A.M. Strickland is the author of the upcoming release Beyond The Black Door, which is due to be released on October 29th. I was fortunate enough to read an early copy of this fantastic dark fantasy novel featuring an asexual protagonist with a gift for soul-walking, and it’s a must- read if you enjoy charismatic villains, creative world-building, and diverse representation. In my interview with the author, she discusses ace rep, self-acceptance, and book recommendations!
Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! First, can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Of course, and thank you for having me! I’m a young adult sci-fi/fantasy author who is currently splitting time between Alaska and Spain. I love tattoos, all things dark and twisty, the color teal, and pugs. (I have two.) I identify as biromantic asexual as well as genderqueer. (I use she/they pronouns.)
I was thrilled to have the opportunity to read your new book Beyond The Black Door prior to its publication. In one sentence, how would you describe it?
It’s about a girl who can walk through people’s souls as if they were houses, and the black door that follows her from soul to soul that she’s never supposed to open … but of course she does, unleashing something dark on the world.
Was the basic idea for this story in your mind for a long time or were you inspired more recently to write about an asexual protagonist?
The idea of soul houses was germinating in my mind for a long time, as well as the necessity for a person to be asleep nearby for a soulwalker to access their soul. I didn’t at first consider writing an asexual protagonist even though I identify as such myself, since I wasn’t sure anyone would want to read an ace romance (which some people think is an oxymoron—it’s not). But then there has been such a wonderful call for diverse representation across all spectrums, and I hoped that the time might be right. Deciding to make the main character, Kamai, be a sex-repulsed asexual was what really grew the story from that initial seed and made it more complicated, since Kamai, as a soulwalker, finds it particularly challenging to sleep next to people to soulwalk.
It’s wonderful to have a fantasy novel with a central ace romance, even if the love interest is, er, problematic to say the least! How do you hope readers will respond to Vehyn and his interactions with Kamai?
I don’t have any specific hopes. I’m happy if people adore Vehyn (I love villains in books), and I’m also totally fine if they think Vehyn is horrible and Kamai should be running the other way, because, yeah. Readers won’t be alone in feeling a bit of both—just like Kamai (and myself)!
I found Kamai’s journey to accepting her asexuality to be very cathartic and rewarding. Do you have any advice for those who are dealing with this in their own lives?
Be patient with yourself, be a good listener for yourself, and above all, treat yourself with compassion. It was very freeing to realize I simply am the way I am, and that I’m much happier when I love, pay attention to, and look out for myself. It was almost like I had to give myself permission to be who I am, and once I did that, I was much better off/better at self-care.
The concept of a soul house or nehym is captivating – have you thought about what yours would look like if a soul-walker could view it?
I honestly tried not to think about it too much with regard to myself! To the extent that I have, I feel like it would be playful, winding, and maybe a little rustic, like a treehouse with ladders and bridges.
Did any real life religions or mythology influence you when creating the trio of deities that are worshipped in Kamai’s society?
The influence came more from archetypes such as those found in tarot.
Nicole Deal designed a gorgeous piece of artwork introducing Kamai and Vehyn, which reminded me a bit of Rey and Kylo Ren from the new Star Wars trilogy! Who you would dreamcast if this was adapted into a movie?
Oof, tough question! Nicole asked a similar one with regard to real life people who I thought my characters might look like, and for Kamai all I could come up with is the Italian model, Chiara Scelsi, who as far as I know isn’t an actor, and for otherworldly Vehyn … no clue! I don’t know if the actor to play him has been discovered yet. But isn’t Nicole’s art perfect/gorgeous??
Segue to a completely random question – some of the food descriptions had me salivating! Are you a foodie in real life or do you enjoy cooking?
100% foodie, and I cook a lot. One of my favorite social activities is cooking for friends.
The previous genres you’ve written in were either sci-fi or a blend of sci-fi and fantasy, and now Beyond The Black Door is positioned squarely in the fantasy genre. What genre do you prefer to write in? Is it the same as what you personally like to read?
I prefer to write fantasy, honestly, because I like to make up the rules! Even my sci-fi has a lot of magic-like rather than hard science, as you noticed. As for what I prefer to read, I don’t have a strong preference, but my love of books first grew from fantasy, so curling up with one of those is like eating comfort food, to me.
Did you always want to be a writer or did you have a different career in mind when you were younger?
I’ve wanted to be a writer ever since I found out it was an alternative to telling tall tales to my family and friends, which was around when I was six years old.
Are you working on anything currently that you can tell us about?
I’m working on both a young adult fantasy and an adult fantasy, and that’s all I can really say!
In recent years, there has been a greater push towards more diverse representation in books. Do you have any recommendations? What kinds of stories would you like to see more of?
If you haven’t yet read the Wayward Children’s series by Seanan McGuire, beginning with Every Heart a Doorway, please do. I feel very “seen” within that group of kids, and there’s lots of other great rep besides. As far as what I’d like to see more of: asexual rep, asexual romance, aromantic rep, and everything genderqueer!
