In 2019, we made it our goal is to work with as many debut authors as possible and to spread the word about their debut novels. It was such a success last year that we decided to continue the fun for years to come! Follow us this year as we pick the minds of the 2021 debuts and chat with them about their writing process and what it's like to be a new author. Also stay tuned for news of giveaways, Twitter chats, and more!
At the end of 2020, we Tweeted about wanting to discover more debut authors and their books. We ended up finding Allison Saft and her novel DOWN COMES THE NIGHT, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Allison on the blog today to answer some of our questions!
Allison Saft was born in a Philadelphia blizzard and has been chasing the sun ever since. After receiving her MA in English Literature from Tulane University, she moved from the Gulf Coast to the West Coast, where she spends her time hiking the redwoods and practicing aerial silks.
The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?
Allison: Thank you so much! :) It’s a weird time to debut, to say the very least. But even on the days it’s hard or stressful or uncertain, it’s still an absolute dream come true. Connecting with early readers--and knowing that the characters that have lived in my head for so long are theirs, too, now--is something like magic.
The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?
Allison: My favorite part of the writing process is research! I draw a lot on real-world history when I write secondary-world fantasy, so it always feels serendipitous when I find an event or figure or movement that really gels with my concept. I also love to revise, once all the big-picture stuff is nailed down. Drawing out the emotional and thematic richness of a book during line edits is always the most fun for me. As for the hardest part… I would say it’s outlining. I’m not the kind of writer who feels like they have more ideas than they do time, and I can’t start writing without a solid plan. I often feel the most frustrated and dispirited when plotting, like the book will never take shape and I shall never write ever again. It’s very dramatic. But once I see a way through the plot, it tends to be smooth sailing through a first draft!
The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for DOWN COMES THE NIGHT?
Allison: I write romantic fantasy, so my story ideas tend to emerge from a romance dynamic I want to explore! The idea for Down Comes the Night came from a horrible years-long obsession with a ship that never happened and never would (mostly because the characters never once spoke to each other). All I knew is that I wanted to write about a girl who must heal her sickly enemy; the plot and worldbuilding fell into place around that!
The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?
Allison: Honestly, Lowry was really fun to write since he’s so over-the-top... But Wren, my main character, is still my favorite! Many readers have described her (lovingly) as a disaster, which is 100% true. She makes some bad decisions, sometimes lets her fear get the best of her, and has a hard time believing anyone could love her. But she changes so much over the course of the book, and that journey was so rewarding to write. Plus, since she’s a healer, her narrative voice allowed me to use lots of medical/anatomical imagery! I had way too much fun with that. Hal was definitely the most difficult character to write, since he doesn’t like to talk much. He’s always been so clear in my head, but getting his personality fully onto the page took a few drafts. I would fear going back to the first draft and seeing how many lines of dialogue he actually had!
The Book Bratz: Are there any other books or authors who give you inspiration for your own writing?
Allison: I draw a ton of inspiration from shounen manga; it’s what I grew up reading! I think you can definitely see the influence since my books tend to have power-of-friendship type themes... Beyond that, Margaret Rogerson, Naomi Novik, Maggie Stiefvater, and Melissa Bashardoust were the writers who showed me the kinds of books I wanted to write when I decided to pursue fiction writing as a career. All of them are incredible, interesting prose stylists whose characters I’d lay down my life for.
The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from DOWN COMES THE NIGHT?
Allison: At its heart, Down Comes the Night is a book about healing. That love and compassion for others can be a way of healing yourself--and hopefully, maybe someday, the world.
The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of DOWN COMES THE NIGHT in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?
Allison: I don’t have any plans to return to the world of DOWN COMES THE NIGHT currently, but it truly means the world to me when I receive messages asking for more Halwren content. Maybe I will write some bonus content someday! As for other projects, I have another standalone romantic fantasy coming out in winter 2022! I think fans of The Scorpio Races and Fullmetal Alchemist will find lots to love. It’s about a magical foxhunt.
Title: Down Comes the Night
Author: Allison Saft
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: March 2nd, 2021
Summary: Wren Southerland is the most talented healer in the Queen’s Guard, but her reckless actions have repeatedly put her on thin ice with her superiors. So when a letter arrives from a reclusive lord, asking Wren to come to his estate to cure his servant from a mysterious disease, she seizes the chance to prove herself. When she arrives at Colwick Hall, Wren realizes that nothing is what it seems. Particularly when she discovers her patient is actually Hal Cavendish, the sworn enemy of her kingdom. As the snowy mountains make it impossible to leave the estate, Wren and Hal grow closer as they uncover a sinister plot that could destroy everything they hold dear. But choosing love could doom both their kingdoms.
Thank you so much to Allison for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about DOWN COMES THE NIGHT and can't wait for it to be out in the world on March 2nd!
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