We are delighted to chat with author Adalyn Grace once more, this time about her new release Foxglove, which is the captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.
Foxglove is available to pre-order from Hachette UK and Hachette US.
Hi, Adalyn! Welcome back! How has the past 12 months been since we last spoke?
Hello! Wow, has it been 12 months already? I truly don’t understand where the time goes these days, but I’m doing very well, thank you! I’ve been astounded by the support that Belladonna has received from readers over the past year and have been very hard at work on both Foxglove and the third book in the series, Wisteria! I actually just turned in the first draft, so I’m very ready for a writing break and to shift focus back to Foxglove now that it’s nearly here.
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
Ah that’s so tough! The first book I remember reading was one of those books that teaches you how to read . . . But I don’t think that counts, so I’m going to say Flat Stanley, which was one of the books I remember we read as a class in elementary school, and I thought it was so fun! Group reading was always my favorite part of school while growing up.
As for the book that made me want to become an author, I was super into writing from a young age (probably from age 9 or so) and wrote thousands of words a day telling stories with friends. But Twilight released when I was 11, and I feel like that book changed everything for me. I grew up in the same city as Stephenie Meyer and went to some of her earliest events at Changing Hands before the series became the massive success that we know it to be now. I fell in love with those books, and seeing her career blossom from events at a small bookstore to massive amphitheaters really solidified that I could make telling stories into a career.
As for a book I can’t stop thinking about, these days it’s Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faerie. It’s such a fun, whimsy, magical tale that I had so much fun reading!
Foxglove is the sequel to Belladonna, which is out August 22nd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
A true test of relationships! Or, alternatively: Tense, twisty, shenanigan-filled, courting, croquet.
What can readers expect from the sequel?
Shenanigans from Fate, certainly! He’s Death’s estranged brother who has arrived with an agenda all his own and is here to liven things up. There are new locations, new characters, the development and testing of relationships, and a brand new mystery to solve!
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Absolutely. In Foxglove, I had the opportunity to dive deeper into Blythe Hawthorne’s character. I really enjoyed her in Belladonna, but she spent much of the book fighting for her life. Now, in the sequel, Blythe actually has her own POV and has become a very central character to the overall story of the series. It’s been a lot of fun to get to explore her in more depth. I think she’s unintentionally the funniest character that I’ve written, and I have a lot of fun with her!
You mentioned you listened to Peter Grundy whilst writing Belladonna. What did you listen to for this one?
More Peter Gundry, honestly! It’s to the point where I just equate his music with working on these books. I heard one of his songs playing at Gideon’s Bakehouse in Disney Springs while on vacation once, and the entire time I was in line on what was meant to be my vacation I felt like I should be writing!
Apart from his music (which I primarily listen to while drafting) I listen to video game scores as I edit. Final Fantasy, Ender Lilies, and Zelda are particular favorites.
Did you face any particular challenges or fears of ‘second book syndrome’ whilst writing?
Oof. The short answer is yes, but the longer answer is that Foxglove was by far the most challenging book I’ve ever written. At one point there were three POVs which was narrowed down to two. Character personalities shifted from how I had initially conceived them, arcs changed, and there were all sorts of other big picture changes that made edits absolutely brutal. I was also in the thick of promoting Belladonna while working on this book and found myself really struggling to carve out time to work. There was, of course, also the pressure that comes with writing a follow up. I of course felt the pressure to create a sequel that readers would enjoy, and wanted to try and keep the familiar vibes of the first book while also offering something completely new and introducing fresh magic into this story world.
Foxglove was truly a beating on me creatively, and there were many points where I was convinced that I’d never finish it. All that hardship, however, has only made me prouder of the final product. I’m very eager to see it on shelves and to have the chance to chat with readers about it.
This is your fourth published novel! What are some of the key lessons you have learned when it comes to writing and the publishing world?
There are three key things that I’ve learned:
1) Friends who understand the publishing side of the world are invaluable. This is a very tough business, and I would lose my mind if I didn’t have very trusted friends who I could talk through publishing qualms and questions with, or who I could share excitement with!
2) The team you work with is also invaluable, and it’s so important to work with people you trust and can communicate openly with. I feel like I’ve won the publishing lottery with my agency, my publishing team at Little, Brown, and so many amazing foreign publishers who have done such incredible things for this series.
3) Get hobbies outside of publishing. This year I leaned in hard to this lesson and picked up volleyball, badminton, yoga, and tennis to try to get out of the house more, move more, and feel more like I’m a real person in a real world. I may have leaned into it a bit too hard (my knees are not what they used to be!) but it’s so nice to get out and do things and chat with people who have nothing to do with publishing.
Can you give us a little teaser about Wisteria, the third installment in the Belladonna series?
All I’ll say about Wisteria is that I’m very excited for it, I think it may end up being the most romantic book in the series by the time I’m done with it, and that I think people will have a much clearer idea of what it’s about once they read Foxglove.
What’s next for you?
A break! Writing this series has been a dream come true, and I really want to take all the time needed to get Wisteria right and to promote the series. Apart from that, I have a lot of different ideas that I’m dying to work on. But first, a vacation and a break are in order!
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
I mentioned Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faerie earlier, and I think that’s a great one for anyone looking for cottagecore whimsy vibes. Bring Me Your Midnight by Rachel Griffin is a beautiful new YA release about a young witch who must choose between duty and love when she meets and falls for a boy who is decidedly not the one she’s arranged to marry, and who has a magic that she’s been taught if forbidden. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater is a lot of fun if you’re looking for more whimsy romance vibes. There’s also The Atlas of Us which is an upcoming release by Kristin Dwyer to look forward to. I’m convinced that Dwyer is going to just have an absolute boom like Colleen Hoover one day; her books are raw and poignant and she’s one of my favorite contemporary authors. Her books rip out your heart before stitching them back together again. Finally, Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend gets a permanent recommendation from me. It’s the most fun and fantastical Middle Grade fantasy, and I highly recommend the audiobook!
