We had the pleasure of chatting with Alechia Dow about her latest book release The Kindred, along with writing, book recommendations, and more!
Hi, Alechia! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hello!! My name is Alechia Dow, and I’m a pastry chef, librarian, and author of The Sound of Stars, The Kindred, and Just a Pinch of Magic, along with a few short stories! Nice to meet you all J
Welcome to 2022! What are you looking forward to over the next 12 months and have you set any goals or resolutions for yourself?
YAY, 2022!! I’m committing myself this year to only doing things that make me feel happy and healthy. I don’t want to burn out like I did in 2021, I want to embrace joy.
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!
The Snow Child was my favorite book as a kid. It’s the book that was beaten up and warped with time and constant readings. I remember the illustrations, the beauty, and the story so well. It inspired me early and I hope one day I can write something that captures that sadness and love.
Your new novel, The Kindred, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Mind-linked friends to lovers.
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a scifi-fantasy love story about two teens, one a commoner, one a duke, who are mind-linked at birth. After the royals are assassinated, they are framed for the murders, and flee home only to crash-land on Earth. Once there, they have to find out who killed their royals, who is after them, and what they mean to each other! It’s a fun book with fun characters and I hope readers love it!
Where did the inspiration for The Kindred come from?
There were a lot of little inspirations from Sense8 to Star Wars, but the one that really stuck with me is loneliness. I watched a documentary about how loneliness has increased, especially among older generations, and how people are trying to find new connections in an ever-evolving technological world. I thought, wow, imagine what it would be like if you shared a mind, memories, experiences with someone else? Imagine how technology could be used to remedy that? Imagine how that would shape a person? I love the idea of using technology to connect people, even from afar, but also the scope and issues that might present.
Can you tell us a bit about the challenges you faced while writing and how you were able to overcome them?
The challenges I’ve faced are pretty typical of everyone doing anything right now. I’m working from home in a pandemic, taking care of my child, and trying to get everything done in a short amount of time. I don’t think I’ve overcome it at all, but I’m adjusting to new versions of normal all the time.
Did you always set out to have The Kindred set in the same universe as your debut, The Sound of Stars?
I did! I love The Sound of Stars, and was hoping to write another story in that universe, and thankfully Inkyard was onboard. It’s been an absolute pleasure, and privilege to do that.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Oh so many!! My absolute favorites were the scenes where Joy and Felix finally meet, hop into a spaceship and crash. Those were such visual moments with moving parts, and going deep into their emotions was a blast!
What’s next for you?
My first short story, Beauty Sleep, will be in Out There: Into the Queer New Yonder! It’ll be out in June this year with Inkyard Press. Then, I have a middle grade foodie fantasy coming in Fall 2023 with Feiwel & Friends, and another short story, We Are Stardust in 2023 as well! There’s more, but I can’t share them just yet.
Lastly, do you have any 2022 book recommendations for our readers?
Yes!! Right away, Freddie Vs. The Family Curse by Tracy Badua! I love this book so much! One True Loves by Elise Bryant, Cold the Night, Fast the Wolves by Meg Long, Ashes of Gold by J. Elle, The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas, A Million to One by Adiba Jaigirdar, Not Good for Maidens by Tori Bovalino, The Kingdom of Without by Andrea Tang, The Undead Truth of Us by Britney S. Lewis, and Cherish Farrah by Bethany C. Morrow! There are soooo many more, but that’s where I would start!
