[Note from Frolic: Our resident YA expert Aurora got the chance to chat with four authors and ask them all about their new books, just in time for Pride! Up first, F.T. Lukens!]
Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
F.T. Lukens: When I started writing In Deeper Waters it was with a desire to write a fairy tale and to write a high fantasy novel. I hadn’t tried either yet at that point in my writing career, and it was a goal of mine to attempt writing a different style. So my inspiration was to write a happy ever after for these two main characters, but I also wanted it to be a satisfying ending. The story ends happily but the characters have to survive a few hardships along the way. Also, I drew a lot on the tropes that I personally enjoy when reading fantasy novels like hidden powers, secret pasts, there’s only one bed, etc. For the seafaring and ocean aspects, those came from my personal experiences growing up near the ocean and spending much of my adolescence on boats in the Chesapeake Bay and out in the Atlantic near the Gulf Stream. I spent whole weeks during the summers of my teenage years on the Outer Banks living on a boat docked in a marina. The smell of the sea air, and the gulls following the stern of the boat, and the tangled hair from the wind whipping, and yes, even vomiting over the side, were all drawn from those experiences.
What character in this novel do you most relate to and why?
I definitely relate most to Tal. He is the fourth of five siblings and at the beginning of the novel, he’s unsure of his place in his family and in the world. I am the fourth of four siblings myself, and I remember being that way when I was a teenager. I was just hitting that awkward teenage phase while my siblings were all grown up and established, married, having kids, off at college etc. It was a weird space to be in where I felt both left behind because the people I’d been raised with had moved on and had started creating their own lives and families, but also, I was not ready to follow them yet. Tal is in that same place. He loves his older brothers and sister but he’s still very much a teenager and is figuring himself out while his older siblings are already established in their family and kingdom roles.
Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from it.
In Deeper Waters is a fantasy adventure romance, while also being a journey of self. At the beginning of the story, the main character, Tal, is in a space where he is unsure of his place within his family/kingdom. He also has the burden of secret magic that makes him feel alone and removed from his brothers and sisters. He is afraid this secret will dictate his future. Throughout his journey, and with the help of the mysterious and beautiful Athlen, he works to overcome his fears and solidify his understanding of who he is and what he’d like his future to be. There are also themes around family acceptance and remaining kind despite the harshness of the world. Readers can expect a strong romance and two characters just trying to do their best in Tal and Athlen and a cast of supporting characters that mainly want to see the Tal and Athlen succeed and be happy.
What’s next for you in the bookish world?
I just finished edits for my next book, So This Is Ever After, which is a comedy fantasy that I’m very excited about and eager to share with the world. It’s about a ragtag group of questors who fulfill a prophecy, defeat the bad guy, and save their kingdom then have to figure out what happens next. Their leader is accidentally crowned king and enacts a magic soulmate law that states he’ll fade away if he doesn’t choose a person to soul bind with by his eighteenth birthday… which is in three months. And the other questors are tasked with running a kingdom, which they have no idea how to do. Other than that, I have a couple of works in progress that are in various stages of development but include a contemporary fantasy and another fantasy romance.
Who is your current favorite writer? Why?
I have a few authors that I follow that I get really excited about when they release new works. Aiden Thomas is one. I adored Cemetery Boys and pre-ordered Lost in the Never Woods, but I’ve not had time to read it yet. I always adore a Beth Revis book and loved Give the Dark My Love and Bid My Soul Farewell. And I always love CB Lee’s works. She has A Clash of Steel upcoming that I’m very excited about too – it’s a queer Treasure Island remix and the cover is stunning.
Any writing advice for aspiring writers?
It’s probably cliché to say but the biggest piece of advice I can give to aspiring writers is to read. Read widely and varied. Reading (and by reading that can also mean listening to audio books) can help you learn story structure, narrative devices, plot, character, tone, voice etc. It also helps you know the market.
Up next, author Jennifer Dugan!
Aurora: Please describe the content of Some Girls Do, and what can readers expect from it?
Jennifer Dugan: Some Girls Do tells the story of a closeted beauty queen and an out and proud track star who find themselves falling for each other. It’s a total “opposites attract” story, with a rivals-to-romance vibe. Told in dual point of view, we experience the different ways each of them relates to their queerness, and how they choose to navigate that in the hopes of their relationship going the distance.
Readers can expect laughs, pining, a deep exploration of love and queerness… and a lot of flirting and romance.
What was your inspiration behind Some Girls Do?
