We chat with author Yasmin Angoe about She Drinks the Light, which follows a teen girl who must uncover her family’s deadly secrets in order to save her best friend and her island in this heart-pounding YA debut.
Hi, Yasmin! Welcome back! It’s been a few years since we last spoke for the release of Her Name Is Knight. How have you been?
Oh yeah! It’s been forever!!! Where ya been, huh? LOL. I’ve been well. Busy writing and very thankful to still be. Thank you!
Your latest novel, She Drinks the Light, is out March 3rd! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Myths, folktales, lineage, layered, VAMPIRES!
What can readers expect?
Readers can expect a tiny peek into Ghanian folktale and mythology (because it is vast), a main character who doesn’t only comes-of-age (in the sense of the word) but comes-of-knowledge and lineage. Hopefully they can expect and will get a good ole fantasy with some horror sprinkled in for good seasoning. Most of all, I hope the readers expect a good time, because that’s all I aim to give. I come from centuries of storytellers who put their soul into what they spoke, and I too put my soul into writing She Drinks the Light. I hope that shines through as readers read it.
Where did the inspiration for She Drinks the Light come from?
Oh wow…well…I’ve always been obsessed with supernatural beings, vampires especially. When Alli Temple Hill approached me and asked if I’d not only write about vampires, but Ghanaian ones—have a chance to mix my heritage with a fun topic I jumped on that fast. An aside that I haven’t shared with anyone yet—the main adze in SDTL was inspired by the late, great Aaliyah who played the queen vampire Akasha in the movie Queen of the Damned, adapted from Anne Rice’s book which I also devoured. Anyway, despite its faults, I loved Aaliyah’s version of Akasha. She very much was the epitome of how a queenly Black lady vampire would be. So, when you read SDTL, you may be able to tell which character I fashioned after her.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?
Absolutely! I love a good origin story. Maybe I’m just nosey, but I love knowing where people or things come from. Why they happened. The backstory. So, the best part was writing about the adze, their background, what they were capable of, how they came to be—writing their differences from the usual vampiric tropes we’ve read, that was the most fun. Also writing Addae and her relationship with her grandmother. It was a chance to push a Ghanaian folktale to the forefront and include some other aspects of the Akan/Ashanti culture…mythology, spirituality, tradition. TLDR- I enjoyed writing and exploring all of it.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
The challenge I faced was writing less than I usually write for my adult books. I had so much story to tell, so many things I wanted to get into, but I had to whittle them down and choose what was most important to tell for this story at this time. My editors helped me overcome my excessive wordcount. They killed some of my darlings to spare me the pain.
What are some of the key lessons you’ve learned when it comes to writing since your debut?
Great question. Unglamorous answer—I learned the need to be self-disciplined and keep myself to a schedule. At that time, I was writing two books at the same time, She Drinks the Light, and one of my adult thrillers so managing the two of them and making sure I gave both equal love and attention was a lesson I had to learn. That mean being tough with myself and saying, “Yasmin, put the TV remote down and get off social for a bit.”
What’s next for you?
Enjoying She Drinks the Light finally being out in the world and how it’s received. I’m back to working on another adult thriller of mine. And hoping I have more opportunities like this to come my way.
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up this year?
I’m looking forward to Goldenborn by Ama Ofosua Lieb, The Free Verse Society by Delali Adjoa, and Dominion by Jean Kwok to name just a few. Cannot wait!
Will you be picking up She Drinks the Light? Tell us in the comments below!
