We chat with author Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune about Sorrow & Strangers, which is the second book in the nationally bestselling Avalon University dark academia series, following Summer Tuatha De Daanan as she recovers from the devastating year before, but as her magical, combat, and mental training pushes her to confront the darkness in her soul, that same darkness pulls her towards the shadows of her mysterious stalker.
Hi, Jeanette and Alexis! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourselves?
Jeanette: I’m Jeanette, one half of the chaos duo and I’m from Los Angeles.
Alexis: My name is Alex and I come from Edinburgh, Scotland. I love all things fantasy and am a lover girl at heart.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
Jeanette:Since I was a child, I’d always loved reading, a part of me was always a book. Writing began when I was in my early teens with the numerous notebooks, hilariously the first thing I ever wrote was Winx Club fanfic.
Alexis: I’ve always loved reading, when I was a child I would ask my parents and grandparents to read to me contantly and the second the book was done I would always request for it to be read again immediately. The writing came later, when I was in High School I would find myself getting lost to the stories in my mind, incredible fantasies would play out like movies as I daydreamed and one day I decided to sit down and start writing them and that was the start of my love of writing.
Sorrow & Strangers is the second installment in your Avalon University series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Jeanette: Grief is only the beginning.
Alexis: Pain. Suffering. Glimmer. Hope. Desire.
For readers who haven’t picked up Blood & Betrayals, what can they expect?
Jeanette: Blood & Betrayals is our love letter to the overlap of readers that we feel we both fall into. The Dark Romance readers searching for their first romantasy, and the romantasy readers looking to branch into dark romance. Summer Tuatha De Daanan is for the readers who’ve felt unloveable and too much their entire lives. A story of resilency and someone who searches for intimacy with physical affection and fears emotional intimacy greatly.
Alexis: Blood & Betrayals is a dark romantacy and so should be entered into with reader discretion as some potentially triggering topics are touched on. But at it’s core, Blood & Betrayals is a story about finding yourself. Finding your people. Finding love and acceptance. And it doesn’t hurt that everyone is hot and there’s a pantystealing formless stalker who will burn the world down for Summer. But expect romance, a murder mystery, some thrills and chills and a whole lot of heat.
And for those who have, what’s to come in Sorrow & Strangers?
Jeanette: Sorrow & Strangers is for those who felt themselves break at the end of Blood & Betrayals and craved a way forward. Who thought there could be no healing, no growth in grief.
Alexis: For those who have read B&B you’ll probably know what to expect at the beginning of S&S. Summer is struggling, very much so. The story begins three months after the end of B&B where she has spent the summer a shell of herself, lost to grief. The first 30% or so is not easy to sit in, but it is so vital for Summer’s character arc. And I promise the pay off is absolutely worth it. S&S is sull of twists, turns and laughs. Also perhaps some spice, but you’ll have to read to find out.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Jeanette: Yes, I loved writing Rafe, Rafe is my most relatable character to me. With his struggles of feeling left on the outside of the perfect family. Writing his story arc in Sorrow & Strangers was very healing to me.
Alexis: Personally, I found writing Summer’s grief very rewarding. I lost my dad when I was twenty-one years old and walking through this experience with Summer also helped me process some of my grief. Healing is never linear and watching Summer go through it helped me give myself some grace.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing the sequel?
Jeanette: It was more involved on my part because more of my characters povs were a part of the story.
Alexis: Not really. S&S was really rewarding for us both to write. It’s the second book in our heart series and every word is a love letter to our wonderful characters.
What’s next for you both?
Jeanette: We are making our way through book 3 we’re having so much fun crafting the story, especially as it’s the book where the plot we’ve set up for the last two books starts to finally grow and expand.
Alexis: We are in the process of writing the third installment of Avalon University (Deception & Desires) and while it’s taking more time than usual. We’re having so much fun with it! For those who have read the bonus sneak peek of D&D in the paperback of S&S, you’ll know that the direction of the story is shifting, possibly in an unexpected way and Jeanette and I are loving it.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
Jeanette: The Fall of the Crowned King by Amber V Nicole, Burn of the Everflame by Penn Cole, Godbutcher by Ben Alderson, Our Vicious Oaths by NE Davenport, Ready or Not by Olive Winters.
Alexis: Kuxtal Academy by Nelle Nikole & Mikayla Hornedo, Tethered by Elayna Gallea, Insatiable by Leigh Rivers, The Haunting of William Thorn by Ben Alderson, The Fall of the Crowned King by Amber V Nicole.
