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 Lyndall Clipstone and her novel LAKESEDGE, and we have been interested in it ever since! We are so excited to have Lyndall on the blog today to answer some of our questions!
Lyndall Clipstone writes YA Gothic about monsters and the girls who like to kiss them. A former youth librarian, she has a Bachelors in Creative Writing and a Graduate Diploma in Library and Information Management. She is represented by Jill Grinberg at Jill Grinberg Literary Management.
The Book Bratz: First of all, congratulations! How does it feel to be a debut author?
Lyndall: Thank you so much! Honestly it feels very surreal. I’ve been working on LAKESEDGE on and off for almost ten years, and it’s still hard to believe that it will be an actual book! I’m so very excited for my story to be out in the world and in the hands of readers.
The Book Bratz: In your opinion, what's the best part of the writing process? What's the hardest?
Lyndall: My favourite part of the writing process is revisions – especially line edits, where I’m really digging into to the tiny details of each scene. I’ve loved working with my editor, and her suggestions have helped strengthen my writing in ways I’d never have been able to do on my own. The hardest part for me is drafting, always. Trying to get the perfectly envisaged story from my brain onto a blank page is always such a struggle! I’m still searching for ways to make the first draft stage fun – lately I’ve been doing writing sprints with friends, which has helped a lot.
The Book Bratz: Where did you get the idea for LAKESEDGE?
Lyndall: The basic premise for LAKESEDGE was The Secret Garden as a gothic romance. I wanted to write the sort of book I’d have loved to read as a teen. I drew inspiration from so many of my favourite things, including David Bowie as the Goblin King, Angela Carter’s vicious and empowering fairy tales, death and the maiden mythology, and Florence + the Machine’s Lungs album.
The Book Bratz: Who was your favorite character to write? Who was the most difficult?
Lyndall: Violeta, the main character, is definitely my favorite. In writing Leta, I tried to capture a time of life when the world feels immense and every emotion you have is vitally important. She’s both brave and foolish, full of good intentions even as she makes so many terrible choices. As for most difficult, probably the Lord Under. He’s the villain, but for all the truly awful things he does, he and Leta do have a very genuine emotional connection. I spent so much time trying not to make him too nice or too human!
The Book Bratz: What surprised you the most about the publishing process?
Lyndall: That I have made such wonderful friends. Publishing can at times be very stressful, lonely, and chaotic – but finding a community of other authors to share this experience with has been so uplifting. My bookshelf and my heart are both very full!
The Book Bratz: What do you hope that readers will take away from LAKESEDGE?
Lyndall: One of the strangest (and loveliest!) things about being an author is how my book will belong to readers, and it will have a meaning for them that is very different from what it means to me. It’s quite magical! So I’m not sure what I hope people will take away, but I hope they will enjoy LAKESEDGE and that reading it can be a beautiful escape from the real world – much as it was for me while I was writing it.
The Book Bratz: Do you plan on returning to the world of LAKESEDGE in the future, or do you have any other projects in mind? Can you tell us anything about them?
Lyndall: I will indeed return to the world of LAKESEDGE! A direct sequel, FORESTFALL, is set to publish in Fall 2022. I feel so lucky that I get to spend another book with these characters, and I’m so excited to share the conclusion of my series with readers next year. Aside from that… I do have a super secret project that I am currently drafting. It’s another gothic romance, but very different to LAKESEDGE. I’m falling very much in love with this story and characters, and I have my fingers crossed it will be published someday.
Title: Lakesedge
Author: Lyndall Clipstone
Publisher: Henry Holt
Publication Date: September 28th, 2021
Summary: There are monsters in the world. When Violeta Graceling arrives at haunted Lakesedge estate, she expects to find a monster. She knows the terrifying rumors about Rowan Sylvanan, who drowned his entire family when he was a boy. But neither the estate nor the monster are what they seem. There are monsters in the woods. As Leta falls for Rowan, she discovers he is bound to the Lord Under, the sinister death god lurking in the black waters of the lake. A creature to whom Leta is inexplicably drawn…There’s a monster in the shadows, and now it knows my name. Now, to save Rowan—and herself—Leta must confront the darkness in her past, including unraveling the mystery of her connection to the Lord Under.
Thank you so much to Lyndall for stopping by and answering our questions! We are super excited about LAKESEDGE and can't wait for it to be out in the world on September 28th!
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