Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Today’s story is a bit off-the-wall—maybe literally! Rose Green is going to tell us about the wacky science fiction novel, Mind Over Antimatter! 

Rose: I’m Rose Green, author and illustrator, and my latest work is Mind Over Antimatter, a middle grade science fiction novel.

Thirteen-year-old Cole Uribe can’t believe his luck when an invention contest wins him top security clearance. His mission: pose as the grandson of inventor Nicolás Araya and find Araya’s plans for the micro-black-hole-powered storage device—before Alzheimer’s erases Araya’s mind for good. Except…Cole’s not the only kid claiming to be Marcelo Araya. And one of them is telling the truth.

Can a real grandson, a fake grandson, a nosy neighbor girl, and the greatest mind ever to lose brain cells be a match for a top-secret, most ruthless organization?

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Rose: Mix a little Nicola Tesla, a little Terry Pratchett, and an unusual landscape in Idaho and you end up with this book.

Sabitha: Sounds wild! We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Rose: I like to be hands-on when I write. I want to really know what the characters are experiencing. While I could not play with black holes, I did crawl through some lava caves. Location is always important to me in writing, so a lot of my process is me going out and experiencing something there, and then coming home to write about it.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Rose: Some favorite middle grade books include Brandon Sanderson’s Alcatraz series, Frank Cottrell Boyce’s book Cosmic, and books by Kenneth Oppel.

Sabitha: When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like?

Rose: That smart kid in your life who reads a lot, thinks a lot of complex thoughts, and maybe hasn’t quite figured out how to fit into the world yet. Underneath, though, they are really cool (and hopefully will someday recognize that).

Sabitha: Does the location the story takes place mean something to you or to the work?

Rose: Definitely! Idaho is such a little known state—people think potatoes, and that’s it. But it’s got this interesting farmer-scholar combo going; people value education greatly but also love the wild. A lot of people speak more than one language there. And you can go to Yellowstone in the morning and catch a nice string quartet visiting your local university from New York in the evening. The first town in the US to run on nuclear power is in southern Idaho. Television as we know it was developed by someone from Idaho. I wanted to capture all of that.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Rose: You can catch up on my writing and illustrating on my website. Meanwhile, Mind Over Antimatter is available in print and ebook form from a variety of sources; see this link for more information.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: It’s a thrilling day today! We’ve got Cheryl Peña here to tell us about her three novels, The House of Wynne Lift, Descent of the Vile, and The Blood Hotel. Cheryl, can you tell us a bit about your creative works?

Cheryl: Most of my work is science fiction that deals with common themes of perception versus reality and issues related to starting over later in life.  As a writer who debuted at 50 years old, I feel like older protagonists are often left out of genre fiction.  They’re often side characters, but rarely the main character.  Therefore, most (but not all) of my protagonists are older, at least thirties, but often more.  I feel that people are never too old to contribute to society or make a difference.

Sabitha: I completely agree with that! Can you tell us what inspired you to write your most recent book?

Cheryl: The latest novel is The Blood Hotel, which is a sequel to my first novel, Descent of the Vile.  I got the idea for it when my friend, author Hermione Lee, suggested there could be more to the story, as I’d originally thought it would be a standalone novel.  But there was a lot of room to add to the narrative, and it came together very quickly.  I already had a title that sounded right, so I created the plot around the title.

Sabitha: Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Cheryl: Definitely.  I usually write to classical music, so I played Ludovico Einaudi and Stephan Moccio a lot.  I also listened to Bryan Ferry and Franz Ferdinand when the mood was a little more up-tempo. 

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Cheryl: Descent of the Vile was inspired after watching all three films in the Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy back-to-back and having a nightmare that night.  The dream became the opening sequence for the book, which featured Simon Pegg (naturally) as Jackson Riley, having a really bad day.  So, he’s the person I pictured as I wrote the books.

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Cheryl: I had to figure out how to relate to Jackson as the books were told from his point of view.  Although my first book, a suspense thriller novella called The House of Wynne Lift, featured an all-male cast, I wanted to portray Jackson as realistically as possible.  I did a lot of research writing the novella, but I did even more for the novels to understand the male psyche and how it differs from others.  I also took acting classes, which helped me learn to internalize the role I was writing so that I could imagine myself in that character’s place.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Cheryl: You can find me at my website, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. My books are on Amazon—you can find The House of Wynne Lift, Descent of the Vile, and The Blood Hotel.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Merlina Garance joins us to talk about their queer mystery romance, The Flourishing. Merlina, describe this fascinating book!

