Bianca Marais
Author Interview - Bianca Marais
Author of A Most Puzzling Murder
How do you solve a murder that hasn't happened yet?
Destiny Whip is a former child prodigy, world-renowned enigmatologist and very, very alone. A life filled with loss has made her a recluse, an existence she’s content to endure until a letter arrives inviting her to interview for the position of Scruffmore family historian. Not only does an internet search for the name yield almost nothing, it’s a role she never applied to in the first place!
After she decodes the invitation’s hidden message with ease, the promise of her family secrets being revealed is too powerful a draw for the orphaned Destiny, who soon finds herself on Eerie Island. It’s a place whose inhabitants are almost as inhospitable as the tempestuous weather. The Scruffmores themselves turn out to be not much better, a snarled mess of secrets and motives connected by their mistrust for one another.
Their newly arrived guest proves to be just as much an enigma to them as they are to her. While Destiny slowly works to unravel the mysteries hidden throughout the ominous castle, she struggles to interpret disturbing nightly visions of what is to come. In the midst of cryptic ciphers, hidden passages, and the family’s magical heritage and line of succession, Destiny is certain of two things: one of the Scruffmores is going to die and she’s running out of time to stop it.
Interspersed with riddles and puzzles that both Destiny and the reader must solve, A Most Puzzling Murder is a one-of-a-kind mystery that will leave you guessing and gasping until the very last page!
Author Interview - Bianca Marais
Author I draw inspiration from:
I read widely across all genres because I believe every genre has something to offer both the reader and the writer. I'm inspired in some way by every book I read, but my favorite authors are Ann Napolitano, Coco Mellors, Claire Lombardo, Maya Angelou, Amor Towles, Jessica Knoll, Onyi Nwabineli, Emily St John Mandel, Charlotte Wood and Liz Moore.
Author Interview - Bianca Marais | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed, definitely! Either before going to sleep each night or on a lazy weekend morning while having breakfast in bed.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
I'm wildly claustrophobic so the thought of being stuck in an elevator with anyone freaks me out. It would have to be someone really funny and larger than life so I'd be distracted from our predicament. Or someone super practical who's likely to be able to free us without any fuss. I'm thinking either Gay Uncle Patrick (GUP) from Steven Rowley's The Guncle. Or Elizabeth Zott from Bonnie Garmus's Lessons in Chemistry. Or Elizabeth from Richard Osman's Thursday Murder Club.
Author Interview - Bianca Marais | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
As soon as I learned how to read, I knew I wanted to write because rearranging letters to create different meanings felt like alchemy. I wrote and illustrated my first book when I was 7. It was mostly just The Magic Faraway Tree fan fiction because I was obsessed with Enid Blyton. Early reviews from my teacher and cousins weren't great (my teacher marked it up in red ink and my cousins ripped a few pages out of it), but it at least taught me early on that everyone's a critic!
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
I love how an e-reader lets you to take 20 books on vacation while still allowing space for clothes in your luggage. But my e-reader once broke on the first day of a cruise and left me stranded without anything to read for a week! The horror! I'm a huge fan of paperbacks because of their price point and how easy they are to carry around. Audiobooks mean you can read while walking, exercising and driving without being a menace to yourself and others. The only format I'm not a fan of is hardbacks because I've smashed my nose more than once when falling asleep while reading. They look good on shelves, though, so there's that!
The last book I read:
As I write this, I'm reading The New Year's Party by Jenna Satterthwaite to offer a blurb for it. I'm obsessed! It's propulsive and hugely entertaining. It will only be out in November so make sure you pre-order it!
Author Interview - Bianca Marais | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
I've read studies that say writing with pen and paper is so much better than writing on computer since it sparks higher levels of electrical activity across a wide range of interconnected brain regions, so I wish I could write this way. But my handwriting is so bad that I can barely read it! And my hand cramps up really quickly. So all of my writing is done on computer, unfortunately. But it's more efficient and allows for easier editing, so I won't complain!
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
I have two characters who I'd love to be best friends with and both of them were written by Claire Lombardo. The first is Wendy from the Sorenson family in The Most Fun We Ever Had. And the second is Helen Russo from Same As It Ever Was. I love Wendy's irreverence and her acerbic take on most things, but I also love her vulnerability and how deeply flawed she is. And Helen reminds me of a friend I have in real life - just so empathetic, wise and full of joy. Someone who fills up your spiritual and emotional cup every time you're with them.
Author Interview - Bianca Marais | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
I think I would have enjoyed being a stage director. I did some of that in high school theatre and loved taking words on the page and bringing them to life for an audience.
Favorite decade in fashion history:
Any time that was not all about the skinny jeans craze is my favorite era! LOL. I once wore palazzo pants for so long that they came back into fashion! It was amazing to be so cutting edge for those first two weeks when everyone started copying me.
Place I’d most like to travel:
I've been lucky enough to do quite a bit of travelling in my life. It's something my husband and I have prioritized: having life-changing experiences as opposed to acquiring possessions. I haven't yet visited Budapest or Prague so they're high up on the list. I'd also really love to visit Portugal. And I'd love to drive across Ireland and Scotland to see all the smaller towns and villages that are off the beaten path.
My signature drink:
Give me a lovely oaked Chardonnay any day! I'm also a fan of a good South African Chenin Blanc.
Favorite artist:
Probably Counting Crows because their lyrics are pure poetry. I'm also a big Lady Gaga fan. My favorite contemporary artist is a South African painter called Teboho Makoatsa. I'm lucky enough to have one of his huge paintings on my wall. It brings me joy every single day.
Number one on my bucket list:
I've jumped out of planes, done bungee swings, gone river rafting on the Zambezi, and been husky sledding and snowmobiling in the Scandinavian Arctic Circle. I've been enormously blessed to be able to tick a lot off my bucket list already I'd love to retire on a boat one day - and to be healthy enough at that age to maintain that kind of lifestyle. Just being around to see more sunsets would be a huge bonus!
Find more from the author:
Instagram and Threads: @biancamarais_author
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/biancamaraisauthor
About Bianca Marais:
Author Interview - Bianca Marais
Bianca Marais cohosts the popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing, which is aimed at helping emerging writers get published. She teaches creative writing through the podcast and was named a winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award for Creative Writing at the University of Toronto’s School of Continuing Studies. She lives in Toronto, where she loves playing escape-room games and writing about strong female protagonists.