I had always wanted to write a story about an issue that’s so common in the queer community—one partner being out and one not—and the impact that has on the lives of the people involved. I was excited by the idea of adding my book to the conversation, and of presenting it in dual point of view so readers could truly feel what they feel and understand there is no right or wrong answer here. Ruby and Morgan need to find their way through this together as best as they can, in a way that they are both comfortable and happy with.
Coming out isn’t the point. Their love is the point.
What character do you most relate to and why?
I think I relate to Morgan a little bit more than Ruby, because I came out at a pretty young age and was very comfortable with it—not that there weren’t hard times because of that decision, but like her, the difficulties just made me more aggressively out. I also tend to be a bit too idealistic at times, although I’ve been working on that.
But there’s also a lot of me in Ruby. Her chaos and mess. Her desire to people please. I think a lot of us can relate to that.
Why do you feel novels with powerful and unique characters are so popular and have such a voice right now?
I think readers are always looking for fresh takes on things, and although there is a very long way to go, it’s been exciting to see the industry beginning to embrace fresh and diverse voices. It’s clear that readers are hungry for them. The thrill of finally seeing parts of yourself on the page is next level.
What’s next for you in the bookish world?
After Some Girls Do, I’ll be gearing up for the release of my first graphic novel with Kit Seaton next year, Coven, which is about a queer teen witch who gets dragged from sunny, coastal California to a small town in Upstate New York in an attempt to protect their coven after a murder. The art that has come back is incredible, and I can’t wait until I get to share it with everyone!
Who is your current favorite writer? Why?
My current favorite writer is Kalynn Bayron hands down. I was absolutely obsessed with her debut, Cinderella is Dead, and I’m just finishing up This Poison Heart now, which comes out July 6.
I would honestly read her shopping list at this point! Her characters are vibrant, often queer, fully fleshed out individuals that leap off the page and her plotting and placing are next level. I admire the way she can take something like a common fairy tale or Greek mythology and absolutely turn it on its head in a unique and compelling way. She’s definitely an auto-buy author for me.
Any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Keep writing! But do it in whatever way works best for you. There’s a lot of advice out there that you have to write every day or have a set schedule, and that’s just not possible for most of us! Whether you’re writing 20, 200, or 2000 words a day, progress is progress. Drafting is one of the only parts of this process that we have total control over, so enjoy it and celebrate every word you put on that page.
Up next, author Peyton Thomas!
Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
Peyton Thomas: Well, I fell in love! Simple as that. It didn’t feel simple at the time, though. Throughout my early twenties, I identified as a non-binary lesbian. I wasn’t expecting to fall in love with a man — let alone as a man. I had to re-evaluate my entire concept of myself. It was hard! And I had no mirrors, none, to show me what life as a queer trans man might look like. I wrote “Both Sides Now,” in large part, to imagine a future for myself.
I drew on my past, too. I’d been a huge debate nerd in high school, the captain of my school’s team. I wanted to return to that ecosystem to explore the purpose of debate, especially in the lives of trans people. Why is debate valuable? What happens when bad faith actors abuse open dialogue? When does an intellectual exercise come at the expense of someone’s real humanity?
If I could answer all of these questions and throw in some heart-stopping spit-swapping, I figured I’d have done my job.
What character in this novel do you most relate to and why?
There’s a lot of me in Finch, the protagonist; no question. But as I progressed through early drafts, I found myself very drawn to Ari, Finch’s sworn enemy, the pampered princess captaining the debate team at an elite private school. Ari grapples with her own beliefs even more, maybe, than Finch does. He winds up with certainty, and she doesn’t, quite. I can relate to that. I’m a Libra. I’m told we’re indecisive.
Why do you feel novels with powerful and unique characters are so popular and have such a voice right now?
I worked in a local bookstore when I was in high school. This was the late 2000s. The entire Teen section was composed of three distinct groups:
- Twilight, and rip-offs thereof;
- Gossip Girl, and rip-offs thereof;
- The Hunger Games, and rip-offs thereof.
That section looks very different now! There is so much less rigidity now, no iron-clad notion of what a YA novel has to be. Much more diverse, of course, in terms of the characters represented, but also in the types of stories being told. I have to say I’m grateful for the shift — even though God knows I wore a Team Edward pin to school.
I’m grateful, too, that in the years since I began writing “Both Sides Now,” a number of books about trans teens have begun popping up. So many mirrors! It gives me profound joy to think that trans kids will have these books, and befriend these characters, and be less lonely as they become themselves.
Please describe the content of your latest book and what can readers expect from it.
“Both Sides Now” is a witty and warm-hearted novel about a trans teen finding his place in the world perfect for fans of Red, White and Royal Blue.