Merlina: The Flourishing is a lesbian romance novel set during a police investigation. When Andy Campbell, Detective Inspector in Leicester, gets assigned the case of Mr Parry’s disappearance, she expects to find nothing else than an umpteenth marriage ruined by a husband taking off with his mistress. Instead, she ends up investigating a murder case, and struggling to fight her attraction for Mrs Parry. When she realises the feelings are mutual, things definitely get complicated…

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Merlina: It’s a bit of a silly story. A very good friend of mine lives in Mexico and we have tried several times to exchange mail, but it always gets awfully delayed by the postman in his town. So we thought it would be funny to get revenge by writing a story about the postman going missing. Somewhere along the way, the postman disappeared and a romance plot came to me, because I cannot help myself.

Sabitha: That is delightful! We have a lot of writers in our community. Can you share your writing process?

Merlina: It includes a lot of daydreaming. I write most of the scenes in my mind while on the bus, or while walking or driving. Then I frantically type up the gist of it on my phone and then stay up for hours turning that into proper scenes. When the inspiration stops randomly striking, that’s when I need to pick up a notebook and start the real work: making character sheets, writing a timeline, cross-checking all that information… It’s not as fun as the first part but it’s what ties it all together.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Merlina: My real answer would be Le Coeur Cousu by Carole Martinez, but it’s in French and hasn’t been translated as far as I know… So I will recommend The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune. It is a really heartwarming read, and I believe it has a healing power for all those who grew up a bit different, feeling cast aside until they found their real family.

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Merlina: Andy is who I would be if I didn’t overthink everything so much. But I’m probably closer in personality to the love interest: mostly polite but capable of being impulsive when I feel really strongly about something.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Merlina: It’s related to the name of the love interest. Her name is loaded with meaning and during the story, she decides to start using another one. The Flourishing is strongly linked to that second name…

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Merlina: You can order here and find out more on my website. You can find me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We have a deep fantasy for you today. Robin Alvarez is here to tell us about When Oceans Rise. Robin, take us away!

Robin: When Oceans Rise is a YA contemporary fantasy which comps as a Filipino Little Mermaid (with no mermaids) meets The Butterfly Effect. 

A teen girl gives up her voice to the sea witch to escape an abusive relationship, but after she’s dropped into an alternate universe, the sea witch uses her voice to unleash Filipino monsters on the worlds. The girl must get her voice back to save both worlds.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

Robin: When Oceans Rise is based on this moment, at seventeen-years-old, when I decided to go surfing during a hurricane and almost died. I’d been in an abusive relationship. That day in the surf, I got caught in a fierce riptide, and I wondered if it would just be easier to let go. Ultimately, I didn’t. But When Oceans Rise is built around that entire scene of powerlessness and struggle and questioning what I was worth.

Sabitha: That’s such a powerful moment. Was there any equally powerful music that inspired you while you were writing?

Robin: ‘Explosions’ by Ellie Goulding was a big influence for the way a person can feel like they are destroying everything around them. 

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Robin: I’m a hybrid writer currently, and I prefer to write in a 4-act structure because it just makes the most sense for my brain. 

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Robin: Someone else made me a fan-cast that now lives in my brain! Liza Soberano is a Filipina American actress, and Diego Tinoco is of Hispanic descent so they’re a dream! 

Sabitha: That’s lovely! What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Robin: Recently? Ever Since by Alana Bruzas. It made me cry so much and really shows the warning signs of a different kind of abuse. 

Sabitha: That’s such an important message for a book. In your own novel, which character do you relate to the most and why? Has it changed?

Robin: In my villain era, the sea witch! In my healed era, Anita, the happy, supportive best friend. 

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Robin: It’s based on another song that inspired my book! “Oceans” is a song with images of just trying to keep your head above water. 

Sabitha:  If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Robin: Jenny Han! I’m such a big fan of her writing, and she is the coolest author to follow. Her life just seems magical!  

Sabitha: When you picture your ideal reader, what are they like? 

Robin: Weird! I love all things weird and people who are not afraid to be themselves.

Sabitha: Agreed! Does the location the story takes place mean something to you or to the work?

Robin: Yes! It’s set in Corpus Christi, Texas which is where I spent my teen years. I love Corpus so much because for all the darkness I experienced, there was always more light. 

