I remember reading so many YA novels and thinking, “What a goody-two-shoes! No way that would happen!” … This book is for all the girls who are tired of thinking there’s something ‘wrong’ with them because they don’t have the pure-as-driven-snow outlook that female YA heroines today so often seem to share.

LC Coyle – 7 January 2015

The Back Flap

What’s it like to grow up dragon? 16-year-old human/dragon hybrid Rose Sorenson will tell it to you straight. Here is all the magic of mythology clashing with the perilous journey of high school – from intrigues with ancient dragon royalty to riding in cars with boys. Irreverent and compulsively readable, Rose’s story will resonate long after the final page.

About the book

What is the book about?

The Drakon is about a human/dragon girl, Rose Sorenson, growing up in present-day New Jersey. As a human, she faces the dangers of high school, her overcritical mother, and her perfectionist sister. As a dragon, she’s just been chosen to marry into the royal family. Her new fiancé is a known Lothario, and her new job as his royal consort is turning out to be a major pain in the ass. When she meets a handsome stranger with a dubious past, she must choose between loyalty to the dragons – or love as a human girl.

When did you start writing the book?

September 2015.

How long did it take you to write it?

I started outlining and researching in September, and finished in December.

Where did you get the idea from?

My inspiration came from the legend of the Jersey Devil. For centuries, people have described sightings of a mysterious winged creature flying above New Jersey. When I researched further, I found references of the creature going back even further – all the way to the first Lenape tribes. I thought, ‘What if there’s really something there?’

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Definitely the action scenes.

What came easily?

The relationship between Rose and her sister, Sage, came very naturally to me. The relationship between Rose and John, the human boy she meets, was harder than I thought it would be.

Are your characters entirely fictitious or have you borrowed from real world people you know?

Almost all of my characters are amalgamations of people that I know. I’ll take twenty percent of that guy, forty percent of this one – you get the idea. Hana, Rose’s best friend, is the closest to being entirely fictional.

We all know how important it is for writers to read. Are there any particular authors that have influenced how you write and, if so, how have they influenced you?

Oh, definitely. I’m always inspired by the down-to-earth quality in Meg Cabot’s or Janet Evanovich’s writing. To an extent, I feel the same way about the poetry of William Carlos Williams and Billy Collins. It’s important to me to include both poetry and prose in my reading schedule; I couldn’t have one without the other.

Do you have a target reader?

My target reader is a female, probably between 14-35, who’s always enjoyed YA or New Adult literature but may be frustrated by the lack of realistic morality in some characters. I remember reading so many YA novels and thinking, “What a goody-two-shoes! No way that would happen!” … This book is for all the girls who are tired of thinking there’s something ‘wrong’ with them because they don’t have the pure-as-driven-snow outlook that female YA heroines today so often seem to share. I want my readers to enjoy Rose for who she is: someone honestly and unflinchingly grappling with her impulses and emotions, not someone who jumps moral hurdles like an Olympian and then pats themselves on the back for not tripping.

About Writing

Do you have a writing process? If so can you please describe it?

The one thing I need to start writing is five minutes alone with whatever I wrote the day before – to get back into the groove of it, and remember where I was headed before I stopped for the night.

Do you outline? If so, do you do so extensively or just chapter headings and a couple of sentences? I

f there’s such a thing as over-outlining, I’m guilty of it. I outline down to the scene with a few sentences per 500-1000 words. Half the time my outlines don’t work anyway, because once I actually start to write my characters, they (of course) tell me, “I’d never do that! I’m gonna do this instead!” Then I corral them in the best I can and move forward. I’d rather have my characters stay true to themselves than force them into actions they wouldn’t take.

Do you edit as you go or wait until you’ve finished? Both.

I edit constantly.

Do you listen to music while you write? If yes, what gets the fingers tapping?

Usually, I find it difficult to listen to music while writing. I get too into the songs and forget what I’m writing about. I will admit to listening to One Direction and We The Kings pretty much on loop while writing my romance scenes, though.

About Publishing

Did you submit your work to Agents?

No.

What made you decide to go Indie, whether self-publishing or with an indie publisher? Was it a particular event or a gradual process?

I started considering self-publishing because J.A. Konrath is such a big supporter of it. I’ve admired his work for years and years and had no idea he was such a big presence in the self-publishing industry. Eventually I realized, I can always try to land an agent later. But I want to see what I can do on my own.

Did you get your book cover professionally done or did you do it yourself?

Professionally. No way I could have made that!

Do you have a marketing plan for the book or are you just winging it?

My “plan” is just to try and rack up some good reviews, hopefully rise up the Amazon ranking a bit. Does that count?

Any advice that you would like to give to other newbies considering becoming Indie authors?

I feel unqualified to answer this, to be honest. I feel like a newbie myself. The one thing I’d tell myself if I could do this all again is STOP STRESSING. It’s good to work hard, but don’t forget to put the book down once in a while, too.

About You

Where did you grow up? I

grew up outside of Trenton, New Jersey.

Where do you live now?

Right now, I live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

What would you like readers to know about you?

I’d like my readers to know that I’m sorry for the cliff-hanger at the end!

End of Interview:

For more from LC Coyle, visit her website, follow her on Twitter, or like her Facebook page.

Get your copy of The Drakon from Amazon US or Amazon UK.