We chat with author Danica Nava about The Truth According to Ember, which follows a Chickasaw woman who can’t catch a break serves up a little white lie that snowballs into much more.
Hi, Danica! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Thanks for having me, Nerd Daily! I am Danica Nava the author of my debut, THE TRUTH ACCORDING TO EMBER. I am a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, a mother to a rambunctious toddler, holder of an MBA and a self-proclaimed nerd since I was a kid.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I have always been a story teller since I learned to talk. I loved watching Disney movies and re-enacting them, then making up my own stories for me and my sister to act out. My true love from writing happened after I watched Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. I wrote some prequel fan fiction (before I even knew that was what it was) in my journals back in the day.
Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: The Junie B Jones Series
- The one that made you want to become an author: Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: Pride & Protest by Nikki Payne
Your debut novel, The Truth According to Ember, is out August 6th! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
- Hilarious
- Sexy
- Heartfelt
- Sassy
- Okie
What can readers expect?
You can expect to laugh and swoon and maybe tear up a little, but be wrapped in a warm hug by all these characters and their growth.
Where did the inspiration for The Truth According to Ember come from?
I was heavily inspired by my experience trying to get my foot in the door in Corporate America, and when I got there how I navigated as a newb.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Chapter 4 hands down is my favorite thing I have ever written. The characters, the set piece, the jokes, everything about it was perfect.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but The Truth According to Ember seems to be one of the first Native American rom-coms to be published by a major publisher. What’s that experience been like and how do you hope it might continue to further diverse books?
It’s wild to be the first of anything and there is immense pressure on it. There will now be hard data points to show how “successful” this is, and it’s hard to ignore the fact that this data is what the powers that be use to determine whether to invest in more of these stories. I’d never had a book like this and I know from Native readers emailing me and messaging me on Instagram that seeing my book announcement and cover reveal has inspired them to finish their own stories. What I hope is that readers from all walks of life give it a chance and publishers invest in more Native stories in all genres. We have a lot of work to do to fix the terrible Native stereotypes that have flooded the romance genre for decades! There is room for all of our stories.
This is your debut published novel! What was the road to becoming a published author like for you?
This journey has been so fun! Many will see a debut publish and assume it was fast and easy, but in reality I wrote a few books before EMBER as I was learning my craft. It took a while to find my writing community online and I am so grateful to be where I am. Also, gaining life experience and perspective has helped me become the writer I am today. There is a lot of pressure to try to have everything figured out in our early twenties, and I am happy with the route I took to get here.
What’s next for you?
I am working on my second book with Berkley. I get to take readers back to Oklahoma, but see a different side, the Eastern side. There are horses, cowboys, and honky tonks. I had so much fun writing this book and a certain chapter might rival the chapter 4 in EMBER in terms of comedy and introduction to the new cast of characters.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed so far this year and are there any that you can’t wait to get your hands on?
One of the best parts of being a debut is getting access to advance copies of books. I feel so special that I have gotten to read some amazing books before everyone else.
For contemporary, I loved reading Myah Ariel’s WHEN I THINK OF YOU, Dani Trujillo’s LIZARDS HOLD THE SUN, and Ellie Palmer’s FOUR WEEKENDS AND A FUNERAL.
For fantasy, I devoured Analeigh Sbrana’s LORE OF THE WILDS, Sarah Hawley’s SERVANT OF EARTH, and Hannah Nicole Maehrer’s ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN.
What I absolutely cannot wait to hold in my hands is Naina Kumar’s second novel FLIRTING WITH DISASTER, Heather McBreen’s debut WEDDING DASHERS, and Chip Pons’s WINGING IT WITH YOU.
