HVDB BOOK LIFE

Brittany Oldroyd (Weekly Author Spotlight 10 May 2021)

AUTHOR BIO

Brittany Oldroyd lives in Idaho with her husband and their two boys. She loves kickboxing, anime, and all things art-related. She’s also obsessed with fantasy and science fiction and spends most of her reading time devouring books in one of those categories. She loves to write young adult and new adult sci-fi and fantasy, stories with heroic characters and unique plots.

Brittany is the author of Trapped, Forbidden, and Forged in Storms and Shadows.

QUICK INTERVIEW

Where are you from?
“I moved around a lot growing up but went to high school in Arizona so that’s what feels like where I grew up. Now, my husband and I live in Idaho so that’s really home.”

When did you first realize you wanted to be an author?
“When I was in elementary school. We had to write short stories and I LOVED it. Then, in high school, I wrote my first novel and just fell in love with the whole process. I haven’t stopped writing since.”

What is your favorite genre to read/write?
“I love science fiction and fantasy. It’s what I write and what I most enjoy reading.”

Who is your favorite author and why?
“I’m not sure I could pick just one. There are so many good ones out there. If I had to pick, I’d probably say Brandon Mull.”

How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
“I’ve written four now. It’s hard to pick favorites since their like my babies but, right now, I’d have to say Forged in Storms and Shadows is my favorite.”

Who/What inspired you to write Forged in Storms and Shadows?
“There was sort of a culmination of things that inspired Forged in Storms and Shadows. I knew I wanted to write an alien sci-fi. I talked it over a bunch with my husband, since he’s sort of my sounding board for these things. We came up with the story together.”

What part of the book was the most fun to write?
“Writing the different characters’ abilities was really fun, especially Kaladria’s. Lightning is a very cool power. Writing all the ways she uses it in a fight was a ton of fun.”

What do you think makes a great story?
“Characters I can root for. One of my favorite series is Percy Jackson and the Olympians because Percy is such a great character, one I can really root for.”

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
“Everywhere. I have tons and tons of notes on my phone of different ideas that come from all sorts of things. Sometimes, it’s something a friend says. Sometimes, it’s a specific picture I saw on Pinterest. I think it’s really important to draw inspiration from everywhere.”

What advice can you give to an unpublished author?
“Give yourself permission to suck. I have a rule for myself that I never edit anything until I have an entire first draft. First drafts are crappy but you can’t write a second draft until that first one is done.”