I feel like my ideas come from so many different facets of life. Books, television, movies, and the people I interact with. Everything influences my writing in some shape or form.

Sabrina Albis – 7 November 2018

The Back Flap

After the defeat of The Demon Queen Bianca and her army of minions, Autumn Kingston can’t wait to return to her ordinary life. With graduation approaching and her romance with Rick thriving, everything seems perfect. That is until Autumn sees a headline in the local newspaper that blindsides her and everything begins to unravel. Students at Whitan High are acting strange, kids are going missing, and Ryan Garrison, the mysterious guidance counselor, appears to know more than he is letting on. Determined to figure out more about the disappearances and Ryan Garrison, Autumn, Rick, Mandy, Nathaniel and Eric take matters into their own hands. But the more they investigate, the more secrets they uncover and the more dangerous their mission to discover the truth about Ryan and the abductions becomes.

About the book

What is the book about?

A Dusk without Dawn picks up where my last novel A Night without Stars left off. After the defeat of The Demon Queen in the last book, Autumn is trying to get back to her normal life but fate has other plans for her. The strange occurrences in Whitan draw Autumn, Rick, Mandy, Nathaniel and Eric back into the web of the supernatural world.

When did you start writing the book?

I wrote this book directly after finishing my first draft of A Night without Stars. However, since beginning the editing process for A Dusk without Dawn, the final draft morphed into a completely different story compared to the original.

How long did it take you to write it?

From the first draft until now, it has taken about five years, give or take.

Where did you get the idea from?

I have always envisioned Autumn Kingston’s story to be a trilogy, at the very least. So after writing A Night without Stars, A Dusk without Dawn just came to me very organically. I feel like my ideas come from so many different facets of life. Books, television, movies, and the people I interact with. Everything influences my writing in some shape or form. I often use my own life experiences to develop my characters and create my stories as well.

Were there any parts of the book where you struggled?

Editing! It is definitely a necessary evil, especially when you are self-publishing. I truly enjoy the creative process more than revising my manuscripts.

What came easily?

I find writing character dialogue is often easy for me. I am big on talking and listening, so writing conversations between characters is always enjoyable for me.      

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

I would like to think there are some fragments of me in my main character Autumn. She is brave, honest and loyal to a fault. Those are the positive qualities I personally strive to possess, so I was adamant she possessed those qualities as well. Also, some of the characters introduced in A Dusk without Dawn are most definitely inspired by members of my actual family.

Do you have a target reader for this book?

A Dusk without Dawn, much like A Night without Stars, can be read by adults and teens alike but I would say the target demographic for my book is definitely young adults.

How was writing this book different from what you’d experienced writing previous books?

This book came to me much easier. With my first novel, I was starting from the beginning, honing my craft and learning the basics of novel writing. I had written before. Mostly poetry, articles and stories but a novel is a totally different animal. The passion and perseverance it requires to complete is something I think many people underestimate. But the writing process for A Dusk without Dawn felt significantly more relaxed and stress-free.

What new things did you learn about writing, publishing, and/or yourself while writing and preparing this book?

With my first book I think I lacked confidence. There was a certain hesitation because it was my first novel and I was treading on untraversed terrain. With A Dusk without Dawn I felt surer of myself and my writing skills. I no longer felt as though I had anything to prove in terms of my writing. I write because it’s my passion. Telling stories is something I enjoy doing that I can’t live without. This realization made writing this book a complete labor of love and I’m absolutely thrilled to finally share it with the world.

End of Interview:

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Get your copy of A Dusk Without Dawn from Amazon US or Amazon UK.