We chat with author Tricia Levenseller for the paperback release of The Darkness Within Us, which is the wickedly delightful companion novel to Tricia Levenseller’s The Shadows Between Us and follows an ambitious young duchess and the powerful heir determined to steal her inheritance.
Hi, Tricia! Welcome back! How has the past five years been since we last spoke for The Shadows Between Us?
Hello! Good to be here. I cannot believe the turns my career has taken in the last five years. From returning to my pirate and shadow worlds with new standalones (Vengeance of the Pirate Queen and The Darkness within Us) to writing my first adult book (What Fury Brings), it’s been a wild ride! I’ve had so much fun.
When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?
I was seventeen. I was typing out words for a story for the first time because I wanted to pursue a career as an editor. I thought writing the words myself and then editing them would be the best because my small town didn’t have any sort of publisher for me to access unedited words. It was completely by accident that I discovered I liked writing the words as well as editing them.
The Darkness Within Us is now out in paperback! For those who haven’t picked up the first installment, The Shadows Between Us, what can readers expect?
If you like morally gray protagonists, love interests who try to murder each other, gowns and balls, shadow magic, and lots of banter—then I think you’ll love these two standalones.
For those who have, what’s to come in The Darkness Within Us?
TDWU follows Alessandra’s older sister, Chrysantha, who has convinced the world she’s a vain simpleton. Really, she’s orchestrated her own marriage to a wealthy, dying duke so she can inherit everything when he dies: the money, the servants, the manor. But when an estranged “grandson” shows up to take everything from her, she’s not going down without a fight. It’s a battle of wits and wills as these two fight for it all while trying not to fall for each other.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring within the sequel?
I enjoyed writing Nico, a little boy who lives on the estate. I thought he brought a fun innocence to an otherwise darker tale. As for a scene I enjoyed writing, I’m really fond of the brothel scene.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Oh yes. About halfway through The Darkness within Us I was asked by my US publisher to write another pirate novel. I was so excited to tell a story that I’d had in my head since before Daughter of the Pirate King released. However, they wanted me to write the book now, which meant putting aside Darkness. So I paused halfway through the story and whipped out a pirate novel. The problem was that when I came back to writing Darkness, I struggled to pick up the threads of what I’d already started. The main problem was that in Vengeance of the Pirate Queen, I wrote a sweet cinnamon roll of a love interest (Kearan) and then when I tried to go back to writing Darkness, which very much features not a cinnamon roll love interest (Eryx), some of those softer traits snuck in. Eryx was meant to be a villain, and I wrote him way too nice.
Thankfully, my editor was very kind and patient with me. She explained where I went wrong, and I ended up rewriting the second half of the novel, basically from scratch. It was one of the hardest things I’ve done, but I pushed through because I was so incredibly excited to start my next book, something brand new.
Your adult debut What Fury Brings hits shelves in September! Can you tell us a bit about your upcoming release?
Yes! It’s about a kingdom that has a shortage of men, so if women want husbands, they must kidnap them from neighboring kingdoms. Our main female character, Olerra, wants to be queen. In order to prove her worth, she decides she’s going to snatch a prince from the kingdom of their enemies. The problem is that she means to take the secondborn prince, who’s known for being docile, pretty, and easygoing. And she accidentally nabs the warrior crown prince who fights her every step of the way.
It’s a much darker story than any other I’ve done. The world I’ve written is a reflection of our own but genderswapped, meaning every horrible thing that’s ever happened to women over the course of history has actually happened to men. Men cannot hold property. Any money they earn belongs to their wives. Men are punished for infidelity, while women are not. In fact, many of them own large harems. Young boys can be married off as soon as they’re old enough to perform—just like girls were as soon as they started getting their periods. I don’t shy away from the ugliness of the past in this world. It’s mostly a backdrop to the romance, but I hope it brings some clarity to the rampant misogyny and sexism that still exists in our world—by witnessing it happening to men instead.
What’s next for you?
I have four books under contract! One hasn’t been announced yet, but I’ll say that it’s another dark adult romantasy! The other is a YA epic fantasy trilogy that’s about a fat princess, an orphaned nobody, and a gay ranger that must save their world from a magically-gifted serial killer.
Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?
In the YA space, I recommend readers check out Den of Liars by Jessica S. Olson. It’s about a thief who attempts a casino heist during a tournament in which she has to stake her biggest secret as collateral for entering—all while trying not to fall for young owner.
In the adult space, I devoured Warrior Princess Assassin by Brigid Kemmerer. It’s a fantasy romance full of political intrigue and magic and so much heart. I fell for all three characters just as much as they fell in love with each other.
