We chat with author Abigail Owen about The Games Gods Play, which is a modern mythic and spicy romantasy featuring a heartthrob Hades and adventure and romance that fans of Hunger Games and Scarlett St. Clair will adore.
Hi, Abigail! Welcome back! How has the past year been since we last spoke?
Thanks so much for having me back! Quite the ride. Right around the time I was release The Stolen Throne, and finishing up writing The Shadows Rule All for my Dominion series, I came up with the idea for The Games Gods Play and happened to get an opportunity to pitch it to my editor, who signed it right away. That turned out to be just the start of the ride. I’m hanging on for as long as it lasts and hope I can make book two just as fun as book one! That’s what I’m working on now.
Your latest novel, The Games Gods Play, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Greek gods. Dangerous games. Hades.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect me to have packed this full of all the things I love most in romantasy. I had probably way too much fun coming up with the world and all of its magic and monsters. The romance was a treat to write, giving Hades a new and different love story while keeping the best parts of the dark and brooding god of death. And you better believe I had really let my imagination loose coming up with all the games and trials the champions compete in. So if you love any of those elements, big fantastical worlds, lovers-to-enemies, found family, a snarky heroine, a dark and brooding hero who really could burn down the world if he wanted, and a happily-ever-after at the end of the series, then I hope you will love this book.
Where did the inspiration for The Games Gods Play come from?
So there is a way longer answer to this question, because I would love to say that it was one of those lightning bolt inspiration moments, but really it was a gradual progression over time as I came up with the initial idea and then tweaked and tweaked until I ended up with what I did.
I was finishing up my Dominions series, and I had an entire back story about the goddesses in that world that I thought would be fun to explore, because I am a huge fan of writing varying supernatural powers. But as I was thinking through that world building and the characters, I came up with the idea of including a series of trials, but that idea did not fit the mythology I’d already created in Dominions. So…shiny new series idea! The second I started thinking about a different system of gods and goddesses, the Greek gods came into play. I’ve been fascinated with that mythology ever since watching Clash of the Titans as a kid. There was a lot more debating and world building that happened in there before I finally landed on the combination of Greek gods, deadly games, Hades as the hero, a new romance for him with the sassy heroine, all set in a fun reimagined modern world.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I fall in love with all my characters. To me, they are absolutely people who talk to me in my head and frequently argue with me about where the story is going. I think it’s one of the reasons why I love writing paranormal romance where each book gets a different a couple. That allows me to delve into all those side characters, giving them their own chance to be the main character. In The Games Gods Play, I absolutely loved writing Lyra’s voice and seeing her progression as a person over the course of the story, which is going to continue in book two as we find out more secrets. I loved writing a character who had been dealt a pretty crappy hand, but she seemed determined to face that head on with as much brave joy as she could muster in any given moment. Her character was partly inspired by my daughter, who, at the time I was writing this, was just coming out of a severe bout of depression and anxiety due to something called autistic burnout. To witness her go through the darkest time in her life, still struggling and hurting, but coping with humor and a very sarcastic sense of logic was such an example of a brave life.
Can you tell us a bit about your process when it came to writing The Games Gods Play?
I am a combination of a plotter and pantser. This basically means I do complicated outlines and plots, and then adjust them as I allow my imagination to run wild and the characters tell me where the story is going.
The pantser in me has created what I call a master beat sheet that I have put together over the years. I start with what I think are the major turning points in any given story which fall roughly at certain points in the narrative. Those are my goal posts to write toward. Then I will fill out sections and scenes of the the plot as I get to them, or as I see certain scenes in my head that I’m not ready to write yet. And, finally, I use it as a brain teaser. When I’m writing a section that feels slow or if I can’t figure out what scene to write next, or what should come next, or what needs to happen with the characters next, I’ll go check my spreadsheet.
The actual writing was a little different than I frequently do because I was on a much tighter deadline. Typically I give myself 2000 words a day as a goal. I find that to be a nice, steady, achievable pace that doesn’t burn me out. But for GGP, I wrote more like between 4000 and 7000 words a week a day. So, rather than paying attention to the number of words, I tried to finish full scenes. Then the next day I would edit the previous days scenes before moving on to write new words. It ended up being a process that worked incredibly well for me.
What are three songs that would pair well with The Games Gods Play?
I am putting together a massive Spotify playlist right now that’s already like 5 hours long and goes scene by scene. J I’d have to say out of that, the songs that pair best are:
Prophecy by Taylor Swift – This is Lyra’s anthem, cursed to be unlovable.
Champion by Bishop Briggs – On the nose? Yup! Hades picks Lyra a his champion to compete in the Crucible.
I’m On Fire by Bruce Springsteen – This is absolutely feel of the push and pull of Lyra and Hades’ chemistry
And a bonus song, Electric Love by BORNS – And this is where Lyra and Hades end up!
Romantasy is all the rage right now! What are your thoughts on this shift, especially with many non-readers or “former” readers now picking up a new read?
I am thrilled! I started publishing right as the last fantasy-romance boom, started by Twilight, was waning. But for avid readers of the genre it didn’t go away. It went underground, so to speak, with tons of brilliant indie titles being pulished for years. When I talk to other readers about how Twilight introduced me to the combination of fantasy and romance, so many agree or tell me that book is what started their love of reading. So I am thrilled at the resurgence of the genre (and the new name) but also…not surprised. J What I love about romantasy, is that it blends two very popular genres—fantasy and romance—appealing to a broader audience. I think readers are looking for the fantastic escapism, grand adventures, and huge worlds, but when you add in a stirring romance that is (or should be if it’s a true romance) guaranteed a Happy-Ever-After, or HEA, at the end of the book or series, then it’s unstoppable!
What’s next for you?
Right now I’m working on the second book in the Crucible series, following after The Games Gods Play. I have the final book in my Dominions trilogy releasing in November, and the final two books in my Inferno Rising series, with beautiful new covers and bonus scenes, coming in December. After that, I have a few more ideas. 😉
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
Because I spend so much time writing, I don’t get a chance to read nearly as much as I like. So I wish this list was longer. I absolutely devoured Heavenbreaker by Sara Wolf. Other major favs lately include Nine-Tailed by Jayci Lee, One Cursed Rose by Rebecca Zanetti, and Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland. I’m really excited to read Quicksilver by Callie Hart. And I am on pins and needles for Fangs so Bright and Deadly by Piper J. Drake. Plus, I might get early copies of all the Red Tower books, and am so excited for every single one!