This is what it’s about:
There’s only one thing standing between Finch Kelly and a full-blown case of high school senioritis: the National Speech & Debate Tournament. Taking home the gold would not only be the pinnacle of Finch’s debating career, but the perfect way to launch himself into his next chapter: college in Washington, DC, and a history-making career as the first trans congressman. What could possibly go wrong?
Well, for starters, Finch could develop a teeny tiny crush on his very attractive, very taken, and very gay debate partner, Jonah. Never mind that Finch has never considered whether he’s interested in more than just girls.
And that dream of college in DC? Finch hasn’t exactly been accepted anywhere yet, let alone received the full-ride scholarship he’ll need to make this dream a reality.
Worst of all, though, is this year’s topic for Nationals: transgender rights. If he wants to cinch the gold, and get into college, Finch might have to argue against his own humanity.
People say there are two sides to every argument. But, as Finch is about to discover, some things—like who you are and who you love—are not up for debate.
What’s next for you in the bookish world?
I believe I’m sworn to secrecy, but I’m still thinking very hard about trans teens finding their way in the world, I can tell you that. Finding their way in the world throughout history, even.
Who is your current favorite writer? Why?
This is an impossible question, so I’ll just tell you about the last great book I read: “The Undocumented Americans” by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio. Part memoir, part polemic, all heart and soul — it was so completely captivating and such a challenge to the entire history of writing on the subject of immigration. I inhaled Karla’s book in a single afternoon. Can’t wait to see more from her.
Any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Write bad first drafts on purpose! Treat your first drafts the way a painter treats a pencil sketch! Write the simplest possible version of your story: “He said this. They went there. I felt bad.” You won’t have the Mona Lisa when you’re done, but you’ll have a lightly-etched canvas you can paint it on.
Last but certainly not least, Philline Harms!
Aurora: What was your inspiration behind your most recent novel?
Philline Harms: I have always been inspired by stories about boarding schools. As a kid, I used to spend hours listening to my mom’s old St. Clare’s cassettes and was so enchanted by the setting, especially the feeling of companionship and the sense of adventure that came with sneaking around and breaking the rules. Add to that my own experiences as a queer teenager and Never Kiss Your Roommate was born!
What character in this novel do you most relate to and why?
I relate the most to Evelyn, one of the two narrators of the novel. She’s a seventeen-year-old lesbian, a self-proclaimed bookworm, and a hopeless romantic. At the time that I wrote the first draft, I was also a teenager in the middle of coming to terms with my sexuality, so a lot of my own experiences went into her character arc.
Why do you feel novels with powerful and unique characters are so popular and have such a voice right now?
I think that novels with powerful and unique characters are especially popular right now because of the deep-seated desire to connect with other human beings that has grown even stronger during the pandemic. When I open a book, it’s not only because I want to go on an adventure but because I want to get to know new characters and their unique way of experiencing the world. If a novel succeeds in making me feel like I’m walking away with a new group of friends, then it has done everything I could ask for; I usually forget about the intricacies of a plot within a few weeks, but the characters stay with me for years and years to come.
Please describe the content of your latest book and what readers can expect from it.
Set at a posh British boarding school, Never Kiss Your Roommate follows four queer teenagers as they navigate friendships, first loves, and coming to terms with their identities, all while an anonymous gossip blog threatens to expose all their secrets. It’s a comfort read that showcases the importance of accepting yourself, the bravery in allowing yourself to be vulnerable, and the beauty of queer friendships. If you love tropes like found family, an italicised oh-moment, and some light enemies to lovers, then this is for you!
What’s next for you in the bookish world?
I honestly have no idea! Right now I’ve gone back to my roots uploading stories to Wattpad the writing platform where I first started out—my current work in progress is a sapphic paranormal romance featuring queer witches, some dark magic, and a whole lot of fluff.
Who is your current favorite writer? Why?
I have so many, but at the moment I’d probably have to say Casey McQuiston! Their characters are phenomenal, the representation is beautiful, and their narrative voice is so charming. Everything about their books just exudes comfort and optimism and this sense of being seen that only comes from reading ownvoices stories. At this point Casey could honestly publish their grocery list and I’d be all over that.
Any writing advice for aspiring writers?
Write what you want to read! If there’s something you’re dying to have on your shelf, then chances are that others are as well. I promise that for every idea, no matter how ridiculous it may seem, there’s at least one reader out there who would sell a kidney to read it. Also, your enthusiasm will definitely show, and what should writing be if not fun?
