Interview with A.L. Davroe

About the Author

A.L. (Amanda) Davroe writes both YA and adult speculative fiction. She prefers revisionist tales in paranormal, romance, Steampunk, and fantasy. She is the author of Salvation Station (adult psych horror), The City Steam Collection (adult psych horror), For Your Heart (YA Paranormal Romance) and her YA Sci-Fi novel, Nexis, is coming out with Entangled Publishing  December 1, 2015!

By day, Amanda lives in Connecticut with her two feline hench-creatures and makes cheese.  She's a terrible blusher, has a weak spot for cuddly animals, loves Laffy Taffy and Cadbury MiniEggs, and she's a huge advocate of alternative healing methods.  Amanda also wears purple shoes and corsets...Though not always in the same ensemble.  She's a Capricorn, a Hufflepuff, a bit gothic, and a few nuggets short of a Happy Meal. 

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The Interview

1. How did you get started as an author?  What or whom inspired you?
I first got interested in writing when a friend of mine in high school asked me to co-write a fan-fiction of a mash-up between our favorite anime shows – Digimon and Dragon Ball Z.  That was the first time I’d tried writing a story and I enjoyed it so much.  It got harder and harder to wait my turn to for the manuscript to get handed back to me.  To pass the time I started reading a book by Tamora Pierce.  One day I was waiting outside the school waiting for my mom to come pick me up, I finished the book, closed it, then stared off into space for a minute – wishing I had the story to work on, wishing that I didn’t have to leave the world I had just been reading about.  It occurred to me then that I could keep the story going, do what I had done with the fan-fic…I could even make my own characters in a world like Pierce’s.  So, I took out one of my notebooks and started writing my first book.  That was freshman year of high school and it was just for fun, but it was the birth of a monster, LOL.
 
2. What writing projects are you currently working on?  What can you tell us about these projects?
Everything plus the kitchen sink.  No, seriously.  Now that Redux is finished, I’m focusing on pitching a YA horror-thriller that I wrote called Cutter’s Kids, so that’s going to get a few final edits before it gets sent out.  After that I’ll most likely work on another one of my Hill Dweller books or try to finish a Steampunk novel I’m writing called The Great White Light.
 
3. How did you come up with the idea for Nexis?
There is a fun story behind this.  The initial idea for Nexis came about when my agent, Louise Fury, was still part of the L. Perkins Agency.  She and Lori Perkins and I were eating dinner at a convention and they were talking about wanting a Steampunk Cinderella story.  I also write Steampunk, so the idea was intriguing to me.  On the spot, I came up with a Cinderella who loses her whole leg instead of just a shoe and ends up with some crazy Steampunk gadget for a leg instead.  I didn’t want to do another Steampunk story though, so I decided I’d try and do a futuristic Cinderella instead.  I’ve always been a huge fan of anime and, if you’re also a fan like me, you’ll probably be able to pick out some of my influences.  Anyway, I wrote this sort-of futuristic Cinderella story.  The initial set up in the original version was very Cinderella, but then, I flew off course with the whole virtual game idea and the ending.  The work and the character became so much bigger and better than its initial starting point.  After numerous edits and Cinder coming out in print (yes, I wrote Nexis that long ago), I decided to nix the Cinderella aspect all-together and really make Nexis its own story.  I really love what this story has become and the journey that the characters and I have taken.
  
4. If you could choose someone famous to star in one of your books made into a movie, who would you choose and for which character?
Maiara Walsh is my top actress to play Ellani Drexel.  I don’t have Hollywood picks for anyone else, though I have a few models I’d like:  Marlon Teixeira would be my choice for Guster and Benjamin Jarvis would be Quentin.

Maiara Walsh=Ellani Drexel

Marlon Teixeira=Gustar

Benjamin Jarvis=Quentin

5.What other hobbies do you enjoy when you are not writing?
Oh, I love a lot of things!  I like to spend time with friends and family, going out to dinner, shopping, sitting in a coffee shop.  Obviously, I love to read, snuggle my cats, and drink lots of tea.  I love to visit gardens and art galleries, go to museums and fun events like fairs and concerts and conventions.  I cosplay, do a little art and song-writing on the side, and I’m very slowly learning how to belly-dance and fire spin.  I also love a good pizza and Netflix night watching sf/f shows or anime.

Check out my review for 
​NEXIS