Author Interview – L.L. Gray

This month I caught up with urban fantasy author L.L. Grey whose Smoke and Shadows series also features a chicken called Cluck Norris (great minds…!).

So, tell us a bit about yourself.

Hi! I’m L.L. Gray. I like singing opera in the shower, drawing badly, and am on a perpetual quest to find a truly fantastic cup of coffee. I don’t care how many cups I have to sample! I will find that elusive mug filled with the elixir of happiness!!! Oh, and in my free time, I write fantasy books. Currently, I’ve finished four books and a novella in my urban fantasy series, the Smoke and Shadows Series and book five is well under way.

I loved Book 1 in this series, but you’ve got another book out, can you give us a quick summary?

Felons and Fangs is my latest release. It is book 2 in the series and features a strong heroine who is battling to find answers to questions about her mysterious past. I enjoy imagining complex, difficult situations for my characters and watching them try to work out a solution. Usually with a lot of quick humor and easter eggs hidden along the way. In this book, a god, a thief, and a vampire walk into Cameron Blaze’s life. At the end of the book, only one is going to walk out. But who will it be? There’s only one way to find out…

Oooo sounds great and I love how you weave your setting into the story too, how did you come up with the magical beings in your world?

I’m a bit of a nerd (well, more than a bit, truth be told). I love doing research and learning more about mythology and legends from different cultures. I weave things I’ve learned into my modern fantasy settings. If you look closely, you’ll see Irish, Egyptian, Creole, Norse, and Central American legends in play. As well as a healthy dose of fae, vampires and werewolves. However, if you don’t want to look that closely, it’s a fast-paced contemporary fantasy filled with quick humor and lots of action.

It really is so fast paced! Who has influenced your writing the most?

I love the fantasy classics like CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien (I also love that they had a frenemy thing going on!). JK Rowling holds a special place in my heart, naturally. Other than that, I really enjoy the works of Patrick Rothfuss (if you’re reading this, finish book 3 already! Love you!), Shayne Silvers, Kevin Hearne, Shannon Mayer, and Scott Lynch. To name a few.

Thank you for talking to me, where can we learn more about you and your books?

Please come and visit me at my website: https://llgray.com/You can also find me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/llgrayauthor/,Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/llgrayauthor/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22508523.L_L_Gray

Shadows and Relics (Book 1 of the Smoke and Shadows Series): https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B5H91DQZ

Felons and Fangs (Book 2 of the Smoke and Shadows Series): https://www.amazon.com/Felons-Fangs-Smoke-Shadows-Book-ebook/dp/B0BFH2JWLJ