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Robin: When Oceans Rise is available is major retailers like Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Target, as well as several indie stores online. Please follow me on TikTok, Instagram, and Twitter.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We love queer novels, and Diane Billas is here to tell us about her sapphic coming of age. Diane, introduce us to your book! 

Diane: Does Love Always Win? is a sapphic coming of age young adult novel that explores coming out and understanding one’s sexual orientation. Sam “Shorty” Daniels has a plan for her senior year, but her romantic life being a hot mess was not part of the agenda. Shorty quickly discovers she’s not attracted to her newest boyfriend and fellow marching band member Zack, despite her many hours of daydreaming of what it would be like to date him. Their previous flirting had been so intense that those feelings have to come back again, right?

When Shorty’s asked to show the snarky new girl around high school, Shorty’s instantly intrigued by Kristy’s wit, and they bond over their love of writing. They quickly become inseparable, and Shorty has a breakthrough moment realizing why none of her other relationships worked out. Just as Shorty is about to break up with Zack, her bitter ex-boyfriend Bryan threatens to out her to the entire school and Shorty’s conservative parents. Will Shorty be able to overcome Bryan’s ridiculous blackmail scheme and get her dream girl?

Sabitha: It sounds both fun and meaningful. Is there a personal element to this story which inspired you to write this book?

Diane: When I was growing up, I struggled with similar issues that Shorty does, questioning my sexuality, but I didn’t have any books available to me that I felt I could relate to. My hope with this book is that someone who might be going through something comparable will look to Does Love Always Win? and see themselves reflected in it. I created the book I wished I could have read in high school.

Sabitha: We have a lot of writers in our community. What’s your writing process?

Diane: My writing process is all over the place. It’s funny, for my writing day job I make an extremely detailed outline before starting a project, but for my creative writing, if I have an idea, I just sit down and write. The details and character plotting come later after I have written a scene.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Diane: I chose Does Love Always Win? as my title because of the saying that deals with marriage equality, ‘Love Wins.’ I thought it was fitting for an LGBTQ+ centered book.

Sabitha:  It fits perfectly. If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

Diane: I would really like Becky Albertalli to read my book. Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda was the first young adult LGBTQ+ book that I’ve seen receive mainstream attention in the publishing world, and it was even adapted into a theatrical release. I feel Becky’s work paved the way for expanding the LGBTQ+ market and showed its relevance even to individuals that do not personally identify as LGBTQ+. It would mean a lot to me if she read and enjoyed my book.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Diane: Does Love Always Win? is currently on pre-order and out June 20, 2023. You can find me here.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: Pavithra Ramesh joins us to share a romance novel, Our Perfectly Blended Chaos. Pavithra, can you give us a bit of background to your book?

Pavithra: Destiny brings its twists and turns when Payal decides to set on a path that defines her fate. She was a beautiful girl with simple dreams who decided to follow her ambition to work on the job she loved. She meets a guy at the airport and it feels like love at first sight. However, she knows her priorities and moves on. Life plays its card when the guy she left behind as an infatuation followed her to prove his mad love for her. New city, new job, new people and a feeling that feels like love but is complicated. What happens later, is a battle of romance, friendship, revenge – a perfect blend of ultimate chaos.

Sabitha: That sounds like a lot of fun. What inspired you to write this book?

Pavithra: I derived inspiration from the need to give my readers a book which combines it all – mystery, romance, friendship and revenge. I often crave reading such books that keep me hooked on what is happening and help me visualise the scene in my mind while I read. That is exactly what I wanted to offer my readers. Inspiration to write also comes from my daily life.

Sabitha: Was there any music that inspired you while you were writing?

Pavithra: Not a certain specific kind of music but in general music helps me calm my mind and get into a flow that does wonders for the book.

Sabitha: Do you have a “fan-cast” – do you have actors you’d cast as your main characters?

Pavithra: Well, the cast of Friends is definitely a dream cast. I would cast Jennifer Aniston as the protagonist; she could do justice to any role.

Sabitha: What book do you tell all your friends to read? Besides yours of course!

Pavithra: The Secret is the best self-help book I have read so far. It made me believe in manifestation. Apart from that, I love The Kite Runner. It left me in tears at the end of the book and touched my heart like no other.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

Pavithra: Well, my book is a blend of romance, revenge, and friendship mixed with some mystery to keep you hooked till the end. When I thought about how I could bring this mix to the title, I came up with the name Our Perfectly Blended Chaos.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Pavithra: You can find me on LinkedIn, and order my book on Amazon.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We’re joined by William F Gray to talk about his debut psychological thriller, The Man Behind the Door. William, can you tell us about your novel?

