August Prather is Not Dead Yet
Danielle Roux
Publication date: August 7th 2018
Genres: Fantasy, LGBTQ+, New Adult, Romance
Katherine Garnet is a writer who has never cared much about much, making it awfully difficult to create new content. Despite the fact she has the “edge” of being trans (according to her cis male editor) she is not looking to capitalize on her own personal story. Garnet tries to sneak a peek at her rival, August Prather’s, latest fantasy manuscript about a quest for the elixir of life. While reading, Garnet gets accidentally dragged into a bizarre cross-country road trip that may or may not have a purpose and begins to see parallels in the story of the manuscript and the reality of their journey. Along the way, they encounter a parade of equally troubled individuals, including ghost-hunting priests, a robot magician, a discarded piece of furniture, a runaway teenager, and a Japanese rock star. As Garnet confronts her past, she begins to understand why someone might want to live forever.
Interview with Danielle Roux
As a writer, what would you choose as your
mascot/avatar/spirit animal?
Cats are my
writer animal. My annoying and adorable ginger cats keep me company by sleeping
on my keyboard and chewing on all my pens. They’re super supportive in all my
creative endeavors.
How many hours a day do you put into your
writing?
It would probably
average out to an hour or two a day. I don’t write every day, but then some
days I write for five or six hours. I once wrote for ten hours in one session.
Do you read your book reviews? If yes, do
they affect what you write in the future?
I do! I know
you’re not supposed to, but it makes me happy when people have a reaction to
what I’m writing, even if it’s negative. Reviews don’t really impact my
writing. I just like to see what people think and then keep doing whatever I
was doing before.
Do you leave hidden messages in your books
that only a few people will find?
I leave lots of
super nerdy references to historical places or literature. I reference a lot of
folklore in August Prather is Not Dead
Yet, as well as real places that the gang visits on the road trip. In my
new novel This Will Kill That which
is coming out from Parliament House Press in the winter, I reference many real
places at clues to the identity of the post-apocalyptic city where the story
takes place.
Can you tell us a little bit about
the characters in August Prather is Not
Dead Yet?
I love damaged characters who use humor and snark to
cover up their wounds, because that’s my essential essence. Lyosha is the prime
example of this, as is Garnet. All the main kids are based on that to an
extent, although their backstories and experiences vary. I enjoy reading
stories where characters become more complex as the story unfolds and gradually
unveils their secrets. August is both bubbly and mysterious, and her dark side
comes out only at the very end when you fully get to meet her. Deep down,
Garnet and Lyosha are secretly soft and cuddly even if they seem a bit prickly
on the outside. August is the opposite. Mitya just seems a bit chilly on the
outside and inside he’s a cinnamon roll. The character dynamics and
relationships throughout the book bring these hidden pieces to the surface as
the parallel journeys unfold.
Can you tell us a little bit about
your next books or what you have planned for the future?
My next
book is an urban fantasy YA series. Clans divided by aura-color fight for
control of a ruined city, the daughters of rival Colors fall in love, ghosts,
psychic powers, and, of course, dark secrets revealed. Book one is called This Will Kill That and is coming out
later this year from The Parliament House Press.
I am
also writing a queer Rosemary’s Baby
inspired novel with an introverted nerd girl who finds out she’s been chosen to
give birth to the Anti-Christ. It’s a comedy of errors, with a colorful cast of
beautiful weirdos: banished demons, modern witches, warrior nuns, and bro
angels. The working title is Immaculate
and I’m hoping to query it in October when it is complete.
Do you allow yourself a certain
number of hours to write or do you write as long as the words come?
I write
through a scene or a chapter until it is done, without thinking about the time.
Recently, I tried a writing sprint, where I did nothing but write for
thirty-minute increments, aiming to write as many words as I could. This was
such a freeing experience, I found I was able to write without overthinking
everything. I’ll have to try that again.
Do you have a certain number of
words or pages you write per day?
My writing
goals change depending on what else is going on in my life. I usually try to
write a chapter a week, although I just did Camp NaNoWriMo for the first time
and I set myself a goal that led to me writing three chapters a week which was
a lot for me!
What inspires you to write?
I get inspired by
reading history, philosophy, watching movies, and travelling to different
places. I also am inspired by people I interact with and experiences I’ve had.
I’m that author who puts people in books and kills them off, especially if
they’re mean to me.
Would you rather
Read fiction or non-fiction?
Fiction, but I read a lot of
non-fiction too.
Read series or stand-alone?
Series, usually, but it depends
on the story.
Read Science fiction or horror?
Science fiction.
Read Stephen King or Dean Koontz
Stephen King.
Read the book or watch the movie?
Books!!!
Read an ebook or paperback?
Paperback, real books smell
better.
Be trapped alone for one month in a library with no computer
or a room with a computer and Wi-Fi only?
No computer would be super
unproductive for my work, but I’d get so much reading done. So that one.
Do a cross-country book store tour or blog tour online?
Online blog tour! Although it
would be fun to travel across the country.
Author Bio:
Danielle K. Roux is a writer, teacher, and historian. Her first novel August Prather is Not Dead Yet is currently available in e-book and paperback through Parliament House Press (and soon will be available in hardcover and audio book). Danielle has always loved reading and telling stories – especially stories with adventure, mystery, humor, romance and at least a little bit of spookiness. Not Dead Yet has all this covered, with a story-within-a-story structure and a quest for immortality in the early twentieth century paired with a present-day road trip. There’s a lot of existential crisis and a male/male romance that is sweet and steamy.
Danielle has been writing fiction since she was nine, after getting tired of reading from the perspective of white, straight male characters in fantasy novels. Her first written story involved a group of middle school girls who find necklaces used by a dead witch that give them supernatural powers. It was written in notebooks in purple and green gel pens that are currently housed in a box in her linen closet. She is inspired by travelling to new places and reading about the stories tied to landscapes. She has at least three novels building in her brain (or wherever novels come from) and wishes she was writing them all right now.
Danielle lives with her wife and two orange cats in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has added a lot of young adult fantasy fiction to her bookshelves recently, and regrets nothing. Her dream library would be accessed through a secret door and look something like the library in the animated Disney Beauty and the Beast, although it would also have a cute barista or sentient coffee machine that once was said barista.
When she isn’t writing or thinking about writing, Danielle is building houses in the Sims, listening to podcasts, or taking Buzzfeed quizzes to find out what kind of tree she is based on her hair color. She has recently been watching lots of old BBC period pieces, and some of them are good. She has begun to drink Diet Coke and is worried this might be a real problem. Coffee and tea are still her primary beverages of choice.
3 comments:
Thanks for being part of he tour! :)
I enjoyed the interview.
Good luck on your book tour ^^ Enjoyed reading your interview :)
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