Q&A with Lisa Lueddecke

Posted on 30 September 2018

Welcome back to our author Q&As! This month we’re welcoming Lisa Lueddecke, author of A Shiver of Snow and Sky and the new A Storm of Ice and Stars, set in the same exhilarating world.

Lisa, a former publishing intern and book blogger turned writer, was born into an Air Force family, which gave her a love for travel. She has spent her life moving between four countries and five US states, buts she currently resides in New England.

What are your favourite memories of reading and books as a child/teenager?
My favorite reading memories have to be my mom reading aloud to our family every night before bed. We read so many books that way, and it helped make reading a part of our everyday life. I also have fond memories of listening to The Hobbit audiobook with my sisters while doing crafts and making friendship bracelets.

Did you always want to be a writer?
Honestly, yes. I can’t really remember a time when I didn’t, except for a brief period when I wanted to be both a writer and an astronaut at the same time. Writing quickly won out, though, and I’m kind of glad that it did.

Where/when did you write A Storm of Ice and Stars?
I wrote most of the book in my cozy writing room in Cumbria, England, from 2016 into 2017. I bought a new desk for it and everything. Then I did most of the editing while living in New England, where I am now. Either way, I was almost always cold, and I think that helped me a lot.

Having moved/travelled around a lot, do you think any of the places that you have lived in/visited have particularly inspired your writing and the creation of The Island of Skane?
Although I was very young, living in Iceland for a while as a child definitely inspired me to create Skane in many ways, in addition to the frigid winters in New England. Snow is very important to me, so it was lovely to create a world where snow and winter played such a major role.

Are there any particular themes that you wanted to explore in A Storm of Ice and Stars?
I wanted to explore a bit about dealing with grief, and also shutting people out. That last one comes into play in the book in more ways than one, but I enjoyed putting myself into the characters’ shoes, and seeing the world through their eyes.

Do you have any advice for writers generally and also those who are particularly keen to write fantasy novels and build their own worlds?
I think that my biggest piece of advice to writers in general would be to write as much as you can, even if what you are writing might never get published. A Shiver of Snow and Sky was not the first book that I wrote, and A Storm of Ice and Stars was not the second, but all of the previous ones were necessary to teach me how to become a better writer. As for writing fantasy specifically, for me, it’s mostly about the world-building. That’s something that I love to do, so I recommend spending time on that in the early stages to help your story feel more realized. If you believe in it, then your readers will also likely believe in it. Decide what you love the most about your favorite fantasy novels, and try to focus on those things in your own writing.



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For more fabulous insights into Lisa’s world, head over to her Twitter & Instagram or make your way over to her website…