Shadows Of The Loess Hills Author Mandi Oyster On Urban Fantasy Magic

Photo: Mandi Oyster, author of the enchanting Shadows of the Loess Hills series, weaving magic and hope into urban fantasy stories.

An Insight Into Shadows Of The Loess Hills

Mandi Oyster blends her Iowa roots with captivating magic in her urban fantasy series “Shadows of the Loess Hills,” exploring themes of resilience, belonging, and hope amidst supernatural mystery.

M  andi Oyster invites readers into a magical yet profoundly authentic world with her captivating urban fantasy narrative. As an author deeply rooted in the stunning Loess Hills of Iowa, Mandi masterfully intertwines her own rich experiences with the mystical and the real. Her books, including “Shadows of the Loess Hills,” explore dark yet hopeful themes, giving life to complex characters and vividly detailed settings drawn from local lore. With protagonists who exude strength and relatability, Mandi’s storytelling resonates with readers, offering them tales of self-discovery, resilience, and hope. A storyteller at heart, Mandi’s passion for urban fantasy breathes life into every page.

Mandi’s talent for blending small-town charm with dark fantasy creates an utterly unique and compelling reading experience for fans.

How do your personal experiences influence the themes and characters in your writing? 

The series is set in the Loess Hills of Iowa, where I’ve lived for the majority of my life. The FMC, Molly, was bullied by the other kids in her cabal. As soon as she had the opportunity, she fled. My daughter was bullied throughout school. Once she went off to college, she thrived.  

What challenges did you face in writing about complex themes like identity and belonging? 

It’s hard to write a character who has been bullied and abused without making them only seem like a victim. Finding a way to show her strengths and not just her fears was a delicate balancing act, but I think she seems like a complex character, not just a victim.

“Finding a way to show her strengths and not just her fears was a delicate balancing act.” – Mandi Oyster

How do you balance the elements of fantasy with real-world issues in your stories? 

My novels are set in the real world with magic hidden from humans by glamours and by people’s inherent ability to convince themselves that they didn’t see what they thought they saw. The magical world hides in plain sight.

What role do you think setting plays in your narrative, particularly the enchanted forest in your books? 

I don’t have an enchanted forest in my books, but now, I kind of want to. I do live on my very own forest reserve, and I’m sure that dragons and faeries and unicorns hide beneath the shadows of the trees. Setting is important in every book. In a way, it becomes its own character. In book two of the Shadows of the Loess Hills, the Primordial Waters are one of the settings, and they are sentient.

“Hope is a common theme in all of my books. As long as you have hope, you can get through anything.” – Mandi Oyster

Could you discuss the significance of relationships in your storytelling, especially between characters like Molly and her love interests? 

As a victim of abuse and bullying, Molly is a loner. Her only friend is Schmendrick, her immortal, snarky cat. But, when she’s dragged back into the magical world, she has to start relying on others and learning how to trust them. As she lets more people into her life, she sees personal growth and becomes a better version of herself.

How do you approach world-building in your stories, and what tips do you have for other authors? 

This series is set in the real world. I took some local lore and twisted it to fit my needs. The Black Angel Statue in Council Bluffs is said to fly off her pedestal at night, so I used her as the entrance to the Abyss in my novels. When I was in high school, Castle Unicorn and the surrounding property were guarded by large dogs, so it became the perfect place for my werewolf pack to live. My suggestion for other writers of urban fantasy is to do the same. Find places that are surrounded with history and twist it to your needs.

“Acceptance begins with understanding, so write your truths in a way that readers see them through your lens.” – Mandi Oyster

What was your journey like from writing to becoming a published author? 

Dacia Wolf & the Prophecy was the first book I wrote. It went through several drafts, where it changed dramatically. The main plotline and ideas ended the same, but everything else was written and rewritten based on feedback. Each revision was a learning experience. I’ve written ten books since then, and each of them has gone smoother than the last. There is so much more to being an author than just writing, though. You have to be able to handle rejection, and if you’re querying your novel, a lot of rejection. You have to figure out marketing and blurb writing and how to choose the perfect cover for your book. Then, if you’re self-publishing like I did, you have to push the button that lets your baby out into the world.

How do you handle writer’s block or creative pitfalls when working on a new project? 

Probably not as well as I should. Sometimes, I try to write a scene later in the book, and sometimes, I walk away from it until my muses decide to speak to me again.

What do you believe is the most important message in your latest book? 

Hope is a common theme in all of my books. As long as you have hope, you can get through even the toughest trials in life.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors looking to weave personal experiences into their fiction?

Everything you write comes from your personal experiences and from the way you see life. Ten different people can see the exact same thing but see it differently based on the lens they’re looking through, so writing gives you the opportunity to show how you see things. Acceptance begins with understanding, so write your truths in a way that the people reading them can see the situation through the same lens as you.