Vampires, dragons, and elves, oh my! It’s safe to say we’re not in Kansas anymore, but we certainly aren’t in the merry, old land of Oz either. Laila Eyvindr, the lead protagonist of Kathryn Blanche’s Laila of Midgard series, calls Los Angeles her home. Following a major cataclysm, the city has become a middle ground for humans and “supernaturals,” as they’re called, to coexist in relative harmony. But when things go haywire between the two sides, it’s up to the Inter-Realm Security Agency (IRSA) to keep the peace.
Eyvindr is a newly recruited IRSA agent at the start of Blanche’s first Midgard novel, Caught by Demons. The book was followed by two sequels, Summoned by Demons and Infiltrated by Demons. To celebrate the latter’s release, which hit bookstands and online platforms last month, Blanche will be signing copies at The Book Loft in Solvang on Saturday, June 22. The Nipomo-based author opened up with the Sun about the book, her inspirations, how real-world swordplay became integral to her writing, and more.
Sun: In your biography on your website, you thank your father for getting you hooked on books and the fantasy genre in general. How did that come about?
Blanche: When I was about 6 years old, the first Harry Potter movie came out, and after watching it with me, my dad decided we should read the books. It sort of became a family tradition where all of us would sit down in the evening before bed and he’d read a few chapters at a time. In addition to the Harry Potter books by J.K. Rowling, we also read other fantasy books like Eragon by Christopher Paolini and Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer.
Sun: Did you already know that you wanted to become a writer at that point? When did the transition from avid reader to aspiring author occur?
Blanche: Growing up I just loved books, I read all the time. I experimented with writing when I was in high school but that didn’t really work at the time. I just didn’t have enough life experience. Partway through my university studies, I moved to Los Angeles. Growing up in a small town, I found that I really wasn’t happy living in the city. I tried to escape the chaos of the city by reading, but as a student I couldn’t afford to be buying books all the time. So I decided to try writing again. That’s how the Laila of Midgard series was born. I didn’t plan to publish it at the time, that came later, after I graduated from my university studies. The more I focused on my writing career, the more it became clear that this was truly my passion.
Sun: In your biography, you also mention your passion for historical fencing and how your training in stage combat has improved your ability to write detailed fight scenes in your books. How so?
Blanche: I started to study historical fencing about seven years ago through the Association for Historical Fencing. Most people are familiar with the sport fencing you see in the Olympics. But this is pretty different, it’s the study of historical martial arts systems that were used in Europe. I started the stage combat training about a year after that, when I moved to Los Angeles. I find that both are useful in writing because I understand the technical aspects of the fight (this comes from the fencing background), but I also can describe the action in a way that makes sense to any reader (which comes from the stage combat background). Basically, I write a fight on the page in a similar way to how it would be choreographed for a film or the theater.
Sun: Is there anything you can tell us about your latest Midgard novel, Infiltrated by Demons, without giving too much away?
Blanche: In my latest book, Laila is facing a series of murders with a vampire suspect. But when she starts investigating, she discovers that the murders are just the beginning of a plot that threatens the peace of the entire city. There are also constant riots in the city and a potential traitor in their [IRSA’s] office who is feeding information to the demons [the series’ primary antagonists]. Basically, tensions are rising on all fronts and Laila is struggling to hold everything together. There’s more at risk than there was in the previous books, and she’s going to need all the help she can get to stop this newfound threat.
It’s the end of the world as we know it, and Arts Editor Caleb Wiseblood feels fine. Contact him at cwiseblood@newtimesslo.com.
This article appears in Jun 13-20, 2019.
