A.E. Bennett is the author of the series The Serrulata Saga and the horror story Here and There. The Serrulata Saga consists of two main novels, Gathering of the Four and Test of the Four, as well as two side stories, Yours and Mine and Second Glance. Because You Asked, a romance novel taking place in the world of The Serrulata Saga, will be releasing on December 20th. The novel is part of the series, but can be enjoyed as a standalone.
Describe The Serrulata Saga in 20 words or less for people who have not heard of it yet.
In the distant future, the United States is long gone... the Realm stands in its place... and one peasant woman will become the catalyst for a revolution.
How do you select the names of your characters?
This is tough because I named The Four so long ago, I honestly don't recall where I got those names. I had a fish named "Leopold" growing up, so I'm pretty sure that inspired that name, ha!
When I name characters now, I do a bit of research online and think about how certain names make me feel. I also sometimes ask my pals and writing friends. I've named a few characters after real-life friends, but I tend to leave those as side characters that won't be further developed, because I already have an association with those names.
Do you identify with your main characters or do you create characters that are your opposite in terms of personality?
There are certainly aspects of my personality in The Four. Leora, Roland, Aurora, and Leopold all share some of what makes me, well—me. In a way, I identify with all of my characters—even the villians—because I created them.
How did publishing your first book change your process of writing?
Well, I certainly learned a lot! When I sent my first book off to my editor, it was well and truly a disaster. Looking back, I should have gotten more feedback from reading partners and actually utilized beta readers before publishing. The first iteration of my book had a lot of silly mistakes. I should have been more patient. Now I have more of a rhythm to my process and I think my writing is much tighter.
If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?
Self-publishing is hard… do as much research as you can and don't rush things!
What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you're still working on a book? Do you chase the new idea or do you finish your current project first?
It depends on where I am and what I'm doing. I'll sometimes write notes down in my Notes app if things come to me when I'm out of the house. I also have a writing notebook specifically for all of the thoughts and ideas I have the related to The Serrulata Saga. There are A LOT of notes about Book Three in there and, of course, ideas for more romance spin-offs and stories involving side characters.
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot and plan, or is your writing more organic?
I used to think I could do things without planning, but now I know that just doesn't work for me. I'll start with my notes, then jot down a basic outline. Then usually I let the outline simmer a bit – like a soup! – and then I'll come back to it and fill in bullet points for what I want to happen in each chapter. When I actually start writing, the outline sometimes changes, but I need at least something in place before I start a new manuscript now.
Here and There is your first horror story. How was the writing process for it different from the process for writing novels/novellas in The Serralata Saga?
Well, for one, this was the first story I started in a long while where I didn't already know at least some of the characters. I don't think that's happened to me since, oh about 2020 or so! And this is a short story, too, so I had to keep reminding myself that I didn't need to go into as much detail, especially with descriptions. I think I stretched myself with this one a bit in terms of character development, as well – or I guess I should say lackthereof. We don't know the name of the protagonist in Here and There, or much about their background. It was fun developing a story around a mysterious figure.
What do you hope readers will tell others about your work?
Like most authors, I'd love for readers to recommend my books. (I think that's a given.) I also want people to know the characters are diverse and that, hopefully, everyone can find someone to root for.
What is your favorite novel that you feel is underappreciated?
Ack! It's much too hard for me to pick one book, but I will say that, since I started writing romance, I think it's a very underappreciated genre. You might think it's easy getting two characters to fall for each other in an interesting way, but that's easier said than done!
What do you enjoy most about writing science fiction/fantasy?
Creating my own rules! Creating Xanthcraft (which is what magic is called in The Serrulata Saga, for folks who are unfamiliar with the series) was such a blast, and I love writing Leora as she explores her powers. And there's certainly more to come with that. No spoilers, but Book Three of this series is going to be… very extra. Haha!
Do you hide any secrets (reference, homages, etc) in your books that only a few people will find?
Readers familiar with the DMV (DC, Maryland, and Virginia) will certainly find their fair share of Easter eggs throughout my books. There are also plenty of cross-references between books, as well—especially in my romances! Planting secrets throughout my series has been fun so far, so readers should keep their eyes peeled in future books!
A.E. Bennett lives in Washington, DC, and is from North Carolina. For more about her, visit her website at https://www.booksbybennett.com/ and follow her on Instagram.
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