Hello, everyone! Welcome back to another episodes of Interview With The Author.

It's your gal here, sufiena1608 and I'm thrilled to introduce our esteemed guest, the talented and captivating author, L. Meredith lmeredithwrites!

So, without further ado, let us embark on this exhilarating exploration of imagination and artistry. Join me in welcoming the one and only L. Meredith to our stage.

Sufie (S) : Hello, L. Meredith I wanted to extend my congratulations once again for the inclusion of your captivating story, "An Unkindness of Ravens," in our Book of the Month May issue.

L.Meredith (L) : Oh my gosh, thank you so much for this opportunity and for loving my book. It means that world to me!

S : Let's go back to where it all began. What inspired you to become a writer? How did you start your writing journey?

L : I've always loved the written word. I learned to read young, and as soon as I could do it by myself, I was gone to new worlds. Funny enough, this might age me but, it was Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen who inspired me to write. I loved all their movies and shows, and decided I wanted to write a twin story, so I created The Adventures of Hannah and Claire when I was about ten. They didn't go anywhere, but if I ever write middle-grade novels, maybe I'll come back to them! My love of writing only grew from there as more ideas came, and I read more novels and got a feel for what I really loved to write about: human relationships.

S : Do you have any story that you have written is your favourite? If yes, what makes it hold a special place in your heart?

L : Oh man! I have to pick between all my babies? Each of my novels hold a special place in my heart for varying reasons.

Killorglin (which originally was on Wattpad but has since been re-mastered and re-released on Amazon) was the first romance novel I wrote where I really felt like I nailed the tension building a romance needs. Not to mention, I've always wanted to travel to Ireland, particularly Killorglin for Puck Fair, so to get to live it through my characters was fun.

For the Love of Art won all the awards and got all the recognition, and so it really felt like the first time I felt confident in my ability to write romance.

One Last Night tackled a subject very near and dear to my heart, and that's having an alcoholic father. The main character's journey was different to mine, but we both sacrificed the same dream. The book really was a catharsis for me.

Reed was just fun to write. I love medical romances, so why not?

An Unkindness of Ravens was my first time tackling a subject that I'd been scared to tackle, motherhood. I'm very proud of myself for not only completing the project, but having people tell me that it made them feel exactly how I wanted them to fee.

S : Do you look forward to pursuing themes or genres outside of your comfort zone or personal preference? If so, what are some examples?

L : I probably always will be a romance writer, but I do have some pots on the stove that are outside of being just your typical contemporary steamy romance. I don't want to give too much away as I don't have release dates in mind for these novels yet, but I'm very excited to share them. It's definitely been good for me to step outside my comfort zone because I will never grow in my comfort zone.

S : How do you handle writer's block or moments of creative stagnation? Do you have any techniques or strategies to overcome these challenges?

L : Funny enough, I wrote An Unkindness of Ravens during a time like this. I had been struggling with my writing and at the time I was read a book called Well Matched where a dad reaches out to his estranged daughter, but the plot fell off like halfway through the book and the conclusion left much to be desired and the rest of the book, while really well done, wasn't quite as exciting. I ultimately asked myself, "What if the dad coming back WAS the plot?"

An Unkindness of Ravens became my Bride and Prejudice (which if you don't know, Bride and Prejudice is a reimagining of Pride and Prejudice. Basically it was, take EVERYTHING from Pride and Prejudice, and put it in India and to this day it's my favourite retelling of Pride and Prejudice). So, I did the same. I took the events in Well Matched and reimagined them for An Unkindness of Ravens. By reimagining this book I was able to break free from my creative burnout and just have fun writing. That's always my advice, write, but do something that's just for fun.

S : Are there any authors or books that have had a significant impact on your writing style or artistic development?

L : I have so many authors I admire. People would get sick of reading names so I will spare you all, but overall I'm just very inspired by the romance genre. I think it's amazing how so many elements book to book are the same and yet I don't get bored reading in the genre because the stories and how the writers get to the message is so different and interesting.

S : Are there any specific goals or aspirations you have for your writing in the future?
What can readers expect from you in the coming years?

L : For sure readers can expect more books. My passion for writing has not died down even though I'm slow to release. Something to expect is that my books will be divided between Wattpad and Amazon, so depending what you're looking for, if you don't find it on Wattpad check out Amazon (and yes my books are on KU). I will say in July I do have a new release coming to Wattpad, it's a best friends to lovers romcom and I can't wait to release it! For a little sneak peek, riddle me this... what happens when you scratch THAT itch with your best friend?

