Some Thoughts with ... Linden A. Lewis

1.- Could you introduce yourself to Jamreads’ readers?
Hi there! I’m Linden, a queer writer, cosplayer, and larper currently living in Madrid.

2.- When was your first experience writing fiction?
I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. One of my first “books” was about a cheetah in the world of the Lion King, and I also drew illustrations to go with it. I was probably 5 or 6 years old? And I haven’t stopped writing since then!

3.- You were part of the Odyssey Workshop 2016. How would you say it affected your life and writing?
It changed everything about my life, no exaggeration. I knew I wanted to be a published author, but not only did it equip me with the writing skills and industry knowledge to actually do that, I also met a lot of invaluable friends and fellow writers there. Rebecca Kuang, Farah Naz Rishi, Joshua Johnson, Pablo Valcárcel Castro—all my classmates! It’s also where I met my partner that I eventually married, haha. 

4.- You debuted with The First Sister trilogy; how would you describe the experience?
Honestly? A mixed bag. TFS came out in 2020 deep in the pandemic, and that was a tough time for debut authors. I am very lucky that TFS found a level of success in the months following its release, but it was a hard and stressful road to walk. Still, I am thankful for every single reader that picked up the book and supported me! I wouldn’t still be in the industry without each and every reader. 

5.- Halfheart is your next novel. How would you describe its inception and the original idea behind it?
Halfheart came to me from a single idea: what if grief could fuel magic? I’d just lost a lot of loved ones in my life, and the grief built up in my body in such a way I felt I could set the world on fire with my mind… and the rest just developed from that seed. 

6.- Mordrena Halfheart goes far from the classical hero archetype of fantasy. What was your idea when creating her?
Aww, thank you, that’s a nice compliment. I wanted to write a woman my age who was physically strong but also burnt out, mostly because of the loss she’d experienced, and Mor came to me almost fully formed. Even her family appeared in my head as I developed the world. Her sneakiness and humor happen to be similar to my own as well, though hopefully, I’ve dealt with my trauma better. 

7.- During this novel, you played a lot with the own narration and forms of storytelling. Why you took this decision?
I was trying to figure out how to arrange the story between Mor’s past and present, as well as how to add in the other point of view character, Seven, and I was having trouble finding a way to make it both interesting and easy for readers to understand. Frustrated, I went out for a jog, and while I was sweating on some Alabama back road, the voice of a character came to me so strongly that I immediately knew this god, this Storyteller, was our narrator. As soon as I started listening to him, everything made sense and fell into place easily. I actually have a Google doc somewhere full of stuff the Storyteller yapped about that never made it into the book. He doesn’t exactly shut up…

8.- What does Linden A. Lewis like to do in their free time?
I read a lot, but also probably play too many video games. I larp and cosplay when I can, too. Honestly, I just enjoy engaging with stories in any form I can get ahold of them! I’d also love to travel more. Maybe some book cons in the future?

‘9.- What can we expect from Linden A. Lewis in the future?
I’m currently working on an ecopunk mecha book, which I expect to come out in 2027! It’s called THE RAGE OF PLANETS and is probably my angriest book yet.