Hi everyone and welcome to my interview series Saturday Night Author Fever, where I interview authors with a bit of a 70s music and diversity theme. I personally love 70s music, especially disco music, and sometimes on Friday nights when no one is looking you can find me dancing to classic 70s songs such as September, Bennie and the Jets and We Are Family. However, books are my true passion and because of this, I thought it would be a great idea to mix my two loves and start this interview series. The questions will be similar every week, but with a new author every time, and I hope you’ll enjoy the answers as much as I have. Now let’s get this party started!

(gif source)*

This Saturday Night we welcome Miri Castor. Thank you so much for sitting down with me today in my galaxy of books.

Miri, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your books? What do you think about 70s music?

Hey there! My name’s Miri and I’m a YA SFF author for the Opal Charm series. It follows Opal Charm, a young bisexual black girl through her destiny to save Earth and an alternate world from a mysterious overlord. My books tend to be about self-discovery, love, and the power of friendship!

This is what I think of 70s music: Saturday Night Fever! Disco parties! Black people with the huge fros! 70s music made the 70s a time to be alive.

When did you feel like this is it, I’m an author whose words are going to be read by, and have an impact on, others?

When I published one of my short stories in high school. It was about teen parents, the father died and I think is watching from above. He’s missing his memories and it was meant to be self-reflective piece. A lot of girls (I went to an all-girls private school) came up to me and said I had a way with words. My words influenced people, and it made me feel…special? Like, I could do this for real, you know?

What do you want your readers to take with them after having read your books?

I want them to see they are more than what their parents/ancestors are. More importantly, realize we should strive to live life in a balance. Take the happy moments, and the sad moments as they are and don’t fear neither of them.

What does the future look like for you, Miri? Future projects, releases etc.?

The plan is to finish Opal Charm with four books. I’ve planned on a side story for next year, hopefully I can see that through. Another series (yet to be plotted out) I’m planning will be about two black girls living in different worlds that eventually collapse, and they have to restore them.

If one (or several) of your characters got invited to a 70s-themed party, what would they wear and what song and/or person would bring them to the dance floor?

Opal would be decked out in her mom’s old disco wear. It would embarrass the hell out of her, but she couldn’t say no when her mom showed her old pictures of herself with Opal’s dad. She’d rock the fluffy afro wig and be in a striped jumpsuit. She’d struggle with the platform shoes, but she’d pull through. Although Opal’s very reluctant to dance, Boogie Wonderland is the one of the few songs that would have her up on the dancefloor.

Her best friend Aaron would be more casual, but still go all out. He’s a bit of a “look at me” type of person. Bellbottom jeans and a colorful shirt with that low V collar. Dancing Queen would have him dancing like a fool, and he’d sing passionately while trying to get Opal to join him.

You can easily look back at the 70s and see how the times have changed. If you look at the book community and publishing world today, what changes would you like to see for the future?

I’d like to see more stories about magical black girls and boys. While there’s a lot more of that now than in the 70s, I want even more stories like that. Black girls who become heroines, and are worthy of love and adoration.

Miri, can you recommend two already published diverse books you’ve read and loved and one you can’t wait to read?

Binti: Home was my favorite this year, starring a black girl MC. Such a well-written story and characters. I honestly can’t wait for Book 3. I already pre-ordered it! I’d also recommend my friend’s Rei J Hardy’s book, The Last Chronomancer, which stars a mixed aromantic asexual MC in a fantasy world. She knows how to hook you into a story while inserting life lessons into the plot.

Lastly, to end this interview, do you have a favorite 70s song to recommend your readers?

Ain’t No Stoppin Us Now by McFadden & Whitehead. Such a feel-good song, and it’s sort of immortal? It’s still played at my family parties, haha!

Thank you so much, Miri, for answering my questions. I hope you readers enjoyed this interview, I know I did! Eager to find out more about Miri Castor? All information about her and her books can be found on her website. You can also find her on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Soundcloud, Tumblr, and Goodreads and buy her books on Amazon.

---

About The Author

Miri Castor is the author of the Opal Charm series. She spent many recesses in middle school writing fantasy stories, The Path to Dawn being one of many. She has written for Black Girl Magic Literary Magazine and was featured as a Spotlight New Author in January 2016.

She attends graduate school on the East Coast and aims to receive her PhD in biochemistry. Meanwhile, Miri is working on her third novel and short stories. She plans on writing another urban fantasy series for the future. When she’s not being an introverted bookworm or transfecting cells, she plays video games, attends music concerts, and takes stroll through the City.

---

Since I promised a very 70s music-themed interview series, I have one last surprise, a favorite 70s song of mine (and there will be a new one every week yay). Now let’s get those dance moves on, here’s Heart Of Glass by Blondie.

Do you want to listen to all of the songs from my Saturday Night Author Fever interview series?

To make things easier I have created a Spotify playlist that features all of the songs mentioned in my Saturday Night Author Fever posts. You can check out the playlist below or go here. Every time a new interview is published new songs will be added to it.

Thank you so much for tuning in this Saturday, what did you think of the interview and the music? Let me know in the comments below or on my Twitter!

*Thank you to the lovely Claribel Ortega for the gifs used in this blog series. You have to follow her on Twitter and check out her website here.