| When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what does it mean to you to be a black writer in this society? |
| I wanted to be a writer since I was about five years old, but I didn’t pursue it seriously until I was in my mid-thirties. For me, being a Black writer means being myself on the page. Regardless of what genre I’m writing in – Southern Gothic, fantasy, horror, or science fiction –who I am as a person – a Black Southern woman – always makes it into the story in some way. |
| Do you write full time, or do you have another full-time job? What is your educational background? |
| I write full time now, after leaving my day job a little over five years ago. I have a B.S. in Business Administration and worked in finance most of my career. As far as writing education, I’ve never taken writing classes, but I read voraciously and have since I was a child. |
| How do you best meet the challenge of juggling your day job (if applicable) and/or your family, against your writing career? |
| When I had a day job, I did most of my writing after work. I was never without a notebook though, so I could jot down ideas whenever they popped up. You never know when something will inspire you, so I like to be prepared. I still keep one on my nightstand. |
| How many books have you written? I’ve published two collections of short stories (Spook Lights and Spook Lights II), but only one novel, a middle-grade Southern Gothic historical that will be published in early 2021. I’m hard at work on two more, though. |
| Who are some of the major writing influences who most inspired you? |
| Zora Neale Hurston, J. California Cooper, Edgar Allan Poe |
| Do you listen to music when you’re creating? If so, what type? |
| Never. I listen to sounds like crackling fireplaces, thunderstorms, or rain on a tin roof when I write. |
| How long does it usually take you to complete work on a book? |
| I’ve only completed one so far, and that started out as a collection of short stories. |
| Is there any particular book that you’ve written that you’re most passionate about? |
| Not a book, but a short story. It’s “For Southern Girls When The Zodiac Ain’t Near Enough” and it’s my love letter to Black Southerners, no matter where they may be in the world now. I’ve been lucky enough to have some readers mention that it resonates with them, and they return to read it periodically. And that means so much to me. |
| What legacy do you want your work to represent and resonate in the black community and the world? |
| I want my legacy to be one of mixing African-American and Gullah-Geechee folklore and mythology into stories that show we as Black people have a rich cultural past and a tradition of storytelling despite our traumatic history. And to let that rich cultural past inspire us to do even more now and in the future. |
| What are some of the upcoming projects you’re working on? |
| I’m working on two novels: a middle-grade Southern Gothic contemporary fantasy and a young adult horror/dark fantasy. |
| How can the readers learn more about your work and follow your career? |
| Website: http://edenroyce.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdenRoyce Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edenroycebooks/ |
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