Zoey Rogue and its follow up Zoey Avenger, both of Lizzy Ford’s Incubatti Series are perhaps one of the author’s most popular series. I had a few questions about the inspiration behind the books, so without further ado, Lizzy Ford talks Zoey.
Margery Walshaw (MW): Zoey is a really kick-ass heroine. Did you have anyone in mind when you created her?
Lizzy Ford (LF): Not really, no! I wanted a heroine who had superhero powers, but normal person problems! Zoey is the kind of person you’d want as a best friend, someone who’s loyal, always speaks her mind, makes even battling evil supernatural creatures an adventure, determined to do what’s right and is sweet. She’s tough, yet emotionally vulnerable, trying to find her place in the world while kicking ass.
MW: Zoey is drawn to Declan and yet she wishes she could resist him. As the novelist, do you feel she’s better off on her own or giving into her attraction?
LF: I think it’s important for her to maintain her independence without sacrificing her happiness. She knows she has to do the right thing and protect people, and she’s in love with Declan, who lives in a society she doesn’t agree with. Her challenge is to find a way to balance her conscience and her heart so she can help others and still manage a relationship.
MW: Are there any overall messages in the book that speak to women?
LF: In “Zoey Avenger,” Declan tells his father that Zoey follows her heart, and he follows her. I think this is an important message for all women: the right man won’t make you choose between who you are and him, or force you into feeling like you have to compromise your goals in life. The right man will follow you to hell and back and will love you for being strong enough to face the demons along the way. This is a lesson I learned in my life, and it’s one that I wanted Zoey to learn, too.
MW: What made you imagine the sub-culture of Zoey Rogue and Zoey Avenger? Do you ever walk outside, see people, and think, “He definitely looks like he’s not fully human”?
LF: I’m fascinated by how multi-faceted our world is. There’s so much more than what we see, such as hundreds upon hundreds of subcultures and fringe elements that can be a little bit scary. I love to use my imagination to weave together elements of mainstream reality and the supernatural to illuminate how rich and deep our world is or can be. It’s kind of an exciting challenge for me, too, to imagine a world within a world.
As for people, yes I definitely make up stories about random strangers, friends and family! I spin tales about pretty much everything, from how my keys ended up in the cupboard to what secret identities the checkout clerk at the store has, to narrating cloud wars as the clouds move across the sky. I love having the freedom to be creative and the challenge of revising my reality in a way that entertains others. It’s fun to pretend. It’s a lesson we know when we’re young, but somehow forget in the race to grow up.
