An Interview with Elizabeth Richards

The Reading Cafe would like to welcome Elizabeth Richards. Elizabeth has just released her debut novel, Black City, last week. Before we start her Interview, lets look at her bio…

Elizabeth Richards is an award-winning journalist, who spent her early career reviewing videogames before making the bold (or crazy) move into travel writing, despite suffering from terrible travel sickness.

In her spare time, she ran a successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls, where she got to interview many of her favourite bands, go to gigs and basically blag loads of free swag all in the name of ‘research’.

Elizabeth lives in Buckinghamshire, England, with her husband. Black City is her debut novel.

Hi Elizabeth.  Thank you for taking the time today, to answer some questions for your fans at The Reading Café.  We are always looking forward to reading about the author behind the book.

Elizabeth: Thanks for having me!

TRC: Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Elizabeth: I’m a thirty-something sci-fi and fantasy geek, who spends her spare time reading books about supernatural boys and daydreaming about dystopian worlds.

TRC: Did you always have an interest in writing?  When and how did you first start writing?

Elizabeth: Yes, writing has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember. I often wrote short stories when I was a little girl, but I started taking it more seriously when I was a teenager and by the time I was fifteen I was writing full length novels and film scripts. I would lock myself away in my bedroom and feverishly write late into the night, then bring my notebooks into school and scribble away during break (and sometimes in class too, if the lesson was particularly boring). I was addicted to writing and by the time I left sixth form college (having spent all my study periods working on my novels instead of doing my homework) I knew I wanted to do it as a profession.

TRC: You have quite a resume as an award-winning journalist. Have you been able to apply any of your knowledge & experience into your writing?

Elizabeth: Yes, most definitely. I learnt how to write to deadlines and deal with a crazy workload, how to self-edit, and most importantly how to cope with criticism (not everyone agreed with my reviews/articles and they were pretty vocal about it, lol!). Writing is a business, and my time writing for magazines helped me learn that, so you quickly develop a thick skin and don’t take things too personally when crit partners/agents/editors suggest you revise something.

TRC: On your website, we see that you ran successful lifestyle website aimed at teenage girls.  Do you still do this? How do you feel this has helped you in writing YA?

Elizabeth: I stopped running the website when I decided to have a real go at writing and getting a book published, because it requires so much time and effort to write a novel, especially when you’ve got a full time job, so something had to give. I really enjoyed the experience and I certainly think it helped me write YA, as I started to get a better understanding of the issues affecting girls these days, what their interests were, trends that sort of thing. I also learnt a lot more about YA authors and the market, as I was interviewing them and reviewing the books so that’s helped me in my own career.

TRC: We also noticed that you are an identical twin.  Does your twin help give you ideas in writing your books?  🙂

Elizabeth: Yes, she does. She’s an amazing sounding board to bounce ideas off when I’m stuck on something. It really is like chatting to a version of myself – she instantly gets what I’m on about and so we can shorthand things – I don’t need to do lengthy explanations, and we’re totally on the same wavelength. She’s been a marvelous help over the years.

TRC: How were you notified that Black City was to be published?  Was this your first submission?

Elizabeth: It was my first submission with an agent, although it wasn’t the first book I ever wrote. That hot mess was a contemporary novel called Raising Lazarus that failed to even get me an agent. It was a good learning experience though, and I don’t think Black City would’ve been the book is it today if I hadn’t had a practice run at it and made all those rookie mistakes!

Because I’m UK based and my agent and publisher are in the US, I was actually notified via email that Black City had been picked up. My agent forwarded Putnam’s offer at around ten-thirty at night. I’ve never been so shocked or delighted in all my life. I re-read the email a dozen times, not quite believing it, before having a small meltdown (lots of happy tears and jumping up and down), then I phoned everybody telling them the good news, despite the hour. I was so thrilled! I’ve still got the email archived away, and I occasionally look at it and just pinch myself. So much has happened in the past year and I can’t believe how lucky I am, I feel so blessed.

TRC: Black City was released last week (November 13^th). Can you please tell us something about the premise of the book?

Elizabeth: Here’s the official synopsis, which I think sums it up best:

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable — they fall in love.

Bonded by a mysterious connection, that causes Ash’s long dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught they’ll be executed —but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

TRC: How did you come up with the idea for this series, and how many books do you plan for this series?

Elizabeth: The idea for Black City developed over a period of months, but it all started with Ash. His character popped into my head one night when I was watching a movie, and I just couldn’t get him out of my mind. I was fascinated by this drug-dealing, supernatural boy who gets a heartbeat when he meets his true love, and the instant the movie finished I wrote a quick scene between Ash and his best friend Beetle. From that, the plot, the world and the characters of Black City developed, but it all began with Ash. 

Black City is a trilogy, and the second book is currently scheduled for release in Summer 2013.

TRC: Black City is categorized a Young Adult genre.  Why did you decide to write Young Adult?  Do you plan to stay in YA, or would you like to try other genres? 

Elizabeth: I’ve been a fan of MG and YA books for years – the stories just resonate with me more (mainly because I’m still a teenager at heart), so it seemed like the natural choice to write a YA novel when I finally plucked up enough courage to give it a go. I plan to stay in YA, at least for the foreseeable future, but I have always wanted to write an MG action book for boys, so we’ll see!

TRC: What are you working on today?

Elizabeth: I’m currently revising Book #2 of the Black City series, finishing up the first draft of Book #3 and working a little on my option book. So keeping busy! 

TRC: Many authors have friends or family, that they bounce ideas and information back and forth.  Do you have anyone you like to discuss your story with?

Elizabeth: Yes, in addition to my twin-sister, who I mentioned earlier, I also bounce ideas off my husband and also one of my closest friends – who also happens to be an author – named Tracy Buchanan. We’ve been friends for years as we worked at the same publishing company, and we encouraged each other to write our first ever books. We’ve been incredibly invested in each other’s careers ever since and chat every day about books, books and more books. We’re obsessed! I’m also very lucky to have a close group of friends, all of whom are experienced journalists, who I discuss ideas with as well.

TRC: Do you have a favorite author or book that has inspired you?

Elizabeth: JK Rowling has been a great inspiration to me. I just fell in love with the Harry Potter series and it really got me hooked on MG and YA books.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Elizabeth: I just want to say a big ‘Thank You’ to everyone who bought Black City and supported me over recent months with your kind words, emails, tweets, interviews and reviews. It’s truly been the best time of my life and that’s down to you guys, so THANK YOU!  I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food: Yorkshire Pudding (a classic British savory food. Om noms!)

Favorite Dessert: Banoffee Pie. 

Favorite TV Show: Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Favorite Movie: Jaws.

Last Book You Read: Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (ARC) 

Favorite Fictional Character (not your own): Harry Potter.

Milk or Dark Chocolate: Milk.

Thank you Elizabeth, for taking the time to answer our questions.  We wish you the best of luck with Black City.  Please keep us informed about your upcoming new releases, as we look forward to working with you again.

Elizabeth: Thanks!

If you would like to know more about Elizabeth, you can find her at the following sites.

Website: http://officialelizabethrichards.com/
Twitter:
Facebook:
Goodreads: