Adrienne Blake | Interview
USA Today Bestselling Author
Adrienne Blake's new book Pride and Paranormal releases June 1st, 2021!
I had a Q&A session with USA Today Bestselling author, Adrienne Blake. Her book Pride and Paranormal is a paranormal romance, and book one of the Souls and Shadows Series.
Thank you for coming to this little chat and congratulations on your new release! Tell me a little bit about where you came up with the idea for this book and what’s it about in a nutshell.
I am an avid Jane Austen and paranormal fan. The idea of blending the two genres gave me goosebumps and I just had to do it. I think most people know the story of Elizabeth Bennet (Izzy) and Fitzwilliam Darcy (Fitz). They both have to overcome their instant dislike and prejudices to find love. There’s also a brand spanking new subplot involving the ghost of a witch, pining for her lost vampire love. I’m super psyched about the whole story and can’t wait for readers to fall in love with my characters, just as I did.
This sounds amazing and totally up my alley!
Now tell us a little about yourself. What inspired you to become a writer?
I don’t think I became a writer; I think I was born one. I grew up in the UK in a pretty dodgy part of London. I fell in love with a guy from Baltimore and moved to the States to be with him. I didn’t write for the longest time; I guess I was too busy working and trying to figure life out. One day it dawned on me, somehow, I’d forgotten to do the one thing I was most passionate about, storytelling. So I pulled up my big girl’s panties and from that point on, I wrote like a Trojan. The beautiful thing about dreams is they never abandon you, and all you have to do is embrace them, and there they are, patiently waiting.
It sounds like you overcame a lot of challenges to get where you are today. What challenges did you encounter in writing this book?
One of the challenges with a Jane Austen rewrite is the modern perspective. I wanted to write a contemporary piece, but the drawback is that we don’t see things the way characters did in the 1800s. For example, women aren’t obsessed with husband hunting like they used to be back then, and nowadays, who would care if Lydia ran off and spent the night with George Wickham? The beautiful thing about PNR is that I get to create a world where these questions can become relevant again, even in today’s world, because I make the rules up as I go.
Nice :) If you can, pick a favorite character from your book and tell me why they’re your favorite.
My personal favorite is the vampire, Matthew Devereux. He is cold, cunning, ancient and wrinkled. But he’s also tender, passionate and flawed, traits that come out slowly in the novel. I loved writing him and would consider writing a whole series just for his backstory.
He sounds like my kind of character. What drew you to writing paranormal romance?
I love love love world-building. Maybe it’s because we’re so out of control in the modern world, and a story is a place where I can set the rules, and everything plays out the way I want it to. And I’m passionate about creating. When I was a kid, I dived into Enid Blyton, CS Lewis and other fantasy writers. It was my favorite genre, and now I’m an adult, it seemed natural to throw a little romance into the mix – so voila, PNR!
Are you a plotter or a pantser? Do you have pre-writing routine, or do you just go with the flow?
I’m a bit of a hybrid plantser, so something in between. I have a vague outline or concept when I begin a story, but I like my plot to evolve organically. In each chapter I begin by thinking about what I need to achieve, but beyond that, I let the characters do their thing. I usually imagine the end of the book first, which helps keep me on track.
If you were bitten by a radioactive spider today, what existing secret skill do you possess that would be amplified as a newborn superhero?
Plotting. My arcs are generally solid, and I’ve helped other writers with their storylines. I hate plots that fizzle out or are poorly thought through. Pacing, flow, and relevance are my superpowers.
I want this superpower! Switching gears, what’s the number one item on your bucket list?
Hitting the NYT Best Seller list. The End.
And I want to see you there! You've learned a lot on your journey, are there any words of wisdom you want to share with new writers?
Don’t confuse achieving your dreams with financial success. If you love writing, then write. You CANNOT fail at this unless you stop writing. Some people get lucky and make money along the way, and that’s brilliant, but if you write for the love of it, you’re already a success.
Excellent advice. What are you working on right now? Does it connect to your new release?
I’m working on the 4th book in the Souls and Shadows series, Magical Emma. Books 2 and 3 are already with the publisher and are being prepared for publication.
Exciting! Where can readers interact with you or find out more?
Newsletter:
Amazon Author Portal:
Website:
Social media links:
Thank you for chatting with me today! Let’s leave some links here so readers can find your newest release and give them a taste of what to expect.
Amazon: https://smarturl.it/Soul1Amz
Amazon Paperback: https://smarturl.it/Soul1AmzPrt
iBooks: https://smarturl.it/Soul1iBooks
GoodReads: https://smarturl.it/Soul1GR
City Owl: https://smarturl.it/Soul1CO
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/4DRznD
Excerpt:
I navigated to the app store and pulled up Magical Moments. It only took a second to download and set up an account. When I was done, an image of Charlie came out of the phone and started talking to me. I squeaked in surprise and almost dropped the phone.
“Merry meet, Izzy. Thank you for downloading Magical Moments. Looking for Mr. or Mrs. Right? Well, I have just the witch or wizard for you. Magical Moments has hooked up thousands of couples in the last few years, and we guarantee a true love match, every time! Just put your finger in the box, and we’ll analyze your data to find the perfect mate for you. Just one click of a button, and it’ll be sparkles and unicorns—that’s our promise to our customers. Whether you’re looking for Mr. Right, or Mr. Right now, we’ve got you covered. All forms of payment accepted. So what are you waiting for? Come meet your perfect love match and begin your magical moments!”
Charlie’s image faded and was replaced by some very attractive prospects, including some pretty Elf boys and even Goblins, some of whom I had to admit were not bad looking at all. They smiled or wiggled their eyebrows or licked their fangs suggestively. One closed his eyes and puckered his lips, inviting me to kiss him, ewww!
