Recently I got the really awesome chance to ask the author Audrey Grey of the Shadow Fall Series . If you've been following me at all, you already know I have really enjoyed this series. Cannot wait for more for that matter. But if you don't know of it, it is a captivating dystopian fantasy novel about an asteroid hurtling towards the planet. I will link the series somewhere, it's worth a read!
Inquiring minds wish to know what fuels the words? Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, Local Coffee Shop, home brew, other or none? There are no wrong answers.
Coffee is my first true love, and it’s what I start my morning with every day. I love a good latte from Starbucks, but I’m just as happy with a coffee from my Nespresso machine at home. When I’m feeling fancy, I’ll drink a kombucha late afternoon!
Dystopian stories are all the rage at the moment(have been for quite a while), or rather have been for a while. What influenced or inspired you to write the Shadow Fall series?
Shadow Fall started off as the answer to a question: what would cast a huge shadow on earth during the daytime? Of course, that’s where the giant asteroid came from. The idea went through quite a few evolutions inside my mind before it became what it is today. It started out a High Fantasy Dystopian with elves—no seriously. I put the idea away for awhile, and when I came back to it a few years later, it was with fresh eyes and a modern-ish take.
What do you think sets your series apart from the many other dystopian stories?
Shadow Fall revolves around an apocalyptic event—the asteroid—and how a certain society deals with that event. That end-of-the-world scenario allows me to come at the book from a different angle than most dystopian books, especially because the citizens can foresee it years in advance. So we see the powers that be using the crisis to their advantage.
Is there a message within your books/series that you are trying to convey to your readers? For example: Harry Potter is about friendship, love and overcoming outrageous obstacles even when all hope is lost.
The Shadow Fall theme could best be described as perseverance and staying true to yourself. There’s also a huge emphasis on family—including the “family” you discover along the way.
Asking for a friend...Would you ever sacrifice a beloved character or as I like to call it pull a George R. R. Martin, for the sake of a story? *cough* Riser *cough*
Story always comes first, so if the story called for Riser’s death (*wails*), I would have to. But sacrificing a beloved MAIN character can be tricky and alienate the readers, even if it benefits the story as a whole. Not saying it won’t ever happen, but if it does—you should feel like it was necessary and even inevitable.
What can we expect from you in the future? New series? More Shadow Fall? Maybe a novella to go along with Shadow Fall? I would thoroughly enjoy a novella from the point of view from one of sleepers uploaded to Maia. Just thought I might put that out there. 😊
A sleeper novella? That’s actually a great idea! I’m going to file that away in the “Whenever I have the time” file. I think you can expect more Shadow Fall, plus some other books that have been percolating inside my brain! Variety is the key to my sanity, and I always have at least two book ideas swirling inside my head.
Biggest pet peeve while reading and/or writing?
I have two kids, and they’re both incredibly chatty. (Aren’t all kids?) When i sit down to write, they gravitate toward me and want to tell me everything RIGHT THAT SECOND. Same with whenever I open a book! Obviously, they’re too young to understand sometimes people need space to do things they enjoy, but it’s still hard to deal with.
How do you deal with negative reviews or just having someone rip your writing/stories to shreds? There is always that one negative Nancy.
I take most reviews with a grain of salt. Everyone likes different things, and if a reader doesn’t appreciate the common tropes within the genre of my book, I should probably work on marketing said book to an audience that likes it. If there is a common theme to the negative reviews, I’ll reassess my work and use it as a learning tool on how to improve my craft! That doesn’t mean when someone says something particularly hateful about my work that I don’t take it a little personal—and then frequently ignore it because those reviewers have nothing constructive to offer me. But, overall, I tend to look at reviews now as insight into what I can improve, either marketing or craft. A year ago? I wasn’t so objective! But this business gives you a tough skin after awhile.
What is the best way or your favorite way to interact with your fans?
However they like to contact me! I love hearing from fans via email, but I have a lot of readers I’ve become close to through my street team as well. As much of an introvert as I am, I LOVE talking to other readers, because I’m a reader first and foremost! When you’re not writing or creating something what are you doing? I have two kids and four rescue dogs, so I’m usually cleaning my house (ugh), doing laundry (double-ugh), helping with homework, or a million other things that come with having a family! I do love movies and Netflix (probably a little too much,) and I try to read whenever I can.
What are you currently reading or what is on your TBR?
So, I tend to read a bunch of books at once. Currently, I’m reading The Mountain Between Us, Shadow and Bone, Winterborne, Huntress, and a few other books! It sounds like a lot, but I read depending on my mood, so I need a lot of variety.
If you weren’t writing what would you see yourself doing? Or what were you doing before you were published?
Before I decided to write full-time, I was a registered nurse. I also have a marketing degree! But writing is my first love, so hopefully I can do that forever!
So…this is going to be tough one. Pineapple on pizza? Yum or scum?
Yum! I have a love affair with all foods, so pineapple on pizza, preferably with some Canadian bacon, is delicious! Oh, and don’t forget the ranch!
Book covers. Did you have a hand in designing them and how important do you feel they are to your work?
I’m lucky enough that my publisher gave me equal say in the design of Shadow Fall, and after a few trial and errors, both of us fell in love with the current cover. I’m learning there’s a lot that goes into a cover beyond what we think is beautiful—does it clearly say what the genre is, express the right emotions, look professional, etc—so my tastes are constantly morphing. But seeing the cover for the first time is absolutely my favorite part of the publishing process!
Do you see yourself in any of the characters that you write?
I do! I tend to be stubborn, and all my main characters so far have a stubborn streak that I just can’t erase. Hopefully it’s endearing and not annoying!
I want to say a big thank you to Janelle Leonard and Blaze Publishing for this opportunity! As well as to Audrey Grey for taking time to answer my questions.
Confession time: When you you hit the little button that says "Are you interested in connecting with this author?", I don't actually anticipate for it to happen. I know it can, but you don't go into it saying "Oh yeah! I'm so going to interact with so and so. Ask them hard hitting questions, get some answers as to why they did this and this in the book." I don't think anyone really does for that matter.
So needless to say when I got the email to do the interview, I was blown away and quite nervous. Honestly I had no clue what to ask or how many questions. Anxiety kicked in big time. Clearly I got over and sent in the above.
This was a wonderful learning experience for me and I hope to do it again!
(Bonus: Please tell me I'm not the only one who keeps thinking the photo above is Deborah Ann Woll? Like seriously! While editing this and preparing it for publishing, I couldn't help but notice. I feel I should say I am a big True Blood fan and Daredevil/Punisher as well.)
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