As the youngest and only female member of the Knights Templar, Bilquis SanGreal grew up knowing she wasn't normal. Instead of hanging out at the mall or going on dates, she spends her time training as a soldier in her order's ancient battle against the Unholy.
Billi's cloistered life is blasted apart when her childhood friend, Kay, returns from Jerusalem, gorgeous and with a dangerous chip on his shoulder. He's ready to reclaim his place in Billi's life, but she's met someone new: amber-eyed Michael, who seems to understand her like no one else, effortlessly claiming a stake in her heart.
But the Templars are called to duty before Billi can enjoy the pleasant new twist to her life. One of the order's ancient enemies has resurfaced, searching for a treasure that the Templars have protected for hundreds of years -- a cursed mirror powerful enough to kill all of London's firstborn. To save her city from catastrophe, Billi will have to put her heart aside and make sacrifices greater than any of the Templars could have imagined.
I absolutely adored interviewing him; just click Read More to see what we talked about. (Everything ranging from his books to school visits to pink llamas...)
Nicole: Welcome to WORD, Sadda! How did you come up with Billi's character?
Sarwat Chadda: Simple, I have daughters. The eldest is very much the tomboy while the youngest has the darkest, biggest eyes imaginable.
I love writing action, so it was a no-brainer that my heroine was going to be a warrior. Since I love supernatural, then she was going to fight monsters. So far, so Buffy. But by making her part of the Templars, by focusing on her relationships with the other knights and especially her father, Billi really turned into something else.
Getting rid of the parents is the No.1 cliché of children’s fiction. Either make them orphans or send them to boarding school, or both. It makes perfect sense. No sensible parent would let their kid rush off to fight monsters and face death. So I gave Billi a father who’s a very bad parent indeed. Billi’s dad, Arthur, ruthless, disturbed and psychotic. He really made Billi the girl she is.
N: Bambi syndrome must be avoided at all costs! What is your favorite scene or favorite character in Devil's Kiss?
SC: After Billi my favorite character is probably Elaine. She’s old, grouchy and all-together disrespectful of the Templars. But she’s a close ally to Arthur, was the best friend to Billi’s mother and controls the Templar library. She’s got a no-BS attitude and that’s what I love about her.
N: You're a member of the Chainsaw Gang, which includes authors like Alexander Gordon Smith (whose books I adored).
SC: I set up the Gang about six or seven months ago and it’s been a great success already. Writing’s a particularly isolated profession so it’s just an excuse to get writers together. By focusing on the YA supernatural genre we’re able to market ourselves better for public events. Instead of just one author you get three or four for no extra effort. I’m planning something big for Halloween, it’ll be a blast!
N: Ooo, I'm excited. What is YOUR favorite book among the Chainsaw Gang - yours aside, of course!
SC: Hmm, difficult to choose. I do have to mention Furnace, reading Gordon’s book was a big help in realizing I had to raise my own game. His books are extremely intense and the climaxes rarely leave you a chance to breathe.
That said I adore alternative London settings so Sarah Silverwood’s The Double-edged Sword has a particular place in my heart.
N: The timeline on your About Me page cracks me up. You have a lot of moments of despair at the beginning, though. (Especially when you discover Buffy.) What is a guaranteed way to cheer you up?
SC: Buffy cheers me up! Then there’s the usual, like chocolate, hanging out with the kids, Christian Bale movies.
N: Speaking of kids, what's been your favorite school visit?
SC: I must say the most recent one to Pasadena High School ranks very highly. All the kids (and there were about 90) had read both the books and also Rachel Hawkins (who I was touring with) so we were able to get into the nitty-gritty of the books without the pre-amble. It was fantastic to go to a school where the readers are ready to ask deep, intense questions about the characters and the stories.
That said, there’s been JFK, Kingswood and quite a few others that have been quite insane. One of the things I do is get the pupils to create their own story based on my book. We’ve had unicorn invasions, demon ducks, and much dancing.
N: Unicorn invasions? I approve. If you could travel anywhere in time and space, where would you go and what would you do?
SC: I’d really like to have been there for the moon landing. I still find it awe-inspiring we got to another planet (okay, moon). It kind of makes me realize what we as humans can do if we really put our minds to it.
N: What is your favorite movie or television series?
I think we’re going through a golden age of TV right now. So many utterly amazing series. So in no particular order: Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Californication, Rome, Buffy (of course).
Movie-wise: Batman Begins, The Dark Knight, and Tropic Thunder.
N: I loved The Dark Knight, and you can never go wrong with Buffy! Now... there's a herd of pink llamas running down your street. WHAT DO YOU DO?
SC: Grab one and get it into the garden. My daughters would love a pet.
