Interview with Emily K. Suarez, Author of The Ocean Curse

What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Ocean Curse (Ripples of Magic Series Book 1)?

Honestly, I watched the live-action Little Mermaid in theaters and couldn’t wait to write my own retelling of the story. I had also recently moved to Saint Augustine, FL, and was surrounded by pirate iconography and stories of curses. I took inspiration from the temperament and mysteries of the ocean and crafted an ancestral curse that was both mental and physical in nature.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The Ocean Curse (Ripples of Magic Series Book 1), what would they be?

Definitely Taylor Swift’s The Fate of Ophelia (The Life of a Showgirl) and Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Wild Uncharted Waters (from The Little Mermaid live-action soundtrack).

What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I mostly write Romantasy and Historical with magical realism; however, I truly enjoy reading Regency, small-town contemporary, alien/monster, and mafia romance.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Too many to count! I am currently working my way through the Cherry Tree Harbor series by Melanie Harlow and After the End: A Dystopian Romance Collection by various authors (Herrera, Hazelwood, Saxena, Payne, Stephens, Kent, Wells, and Thomas).

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The scene outside the brig. I love the tension between Asherah and Leo, combined with Gage’s panicked commentary and his blind reactions to their exchange.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I light an orange candle for creative inspiration and drink coffee out of a cauldron-shaped mug. That’s normal, right? LOL

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Slow and steady wins the race. Writing is my favorite thing to do, but life gets in the way. I learned early on that even if you only write one good sentence that day, it is okay. It’s about consistency in coming back to the story.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Much like the ocean tides that are at the mercy of the shifts in the planetary bodies above, so too are the fates and fortunes we are dealt. As with the protagonists in this story, it is up to us to face the incoming storms with bravery and set our course toward a life more aligned with what we deserve.

Emily K. Suarez is the author of the new book The Ocean Curse (Ripples of Magic Series Book 1)

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