I never give myself specific goals because I don't want to burn myself out. I want writing to continue to be a fun escape for me, and I'm just grateful people are enjoying my desire to remove myself from reality.

S : The protagonist of the story, Zahra, is a single mother. How did your own personal experiences or observations influence the portrayal of Zahra's identity and the challenges she faces?

L : Like I said in an earlier question, this novel is really a re-imagining of another novel. I wanted Zahra to be a single mom, but I wanted her to be a strong woman raising a strong man. I'm bi-racial, so a lot of her comes from my and my experiences being biracial, although she is black. I had a really amazing friend and fellow writer, Katrina Lewis, help me bring her to life. I often feel like people look at me and because of the colour of my skin underestimate me, so it was very important to me to tell this story from the perspective of a black woman.

S : An Unkindness of Ravens explores themes of pain, growth, and self-discovery.
What inspired you to delve into these particular themes, and what message or insight did you hope to convey through Zahra's journey?

L : I wanted to convey that life throws curveballs, and life is hard, and some things are just out of your control, but that doesn't mean you can't control your reaction. Zahra was put in a really difficult position. Her husband, a man who promised her forever and always, no matter what, left her pregnant. Then he returns at a time when her son is old enough to start making some decisions for himself, and not giving Lekan the space to figure out if this man is worthy of his time and acceptance could be detrimental to her relationship with her son. Not to mention in four years, Lekan would be old enough to make his own decisions, and if Tristan is the man he is claiming to be or trying to be, then Lekan could end up really upset with Zahra for keeping him away. It was a very complicated situation that felt very darned if you do, darned it you don't. I liked exploring that.

S : The dynamics between Zahra, Tristan, Grady and Lekan are central to the story.
Can you discuss the challenges of portraying complex family relationships and the emotional impact they have on the characters?

L : It was incredibly complicated. Tristan was probably the hardest because before I could even start writing I had to decide whether he was going to be able to get his redemption arc, or if there was going to be no coming back from that. That was a very hard decision to make because what he did was pretty unforgivable. I ultimately went with what I figured Lekan would want based on having friends with estranged parents and talking to them about what that's like. While everyone's experience varied, and their feelings varied, I was able to get a clear picture based on who I wanted Lekan to be, that allowed me to make the decision I did.

I wanted Grady to be a fixture of the town. A friend to everyone, but especially to Zahra. Her situation was tough, and I think a lot of people don't know what to do in that situation, but I wanted Grady to just be an all around good guy and a polar opposite to Tristan.

S : The town of Ktuk Sands serves as the backdrop for the narrative. How did you develop the setting to enhance the themes and atmosphere of the story, and what significance does the town hold for the characters?

L : Two things went into Ktuk Sands. One, I grew up in a small town, so it's just what I know. Two, I love small town romances. They're all very similar in the sense that you only have so much room to do stuff, because you don't have a lot of places that your characters can go like in a city. This is why you see a lot of parties, and town gatherings, and festivals, and stuff like that because you have to create the events that your couple can go to. With this being a fake dating trope, I had to make sure there were events they could be seen together. As well, I love the quirkiness of small town folk. We just know all the gossip, and certain things don't surprise us because we saw the writing on the wall already. It's just a really fun atmosphere to write about!

Ktuk Sands is important to the characters because it's home. Zahra and Grady love the small town feel, and for Zahra in particular, the town has always been there for her, even in the most difficult of times.

S : The novel tackles the concept of happiness and the lengths Zahra goes to prove her happiness.
What message or takeaway do you hope readers will glean from Zahra's journey, particularly in relation to finding contentment and embracing one's true self?

L : The takeaway from the novel, I hope, is that you are stronger than you think. Life has a way of knocking the wind out of us sometimes, and the letter from the beginning of the book really showed that, but Zahra stood up from it. She did what she had to do, and in doing so she saw what she's had all along. She had to embrace change, uncertainty, and get comfortable being uncomfortable, and those are all very difficult things to do. In the end, by doing all this, she was able to realize who she really is, and cause it's a romance, get her happily ever after. I think it's easy to confuse that the story is about whether or not Tristan gets a second chance, but really it's a story of whether or not Zahra will give herself a second chance at finding contentment and trust in herself and someone else romantically.

S : That wraps up our interview for today. We sincerely appreciate your presence and insights, L. Meredith.

For those interested in delving further into the world of An Unkindness of Ravens, we invite you to read our May Book of the Month review, available here. Thank you once again for joining us.