(Interview) Seressia Glass - Sweeping Us Off Our Feet One Romance At A Time

"Reading is fundamental." We all heard it when we were young. For me reading has been more than fundamental. It's a way of life. I'm most comfortable when I have a book to read, and when I finish that one, it's almost a compulsion to look for another one.  I was smack in the middle of  not so great place in my life and at times I needed to be able to take a break from reality. Books, stories were right there the way they had always  been. At this point I had barely begun to scratch the surface of paranormal romance. I started reading Sherrilyn Keynon and JR Ward, both authors par excellence, but I needed more, I needed to be able to see myself represented in what I was reading. I found just that in Seressia Glass' Shadowchaser series. For the first time I was reading a paranormal romance where the heroine was not only smart, strong, and sexy as all get out, but she was also a Sister. But that wasn't all that made me fall headlong into Seressia's writing. It's the fact that the series is a modern story, but it's beautifully and thoroughly interwoven with rich African and Egyptian culture. 

From Shadowchaser I went to The Sons of Anubis series, which is written as thoroughly beautiful as Shadowchaser, but full of scorching love scenes. I haven't yet started on the Sugar and Spice series, but it's next on TBR list. I can't begin to tell you how honored I am to have afforded the opportunity to spend some time with Seressia and to share that with all of you. So with out further ado, Seressia Glass.

PC - I stumbled upon book one in your Urban Fantasy Shadowchaser series. I fell in love almost instantly. What I enjoyed the most was seeing a strong AA female character. How important was it for you to make Kira Soloman an Alpha female?

SG - There are certain tropes expected in urban fantasy with female leads. The heroine needs to be tough. Kira is a product of her circumstances, training and her powers.

PC - You’re now working on book 4 of the Shadowchaser series – Shadow Hunt. What can we expect for Kira, and when is it scheduled for release?

SG - I get asked that a lot, and I’m flattered that people care enough about the characters and the story to ask! I still have some contracted projects that take precedence. Shadow Hunt will be an independent work, and I don’t want to write just anything or write the story too short. My current schedule has me starting Shadow Hunt in earnest in November. I won’t put up a preorder for it until I’m satisfied with the story and it clears editing, so that will probably be late spring. I’ll announce status update on my website so people will be able to follow along on the progress if they’d like!

PC - The Sons of Anubis series was so good I think I blew through all 4 books in about two days. I hated to see it come to an end. Do you think there will be a 5th book in the series?

SG - I love the Sons of Anubis series. I feel like there is still a wealth of stories there, past and present. I have general ideas for the next three stories, beginning with Aya. Since those are novellas, I’m hoping I can do a couple of those for 2016!

PC - You also have your contemporary romance series, Spice and now you have Sugar scheduled to be released in November of this year.  Where did you get your inspiration for Nadia and Siobhan?

SG - I know people who are in recovery. I know people who are strong but don’t think they are, they’re just doing what they need to do to live their lives. I wanted to write characters to inspire them the way they inspire me.

PC - What I enjoy about your writing is that even though you’re AA you don’t confine your writing to all AA Characters or even by purely interracial romance. How important is it to you not to have your writing defined by your race?

SG - That’s very important. I’m a writer first and foremost. It’s about the story, and the characters come as they come. That being said, I think it’s very important to have a diverse cast. My characters are middle income folks in relatively decent sized cities. They’re going to interact with a wide variety of people of differing races, faiths and sexual orientation. No matter those differences, everyone wants to love and be loved and accepted for who and what they are. Those are the kinds of stories I write.

PC - According to Goodreads you have 26 unique works to your credit. HOW do you do it? How do you continue to give birth to so many different characters and story lines?

SG - Wow, that many? LOL! Way back when I first started, I worried about running out of stories. Ha! Story ideas can come like a summer rainstorm—out of nowhere then quickly moving on. Inspiration can come from watching TV, shopping at the grocery store, reading the news, talking to people. If you’re always asking, “I wonder what would happen if…” you’re always going to find story ideas. The problem is finding the time to tell the tales!

PC - Who are your favorite authors?

SG - That is always a loaded question because I read across a bunch of genres and know a bunch of people! People whose work I enjoy include Octavia Butler, David Eddings, Anne McCaffrey, Roger Zelazny, PatriciaBriggs, Ilona Andrews.

PC - What author has influenced you the most?

SG - That’s an easy and difficult question to answer. I can’t remember the first book I read, or the first comic or the first cereal box, but those early readings kept me devouring bigger and bigger works until I stopped reading books with pictures in them. As an author, I can say that the author who has influenced me most is actually several. The members of Georgia Romance Writers were there when I started this journey back in 1997. They celebrated with me when I got that first contract in 1999, and a member bought my first book at my first book signing in 2000. Could I have done it without them? Eventually, perhaps. But I’m glad to have been a part of the organization then and now. Writing is a solitary endeavor most of the time, but we all need that support network and GRW is terrific at that.

PC - You have won and been nominated for several awards. You were recently named a finalist in the Maggies in the Excellence category. Does winning awards put you under any kind of pressure in reference to your writing?

SG - Believe it or not, no. I’ll always want to write the best book that I can. It’s part of why I’m a slow writer. The awards and recognition are proof to others that I can tell a good story, but it’s not validation. Readers buying my work is all the validation I need!

PC - If the Seressia that you are now could go back in time and speak with the Seressia that was just getting started in writing, what would you tell her?

SG - “Hey, you don’t have to take that first contract offer. And there’s this thing coming up call electronic publishing. Hold on to those rights.”