Today I’m hosting author AJ Flowers as part of the blog tour for her latest novel, Fallen To Grace. AJ was kind enough to let me interview her. Check out the interview below!

Tell me a bit about yourself, your hobbies, likes and dislikes.

Like most writers, I juggle a day job and family. I’m an automotive engineer and can often work up to 60-hour weeks. I fit in writing by making sure I’m doing it every day, even if it’s just 30 minutes during a lunch break or before bedtime. My hobbies include reading, studying languages (although I’m no good at any of them), video games, and watching the latest shows with my Dutch hubby (and Blue Russian kitty). I love anything creative, which is why being an automotive designer and a writer both work for me. I dislike that there’re only 24 hours in a day!

How did you get into writing?

I can remember writing poetry and even a short story when I was in elementary school. I’ve always loved to write. In high school I still wrote poetry and loved literature, but tried exploring art and photography. In college I came back to my literary roots, even if I was running mathematical algorithms at the same time! While I have my reasons for pursuing engineering as my main career, I take my writing very seriously as well.

Did you choose the genre you write in or do your stories lead you?

I’ve always loved fantasy the most, hands-down. My love of literature really comes from how limitless it is and how creative it can be. Fantasy is the genre that can take that aspect of literature the farthest, and I love that. While I mostly read and write fantasy, I’ll also explore other genres to learn their strengths and be able to bring those into my stories.

Give me all the wonderful facts about when I can get a copy and where?

The Celestial Downfall Trilogy has been in the works for roughly 10 years, mostly because I experienced my learning curve from “newb writer” to “professional writer” with this series and had to rewrite it many times until I was satisfied. Fallen to Grace was released on December 2^nd on Kindle. I’ll be releasing the paperback shortly, so readers who need a physical book in their hands won’t have to wait long and can follow my blog for updates. (ajflowers.wordpress.com)

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01LXM5NZ7

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01LXM5NZ7

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32184347-fallen-to-grace?ac=1&from_search=true

How did you come up with the idea for this book?

I rarely sit down and just try to think of ideas. The way I write is just to start writing. I know that sounds weird, but it’s actually the true version of the writing technique called “pantsing,” or writing by the seat of your pants. While pantsing, I began with a scene of what would become Manor Saffron, and a girl with bi-colored eyes. I kept writing until I had three books worth of an angelic saga. But the first revision was just what jumped out of my head, was all over the place, and ultimately needed to be massively edited multiple times. I don’t think I’ll ever truly pants again, at least not for three whole books straight!

Who is your favourite character in this story and why?

My favourite character is Gabriel, the outcast angel and main love interest. It becomes apparent in the first book that he’s an outcast and different from the others, but it’s not really explained why. He’s such a complicated character and I love how deep he really goes, and how it takes three books to truly understand him. I can’t wait to finish editing the next to volumes so my readers can really get to know him.

Will you tell the readers your favourite scene, if you can without giving away too much information? (This is totally an optional question.)

There is a favourite scene of mine in Fallen to Grace, but it’s the climax of the story and definitely would give some spoilers. So I’ll just say that it was the hardest scene to write in the entire trilogy, and I hope the emotion that went through me to put it down on paper is able to get through the page and into the reader, because that is truly the readership experience I’m hoping to achieve.

About the book

Title: Fallen to Grace

Book Blurb: Azrael’s a wingless angel, and if that wasn’t bad enough, she’s the only one with a functioning conscience. Her bi-color eyes mark her as a moral hybrid, and when she breaks her enslavement to Manor Saffron by making a deal with a demon, she doesn’t expect to become Queen. She’ll have to survive her new royal magic, convince a legion of angels she’s worth fighting for, and find the breach in her Faustian deal, or risk a new master with horns.

Author Bio: A.J. Flowers is a fantasy author, book blogger, and automotive engineer in Detroit. She loves her writing, her work, and above all, her faith and family. When not writing or designing, you can find her saving the world from annihilation on her favorite video games side-by-side with her Dutch husband and princess Blue Russian kitty named Mina.