Author Chad Musick joins me today to chat about their new magic realism novel, Imaginary Friends.
During their virtual book tour, Chad will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. To be entered for a chance to win, use the form below. To increase your chances of winning, feel free to visit their other tour stops and enter there, too!
Bio:
Chad Musick grew up in Utah, California, Washington, Texas, and (most of all) Alaska. They fell in love in California and then moved with their family to Japan, where they’ve found happiness. They earned a PhD in Mathematical Science but love art and science equally.
Despite a tendency for electronic devices to burst into flame after Chad handles them, they persist in working in various technical and technology-related roles.
Chad makes no secret of being epileptic, autistic, and arthritic, facts that inform how they approach both science and the arts.
Welcome, Chad. Please tell us about your current release.
Imaginary Friends is about two teenagers, Ivy and Himitsu who receive a delivery of magical doors that lead to a library that holds everything ever written. Ivy’s only friends are the animals in a magical mural. Himitsu’s only friend is an AI called Moe. When the teens enter the library, their friends are trapped inside and the only way to save is to meet the strange demands of the librarian, which takes them on a variety of quests. They meet literary figures and travel to destinations from books as they were written.
What inspired you to write this book?
I had a mural like the one in the book and had always wanted the animals to come to life. I was able to bring them to life in this book. Another source of inspiration came from living in Japan. In Japan, AI companions are very popular, and I think I would have really enjoyed having one as a teen.
Excerpt from Imaginary Friends:
Himitsu grumbled at the sunlight coming through his window. The sun ought not shine so brightly when he was trying to sleep, but even Moe (pronounced in the Japanese way, like the name before Mo B and Mo C) was trying to wake him up now. “Sir, perhaps you’d like to get up now. An exciting day is waiting for us.” Moe was speaking in Japanese, of course, which I’ve taken the liberty of mostly translating for you. You’ll have to trust me that I’ve done so accurately. “Fine. Fine. I’m awake now.” Himitsu tapped Moe on the head to make her shut up, and she turned off her light and stopped bothering him. Himitsu ran his fingers through his hair, and when they got stuck halfway, he decided that perhaps it was time he took a shower. He’d thought the same thing the previous couple of days, but this time he actually left his room, waved irritably at his mother when she tried to talk with him, and turned on the water in the shower room. Japanese dwellings typically have a separate room for the shower to avoid bathing in toilet fumes. It’s just water. It won’t hurt you, he told himself and stepped under the flow. (The careful reader will note that he hasn’t taken off his clothes, but let’s assume that he did so, alright? People are funny about certain words, so the less we discuss people being naked, the more people who can read this story. We won’t be talking about people being naked, taking poops, or swearing, but we might see burning libraries, shambling monsters, and sad adults. No promises.)
What exciting project are you working on next?
I’m currently working on two books. One is too early to talk about and the other is a possible prequel to Imaginary Friends called Chalk. It is about Simon, who is an arsonist that traveled with the library.
When did you first consider yourself a writer?
I’ve been a technical writer for about 20 years. I have written a lot about math. I’ve only just started considering myself a novelist with the publication of my first book Not My Ruckus in 2020.
Do you write full-time? If so, what’s your workday like? If not, what do you do other than write and how do you find time to write?
I work as a Chief Data Officer during the week and a writer in the early morning and weekends. I usually write about an hour before work and on the weekends.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I tend to write 2/3 of a book and then put it down for a bit and don’t come back to it until I’ve started my next book.
As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’m very lucky in that I wanted to be a mathematician and a writer and now I’m both.
Links:
Cinnabar Moth (Publisher) | Twitter | Amazon
Thanks for hosting!
Sounds like a good read.