Posted on May 1, 2019 at 8:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Today we’re interviewing C.A. Gray, the author of three YA Amazon bestselling trilogies.

Piercing The Veil (magic and quantum physics meet Arthurian legends), The Liberty Box (dystopian metaphysics and mind control technology), and Uncanny Valley (dystopian coming-of-age with neuroscience and super intelligent A.I) are free of gratuitous violence, language, and sexual content … but they’re not all kittens and rainbows either.

She also listens to and reviews audiobooks on her website, Goodreads, Instagram, and on her podcast, Clean Audiobook Reviews, where she also occasionally interviews other authors.

By day, Gray practices naturopathic medicine, does podcasts, and writes medical nonfiction under her maiden name (Dr. Lauren Deville).

SADYE: How did you come to see yourself as a writer, and what inspired you to seek publication?

C.A.: I’ve been writing since I was in elementary school … although back then all my main characters were cats (go figure).  

I’ve got about twelve shelves’ worth of journals throughout my life and have always felt that words are incredibly powerful.

I minored in creative writing in college.  I guess I always knew I’d end up writing eventually.

SADYE: Tell us something about your writing process that’s unusual or that you haven’t revealed before.

C.A.: I brainstorm a world and a general gist of the story, and then I outline the story in broad strokes.

Next I outline the nitty gritty, down to what happens in each chapter. Then I write from the outline, in roughly twenty-page chunks, editing as I go.

I send each set of twenty to my primary editor (my mom, whose maiden name I borrowed as my pen name) and make whatever edits she recommends as I go.

Then when I finish the story, I reread the whole thing and edit it to the best of my ability before shipping it off to her and to my other editors!

SADYE: Which of your characters would you most and least like to trade places with?

C.A.: I’d like to trade places with Peter Stewart in my first trilogy, Piercing the Veil — because it would be so cool to have the power to manipulate matter!

I’d hate to trade places with Kate from the Liberty Box trilogy… because I can’t imagine how awful it would be to find out everything you thought you knew was a lie.

SADYE: What period of history would you most like to travel back to and why?

C.A.: I’d travel back to first century Jerusalem, because I’d like to meet Jesus in person.

SADYE: What has been the most touching or memorable piece of reader feedback you’ve received?

C.A.: I got an email from someone who told me that she was a full-time caregiver for her dying husband.

She thanked me for giving her a fictional escape to look forward to every day. I won’t forget that!

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Learn more about C.A. Gray on her website, where her books can also be purchased; like her on Facebook; and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

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Categories: Author Interview

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