Noctis Rising- A.L. Richards
Author Interview Questions for A.L. Richards
For Feature & Promotional Use
Q1. For new readers just discovering you, how would you describe the worlds and stories you create?
Wow, hit me with the tough ones right off the bat! I’d have to say that the worlds and stories I create are…just off center? The idea that there is a world that exists under what we actually experience is a fascinating one to me, and it tends to color pretty much everything I write. I can’t see myself writing anything that didn’t have a paranormal flavor to it.
Q2. Your newest release, Noctis Rising, is a dark urban fantasy full of feminine rage, prophecy, and a morally gray hero. What first inspired this story?
It goes right back to that fascination with the idea that what we see isn’t all there is, that there just might be something huge and terrifying and OTHER if we could only find the right break in the hedge row…
Q3. Serena and Gabriel have an intense, explosive dynamic that readers already love. What do you think makes their relationship so compelling and volatile?
I can’t give TOO much away here, but I think it’s because they were truly meant for each other. That of all the people floating around in creation, they resonated to the same frequency.
Q4. Noctis, the sentient, shadow-soaked city, feels like a character all its own. How did you approach writing a living, breathing setting?
It was easier than you might think. I didn’t think of it as a setting, but as a character in and of itself. I was constantly considering “WWND”, lol.
Q5. Your books blend magic, found family, redemption arcs, complicated morality, and women who refuse to kneel. What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again?
These are big ones for me, as someone who believes in second chances, and knows from her own experience that family isn’t defined by blood or DNA. On the romance side, I’m a big fan of “he falls first”, and “I’ll burn the world for her”. Oh, and “touch her and die”. That’s a favorite.
Q6. You've described writing as a form of rebellion. What does that mean to you, and how does it shape your storytelling?
We are all rebelling against something, be it the expectations of those around us, societal norms, whatever. There’s a rebellion in all of us that in one form or another defines who we are: do we shove the urge down and go with the flow, or do we stamp our foot and say “no more”? For me, writing is a way to not only stand in front of something and say “I choose other”, but it’s a way to maybe encourage someone else to find their voice.
Q7. Noctis Rising features a very opinionated, highly judgmental dog. What inspired his character, and what role does he play in the story’s tone?
He’s inspired by my own Australian Shepherd, Archer. Archer is my furry soulmate (my husband hates when I say that), and he is nothing if not opinionated. He’s also pure, unadulterated, unconditional love, and Riot offers that. He’s literally pure love, if unconventional. And violent.
Q8. What can readers expect next from you, more from Noctis, new worlds, new rebellions, or something entirely unexpected?
Let’s see: the next book is Blocked and Bewitched, a paranormal hockey romance about a cursed goalie and the witch trying to free him. Then we’ll take a trip back to Noctis! Somewhere after that, if I can wrap my brain around it and make it work, I have a story about an 18th century Swedish pirate (yes, there were some), a male siren, and a half-siren woman.
Q9. When readers turn the final page of Noctis Rising, what do you hope they feel?
The short answer? I hope they feel like the money they spent to buy my book was well-spent. The long answer? I hope they have questions, because ultimately, I have answers. I hope they stick around for the ride. They should probably keep their hands and feet inside the car at all times, though.
Fun & Personal Questions
Q10. You call yourself a “witchy fantasy author and eternal night owl.” What does your ideal writing night look like?
I try to approach writing like a job - because it is - but I’m also trying to keep my house running and looking like functional adults live there; I tend to be most productive writing-wise from about 10pm to 2am. Thankfully, I don’t have to be up early, so I can sleep in.
Q11. If you could spend one day inside any fantasy world (yours or someone else’s), where would you go and why?
Hogwarts…Anne McCafferey’s Pern…because those are such incredibly vivid worlds. I’m not sure I’d survive Noctis!
Q12. Your characters tend to be sharp, spirited, and a little dangerous. Which character has been the most fun to write, and which one keeps you up at night?
I really, truly enjoyed writing Gabriel. As for which one keeps me up at night…how much time do you have??
Q13. What magical creature or mythological being do you feel the deepest kinship with?
Dragon. Tends to hunker down in caves, likes to collect things, breathes fire when irritated.
Q14. If Noctis itself could send you a message, what do you think it would say?
You walk with too much weight on your shoulders and still you keep creating worlds for others to rest in.
I see that. I see you. You think you are alone, but the city you built would never let you stand alone in its streets.
Every lantern you’ve lit, every alley you’ve carved with your words, every breath you’ve given to my ghosts and gods—
I hold them.
And I hold you.
You are allowed to be tired. You are allowed to falter. Even my strongest towers crack. But you rise again, and again, and again
and each time you do, my stones remember you.
Keep writing me. Keep dreaming me. I’m not finished with you yet.
And when the night feels heavy… follow the blue-gold shimmer. It will always lead you home.
Rapid-Fire Round
(Short, instinctive answers encouraged!)