Life & Work with Aliya Dalrae of Kettering, OH

Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliya Dalrae

Hi Aliya, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started writing in 2008, soon after I lost my only baby late in the pregnancy. So, what started as therapy has turned into a full blown passion for me. I’ve always loved reading paranormal romance and urban fantasy, and it only felt natural that the story I wrote for my lost girl would follow that path. “Sweet Vengeance” was supposed to be a single novel, but after I published in 2016, it turned into the Jessica Sweet trilogy, which then spawned a series of short stories, the Fallen Cross Pack Series, and then the Fallen Cross Legion series, which just concluded with its seventh installment. Nearly all my books take place in the fictional town of Fallen Cross, Ohio, which is basically Germantown turned on its axis. Though all names have been changed and things are muddled up a bit, anyone who is familiar with my home town is sure to recognize some of the local landmarks and lore, especially in the trilogy. Writing was never on my radar as something I dreamed to do, but here I am, almost nine years and over twenty books later, my head still full of characters with stories to be told.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Was it smooth? Not really. Until recently, the writing itself came fairly easily, but the challenge comes with being an independent author. Actually, I believe that is a misnomer, since as an indie author we are not just writers, but marketers as well. It falls upon us to build our platform, to find our audiance, to figure out how to reach new readers, and when you learn the “what” of it, then you have to figure out the “how.” I will say, it helps to have a supportive team in your corner, whether that comes in the form of family and friends, the writing community or both. I honestly don’t know where I would be if it hadn’t been for friends encouraging (okay, pushing me!) to publish, and then an incredible stroke of luck in finding a group of writers willing to exchange knowledge and help each other along the way. Names and faces have changed throughout the years, but the writing community on the whole is incredibly supportive, and there is always someone willing to help you along, whether you are new to indie publishing or have been at it a while like me. Platforms change, social media is key, and there is always more to learn.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I mentioned, I primarily write paranormal romance and urban fantasy novels and short stories. My characters are mostly Vampires, Shifters, Werewolves and the lot, yet they all possess a certain humanity. While they have supernatural abilities, they are also flawed creatures who want what any of us want: love, family, and home. While their journeys are far more fantastic than a mere human’s, in the end, they prove that we are really all the same deep down. I think that is what I am most proud of, and I hope what sets me apart just a little… the fact that I have created this world, that it brings the reader into the story and makes them feel they are one with the Fallen Cross family. Yes, it’s romance, and yes, it requires that suspension of disbelief, but when you have readers reach out to you, telling you that your characters resonate with them, that they feel like family? Or even that the stories helped them through similar traumas of their own… that’s pretty cool, don’t you think?

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
Oh boy! I grew up in Germantown, so a farming community out in the country surrounded by cows and pigs and corn. Not ours, but the neighbors had plenty of everything! I was in 4-H, raised and showed rabbits at the county fair, and I loved my horses more than anything. Except maybe singing. My dream was to be a big Broadway star, which of course, never happened. But, I sang pretty much everywhere I went, was probably overly dramatic, and maybe a bit of a class clown, although not enough of one to take the honors my senior year. I was a good student, a rule-follower, a dreamer. Not much different than I am now, I suppose.

Pricing:

• Novels – $20
• Short stories & Childrens’ books – $10

Contact Info:

• Other: https://linktr.ee/aliyadalrae