – because that was vital to my plot. There were several times I returned to the Stevenson novel, hoping to find elements that would mesh with the story I was telling, too, and each time I was lucky.

Is Jekel and Hyde a favorite story of yours? Or did you just come up with the idea out of thin air?

I actually came up with the idea almost out of thin air. The phrase “Jekel Loves Hyde” just popped into my brain one day, and I ran to the computer to see if anyone had ever used it. When I couldn’t find it anywhere, I began to develop a story about very sweet girl and a sometimes dangerous boy who learn that they share a connection to the Stevenson novel. I was familiar with the original work, like most people, but I had to read it again before writing, because I hadn’t picked it up for years.

Why did you pick supernatural genre to write about?

My first book, Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side, started out as an adoption story, not a paranormal tale. I wanted to tell a story about a very rational girl who learns that her birth parents were people she never could have imagined. I wanted the truth about Jess’s parents to rock her belief in science and math. When I decided to make her parents vampires – “monsters” whose existence still seems almost possible to me – I became a “supernatural” writer.

How much research goes into your writing?

That depends on the book. Jessica’s Guide required research into Romania and Romanian language, because part of the story is set there. I also had to refresh my math skills, because Jess is a mathlete. But I tossed out all of the old vampire myths, so I didn’t need to look into those at all.

Jekel Loves Hyde required a lot of research into chemistry, because Tristen Hyde and Jill Jekel spend a significant amount of time in the lab, and I hadn’t thought about chemistry since college. I also had to consult with a music professor, because Tristen is a pianist. Last but not least, I had to read the Stevenson novel several times.

Are you currently working on a project right now?

I’m working on the sequel to Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side. I’m just about through a first draft, so wish me luck!

Well, I know everyone is going to be glad to hear about a sequel to Jessica's Guide!