In our weekly feature, we will take you behind the scenes with some of the talented authors who have been interviewed on Beyond the Pages by Deb McIlroy & Erin Shea on our YouTube channel. Get a glimpse into their creative process, inspiration, and the stories behind their stories. Stay tuned for exclusive insights and anecdotes from the minds behind some of your favorite books.
What was your motivation for writing your latest book? Can you elaborate on the process behind it?
Honestly, I had the last scene in my head for quite some time, but mainly when I read fantasy it was traditional magic or fantasy worlds, and I knew my story had an urban aspect to it. When I read Crescent City, I realised that fantasy could be both traditional and contemporary.
That was when I sat down and started writing. And the book just flowed.
This week, we have the pleasure of chatting with Danielle Drummond, the talented author of A Kingdom of Curses - The Emergence.
One forgotten sin. A thousand deadly consequences.
Paege Vailenbyrg has always been an outsider in the Wolf-ruled kingdom of Elyndria. As a half-Fae, half-Human hybrid, she's considered an aberration. Despite her efforts to discover her place in a world made to reject her, Paege finds herself unexpectedly embroiled in a web of secrets, lies, and unreliable magic. All of it threatens to shatter the fragile sense of safety she has managed to build around herself.
Caught between two worlds, Paege must navigate shifting alliances and uncover long-buried secrets. The fate of the kingdom hangs in the balance as she becomes a pawn in a much larger game. Can she trust the enigmatic Wolf shifter, Guy Braxtion, whose dark past is as tangled as her own? Or the notorious bad boy heir, Quentin Ishaan, whose sudden interest in her raises more questions than answers?
A Kingdom bound by curses.
As the danger escalates, Paege is forced to embrace her true nature and harness her volatile Fae powers. But with powerful forces conspiring against her, a single misstep could unravel the very fabric of their world. Can Paege uncover the truth about the "Original Sin" cursing the kingdom before it's too late, or will she be consumed by the chaos threatening to tear her world apart?
Could you describe your writing routine and how you maintain focus and creativity throughout the process?
My writing routine primarily revolves around walking. I always walk before a writing session. It clears my mind and spurs my creativity. Sometimes I light candles and sometimes I play music, sometimes I might visit my local cafe. That all differs depending on how I feel and how over stimulated I am. Sometimes, I need pure silence.
Walking though, always remains consistent. I will walk when I get blocked too. If I am stuck om something, I go for a walk and it will nine times out of ten come to me within the first couple of minutes of walking outside.
Which themes resonate strongly in your writing, and what draws you to these particular themes?
Resilience is probably one of the most common themes in all of my writing. Resilience in the face of adversity. None of my FMC’s ever start out strong. I do this because I want them to earn their place, their title, whatever ever it is they are fighting for.
I guess that comes from personal experience. Nothing comes easy. Life is hard for most of us. We work hard and grow with every difficult challenge the world throws at us. And I like my writing and themes to reflect that.
What message or impression do you hope to convey to your readers through your work?
This is a hard one, because I feel like everyone will take what they need from a story or a character’s journey. Honestly, I just want my readers to enjoy the book. However, I write a lot of trauma and healing from trauma. So I guess if there was one thing I would like my readers to take away, if they needed it, was that trauma doesn’t define you. It doesn’t have to hold you back. Support is out there, healing is possible. Use your trauma to fuel your journey on a path forward. And that you are not alone. My characters might be in a fantasy world, but their experiences have come from somewhere.
What is your approach to crafting character arcs, and how do you ensure that they are relatable to readers?
I always think about where they start and where I want them to end. I created a character Bio Sheet that I have built up along the way, and as I am building characters I like to think of what challenges they have faced, what their motivations are, do they have any secrets and why would they. What happened in their past and how did they react to those challenges. What are their flaws and what do the other characters like about them. What is their family like, etcetera, etcetera. This helps me build a well-rounded character. Not all characters are meant to be liked. It’s not about building a likable character, it’s about building a believable character. But I need to have my characters grow. So whatever their story is, I need a clear path from a to z. And all of their characteristics helps me get them there.
How do you tackle the challenge of pacing in your narratives? What techniques do you use to keep readers engaged?
