Interview With Author Meredith R. Lyons

While I love a young ingenue, I was delighted to find out that the heroine of A Dagger of Lightning was a normal, forty-five-year-old woman who is still struggling to find herself. As an elder millennial, this rings so true with me! And then her life is thrown into chaos when she’s kidnapped by an alien prince. Tell me more! I recently chatted with author Meredith R. Lyons (you might remember her from this interview) on her newest book, writing advice, what’s it like writing a second novel, and more!

Author Meredith R. Lyons

What is the premise of A Dagger of Lightning?

A Dagger of Lightning follows Imogen, a normal, forty-five-year-old woman who's never really found her place in life, but is trying to do what society expects of her, not necessarily what she wants to be doing. She's kidnapped by an alien prince in disguise who turns her into sidhe, like him, against her will. He's decided that she is the chosen one, she's going to fall in love with him, and she's going to help his country win a centuries-old feud. Imogen co-signs none of this and with the help of the prince's more tolerable brother, starts to get her feet under her. But her powers grow at an alarming rate and people in high places start to take notice. Imogen has to decide what she wants and how to fight for herself or she'll end up a powerless tool in this war.

What inspired your story?

I was nursing my first major injury of my forties and I wasn't bouncing back as quickly as I did when I was younger. I was realizing that this injury might be with me in some iteration for the rest of my life and the feeling of my own mortality was making me cranky. I was immersing myself in fantasy books to dissociate and when I came up for air, I would reach for a glass of water or something and be pissed that it wouldn't zoom magically into my hand. "Why can't I get kidnapped by the fae and granted immortality and super-healing?" I asked myself. "You're too old," my brain responded. Then I was extra grumpy, but started asking the question, "Why not? Why not have a heroine who has actually experienced her body falling apart before she's turned immortal? Why not have someone with some life experience, settled into herself and her personality face off against beings hundreds of years old instead of someone just inching into adulthood?" Later that day, Imogen went for a run, never to return.

Imogen is counter to frequently-used hero tropes, with ‘I am not your chosen one’ even in the description of the book. How did you come up your protagonist?

I realized that while I, personally, may want to escape Earth and be granted immortality and powers, it would be a bit of a shock to the system if it actually happened. Imogen has a backbone and does not take kindly to the fact that she was pulled from her entire life without her consent. Yes, she adapts because she has no choice, but that doesn't mean she's going to forgive and forget, so she resists the Chosen One label and anything else the prince has presumed of her. But what I wanted most of all was for Imogen to have some growth to do. I don't think we're all solidified the moment we reach adulthood, and coming-of-age arcs can—and should—happen at any age. I wanted Imogen to have a sense of humor, a well of life-experience, a firm sense of self, but still have space to learn and grow.

This is your second novel. Was it easier or harder than writing your first book?

It was different. When I wrote Ghost Tamer, I was very depressed, and had to force myself to the computer with only my writing group really motivating me. The first draft took about six months. When I wrote the first draft of A Dagger of Lightning, I was in a really good place and zoomed through the first draft in twenty-eight days. Did I have more fun writing that initial draft of Dagger? Absolutely. However, I had to do a lot more rewriting. Like most writers, I've written many more books than I've published, and each one has different challenges and joys.

What writing advice do you have for aspiring writers?

There is no wasted writing. Did you start writing a story that went nowhere because you became disenfranchised with the idea or got excited by something else? When you went back did you realized you've become a better writer since you worked on it and now don't want to take the time to rewrite it? That doesn't mean that work was wasted. Did you write a short story for a themed submission and get rejected with no where else to submit it? Still not wasted. When you continue to do something day in and day out, you get better at it.  It's the way of the world. Keep writing.

Where can people order A Dagger of Lightning?

Anywhere, but if they want a signed copy, order from my local Nashville indie, Parnassus. https://parnassusbooks.net/book/9780744311570 Just make sure to put in the special instructions that you want it signed. And if you want it personalized, indicate who I should make it out to. They'll call me, I'll sign it, and they'll ship it to you! You can also order from all the usual places, but I really love when people go to their favorite Indie bookstore and order it there. :-)

Where’s the best place to follow you?

I'm most active on Instagram @meredithrlyons.com, but I am also on Facebook, Threads, BlueSky, and TikTok all under the same handle. I also have a website www.meredithraelyons.com and there's a place there to sign up for my newsletter or ask me questions.