Check out this author spotlight for T. D. Fox!
You can find all her links furthest down the page, and donāt forget to check out her books!
1. Hi! Welcome to my humble blog of all things bookish! I would like for us to start by getting to know you. Give us a short bio, please!
A world-romper from the Pacific Northwest, T.D. Fox supplements a hyperactive imagination with real life shenanigans to add pizzazz to her storytelling endeavors.
Armed with a bachelorās degree in Intercultural Studies, her favorite stories to write usually involve a clash of worldviews, an unflinching reevaluation of oneās own internal compass, and an embrace of the compelling unease that arises when vastly different worlds collide. When not recklessly exploring inner-city alleyways during midnight thunderstorms in the States, she can be found exploring rainforests without enough bug spray somewhere along the equator.
2. To get to know you just a little bit better, Iād like to ask you some this or that questions. Answer 5 (or more!) of these and explain why you chose this or that, or maybe an entirely different alternative!
Cat or dog?
Big dog wins over cat, but cat wins over little dog š
Tea or coffee?
Coffee!
Morning or evening?
Evening, 100%
Library or museums?
Library
Hunter or gatherer?
Hunter! I grew up hunting with my dad in the wilds of Eastern Oregon š Nothing quite like waking up at 4am to watch the sun rise through a silent forest with a 30.06 over your shoulder
Witches or wizards?
Wizards
Ninjas or pirates?
Ooh, thatās a tough one – ninjas
Mountains or beaches?
Mountains
Plotter or pantser?
Planster š I might have a threadbare plot, but the characters always run away with it and warp the story into whatever they want. Iāve learned to hold it loosely haha.Ā
Pen and paper or computer/phone?
Computer/phone ā I have whole scenes typed into the tiny notepad on my dinosaur phone, lol
Standalone or series?
Series! I love to hangout with my characters for as long as I can
Book or ebook?
Hmm, another tough one. Books smell better, but ebook since I like to read in bed with the lights off lol
Hero or anti-hero?
Anti-hero, definitely. š
3. When you look for books to read, what trope or type of story will always catch your attention?
Enemies to lovers, always; enemies to friends, enemies to alliesā¦ seeing a trend? Lol Any time characters have to fight their preconceived worldviews or biases, or learn that their perspective needs to change ā Iām a sucker for that; I think itās my Intercultural Studies degree showing.
4. What do you write? Tell us about your current projects and the latest happenings!
I write urban science-fiction/fantasy! Basically, out-of-this-world fantasy stuff happening in this world, within the boundaries of what we know but pushing them, hard. Itās really fun.
My current project is something Iām more excited about than pretty much any project Iāve worked on so far! (Even The Walls of Orion, shh, donāt tell my readers who love that series best). This one is a four-part saga about a girl working for a counter-terrorism agency who has to strike a deal with a terrorist in order to stop a genocide from happening. Set in a world of humans and Shadow Walkersāice people ready to rebel against a society dominated by humans for too many milleniaāthis series explores prejudice, war and revolution, and how far a good person should be willing to go for the good of those under the boot of oppression. The Shadow Walkers saga will have action, romance, suspense, a wide cast of characters, and in-depth world building rich with folklore and pseudo-scientific magical elements woven together.
5. What is your most recent release? Give us a short presentation, cover, and a link for where to buy it!
My most release is the concluding sequel to my The Walls of Orion duology, titled City of Loons. For those who havenāt read the first book, I donāt want to spoil anything, so here is the back-cover blurb for book one!
Orion City has been on lockdown for ten years. Courtney Spencer, a disillusioned barista doomed to live a ānormalā life in a quarantined fishbowl, is certain sheāll never see over the Wall again.
Until one rainy evening, Courtney unintentionally befriends W, an eccentric customer who leaves a switchblade in the tip jar. The unexpected acquaintance soon opens the door to a frightening string of questions that flips everything she knows upside down. Stumbling into a world of secrets, lies, and disturbing truths, Courtney grapples with a burning temptation to look again at the Wall. Surrounded by citizens trained to ignore its looming shadow, Courtney no longer can.
Intrigued and terrified to expand her world, Courtney finds herself toeing a knifeās edge between the law and justice, learning quickly that the two are not always compatible.
She wants to cling to her morals. She also wants to stay alive. But most of all, she wants to see a certain customer again, despite everything in her whispering W is dangerous.Ā
In a gritty urban clash of hope and fear, passion and survival, The Walls of Orion explores the edges of light, dark, and the gray in between.
Ironically, I began writing The Walls of Orion in 2016, and finished April 2019, almost an exact year before my country, city, and friends got plunged into a very real pandemic lockdown.
Luckily I haven’t had to live in a city with a two hundred foot concrete wall around it and indefinite curfews, but my real life experience of quarantine while polishing up the final drafts of this heartchild for publishing certainly felt surreal after the last four years of extensive research on, “How would a mysterious pandemic be handled on a city level? A national level?”
Imagine my surprise, (on top of all the other emotions that come with a pandemic) when in the middle of finalizing my story’s publication, real life beat me to the punch. Find The Walls of Orion on Amazon or Barnes & Noble, I always try to keep it cheap! š https://www.amazon.com/dp/1952112427
6. What real-life inspiration do you draw from, and what are your primary fictional sources of inspiration (books, authors, films, music, etc.)? Name a few!
Iām the most inspired by music. I have playlists for every story I write, and often every character (some with more songs than others!) For example, my Walls of Orion playlist has hundreds of songs on Spotify:
Whereas my Shadow Walkers saga has so many songs that inspire me that Iāve had to split them up into playlists for all of the characters. One character alone (Nyal) has over 600 songs just for him! :O
7. What is your writing routine? If you have one, give us the run-down!
I need to get a better writing routine, honestly, because I am such a sporadic and spontaneous person in general itās very hard to nail myself down into a daily schedule. I work several day jobs to keep the bills paid, so I have to squeeze writing sessions between shifts or onto my days off. Iām trying to stick to a goal of writing a certain amount of words a week (although I havenāt met that for a little while in the craziness of launching my duology). My favorite and most productive times to write are when I can get away to a coffee shop, plug in my headphones and just sit down and tune out the world. I get my best writing done also when I accidentally pull all-nights because my characters keep talking to me when Iām trying to sleep š Though I donāt recommend letting your characters bully you with inspiration in the wee hours of the morning very often; itās bad for your health, long term.
8. If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice as you started out on the path to becoming an author, what would it be?
Oh, man. I think the most important thing I would tell myself is: enjoy the process. Enjoy what youāre doing, and donāt let yourself forget why you started in the first place. When editing overwhelms you, or you feel insecure looking at other authors taking off and thinking youāll never reach their level, come back to your own characters and remember why you want to write their story. I love writing. If Iām stuck on a desert island somewhere, I will be entertained, because I will be telling myself stories until the day I die. This is the most important thing to remember.
Do what you love, and it doesnāt matter how much āsuccessā you may or may not find in the material sense. I may not ever get to #1 on the big charts, but I love seeing my readersā faces light up as they fall in love with my characters as much as I didāthatās why I write. Iām invigorated by the idea of sharing the worlds Iāve made, and seeing someone be inspired by them.
9. Last but not least: where can we find you? Drop those links!
Iād love to connect! š Sign up for my newsletter at www.tdfoxbooks.com and get exclusive short stories, sneak peeks of my upcoming novels, art, and be the first to know when a new story drops! Iād seriously love so much to connect with you!
Also you can follow me on social media:
Instagram – @tdfoxauthor
Twitter – @tdfoxauthor
Facebook – T.D. Fox