William: The Man Behind the Door is a psychological thriller about grief, trauma, and addiction with a ghost story spin.

Sabitha: What inspired you to write this book?

William: The inspiration for this book was actually my own father, who is the basis of Leigh Glasscock. It started out as a way to get to know him better ten years after his suicide, but it grew beyond that. He had a lot of struggles in his life, and I set out to tell his story in a non-biased, compassionate way within the structure of a fictional story.

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

William: Leigh Glasscock is a character that I think encompasses the complexity of life. He does some truly heinous things throughout The Man Behind the Door , but he’s also the most likable because you understand him. You might hate him one second, and the next you’re feeling sorry for him, and then you’re actually rooting for him.

Sabitha: How did you choose the title?

William: The Man Behind the Door came from an early chapter, where I refer to a character that one of the children meets as “The Man Behind the Door”. As soon as I put it down, I knew that was my title. Not only is right on the nose (he’s literally behind the door) but it also fits metaphorically, because Leigh lives his life without anyone knowing him for who he really is. No one really saw who the person he was underneath the mask he wore.

Sabitha:  If you could pick any author to read your book, who would you want to read it? Why them?

William: This is the obligatory Stephen King reference, but it’s for a better reason than “He’s my favorite author.” I was twelve years old when I first picked up The Gunslinger and was introduced to King’s universe, but it changed my life forever. I read the entire Dark Tower series while my family imploded due to drug abuse. Everyone in my family used, and I was very much alone with the exception of Mr. King, Roland, and his ka-tet. In a lot of ways, they saved my life.

Sabitha: Books can be such a powerful force for us to find understanding and strength. You’ve written a moving and personal story. What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

William: This is a two-fold question. At face value, I want everyone who reads my book to feel the same excitement I do when I read a great novel. On a deeper scale (and this is one I knew from the moment I published it) I want someone to read my book and feel like they aren’t alone. I want them to see a little bit of themselves in there, whether it be in the struggles that Leigh has or making sense of his actions after the fact. It’s a rollercoaster of a novel, full of horror, both supernatural and mundane, as well as pain and bittersweet closure. I think it has a little bit of something for everyone, but I also know that every author thinks that.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

You can find my debut novel on Amazon and my website. My upcoming supernatural horror novel, The Devil Within Us All, is releasing this May via Wicked House Publishing. It’s inspired by powerful men who abuse their station (religious, political, or otherwise) to bring out the worst in others.

Every Tuesday, get to know a bit about the stories behind the books you love, and discover your next favourite novel.

Sabitha: We’re talking to Macy Lewis about her forthcoming novel, Weathering The Storm. Macy, can you introduce us to your book?

Macy: I wrote my novel Weathering The Storm with a dear friend, Jim King. Jim created the title, theme of the book, and so much more. He’s very clever and we’re writing our second book now, Loma.

When two strangers are asked to investigate unexplained weather that is terrorizing the world, they must overcome the trauma and wounds in their past, to move forward with their mission and unexpected romance. Will they be able to weather the emotional storms that come their way, or will they sink in their own despair?

Sabitha:  Which character do you relate to the most and why?

Macy: I relate to my main character, Charmaine, because she’s blind like me. Char’s my first blind character, and it was so fun to write about a subject that I understand so well.

Sabitha: The book is obviously very close to your heart. What do you most want your readers to take away from reading your book?

Macy: I hope people learn that a disability doesn’t define someone, rather, their personality and heart are what truly makes us special.

Sabitha: What do you love about the writing process?

Macy: I love writing because it allows me to imagine the world in my own way, which is really special because I’ve never seen the world like most people. All of my books are collaborative efforts between me and my friends and family, who are on my writing team. My writing team are so kind to let me create characters after them, read my work and give feedback, help me find illustrators and editors who are in their friend circles, or answer questions about subjects they are experts in when I want to ensure my research is correct.

I love the whole writing process. Sometimes it can drive me crazy when I have to change a plot, or cut a scene I’ve spent so much time writing, but in the end, I know it’s worth the headache. I also love putting my personality into characters and letting my imagination run wild with the storylines I create.

Sabitha: Thanks for sharing your story and your process. We’re looking forward to reading! Where can the Night Beats community find you and your book?

Macy: They can find my books at their favorite online bookstore, but here’s my Amazon page. They can follow me on Facebook and Twitter.