Author Interview || RoAnna Sylver

I had the chance to interview the lovely author RoAnna Sylver for the blog! Besides sharing a bit about Chameleon Moon (a dystopian book with an F/F/F established relationship!), she’s also bringing some awesome news for a new series. Check out her amazing and fun answers.

Interview

Q1: Your novel Chameleon Moon has been calling a lot of attention of the reading community lately. How would you summarize the story of this book for new readers?

There’s a city. It’s on fire. And it’s quarantined behind a giant energy barrier, like a big bubble. Trapped inside is everyone you’d ever expect to fall in love with and then watch die, in every other movie or book that broke your younger self’s heart. Queer people, disabled, neurodivergent, asexual and aromantic, polyamorous folks, married lesbians, agender and nonbinary trans people, kids with PTSD and brains trying to kill them. In this story, they live. They’re the heroes. Sometimes they’re super-heroes. And they freaking rock.

Q2: Chameleon Moon is one of the very few books with an F/F/F relationships out there. How was it for you to explore that?

Super fun. Just super, super fun. (…Pun not intended, believe it or not.) For real, I shipped polyamorous relationships for a long time, but until I wrote this I’d never seen another canon all-girl polyam ship in fiction, and definitely not a committed, non-grossly-sexualized one, married (yes, all of them) and established and stable with a kid. And I wanted one to exist. I’m sure I’m not the first, but I still haven’t heard of one like this. Though if more exist, I’d love to know them.

Also, writing Evelyn, Rose, and Danae is always just really fun because they’re all so different but complement each other so well. They’re so balanced and secure and it’s just… I get kind of warm and fuzzy inside thinking about them. They’re a major foundation for Book 1, and so, so important.

Q3: What are some authors who inspired you in your writing?

Oh wow. In the time I’ve spent in the indie writing community, mostly on Twitter, I’ve found so many incredible authors and friends, most of them marginalized and/or writing ownvoice stories. I can’t even say how much… better they are than 99% of mainstream fiction I’ve read? Truer and realer and more engaging and colorful and… just better. Like it’s incredible. I’m never going back. (Some faves are Shira Glassman, Kaia Sonderby, Kayla Bashe, Austin Chant, Alex Casso, Tiffany Rose, Rachel Sharp, Stephanie Rabig, A. M. Blauschild, and Apollo Blake!)

And I have to give a special shout-out to my fellow Kraken authors – Claudie Arseneault (Viral Airwaves, City of Strife), Kiran Oliver (Daybreak Rising), B. R. Sanders (Ariah, Resistance), Lyssa Chiavari (Fourth World, New World), and Lynn O’Connacht (Seafoam and Silence, A Promise Broken).

They are all incredible, they make me want to write better things every day (or at least write), and I know I’m forgetting a lot. Everyone I’m forgetting, I love too.

Q4: What trope or genre you still want to explore one day but didn’t have the chance yet?

Space stuff. Just freaking blasting through the sky like a tiger, defying the laws of gravity. Starships that fly real fast, as they were meant to. Cool aliens. Kissing cool aliens. Learning about them and maybe even being a cool alien. Also gay elves. Some of my favorite books have gay elves. That’d be great too. (Gay alien elves? Sign me The Heck up.) 

…Actually, I might have something to announce about that in the relatively near future. Maybe. Just saying, keep an eye out.

Q5: What’s your favorite thing about being an author?

The time I realized going to bed at 2:30 was “responsibly early.” Actually I’d probably do that anyway.

No, seriously, I think it’s… when we talk about there being so little representation for marginalized people in mainstream media, and how much we want to see ourselves reflected in stories? There’s always some douche-face who just wants us to shut up, so they chime in with “so make your own!”

I think the best part is being able to say “Okay.” (That, or “I already did. Here it is. Point stands, we still need more.”)

Petty? Maybe. But important.

Q6: Any exciting projects we should expect from you next?

Yeah, there are. 😀

I love Halloween. It’s probably my favorite holiday. And now there’s something else to love about it: on October 31st, I’m launching Book 1 of Stake Sauce, my new vampire series! (Yes, that spelling is correct, and a pun. It’s me writing it.)

It has the same feel and principle as Chameleon Moon: diverse marginalized people being awesome, helping each other through trauma and saving the day. Just with more vampires. And punk rock. (Evelyn’s pretty punk but when it comes to pink-haired punk protagonists, I think Pixie’s got her beat. Damn, say that out loud.)

Stake Sauce Arc 1: The Secret Ingredient Is Love. No, Really comes out everywhere on Halloween, but you can add it now on Goodreads, and pre-order it on Gumroad! (Pre-ordering will also get you a free bonus short story!)

I’m super excited about this, and more Chameleon Moon, and can’t wait to share with you. Thank you so much!

About the Author:

RoAnna Sylver writes unusually hopeful dystopian and vampire stories about marginalized heroes actually surviving, triumphing, and rocking really hard. RoAnna is also a singer, blogger, voice actor and artist who lives with family and a small snorking dog, and probably spends too much time playing videogames. The next amazing adventure RoAnna would like is a nap in a pile of bunnies. You can support RoAnna directly on Patreon!

Links:

Twitter || Facebook || Amazon || GumRoad || Patreon