Author Spotlight: April Grace

a fantasy and fairytale-obsessed author

Readers, thanks for checking out another Author Spotlight Interview. Let’s give a good, hearty welcome to this week’s guest!

April Grace has always lived in Milton Keynes, and now lives with her boyfriend and, a few nights a week, his two cheeky sons. She has been writing young adult novels for twelve years now, which all started when she decided to write stories on Wattpad while she was supposed to be working hard on modules for her A Levels. (But she did go on to study Creative Writing at university the following year, so it all worked out in the end.)

She has worked for a popular UK bookstore, has temporarily worked for Ingram Spark’s Milton Keynes warehouse, was formerly the Head of Literature for a London-based charity providing creative opportunities for young people, and now owns her freelance editing company, Hooked On Words Editorial. She loves both reading and writing anything inspired by fairy tales and mythology. She couldn’t be more grateful for all of the love and support.

April, thanks for agreeing to be here today. Most author spotlight interviews start off with the boring stuff, but I know what readers REALLY want to know.

If you could have any pet (real/fantasy/no-allergies/no worries about feeding it) what would it be?

Probably a little dragon that wouldn’t grow big (or burn all of my books!) I think something between Eragon and Pascal from Tangled would be adorable! A cute companion that isn’t going to burn or eat me, basically.

I love your priorities. Maybe a dragon who just warms up your tea.

What do you write? And how did you get started?

I write YA fantasy, mainly retellings of fairytales or books that are inspired by them in some way, shape, or form.

My first published book, Steel Princess, is a futuristic fantasy with a cruel gynoid queen and a queendom full of pretentious androids and gynoids, but also their enemy kingdom, which the Steel City copied when magic was removed from their world as a punishment – with elves, sea monsters, mermaids and pirates. But my next release, The Girl Behind The Glass, will be a dark retelling of Snow White where the princess also has a stepsister and witchy friends who help her in her fight against the queen.

Ooo! I’m a huge fan of retellings.

What do you like to read?

The same as what I write – fantasy! Retellings of any kind always draw me in, or any fantasy book with a pretty cover. I’ve really gotten into indie books since making author friends through YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok. But I also enjoy some YA thrillers or comedies.

What a great mix! And there are a lot of really creative works coming out of the indie community.

What do you drink when you write/edit?

Way too many fizzy drinks, they’re my weakness.

Heh. We all have those days.

Do you snack when you write/edit? What are your favorites?

I keep trying to cut back, but when my writing is stalled, snacks are my savior.

I always have some kind of chocolate bar or biscuit beside me. To cut down, recently, I’ve started only eating these things on weekends, which is when I’m usually at home and doing my own thing.

Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice that doesn’t work for you

Hmmm…

I’m not sure I have anything, I try to take every bit of advice with a pinch of salt anyway. But I tend to just write what I love and see where that takes me.

Indeed, the only real rule is “do what works for you”. Following your heart leads to stories with more heart, so I’m a fan.

Name one commonly accepted piece of writing advice they can pry out of your cold, dead hands

Write what you love.

Write what works best for you, personally. The book you’ve always wanted to see on the shelf. It will feel right if you write what you love.

Indeed!

Shameless Self-Promotion time!

Steel Princess

TWO WORLDS: ONE OF MAGIC, ONE OF STEEL.

She just wants to belong.

Determined to fit in and connect with her human friends, android Silver has always felt like an outsider within her human traveling community. In Elysia, humans are seen as outsiders, their steel queen claiming every last one of them as rebels. They’ve always been on the run. Like her mother, Silver just wants to help others. But when cruel Queen Magnolia’s soldiers come looking for their missing princess, who was stolen by rebels when she was only three years old, Silver begins to unravel an endless string of secrets woven into the family she has always cared for. Could her parents have stolen her from the Elysian palace when she was small? Worse, could she be the princess they’re looking for?

After journeying to their Northern Mountain Sanctuary where her parents were born, Silver finds a new purpose: She must kill the cruel queen and take her throne before she destroys them all.

He only longs to know who he really is.

Tinker Eden has only ever known life in the palace lab. Taken from his home in the Northern Mountain Sanctuary when he was only three years old and brought to the palace, he spends his days working under the close supervision of Master Lennox, building, rebuilding, and repairing the Elysian royals until his fingers bleed. He knows nothing of his parents or their lives, and remembers barely a thing of his childhood, leaving far too many questions about his own life unanswered.
So when Master Lennox’s assistant reveals he’s been working with a community outside of Elysia and sends him to the Sanctuary where he was born to work on the missing princess, Eden seeks the opportunity to return home and learn more about where he came from.

When Silver and Eden meet, their connection is clear, but things don’t always go to plan. Kidnapped by pirates while searching for his parents at the Elysian harbour, Eden finds himself caught up in an adventure across the seas to Elysia’s magical enemy Kingdom of Panyria, who have plans to infiltrate the steel queendom.

He discovers a world full of magic, new friends, and the family he’s always wished he had.
Both only want to make the world a fairer place for everyone.

Check out April Grace across the web!