I’m SUPER excited to share an author interview with my pal, Oceane McAllister, today! She also interviewed me which you can find on her beautiful blog!
Sit tight and enjoy the interview!
AUTHOR BIO
Oceane McAllister is a fangirl-supreme, tea-drinking, novel-writing, thunder storm-obsessed indie author from New England. First and foremost a Christian, she tries to glorify her Lord and Savior in all that she does. Oceane also has a passion for writing YA fiction and believes it possible for them to be both quality and clean at the same time. With a tendency to wear only black, she is a staunch defender of the Oxford comma, abhors love triangles, and may or may not be obsessed with black olives.
Most days you can find her curled up on the couch typing away furiously on her computer. She is most definitely a Slytherin, Enneagram 3w4, and has convinced herself that she could win the Hunger Games. Some of her biggest inspirations are C. S. Lewis, Brandon Sanderson, Marissa Meyer, Jennifer A. Nielsen, and Suzanne Collins.
Her novel, Rose’s Wrath, is currently available for purchase on Amazon.
What inspired you to write Rose’s Wrath?
I really liked the idea of fairytale characters having superpowers and taking control of their own destiny. The idea developed over the year, and when NaNoWriMo rolled around in 2018, I wrote the first draft. It was VERY different way back then XD
Which character was the easiest to write in Rose’s Wrath? Which one was the hardest?
The easiest was Verre for me. Everything about her character flowed and that’s probably because she’s the most like me (to an extreme, of course). Her struggles were easier to understand and I’ve always just loved writing assassins. The hardest was probably Blanca, simply because of how gentle of a character she was. With so many hardened warriors, having a gentle peacemaker with a traumatic past was tough to write correctly. She probably went through the most revisions as a character.
What is your favorite genre to read?
I absolutely ADORE dystopian sci-fi! You’d never guess that from the unhealthy amount of YA fantasy I consume, but it’s true. There’s so much untapped potential in that genre, and I’ve rarely been disappointed by ones I’ve read.
Were there any authors, or are there currently, who inspired you to become an author?
As a kid, it was definitely Rick Riordan. The simple, sarcastic tone to his writing appealed to me immensely. As I got older, a similar author I loved and took inspiration from was Jennifer A. Nielsen. In fact, she’s probably my biggest inspiration to write because she writes compelling fiction that doesn’t rely on raunchy dialogue and scenes to keep you engaged (like SO many other authors)
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I was a very ambitious child and so had many different careers XD. It went from being president, to being a mechanic, to being a nurse, to being a police officer. And then there are a billion more XD
Do you listen to music when writing? If so, what kind?
Occasionally I will. For my novel Of Sails and Souls, I listen solely to Pirates of the Caribbean and How To Train Your Dragon soundtracks. It’s more often instrumental music that inspires me, I’ve come to realize.
If you could give any new writer advice, what would you tell them?
Finish. Your. First. Draft. It could be utter crap, but at least you finished it. It could be 20K words with a barely discernible plot, but at least you finished it. There’s nothing that helps you grow as a writer than actually finishing projects (and I say that from experience)
What message do you pray readers receive after reading Rose’s Wrath?
When I first wrote Rose’s Wrath, the intention was to create a fun, plot twist-filled story that was engaging without being inappropriate. That’s something I’ve always believed in strongly and still do. One of my biggest motivations when I write is that I want to give teens books that dealt with tough issues without content that is unnecessary. That being said, I think the “message” that I want readers to take away is that we’re all struggling. No matter your background, your past, your personality… everyone has inner demons. There’s no shame in your flaws and there can be beauty in your brokenness. When we come together—no matter who we are, what we believe, where we’ve been—we can change the world.
What can readers expect next from you?
They can expect the prequel, Rose’s Ruin, which should be available for purchase sometime in 2021! And the sequel to Rose’s Wrath as well. I’m also writing a teen fiction novella, Everything We Lost, which I hope to have available for purchase sometime in the next year as well. Be ready for plenty of exciting new stories!
Last but not least, what do you enjoy besides writing?
I love to read, blog, sing, hike, go on random car rides, swim, and LOVE talking to people. The more people I connect with, the better 😉
Thanks, Angela, for doing this! These were such fun questions and I loved answering them!
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Thanks SO much for the amazing interview, Oceane! I enjoyed your answers–you have excellent advice and I cannot wait for your upcoming novels!
God bless,
Angela
Thanks so much, Angela! This was so much fun to do. Can’t wait to dive into The Divided Nation!