Interview with Author A. J. Nora

Describe yourself in three words.

30-year-old Emo Introvert

What are three facts about you?

1. I have an orange tabby cat (Kiwi)
2. I crochet (but not very well)
3. I love cozy games (currently playing Rune Factory 4 Special)

What is your favorite book from childhood?

This is an exceptionally difficult question for two reasons:

1. There are a lot of good books.
2. My memory is awful.

I'll say Moon Called by Patricia Briggs.

When you read, which authors are your go-to authors?

Annette Marie
K.F. Breene
Althea Faust
Carissa Broadbent

What book has made the biggest impact on your life?

Fae Fever by Karen Marie Moning. It's an urban fantasy novel about a girl who discovers a world of Fae creatures living alongside our world. It's the book that made me want to write about Fae.

Do you have any book related tattoos?

Not yet, but I'd really like to get a sword somewhere on my body; because girls with swords are my favorite things in books.

What is your favorite TV show or movie?

Kamisama Kiss

What subject could you talk about all day?

Writing Craft and publishing

What is your dream vacation destination?

I want to go to the redwood forests. I think my Twilight phase is at fault for that one.

What do you do for fun when you aren’t writing?

I play cozy video games, read (of course), crochet, hang out with my partner and our cat, and watch whatever looks interesting.

Are there any causes you support or which are important to you?

Local causes, like supporting minority-owned small businesses in your area.

How did you discover writing as a possible career?

I've always wanted to be a writer (like since elementary school) and planned to become traditionally published. I have a bachelor's in English for that very reason. It wasn't until 2019 that I learned that indie publishing was a viable option while on YouTube. I found an author named Sarra Cannon, who was giving advice to authors on her channel Heart Breathings. It changed my trajectory completely and gave me hope that being an author was something I could actually achieve.

How did you choose your pen name?

AJ are my actual initials. The Nora is two-fold. 1. Nora Roberts was a big inspiration to me as a teen because she was so prolific; I wanted to write as many books as she did. 2. My partner and I have an inside joke about James and Nora Joyce. Even before publishing, I often used Nora as an alias when we were out and about (like at Starbucks because, why not)?

Where do you find inspiration for your stories?

Everywhere, really. Real life, movies, music. The Court of Dreams was inspired by Sword Art Online, though you probably can't tell anymore with how much it's changed since I first started writing it in 2015.

What is the weirdest fact you've found when researching for a book?

As mentioned earlier, my memory is awful, so I can't say for sure what the weirdest thing is, but I was quite icked out when I learned about the communal butt sponge of Ancient Rome.

What trope is your favorite to write?

Fated Mates

What is your favorite thing about being an author?

Sharing my stories with other people and being able to talk to readers about them.

What is your writing process?

It's evolved over the years and I'm sure it will continue changing. Right now, I spend a lot of time thinking about a new book (usually I'm writing another story at the time or editing) and getting down character traits/world-building/etc., which can take months or longer, depending on if it's a new series or a continuing book.

When the idea has finished percolating, I plot the story out loosely, and then I write every day until it's done. I listen to Skyrim music while I write most of the time. Editing is just a process of 1. reading what I've written 2. making a list of changes I need to make 3. making the changes 4. Sending it to my editor 5. making the changes ... and so on until it's fully edited.

What time of day are you most creative?

Maybe 3pm, but I haven't tested it. I probably should.

What is your ideal writing environment?

Giant cozy chair, atmospheric music playing in the background with some cozy image on a screen, my laptop in my lap amid fluffy blankets. The house, obviously, has to be freezing, and no one else is around to bother me. Three different drinks should be on the table beside me: water, coffee, and a third mystery liquid for fun.

As an author, what challenges do you face?

The biggest challenge (other than general societal things like anxiety over possibly sharing my work with a bloodthirsty group of trolls who want my flesh) for me is juggling all the different expectations/jobs. As an indie author, I'm not just writing and editing the books and sending them off. I'm the one doing everything, except anything I source out, but even then I have to decide what to outsource and to whom. It can be overwhelming, especially when I would love to just write and publish and hang out with readers who love my books.

What is your least favorite part of being an author?

Marketing, which is to say... I dislike the need to parade myself and my work about. It's embarrassing and vulnerable. I'm very much a "I do not want to be perceived" kind of person, but I know the only way I'll find the readers who love the same stuff I do is to go and talk about my books and about myself as a writer and reader. Forcing myself to exist online has helped me, though. In the sense that I'm allowing myself to express who I am more in my daily life, instead of wearing beige to blend in with the walls and hiding behind my glasses.

If there was one thing you could change about the writing/publishing industry, what would it be?

I don't know what would rise to take its place, but I would change how readers find authors/books. Even as a reader, I find it so difficult to find the type of book I want to read because even though self-publishing has allowed books to become more niche, there's not always an easy way to find those books in your niche.

For example, I love reincarnation webtoons. I wanted to find some novels like those webtoons. I searched for weeks and found a handful, but most of them still weren't quite what I wanted and I didn't end up liking the books. If there were some magical way to match readers to books they'd actual love, while helping small authors get discovered by readers, that would be amazing.

What advice would you give aspiring authors?

Focus on finishing a draft first. Even if you have to finish it 50 words at a time, push yourself to do it. After that first one, it gets easier as you write and finish more books.

What is something you’d like to write, but haven’t yet?

I have two new series that are currently percolating in the back of my head (doing the "thinking time" I mentioned earlier). The first is a transmigration fantasy story where a normal girl gets sucked into the world of a book --- it's very webtoon, I know. The second is one that I've been thinking about for years, which is an urban fantasy story following a teacher (I taught high school for four years before starting my master's degree).

Which parts of yourself are reflected in your characters?

Lana - my need to ask 100 questions, even if the answer is obvious
Meredith - My ambition (though she does take it just a touch too far)
Luze - The compassionate part of me who wants to take care of those I love

Which of your characters have special meaning to you?

Meredith and Alixandra are my favorites, even though they aren't technically the main characters of the series. They struggle with their relationship and must overcome painful obstacles to get their happy ever after.

How do you come up with character names?

More often than not, I steal names (I write Fae books, so obviously I steal names) from people I meet. If I love someone's name, it'll go in the vault and might become a character. Sometimes, I Google name meanings. Like for example, Anastasia means rebirth; I Googled "names that mean reborn" and her name popped up, so I used it.

What kind of readers enjoy your books?

My ideal readers love fantasy that focuses more on characters than world-building. They love shorter novels (my books are all around 50,000 words, so on the shorter side and many of my readers say they read my books in one day) that make them cry just a little bit but always end up happy. My readers want representation without trauma --- queer normative without the prejudice. They love fast-paced fantasy, slow-burn romance, and closed-door romances because they tend to skim the spicy scenes anyway.

What is something you love to hear from your readers?

I love to hear that they shared it with a friend or made art of it!

Where can readers find you online?

I'm primarily on Facebook, but I do have a TT and an Insta, as well as a few other socials. You can find links to everything, including where to buy all my books (even signed paperbacks) at this link: https://ajnorabooks.com/links

Do you have any current ARCs or free downloads readers might be interested in?

I have a free ebook available for readers who sign-up for my newsletter. It's a prequel to my debut series. Check out Keeper of Light at this link: https://ajnorabooks.com/newsletter

What is your latest/upcoming release?

My next release will be this June! Preorder is currently set to the 23rd.

Closing Thoughts...

Remember to check out my links at https://ajnorabooks.com/links!

Steam Level

Closed Door