Pacing can be tricky as everyone’s opinion of pacing differs. Some people love fast action on every page, others don’t mind if its slows in parts. I think the most important thing for me is to ensure that every chapter has a purpose. I ask myself “what is this chapter telling or teaching me?”
In what ways do you incorporate feedback from your peers or readers into your writing?
I love feedback. Do I always take it on? No, absolutely not. But I love it because it helps me see a different perspective. See the story or chapter through a different lense. My editor is the queen of feedback. I cherish her feedback. I am also actually very lucky to have some wonderful Beta readers and writing friends too. I find that I know my story inside out and everyone’s back story and triggers etc. So what may seem so obvious to me, is usually not to the reader who knows only what is on the page so far.
What has been the most surprising or rewarding part of your writing journey so far?
The most surprising part of my journey so far was learning or realising how supportive the writing community is. I was so scared to put myself out there, but the moment I did, I met the most amazing people. I have made some lifelong friends. Friends that get me, the unfiltered me. I don’t need to fit into a box or need to be anything really. I am so grateful to all of them, because without them, I would never have been able to do this.
Oh and getting the very first paperback proof copy of my book might just be the highlight of my writing career.
How do you make your settings come alive in your stories? Are there particular methods you use?
My imagination is wild, and I have full movies playing in my mind when I am writing a scene, so this is what I use to inspire my settings. But I do a lot of research, google images and Pinterest is my best friend when trying to figure out how things would look. Luckily, being fantasy, I can be as creative as I like. Interestingly, sometimes its obscure shapes or random photo’s that prompt settings in my head.
However at the end of the day, I always ask myself these things: What can my character see, smell, feel, taste or hear. This way I encapsulate everything.
What are the common misconceptions people have about being a writer that you would like to address?
That you earn money from writing. *Insert laugh here* If people only knew what authors make. It’s pennies compared to other artists, But that’s ok, because most of us don’t write for this reason. We write because we love creating worlds and characters so that people can escape reality and find a little bit of joy, or possibly heartbreak, depending on the book.
Could you share an experience where you faced significant criticism, and how did it affect your work?
I’ve faced a lot of criticism, and it always affects me mentally. I won’t share a particular moment, because I don’t think that is fair. But, it is the hardest thing to have someone tell you they don’t like a character, or that your story isn’t good, or that your characters lack depth etc. But at the end of the day, we can’t please everyone. And everyone is entitled to their opinions. They are not wrong to feel that way, it’s just that for whatever reason they didn’t connect.
I have to tell myself every day at the moment, as reviews are currently coming in, that is okay if someone doesn’t like my writing, or the world or Paege my FMC. I don’t need to change anything. They don’t connect for a reason. Oh, its so hard tough. It breaks my heart every time. Not going to lie.
The only exception to this is if I send it to beta’s and they all came back saying the same thing, then I would look at it from a constructive criticism perspective and try to improve on it.
What role does a supportive writing community play in your life as an author? How has it influenced you?
I think I touched on this above, but the writing community has supported me so much in this journey. From general assistance when I had no idea what I was doing, to emotional support when things where going wrong. Not to mention they have all been my biggest cheerleaders too. Its funny, we are all out there trying to break into a market that is flooded and yet we all push each other’s works out there. We buy each others books, we share posts on Socials, we spread the word. This community is a family and everyone is so amazing. I feel truly honoured to be a part of it.
What advice would you give aspiring authors when it comes to getting published? Any tips on navigating the publishing landscape?
I would love to give advice, but even I am still learning. I think the most important things I have learnt are this.
Write the novel. Just wrote it. The first draft, doesn’t need to be perfect. It can be messy and confusing and whatever else. But just write it.
Download or take advantage of other authors free resources. There are so many out there.
Pay for an editor. Pay for two. Even if you are querying. Don’t rely on the inbuilt programs in word etc, they suck. They take away a writers voice. And your voice, your style is important.
And don’t be discouraged. There is more than one way to become published. If querying doesn’t work, talk to your local writing community and ask about self-publishing. Writers love helping other writers. Self-publishing is not as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest part is marketing, but that responsibility lies with you whether you self-publish or trad publish.
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