We chat with debut author Lily Meade about The Shadow Sister, which follows a bi-racial Black girl whose sister returns from her abduction changed in ways trauma alone can’t explain.
Hi, Lily! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?
Hi there! I’m a biracial Black woman living in Washington state (the one with coffee, not Congress) with my mother, brothers, and two dogs. I love talking about storytelling, so much so that I have a YouTube channel of writing advice and inspiration.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I’ve always loved reading. My mother would take pictures of me as a toddler and write her own little storybooks with me as the star, so I always saw myself in fiction from the first stories I ever heard. It wasn’t until I became a teenager and began poking around in fanfiction that I realized my talent and passion for writing, but it’s been a love affair ever since!
Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!
- A Case Of The Stripes by David Shannon
- Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
- Yellowface by RF Kuang
Your debut novel, The Shadow Sister, is out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Suspicious, selfish, selfless, sisterly, and spooky. Can’t believe I found five S words for this, but a theme is a theme!
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect an unsettling mystery and uncomfortable sisterhood, both cracked and raw with secrets, suspicions, and unsaid hurt. Sutton and Casey have a lot to say about each other, but they’ll need to learn how to talk to each other if they want to save their relationship (and potentially their lives?!).
Where did the inspiration for The Shadow Sister come from?
It came from a very specific case that I will not tell you for spoiler reasons. 😈 But I also wrote it during the Gabby Petito case and amongst the very difficult and important discussions surrounding her media attention versus that given to missing people of other races from that same time. The idea of a “perfect victim” is central to The Shadow Sister.
Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
I loved every scene with Ruth, Casey’s best friend. She brings a real joy to every page she features on. I also love the family dog, Romeo. He’s the real star of the book.
Can you tell us a bit about your journey of getting The Shadow Sister published?
This was a bit of a whirlwind because two weeks after we submitted my book to publishers, I found out my rent was being raised from $500 to $2000 overnight. I ended up having to crowdfund to meet the difference and apologized to my agent for how “unprofessional and unreliable” that might make me look. She said not to worry and it turned out she was right! Three days later, she sent my book to a new name on our list and six hours later—on the same day, on a Friday!—I had a book deal (and a way to meet the cost of the new rent).
Every part of working with my editor Annette Pollert-Morgan and Sourcebooks Fire has felt as magic and surreal as that. I am so happy to be launching my career with them.
What’s next for you?
The second book in my contract! It’s another standalone and I can’t say too much about it, but if you like the mentions of Ivy James in The Shadow Sister you’ll probably very much enjoy her presence in my next book.
Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?
Yes! For a lighter read after Shadow, try Kismat Connection by Ananya Devarajan, a fellow debut. For an even spookier read after Shadow, try Where Echoes Die by Courtney Gould (I’ll be finishing out my book tour with her on July 8th)!
