1) Where is your favorite place to write and what makes it special to you?
My favorite place to write used to be a cafe (any one would do, as long as it was nonsmoking!), but covid has made that impossible. Last year I set up a cute little office in our guest room and have surrounded myself with special things like a portrait of my grandmother, pottery, and plants, and I really do enjoy writing there now.
2) Where do you find you draw most of your inspiration from?
Most of my recent ideas have come from nonfiction media, oddly enough! LUMINOUS was inspired by an article about Vantablack, the darkest substance on earth. And THE POISON SEASON was inspired in part by an island I read about in a NY Times article and a lake I heard about on YouTube.
3) What are three reasons we should run to the bookstore to get Luminous?
I would say definitely get the hardcover ASAP, because the gold foil on the naked jacket is only on the first printing and it is STUNNING! Second, because it is a perfect spooky season read, with witches, monsters, and magic. And third, because the cover was created by artist and paper sculptor Marisa Aragon Ware, and you're going to want to have that beauty on your shelf - trust me!
4) Who was your favorite character to write in Luminous?
Mina, the main character's younger sister, was really fun to write. She's mischievous, a hopeless romantic, and provides the comic relief in the novel.
5) Who was the most difficult character to create in Luminous?
I think Evran, the love interest, was probably the hardest, because he has a lot of secrets and pain he's holding onto. When a character has to be elusive in the book, it can make them harder to connect to on the page.
6) What was your favorite scene to write in Luminous?
I loved writing the entire creepy scene in the middle of the book - I don't want to give too many spoilers, but you'll know it when you read it!
7) What is your favorite Halloween candy?
Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite candy, year-round, always and forever.
8) Do you have any upcoming books/projects you're creating currently?
THE POISON SEASON will be out next December, and I'm really excited to share it with the world. I also have a Masque of the Red Death retelling coming out the following year that I'll be revising in a few months, and I'm drafting a new fantasy that I really love and hope will be a real book some day! It's got what I think is a really unique magic system, plus an enemies to lovers romance that I'm so thrilled to finally be writing.
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