We are so excited to have author Lichelle Slater here today for an interview!
Lichelle Slater is a USA Today Bestselling author who pens tales full of magic and romance, and it is an honor to have her on FTC! She is one of the authors of the A Villain’s Ever After series, a collection of standalone novellas with villainous twists and happily ever afters.
So settle in as she shares all the juicy behind-the-scenes goodness of her Scheherazade retelling!
Hello and welcome to Fairy Tale Central, Lichelle Slater! It’s an honor to have you here to talk about your Scheherazade retelling: The Sultan and the Storyteller.
When did you first read or hear Scheherazade, and what drew you to retell it?
From the Aladdin song “Scheherazade had a thousand tales.” I knew about 1001 Nights and some of the tales, though, just from reading and exposure as a kid. When I was asked to join “A Villain’s Ever After,” I wanted to retell Scheherazade because I wanted to use a tale/legend/myth that wasn’t super well known.
What was your favorite element of the original tale, the thing you knew you just HAD to include in your retelling?
Scheherazade’s intelligence and strength.
Who was your favorite character in your retelling?
Probably my Scheherazade character (Shahira), but I also love broody characters, so Sultan Zayne was fun too.
Was there a character with whom you identified the most?
Kiara, she’s Shahira’s younger sister and is spunky and caring.
Is there anything from your life that you incorporated into this story: people, places, experiences, circumstances?
No, I tried to stay close to the world and characters.
Favorite fairy tale (relation)ship in general?
I love the hate-to-love trope, so stories like Beauty and the Beast are my favorite.
If this book was a movie or TV series, who would you pick to play (or voice, if animated) the main characters?
Oh man this is a great question! Sultan Zayne would be Navid Mohammadzadeh, Shahira would be Golshifteh Farahani, and my “Jafar” character would be Shahab Hosseini
Favorite and least favorite parts of this story to write?
The trickiest part was figuring out how to use her magic with storytelling. My favorite part is weaving everything together. A lot happens throughout this story that actually continues into the series after, The Sands of Wonder.
What music did you listen to while writing this story? Do the main characters have theme songs? If you don’t write to music, what music do you think best represents this story?
I played a lot of Indian-style music or music by Two Steps from Hell, Audio Machine, or other music with no words.
What can you tell us about fairy tale retellings you’re hoping to write in the future and any other works you have available?
This story continues with Daughter of Thieves which has the son of Sultan Zayne and Shahira as the prince. I’m currently writing the second book in the series, Guardian of Thieves! I also hope to write a King Arthur retelling, Alice in Wonderland, more fairytales, and so many good things.
Personal dragon trainer,
lover of glitter,
writer of fantasy.
Reading has always been a huge passion, from The Hobbit to Goosebumps. Some of my fondest memories are at the library or being read to, and when I embarked on my journey of becoming an author, I did so with the dream of sharing the worlds in my mind with others.
I currently live in Salt Lake City, UT with my adorable King Charles, Perseus, and work full-time as a special education preschool teacher.
I am a USA Today Bestselling author and was nominated for “Unforgettable Book of the Year” for The Beast Princess and “Mind-Blowing Fantasy of the Year” for The Siren Princess at Penned Con 2020, and as Best Debut Author at UtopiaCon in 2017 for Step Right Up (now Circus of the Stars: Ringmaster).
Welcome to the dragon nest!
To learn more about her books and upcoming releases, follow her:
You can find The Sultan and the Storyteller here:
Thank you for being here today, Lichelle!
Fairy Tale Central 