We had the pleasure of chatting to author Alexa Donne about The Stars We Steal, which sees The Bachelorette goes to space and a young girl is caught in a world of royal intrigue and lost love in her quest to save her family from ruin. Perfect for fans of Katharine McGee, Melissa de la Cruz, and Kiera Cass, Alexa’s new YA novel releases on February 4th.
Ahead of its release, Alexa chats to us about the novel, including its inspiration and the challenges she faced, along with what she’s working on next and book recommendations! You can find Alexa on Twitter and YouTube.
Hi Alexa! Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I’m a Slytherclaw, and someone who likes to juggle a ton of different projects. I run a popular writing advice channel on YouTube, co-host a podcast Novel Tea Show, run an author mentorship project (Author Mentor Match), mentor teen girls with WriteGirl, and by day work in television marketing. In a past life, I organized Harry Potter conventions. Currently, I write YA sci-fi romance and thrillers, including Brightly Burning (HMH, 2018), The Stars We Steal (HMH, 2020), and the forthcoming The Ivies (Crown, 2021).
If you could describe your new book, The Stars We Steal, in five words, what would they be?
Jane Austen meets The Bachelor
The Stars We Steal publishes on February 4th! Can you tell us what readers might expect?
It’s a swoony romance against a space backdrop for fans of Jane Austen and The Selection. Featuring faded royalty, over-the-top group dates, and a ton of drama, it will appeal to fans of “the one that got away” last chance romance, with a side of political intrigue.
Where did the inspiration for The Stars We Steal come from?
I set out to write a companion novel to my first book, Brightly Burning, which is a retelling of Jane Eyre set in space. Jane Austen seemed like the natural place to go, and Persuasion is my favorite Austen novel. So The Stars We Steal started out as a Persuasion retelling set in the same universe as my debut. It evolved into a broader homage to Jane Austen novels, mashed up with the courtship tropes of The Bachelor (or The Selection). My cast of characters are a lot of Persuasion, a bit of Emma, a dash of Sense & Sensibility, and a tick of Pride & Prejudice (with apologies to Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey). I mashed up my favorite Austen archetypes with some sci-fi ethical conflicts (natural with generation ships!), and added in a courtship ritual to spice things up.
Do you have a favourite scene, chapter, or line?
I have a soft spot for a sequence in which everyone goes on a space walk–well everyone except for Leo. She’s the odd-woman out, which causes all sorts of Feelings. But then Elliot comes back for her. Then I get to do the space book equivalent of the awkward almost-hand touch that I love in period dramas.
Did you face any challenges while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?
I dealt with classic “second book syndrome,” which is where your first book on contract (after they publish your first) is crazy difficult to write. The Stars We Steal was a particular challenge as adapting Persuasion required more diversions from the source material than I had needed to do with Brightly Burning, and I really wanted to nail the romantic tension arc, so much so I ended up rewriting it twice! I was lucky to have a fantastic editor, my rock of an agent, as well as longtime friends and critique partners who read drafts of the book and let me bounce revision ideas off them. The key for me is to push on a book until it’s done, and to use all my support systems so I’m not alone.
What is your writing process like?
It’s always evolving, but generally I am an unrepentant pantser. Or, better put, a discovery writer. The process for Brightly Burning and The Stars We Steal was pretty free-wheeling, though of course within the framework of two retellings. Those “guide posts” of the pre-established romantic arcs provided just enough to push me though, though in the case of both books I discovered something big that impacted the overall plot/structure when I was about 60% of the way through. Happily, I adore revision so the challenge of incorporating new ideas into a book doesn’t daunt me. As I move forward writing thrillers, I do more plotting ahead of time, though I’m not sure I will ever plot a second act fully in advance. But I like to have an idea of the big set piece and twist in act three before I begin working (plus the build up for act one), so I have a motive/twist to write toward.
You published your debut novel, Brightly Burning, in 2018. What have you learned since then?
Too many things to discuss in one answer! But probably the most important thing for me has been blocking out the noise and focusing in on the pure joy of story. It’s cheesy but so true: if you’re not having a blast writing something, what’s the point? There are so many ups and downs you’ll experience in writing and publishing, so at the end of the day, you might as well enjoy the process. You’ll never regret a book you loved writing.
What’s next for you? Any upcoming projects you can tell us about?
I’ve taken the plunge into YA thrillers! My next book THE IVIES is Mean Girls meets competitive college admissions, with murder. It’ll be out in 2021, hopefully in time for application season!
And lastly, do you have any book recommendations for us?
So many! I’ll limit myself to a few titles you might like if you are interested in my books. DANGEROUS ALLIANCE by Jennieke Cohen is a meta-Jane Austen historical YA romance with a swoony lost love plot. TARNISHED ARE THE STARS by Rosiee Thor is a fun, queer science fantasy romp. Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund Broka’s books (ALWAYS NEVER YOURS, IF I’M BEING HONEST) are rom-coms featuring complex, messy girls and sweet, swoonworthy love interests. And Dana Mele’s PEOPLE LIKE US brings all the back-stabbing boarding school girls and a ticking clock murder mystery.
