Combining her writing and musical talents, Alexandra Monir recently released a novel in the DC Icons series, Black Canary: Breaking Silence. We recently got to chat with Alexandra about her inspirations, what it was like tackling the DC canon, and what her superhero persona would look like!
Hi Alexandra! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview for The Nerd Daily. Let’s start with you telling us a bit about yourself.
Thank you so much for having me! I’m an author of YA novels, and I’m also a singer/songwriter. My books include the time-travel romance Timeless, the sci-fi duology The Final Six, and my latest release, the new Black Canary origin story, for which I also wrote music!
Now, what can readers expect from Black Canary: Breaking Silence?
Breaking Silence is an action/adventure with a lot of layers to it: secret identities, twisty mystery, family (and found family) dynamics, a romantic subplot that just might be my favorite love story I’ve written yet, music, and fierce female superheroes!
Were there any challenges in writing characters that have already existed in many different forms in the DC canon?
I found it to be more exciting than anything else, but probably the biggest challenge was sorting through all the different material already out there, all the alternate histories, and trying to narrow down which elements I wanted to include in my story, and where I wanted to try something new for the characters.
How did you bring in your own musical background into writing Breaking Silence?
That was truly one of the most fulfilling parts of this project for me, if not the most fulfilling- getting to return to my musical roots! I wrote three original songs for Black Canary, and each song plays a role in the story. I had the opportunity to record the theme song of the book, “The Black Canary Sings,” with my producer from my pop music days, and you can hear it on Penguin Random House’s SoundCloud!
If you were a superhero, what would your hero name be and what would your costume look like?
Hehe, what a fun question! I love the idea of vanquishing enemies the writerly way, with a pen, so maybe I’d be Wordsmith Warrior or something. 😉 I would have to pick a comfy costume, so maybe a pair of track pants and a tank top, but with a fabulous pair of shoes that could double as weaponry if needed, like a spiky heel. (I realize that doesn’t really go with track pants, but I figure we can make it work in this scenario!)
With music being such a big part of this story, were there any particular songs or artists you listened to while working on the book?
The artist I listened to most was Cesaria Evora, a singer who has always moved me more than anyone else. She was Cape Verde’s biggest musical sensation, and she even gets a little hat-tip in the book, in a scene highlighting prominent women of the past. If you like world music or blues, you have to listen to her song “Sodade,” which is just gorgeous and conveys so many feelings in one song.
What do you want readers to take away from Breaking Silence?
I hope the main takeaway is that the real power we need is something each of us already possesses: our voice. It’s about using our voices to speak up for what’s right and to make the world a more equal and better place. That’s something any of us can do, no superhuman skills required!
How have you been balancing your creative life in the chaos of 2020?
Argh, it’s definitely been a challenge! It was hardest in the first few months of the pandemic, when I was on such tight deadlines yet also had to be in 24/7 mommy mode, plus there was all the fear and anxiety around the pandemic itself. I had to pull way too many writing all-nighters during those months! Since then, it’s gotten a lot better in that we’re quarantining with my parents and our part-time nanny and her son, so I feel incredibly grateful to have support around us, and that my son has four other people to interact with besides just his mommy and daddy! The book launch for Canary has also been so different from my other launches- I’ve really missed going on the road and meeting readers. But I’m so grateful to everyone in the online book community, like The Nerd Daily, who is helping to lift up authors like me and share our work at a time when getting the word out is so much more challenging. So thank you!
Lastly, can you tell us about what you are working on in the future?
Amazingly, I get to write another iconic character! I still can’t believe I get to do two back to back. I recently signed with Disney to write a YA historical fantasy about Princess Jasmine, as the third book in their new series The Queen’s Council, which reimagines the Disney princesses as rulers after the events of the movies. The first in the series is about Belle, Rebel Rose by Emma Theriault, and it just published in November! The second is Mulan written by Livia Blackburne and coming Fall 2021, and then my Jasmine novel will follow in 2022. I’m about to dive into the manuscript now!
You can find Alexandra on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook!
