1–What is the title of your latest release?
2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book?
A Venezuelan epic fantasy about a young woman following the ancient legend of a dark cruel god.
3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place?
I was compelled to write a fantasy book that showed off the interesting settings and folklore of Venezuela. I’ve always loved secondary fantasy. In devouring such stories, I noticed how they always used Japanese, Roman, British, etc. history, folklore, and mythology as the foundation for their magic systems and secondary worlds. The idea of seeing a magical world that drew inspiration from Venezuelan history and folklore really excited me. So I decided to write it myself, for the nerds like me, who grew up loving worlds like those of Final Fantasy yet had our existence largely ignored by mainstream media.
4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?
Yes, but knowing how shy and duty-obsessed she is, she probably wouldn’t bother to hang out with me.
5–What are three words that describe your protagonist?
Angsty, loyal, independent
6–What’s something you learned while writing this book?
I learned that I enjoy writing at nighttime, even though my mind is “fresher” in the morning. At nighttime there are less distractions. No emails come in. I’m not interested in checking in to social media. The world is winding down to sleep. I also tend to write darker scenes, as you’ll see in The Sun and the Void, so it feels appropriate to be veiled by nighttime as I write about shape-shifting snakes and blood sacrifices and dark magic.
7–Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?
I am very methodical about the editing after writing process, so I wait until I finish a draft before editing it.
8–What’s your favorite foodie indulgence?
Recently I’ve been obsessed with indulging in arepas fritas. These are sweet deep fried arepas that I pair with salty white cheese. Not only are they delicious and easy to make, they take me back to my childhood, when my grandma used to make them for me. I love cheese empanadas but I find them hard to make, so this is the next best thing for me.
9–Describe your writing space/office!
I write in my studio. I use three monitors because I like to keep many tabs open at the same time—my draft, my outline, my world building encyclopedia, a dictionary and thesaurus, Discord for writing sprints, etc. My third monitor serves mostly to play movies or music, and often when I write I put on YouTube ambiences to help me get immersed in the scene I’m writing.
10–Who is an author you admire?
M. Long—Hannah is a machine when it comes to writing and publishing. This year she will have published 4 books in 3 years, and she has many more in the pipeline. I admire her enthusiasm, drive to succeed at publishing, and her authenticity.
11–Is there a book that changed your life?
A Game of Thrones. I was hooked on secondary fantasy, and it inspired me to write The Sun and the Void!
12–Tell us about when you got “the call.” (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.
It was a very emotional moment. I was in line to order lunch at a Chick fil A, with a coworker, when I checked my email and saw that my now agent, Naomi Davis, loved my book and wanted to schedule a call. Immediately I burst into tears. I completely spooked my coworker and the cashier at the Chick fil A, who legitimately thought I had gotten bad news because of my ugly crying. I had to explain that they were happy tears and that I got the amazing news I had dreamed of for years.
13–What’s your favorite genre to read?
I love getting lost in fantasy worlds
14–What’s your favorite movie?
Cloud Atlas
15–What is your favorite season?
Fall, for Halloween! Also, living in Houston, Texas, it seems like the brief Fall we get from October-November has the best weather of the year.
16–How do you like to celebrate your birthday?
My birthday is the week before Halloween. During this time the Texas Renaissance Festival is in town, so I love going there. You might also catch me on an impromptu trip to New Orleans, my favorite city in the USA. If none of these pan out, I likely will be pumpkin picking or decorating my house for Halloween
17–What’s a recent tv show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?
Recently I have been enjoying some really excellent media. I loved Beef with Ali Wong and Steven Yeun. It was funny and dark, with clever storytelling and acting that had me enthralled. Lately, I have been feeling very existential, and this show addresses those topics in a subtle matter. I also loved Mo with Mo Amer. It’s set in Houston, so it was cool to see the places and the culture of my city represented very authentically. Mo shows what it’s like to be a first-gen immigrant in Houston, which I could relate to. I found this show very unique in that way. I also just watched You Hurt My Feelings with Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a quieter comedy-drama about family-love and honesty and the self-worth we assign to our careers. The love shown in this movie was so poignant, and the comedy so witty, I was crying and laughing almost at the same time in some scenes.
18–What’s your favorite type of cuisine?
Korean, for how diversely it uses veggies, and the range in its spices. Going out to Korean restaurants is how I treat myself!
19–What do you do when you have free time?
I enjoy playing video games. I enjoy tactical RPGs, real time strategy, and farming simulators. My favorite games are Skyrim, Tactics Ogre, Age of Empires 2, and Stardew Valley.
20–What can readers expect from you next?
Expect to see me exploring and retelling more tales from Venezuelan folklore in the future.
THE SUN AND THE VOID by Gabriela Romero Lacruz
The Warring Gods #1
In a lush world inspired by the history and folklore of South America, a sweeping epic fantasy of colonialism, ancient magic, and two young women’s quest for belonging unfolds.
Reina is desperate.
Stuck living on the edges of society, her only salvation lies in an invitation from a grandmother she’s never known. But the journey is dangerous, and prayer can’t always avert disaster.
Attacked by creatures that stalk the region, Reina is on the verge of death until her grandmother, a dark sorceress, intervenes. Now dependent on the Doña’s magic for her life, Reina will do anything to earn—and keep—her favor. Even the bidding of an ancient god who whispers to her at night.
Eva Kesare is unwanted.
Illegitimate and of mixed heritage, Eva is her family’s shame. She tries her best to be perfect and to hide her oddities. But Eva is hiding a secret: magic calls to her.
Eva knows she should fight the temptation. Magic is the sign of the dark god, and using it is punishable by death. Yet, it’s hard to deny power when it has always been denied to you. Eva is walking a dangerous path, one that gets stranger every day. And, in the end, she’ll become something she never imagined.
The Warring Gods
The Sun and the Void
Action | Fantasy | Fiction Adventure [Orbit, On Sale: July 25, 2023, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9780316336543 / eISBN: 9780316336642]
Buy THE SUN AND THE VOID: Amazon.com | Kindle | BN.com | Apple Books | Kobo | Google Play | Powell’s Books | Books-A-Million | Indie BookShops | Ripped Bodice | Love’s Sweet Arrow | Walmart.com | Target.com | Amazon CA | Amazon UK | Amazon DE | Amazon FR
About Gabriela Romero Lacruz
Born and raised in Venezuela, Gabriela Romero Lacruz now lives two-thousand miles from home, in the land of bayous and astronauts. She graduated with a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston, and after a stint in Oil and Gas, decided to dedicate herself to the arts. She writes young adult and adult fantasy stories set in places that remind her of home, so in her mind she’s never too far from the beaches and mountains of Venezuela. She also scratches that ChemE itch with a science fiction or two. She illustrates as The Moonborn.
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