This week’s interview features Tara Grayce, author of Lost in Averell! Tara will share the idea that captured her imagination to create this delightful book and a peek into her multi-career life. First, here’s a little information about Tara and her book:
About Tara Grayce
Lost in Averell
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This story presents a very interesting pair of worlds—the one we know and the fantasy realm of Averell—which, though separate and unaware of each other, influence one another in intriguing ways. The humor, from the droll chapter titles to the irony of discussing proper diet with ogres, makes this a delightful read. The book did a great job of balancing a very normal and relatable teen heroine with the dramas of a princess who must negotiate the delicate political and social balance of a world full of dryads, naiads, dragons, and unicorns. Rather than teenagers who are unrealistically capable of handling world-ending crises, these characters react in relatable ways and still manage to overcome the obstacles set against them, which makes this story both inspiring and entertaining. And funny—did I mention funny? 😉
So now that we’ve addressed what a fun and unique read Lost In Averell is, let’s see what Tara has to say about what inspired her to write this book!
Find Lost in Averell on Amazon (affiliate link)
Interview with Tara Grayce
1.) What do you love about Lost in Averell that made you want to share this book with the world?
I got the idea for Lost in Averell after reading Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks. Princess of Landover is book 6 in his Magic Kingdom of Landover series, and I had gotten it as an audiobook at a library sale and listened to it without having read any of the previous books. That book opens with a girl leaving a school here in the United States and walking through a portal to a magical kingdom where she is a princess.
And that image really stuck with me. For most portal fantasy books, going through a portal to another world is a big deal, and I wondered what it would be like to live in both our world and a magical kingdom and just have that be normal life. What if you could just go back and forth through a portal in your basement whenever you wanted? What if you had to juggle boring schoolwork in our world with being a princess in another world? Lost in Averell became my attempt to answer those questions, and I had a lot of fun with it.
2.) What fuels your passion to write?
I have been making up stories since I was very little, and by the time I was six years old, I decided that I was going to be a published author someday. I adore stories and storytelling, and I love being able to share stories with others that make them smile and laugh.
3.) What was your path to publication like? (Did you pursue an agent, go direct to a publisher, or decide to indie publish? Why?)
I went directly to indie publishing. I come from a long line of self-employed businessmen, and the entrepreneurial side of indie publishing made a lot of sense to me. I wanted the control over my own writing and publishing, and running a business didn’t scare me. I’m really happy with the route I chose. I write too fast with genre-defying stories that would never fit with a traditional publisher.
4.) Do you make your living as an author? What other work or hobbies do you have?
Right now, I’m not a full time writer. I still have a day job as a secretary. It is busy, juggling what are essentially two full time jobs. Due to that busyness, I don’t have a lot of time for other hobbies. What time I do have I spend with my family, my friends, and my pets. If I have a spare minute, I catch up on all the great books written by my author friends.
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Thank you, Tara, for sharing a sneak peek into your life and inspiration behind Lost in Averell, a delightful clean young adult fantasy book! Tara also writes fantasy books for adults, and you can learn more about her and her books (including how to get some free books!) at taragrayce.com.
If you enjoyed this interview, check out the previous interview with Carrie Anne Noble and keep an eye out for the next interview with debut author Ariel Avelar. You can get monthly notifications about these and other great posts by signing up for my newsletter.
Have you enjoyed reading Tara’s books? What do you love about them or find interesting about this interview? Share in the comments!
Author Interview Series:
Carrie Anne Noble, The Mermaid’s Sister
Tara Grayce, Lost in Averell
Ariel Avelar, Influent
H.L. Burke, Ashen
Constance Lopez, Of Stormlarks and Silence
E.J. Kitchens, Wrought of Silver and Ravens
Ashley Bustamante, Vivid
L.A. Thornhill, The Prophetess of Arden
Sharon Hinck, Hidden Current
Emily Golus, Escape to Vindor
Kyrie Wang, The Thief’s Keeper
E.A. Hendryx, Suspended in the Stars
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