Azaaa Davis
Pre-Interview:
Azaaa Davis is an American author of urban fantasy and paranormal romance novels. She fell in love with reading as a high school freshman and continues to read, write, and draw today. Her background in social work helps her portray realistic characters in otherworldly--and sometimes terrifying--situations. A New York native, Azaaa currently lives in New Hampshire (USA) with her husband and daughters. She debuted with This Time (book one in the Nadira Holden, Demon Hunter series) in 2018. A novel about demon hunters, family ties and the magic of love. Azaaa is working diligently to finish writing more fantasy novels while raising her daughters. Thank you for showing an interest in her stories!
Author Interview:
1.What inspires you most to write? I am most inspired to write by my love of reading fantasy, science fiction and romance novels. As a woman of color, I wished I could find more novels featuring strong females and people of color. One day, I decided to write my own great novels with more representation and inclusion of women of color in leading roles. 2. What is your favorite genre?
Fantasy, science fiction and romance novels because I enjoy being introduced to new worlds, creatures, and societies in stories that explore magic, time, and morality. 3. Who is one author you admire if any and why? Kushiel's Dart is a fantasy novel by American writer Jacqueline Carey. She is a fantastic and imaginative author with impressive world-building and storytelling skills. I have re-read her debut series because it’s so good, and each book was over 400 pages! 4. How do you overcome blank writing spells? One of the ways I overcome the terrifying blank page is to write flash fiction. It feels wonderful to create a complete story in a short amount of time and gives me the boost of confidence I need to tackle writing my full-length novels. 5. What legal publishing advice can you give?
Not my forte. 6. How many books have you written, are any a bestseller yet?
I am an up-and-coming independent author with two books published. I don't have a best-selling book yet, but 2020 might be my year. 7. If you had the opportunity to rewrite one movie script which would it be, why? 8. What are some difficulties you've experienced in your writing career; how do you handle book critiques/criticism? As a new mom and a new writer, I often struggle to find time to write during my busy week. I consider myself a full-time mom and a part-time writer or a stay-at-home-writer-mom. It's an interesting struggle, and I'm grateful that I've found a writer-mom community on Facebook for support. 9. What are your best experiences in your writing career?
One of the best moments I've experienced as an author was discovering someone loved my book enough to buy it, read it, review it and recommend it to others publicly. Reading 5-star reviews of my books are a great source of motivation. 10. Do you prefer to write in silence and or have some sort sound in the background? Because I am the mom of two little ones, I often write late at night in silence. Occasionally, I will listen to ambient music or play a favorite movie in the background. 11. What are some encouraging words you'd give to another author/writer? One of the hardest things to do is to start writing your first book. Whether it's one paragraph a week or an entire chapter a day, write as often as you can for as long as you can to develop good writing habits.
12. How did you decide the pricing of your material; how did you go about promotion/advertising and distribution of your work? 13. Why should anyone read your book? My stories are imaginative, inspiring, and memorable. My stories feature strong women of color in new worlds full of magic, adventure, and romance. I write the stories I want to read. The good guys develop into heroes, the villains have relatable motivations, and the good in people is rewarded. 14. Did you have a book coach?
No. 15. What was your favorite subject in school?
Art, English and Social Studies were among my favorite subjects in school. 16. Are you self-published or have an established publishing contract elsewhere?
I am an independent author.
- Azaaa Davis