Why the H*ck Did You Decide to Write a Story About Gangsters?!
The slow build of inspiration that would eventually lead to a career-starting book deal.
Whenever I’m asked the question, “why Mafia?” I always end up pausing, going through a semi-panic in my head, and end up responding with an answer I know is as bland as it sounds.
A shrug and a, “I don’t know.”
It isn’t a very helpful response for anyone and has left me feeling that slight twinge of imposter syndrome for daring to write about a topic that I didn’t obsess over for years (which sounds silly, but welcome to my head). But the more I thought about that question, and really asked myself, why this, the more I considered just how many building blocks were put in place for years that led me to that first ah-ha moment in November 2018. In the Company of Killers didn’t just appear out of thin air like I sometimes wondered, but was the cumulation of inspiration and experiences and desires that slowly built Tasha & Leo into the full-fledged characters they are today. You might be as surprised as I was to know where some of this inspiration came from.
So let’s break it down.
Fantasy has been a part of my life since I was quite literally born, (if you didn’t already know, I got the name Elora from Princess Elora Danan of the 1988 movie, Willow!) and I grew up obsessed with every video game, book, and movie that had a protagonist wielding a sword with a trusted team of quirky, yet powerful characters. Bonus points if it was a girl wielding that sword or had those magical powers! So it only makes sense my first real attempt at writing a book was a YA high fantasy with a main character who may or may not have been a total self-insert (oops).
But woven in with all that fantasy, was a point in my ten-year-old life where I was absolutely, thoroughly, obsessed with the 2004 film adaptation of, The Phantom of the Opera. I watched and rewatched and rewatched again, the movie so many times I memorized the lines and even insisted to my dad who would make my obscure costumes that I had to be Christine Daaé during her “Past the Point of No Return” scene for Halloween. I spent the entire holiday correcting well-meaning candy-givers that I was in fact, not Snow White, but Christine Daaé (how dare they) because the dress was yellow and had a red rose on it. It’s hilarious to look back on. I wish I could show you, but unfortunately it was the early 2000’s when digital cameras were the norm & photos could easily get lost ( a true travesty).
Phantom stands out to me quite a bit as a large inspiration for In the Company of Killers. It has the allure of darkness all around, sensuality, exciting drama, a girl pulled between the dark and the light, beauty hiding the sinister, gorgeous clothes & sets, and a complex group of characters that you can sympathize with even when they do morally-questionable, or outright wrong, things.
Then we have this iconic movie. Romeo + Juliet (1996) with Leo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. I first watched this film in English class when I was 16 and funny enough, hated it. Or, that’s what I told myself. Really, I was single and bitter about it (lol) and thought it “was so dumb” for two young people to fall in love that quickly and cause that much chaos in their lives and the lives of their family’s. While I still hold some of 16 y/o me’s opinions on the overall plot, rewatching this film later in life made me realize how much I loved the aesthetic of this film and the gangster/mafia twist between the families. What I really wanted though was a fiery, gun-wielding Juliet who wasn’t so doe-eyed and waiting for her Romeo to come around. But I was obsessed with Romeo being completely smitten for her.
If you’re wondering, Leo Danesi was not intentionally named after Leonardo DiCaprio! I’m not sure when or why I decided Leo would be my male protagonist’s name. But hey, maybe this subconsciously inspired me!
By the way, I’m very eager to get ITCOK to 500 adds on Goodreads! I humbly ask for your help to get to this number. ❤️
Along with these two movies, I give a lot of credit to these films below for inspiration, too. I won’t go into as much depth about why they’re influential, but I’m sure you can envision how these movies inspired ITCOK as well.
Now, this next inspiration is likely to surprise you (it surprised me when I realized!). I give some inspiration to none other than Sarah J. Maas’s character, Nesta Archeron!
This unintentional inspiration all comes down to a misunderstanding. When I first read the initial three books in the ACOTAR series back in 2016-2017 (fun fact: I got to meet SJM at her signing in Toronto back in 2017 when ACOWAR first released), I somehow got it into my head that Nesta was a character with short black hair. Honestly, I probably got her and Amren confused regarding their looks. When I started seeing drawings like the one above with her in it, I realized how wrong I was, but the image had already stuck! It’s been some time since I read the books, but I remember how prickly and “unlikeable” Nesta was, and yet I grew fond of her character and liked how much she stood out compared to her sisters. I think Tasha was born from that fondness, but with the twist of putting her in a contemporary setting!
You might be wondering, Elora, didn’t the iconic Blair Waldorf from Gossip Girl inspire Tasha, too? And actually, the answer is, no! I started watching Gossip Girl after I’d already started drafting In the Company of Killers, not because I didn’t think I’d enjoy it, but because the show came out when I wasn’t a teenager and had risqué themes, and so, I wasn’t allowed to watch it. But when I did start watching, I promptly fell in love and saw just how beloved Blair’s character is and knew I was going in the right direction with Tasha!
The last inspiration for my debut comes from a personal, slightly vulnerable place. Growing up, I went from the bubbly elementary girl to a very shy middle schooler to a high schooler dealing with a lot of insecurity and anxiety along with not wanting to stand out *too* much. I didn’t venture out much from my parents’ house or wear clothes that would make me stand out in any way. Because of this deep insecurity, I used to look at girls around me who held their head high and weren’t (assumedly) afraid to have a spotlight shined upon them with a deep desire to be the same.
Whatever was actually going on inside these girls’ heads and lives I’ll never know. But what mattered was how much I pined to have what they had - the self confidence to say what I actually thought and the confidence to take up space in a room (and have the boys around me fall head over heels for that confidence). Tasha especially was born from that deep, years-long desire to not fear being seen for who I truly was. In many ways, Tasha and the rest of In the Company of Killers is a love letter to my younger self who would’ve secretly wished she had the courage to be more like Tasha (and had herself a Leo falling at his knees for her hehe).
There’s also another very personal piece of inspiration behind Tasha’s name. It’s a backstory I’m not ready to share publicly, but maybe one day. The most important thing to know is that it’s a name I reclaimed for myself and I’m so thrilled it’s now helping me make my author career dreams come true. ✨❤️
I hope this insight was a fun mix of informative and exciting! We’re 7 months out from release now which is still a good chunk of time and yet no time at all in the grand scheme of publishing. As always, I appreciate every bit of support readers like you have shown me and I hope you continue to stick around during the next 7 months and beyond. 🤗
Please consider pre-ordering a paperback or ebook copy for yourself (and even a friend!) of In the Company of Killers as soon as you’re able. Pre-orders are desperately important for a debut book to encourage the book’s publishing house to put more marketing power behind it. If that’s just not possible for you at the moment, shouting about it online, requesting an e-ARC, leaving glowing reviews on sites like Goodreads, Amazon, Netgalley, Edelweiss, Indigo, etc, telling your friends about it and requesting a copy at your library is also incredibly beneficial. Word of mouth sells & stocks books like no other and gives authors longevity in this ever-changing, fickle industry. And I would like to stick around for as long as possible! My website has all the possible links you’d like for pre-ordering.
And psst, UK readers: while the cover hasn’t been revealed yet, Waterstones now has the book up and available for pre-order! This is my unofficial announcement for it.
Until next time. xo
