Brittani S Avery interview

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

A little introduction:

Hi, all! 👋🏾 My name is Brittani S Avery and I'm from Omaha, NE, USA. There are basically four sides of me: the coder, the writer, the gamer, and the nerd. As the coder, I'm a professional software engineer with a bachelors degree in computer science. Basically, I code websites and google things. 😅 As the writer, I write short stories and poetry as well as published my first novel, Element Unknown, in 2017. And as the gamer and nerd, I play simulation and strategy games, stay on top of gaming news through YouTube, and sometimes fall down the rabbit hole of researching a variety of topics.

When did your love of books begin?

My mother was probably the main person who instilled a love of reading in me. She would read to my siblings and me before bed, using her voice dramatically to bring the stories to life. She is a advent reader herself and I would read some of her criminal thrillers from James Patterson, particularly the Alex Cross series.

School also encouraged my love of reading by bribing me with pizza and book orders. I participated in the Book It! Reading Program (where you can get a personal pizza from Pizza Hut after reading so many books). Scholastic book orders and the special book fairs were some of my favorite memories from school. Through them, I gained my love of YA historical fiction and YA books in general.

When did you start to have the wish to become an author?

Honestly, I didn't have any ambitions to become an author. Growing up I wanted to be a veterinarian and then a doctor. In high school, I narrowed it down to being either a reconstructive plastic surgeon or a forensic scientist (e.g. analyzing DNA from crime scenes). Then I took a computer programming class and after some encouragement from my teacher, I decided to become a developer professionally.

Writing was just a hobby until I accidentally started writing a novel using two characters from abandoned text-based role playing sites (more details here). My family was instrumental in giving me the confidence to publish my book.

How have you found the process for becoming an author?

It's rewarding and demanding. Writing, editing, designing, and launching a novel of any length requires a lot of effort and resources. Yet, holding your book in your hands for the first time is an incredible feeling! 🙌🏾

What would you say to those wanting to become an author?

Shoot your shot! It will not be easy. There may be tears. Months and years may go by before you can actually get that book written, that short story accepted, or that poem published. Still, don't give up!

Also reach out for help. You're gonna need it. Nobody is good at everything and a second/third/fourth pair of eyes can notice things you may miss. Remember that help can come from all sorts of different people and places, so be sure to look around with an open mind.

Tell us about your book/books:

Element Unknown and its sequel, tentatively entitled Element Manifest, are YA science-fantasy tales of 15-year-old Rex Marshall. Element Unknown was published in 2017 and the sequel is looking to be published sometime this year.

In Element Unknown, Rex is right at the cusp of officially gaining the title of heir to the Marshall family's inheritance. There are just a few complications: his scandalous reputation, his conniving cousin, his lackluster studies, and finally—the big one considering his abolitionist father—his impulsive purchase and short-sighted freeing of the slave Meenal, a girl with strange blue skin and an even stranger connection to him. Will Rex be able to manage the social and political challenges to earn his birthright? Or will his rash decision-making and ferocious anger cause him to lose everything?

In Element Manifest, Rex continues his search for answers of his heritage and birthrate, exploring the Saldur Empire, a land hostile to outsiders. Distinguishing between friend and foe proves difficult. Bonds of companionship are tested. The delicate relationships between countries are at their breaking points. Are the risks worth the chance of finding his mother?

What do you love about the writing/reading community?

I love how people support each other: applauding their wins, understanding their frustrations, supporting their woes. In the last couple of years, I have become more active in the reading and writing community and I'm sad that I didn't do this sooner.

If you could say anything to your readers what would it be?

Thanks for the support! Knowing that people enjoy reading my work always brightens my day. 🥰

Where can people connect with you?

My personal place on the web is brittanisavery.com. There, I have a newsletter you can join if you would like some behind-the-scenes looks available nowhere else.

I'm also on Twitter (daily Wordle results), Instagram (pictures/videos of my dog and hair loc'ing process), Facebook (the professional author page) and Goodreads (current reads and my neverendnig TBR pile). You can also support my work on Ko-fi where every little bit helps to cut down the cost of self-publishing.

Thanks so much for taking the time to get to know me!