All about the Blackbourne series and From These Raging Seas

Who is Brittany Czarnecki?

Brittany is a first time author, and her debut YA Fantasy novel, THE GIRL FORGED BY FATE, was her first attempt at writing. While she continues to earn a degree in English and Creative Writing, Brittany is also working on her third series- an LGBTQ pirate fantasy. She has only been writing for three years, and already has nine completed manuscripts which she hopes to self publish within the next few years. When Brittany isn’t writing, she enjoys binge watching anime, archery, walks or sipping a glass of wine and reading a good book.

What is the Blackbourne series?

A betrayal nineteen years in the making.
Seventeen-year-old Ivy Blackbourne wants nothing more than to become a knight and help defend her home from southern raiders, but her father’s law forbids it. King Magnus has his reasons for this law and will do anything to protect his family, but it might be too late. The war has spread to the kingdom of Godstone and Magnus is forced to send Ivy away for her protection but also to begin her training.
Ivy soon meets a boy named Finn, whose past will links their fates together, and as their relationship grows so too does the danger.
King Magnus has been betrayed.
His wife is being targeted and his son is being hunted.
Ivy soon finds herself fighting for her life trying to get back home, but home is no longer safe. There is one man behind it all, and he’ll stop at nothing to get his revenge on the king who took everything from him.

What is From These Raging Seas?

Eighteen-year-old Caspian comes from one of the wealthiest families in the Sunken City, but being one of five identical brothers, he’s always felt invisible. After his mother dies and a devestating falling-out with his father and brothers, Caspian decides to take his life into his own hands. And when the famous Captain Keelhaul Jack comes to town, Caspian sees the opportunity of a lifetime.
After stowing away on the famous pirate’s ship, Caspian eventually earns a place amongst the crew of the Chained Maiden. But soon finds himself falling- not just for the sea and the freedom- but for the sharpshooter named Hraefn. After a deadly ambush, Jack reveals a plan he’s kept from his crew. Find the ship of legends; the one which controls the sea, the one that Jack promised to someone from his past. But first, they need to hunt down the missing pieces of the map, and they aren’t the only ones looking.
Battling sirens, raging seas, and a growing love for Hraefn, Caspian finds himself in the fight of his life with his newfound family. But not every story has a happy ending, and not all pirates get their treasure.

Interview

What was your inspiration for the Blackbourne Series?

My inspiration for the Blackbourne series was a combination of things. At the time, I was on a fantasy kick and so I was reading authors such as George R. R. Martin, Tricia Levenseller and Mary E. Pearson. I was also in the middle of rewatching the show “Game of Thrones,” so all these things fueled an idea that started out very simple: a young girl named Ivy wants to become a knight though it’s forbidden in her father’s kingdom. From there, the world and story began to form and within 11 months of starting, I had a completed series of four books drafted and ready to be polished for publishing. 

What was your inspiration for From These Raging Seas?

From These Raging Seas is a very different story from the Blackbourne series. I knew I wanted to do something different than the medieval feel of the Blackbourne world and have a story that felt more real. And who doesn’t love a good pirate story? The inspiration for the entire book again came from a simple idea, one that was given to me by someone who said “Hey, Keelhaul Jack would make a great pirate name!” From there, I began drafting and creating these characters and once I knew them front to back, I began their story. 

What was your process for writing From These Raging Seas?

My writing process is often chaotic. I don’t have a set plan or way of doing things, I’m very much a “in the moment” writer. So, when drafting FTRS I knew I wanted to give the readers ample time with these characters, so have POV chapters was something I didn’t do with the Blackbourne series but I thought it fit this story better. Also writing in first person as opposed to third person gave it a more personal and intimate feel; like you’re really there with that character in the moment. The bare bones of the story was simple enough: find the magical ship that will give Jack something he’d lost long ago. But it’s the crew of the Chained Maiden that gives this story life and diving deep into their backstories throughout the novel was a way I could build an attachment between reader and character. I thought long and hard about each main character and how their different stories could connect them in such a way that they felt more like a family than just another crew. 

What drew you to writing romance? 

I’ve always loved incorporating a romance element into my stories, and as an avid reader of fantasy, chances are if there isn’t some sort of romance in the story I won’t fall in love with it. There’s a million ways someone could write a romance into a story and there’s the classic tropes we all know and love, but being able to write the romance you want to read is why I was drawn to it. Caspian and Hraefn’s story in FTRS is something I was searching for when I started writing the Keelhaul Jack series. I’ve heard from many readers how badly their relationship frustrated them while reading, but how much they loved those characters and my response was always “Good, that’s what I wanted.” Their romance isn’t easy, it’s one of those when they finally share a kiss ¾ of the way through the book the reader says “FINALLY!” 

Was it different to writing the Blackbourne series?

The Blackbourne series is very different from the Keelhaul Jack series. With the Blackbourne series I felt the story flowed out of me much easier than any other book I’ve written. I was sure in the direction I wanted to head the entire time and knew every character you’d meet along the way and what role they would play in Ivy’s story. I always had a clear plan in my head with this series which is why it took me no time at all to finish writing it.

How did you choose which character to focus the story? 

Choosing a character to focus the entire series on was easy. Like I said, I knew I would have a female protagonist from the start that the whole story would revolve around. However, as readers will see in the last two books, there has been a sleeper cell character that’s actually the main focus of the entire story; one that has been at the heart of everything that’s happened to Ivy and her family from the beginning of the Blackbourne’s. I can’t spoil anything but all I can say is no one will see it coming and once you realize how this character has been pulling the strings, you’ll look back on everything in this series and wonder how much this character actually affected the entirety of the story. 

What is your approach to world and character building?

I love character-building probably more than I do world-building. For me, world-building starts with drawing a map; I need to see where these characters are, where they’re going, what might be in their way, the layout of their homes, everything. Once I have a rough idea of what the world looks like, I go in and start adding details—what do these people look like? What do they eat? Do they have certain traditions that others don’t? I add flora and fauna and consider weather conditions, living conditions, culture, etc., until I feel that a place is well-rounded and feels real. 

Did you have a favourite moment to write?

Most of my favorite moments to write are when everything is going wrong! Without spoiling anything about my books or character deaths, there are many scenes throughout my novels where you’re in the trenches with the characters. Writing those scenes, the ones that are hard to read sometimes, ones that make people cry, make you angry or sad- those are my favorites to write because it makes the reader feel something. I want my readers to get attached to characters because it makes them more real. Those are the moments when characters are cracked open and you get to see them vulnerable or broken down. They become human.

How would you describe From These Raging Seas in five words?

From These Raging Seas in five: heart-wrenching, beautiful, witty, romantic, comforting.

What was your favourite book growing up?

I don’t have one favorite book that I read growing up, but some of my favorites included the Series of Unfortunate Events series, Alex Rider series, Because of Winn Dixie, and Harry Potter.

Do you have a favourite genre to read?

My favorite genre to read is probably fantasy. I’m a mood reader so what I’m reading usually depends on how I’m feeling. Right now I am getting into reading more horror novels, but my typical genres would be fantasy, Sci-Fi and thriller.