Author Interview: Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

Author Interview: Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

Otherworldly releases tomorrow (April 2nd!!), and if you missed my 5 Reasons to Read post check that out, and today we are hosting an interview with F.T. Lukens! You can catch F.T.’s book launch virtually or physically if you live near Malaprops Bookstore in NC on April 2nd!

And if you want to purchase from Bookshop.org they are having special sale! Use promo code FTLUKENS for 10% OFF your purchase of the book!

Many thanks to SimonTeen for the ARC & the gifted finished copy!

Otherworldly

by F.T. Lukens
Published by: Margaret K. McElderry Books
on April 2, 2024
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQIA+, Paranormal, Young Adult
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New York Times bestselling author of Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After.

Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.

Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.

Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.

Author Interview F.T. Lukens

1. Tell us about Ellery and Knox. What lunch table would they sit at?

Ellery would probably sit with the science/math kids at lunch since they are such
a concrete thinker and because they only believe in things that are observable
and quantified. They could also end up at the table their cousin Charley sits at
because Charley is an irresistible force and Ellery secretly loves being around
her. Knox, on the other hand, has an effortlessly cool vibe but is also a little
offbeat due to his little experience of the human realm, so I think he would fit well
with the theater/lit crowd.

2. If the characters from any of your other books were to suddenly be dropped into the
world of Otherworldly, how would they react?

From Spell Bound, I don’t think it would even phase Antonia or Sun to be in the
world of Otherworldly. They would roll with it. Antonia would figure out how best
to use the new world to her advantage and Sun might be annoyed at first but
would adapt. I think Rook would adjust fairly quickly as well but would be much
louder about it.

I think it would be too much of a shock for the characters from In Deeper Waters
or So This Is Ever After as their fantasy worlds are too different from the
contemporary fantasy of both Spell Bound and Otherworldly.

3. Who do you hope finds Otherworldly?

I hope readers who are looking for a fun, cozy, weird paranormal romance book
that features queer characters find Otherworldly. I hope readers who are just
looking for some escapism and a fun time pick it up. But I also hope that readers
who are looking for conversations about relationships and self-realization and
making tough decisions also find Otherworldly because those topics are touched
on throughout the narrative.