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Seressia has always been a voracious reader and turned to writing at an early age, using her fantastical tales for extra credit in school. Her proudest writing moment remains winning the first Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday “Living the Dream” essay contest as a high school senior and getting to meet Coretta Scott King and read her essay to the King family. Since then, she’s gone on to write a motley crew of characters and creatures including witches, werewolves, djinn, demons, Egyptian deities and jackal shapeshifters with a few humans thrown into the mix. No matter who or what she’s writing about, Seressia weaves in the universal themes of acceptance and being comfortable in one’s own skin.
Greatest thing you learned at school.
When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill? The first bell rang in elementary school, when my Halloween short story was turned into a PTA play. The second bell rang as a senior in high school , when I won the MLK,JR. Living the Dream city-wide essay contest and got to meet Coretta Scott King. Realizing I could move people with the power of my words was an incandescent experience.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
When/how did you realize you had a creative dream or calling to fulfill? The first bell rang in elementary school, when my Halloween short story was turned into a PTA play. The second bell rang as a senior in high school , when I won the MLK,JR. Living the Dream city-wide essay contest and got to meet Coretta Scott King. Realizing I could move people with the power of my words was an incandescent experience.
Tell us your most rewarding experience since being published.
I’m still gobsmacked when someone emails or tags me and tells me how much they enjoyed my book. I mean, someone read my book! Knowing that someone found my book, read my book, and liked my book strongly enough to tell me, that’s treasure, and I hoard it like a dragon.
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
What advice would you give to someone who wanted to have a life in writing?
Read. Anything and everything that interests you. Read in your own genre until it’s time to write your story. Find a group to connect/commiserate with, online or IRL. Reward yourself more than you beat yourself up. Give yourself grace.
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
What was the single worst distraction that kept you from writing this book?
Other than my brain? My Viki Pass. Reading subtitles on K-dramas while trying to write? The dramas won every time. I finally took the batteries out of the remote so I couldn’t turn the TV on.
What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
What chapter was the most memorable to write and why?
I think the gala at the Georgian Terrace was my favorite because we get to see Samara interacting with Aron and his family, and Aron and Samara’s deepening desire. Second favorite is their first confrontation at the beginning of the book. I love their banter, and I think this chapter show it off perfectly.
Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
Why is storytelling so important for all of us?
I think storytelling began when communication began, but really took off when our ancestors tamed fire. There’s something about sitting around a fire, safe and full, that just begs for stories or songs to accompany the crackling of the flames.
Storytelling draws us in and connects us. Storytelling opens us to new worlds, new ideas and ideals, new people. It comforts us, motivates us, and yes, enrages us. Storytelling makes the teller and the listener better people for having experienced the story.
What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
Storytelling draws us in and connects us. Storytelling opens us to new worlds, new ideas and ideals, new people. It comforts us, motivates us, and yes, enrages us. Storytelling makes the teller and the listener better people for having experienced the story.
What was the most surprising thing you learned in creating your characters?
Even though I’ve created them, it still takes a while to get to know them
What were your inspirations for the character development?
What were your inspirations for the character development?
The character of Benjy was inspired by my youngest nephew. All three of my nephews are on the spectrum to varying degrees, but the youngest is nonverbal. Quite a lot of Benjy’s mannerisms and communication style are based on my nephew.
The main characters’ names, Samara Reynolds and Aron Galanis, were inspired by real-life couple Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian. I don’t know either of them, so any similarities beyond the names is purely accidental, other than I wanted Samara and Aron to be successful in their chosen professions.
Writing Behind the Scenes
I still have a day job, so during the week I usually give myself Monday and Wednesday evenings off. Otherwise, I transition with dinner, washing up, then Farm Heroes until I’m out of lives. These days, I’m pulling up heroic symphonic music on YouTube, rubbing Success oil onto my hands, then start typing or writing longhand if I’m desperate to hit a flow. Lately I’ve given myself permission to write a crappy first draft, which has been freeing since I’m normally a slow pantser who needs a perfect first draft.
What is the first job you have had?
The main characters’ names, Samara Reynolds and Aron Galanis, were inspired by real-life couple Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian. I don’t know either of them, so any similarities beyond the names is purely accidental, other than I wanted Samara and Aron to be successful in their chosen professions.
Writing Behind the Scenes
I still have a day job, so during the week I usually give myself Monday and Wednesday evenings off. Otherwise, I transition with dinner, washing up, then Farm Heroes until I’m out of lives. These days, I’m pulling up heroic symphonic music on YouTube, rubbing Success oil onto my hands, then start typing or writing longhand if I’m desperate to hit a flow. Lately I’ve given myself permission to write a crappy first draft, which has been freeing since I’m normally a slow pantser who needs a perfect first draft.
What is the first job you have had?
Cashier at McDonald’s
What is your happiest childhood memory?
Eating my grandmother’s cold fried chicken as we road-tripped to places like Carowinds or Calloway Gardens
Name one thing you miss about being a kid.
Not having random aches and pains appear out of nowhere.
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
What is the first thing you think of when you wake up in the morning?
Why does my back hurt so bad?
What do you usually think about right before falling asleep?
I put on a sleep app and an eye mask with headphones, so it’s either Binaural beats or a sleep meditation.
If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
If you had to go back in time and change one thing, if you HAD to, even if you had “no regrets” what would it be?
I’d abolish the Electoral College, or make it so that it wasn’t part of out voting process.
If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
If you could go back in time to one point in your life, where would you go?
I’d keep my college self from getting credit cards and tell her to spend her time writing instead.
Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
Most horrifying dream you have ever had?
A dream about taking an elevator to hell and hearing the screams as I passed each level. A world-ending dream from an alien invasion and one from an enemy invasion.
What is your greatest adventure?
What is your greatest adventure?
Living. Makin it through each day is the biggest adventure of all.
What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
What is one unique thing are you afraid of?
Anything that crawls—spiders, ants (sat on an ants’ nest once), babies
When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
When was the last time you told someone you loved them?
I tell my husband every day when we talk on the phone during his lunch break.
What were you doing the last time you really had a good laugh?
Hanging out with a bunch of writer friends at a retreat in Orlando.
What is your most memorable travel experience?
Going to Chichen Itza in 2012 with my husband and some friends. We suggested to the hotel staff that it was our honeymoon, and they did all kinds of nice stuff for us.
What's your most missed memory?
What's your most missed memory?
I miss watching World Championship Wrestling with my grandmother.
Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?
Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?
I haven’t experienced heartbreak, so I think I’d go with true love. Going through life alone is ok, but going through life lonely is torture.
What was your favorite subject when you were in school and why?
My least favorite was English. While I liked putting words together, I HATED learning the technical stuff. Ironically enough, my favorite was French because I got to read stories in French.
What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? The 80’s Saturday morning cartoons and Froot Loops, no active shooter drills, drinking from water hoses, staying out all day until sundown.
What decade during the last century would you have chosen to be a kid? The 80’s Saturday morning cartoons and Froot Loops, no active shooter drills, drinking from water hoses, staying out all day until sundown.
Samara Reynolds has built a large following as a gamer under an anonymous screen name, and uses her skills as a DEIA consultant to advocate for equal representation in video games. When she posted a video critiquing the popular game Legendsfall, she knew she’d get a reaction from her fans, but the video leads to hundreds of female gamers critiquing the game and its company, Artemis Games. The only thing more unexpected than starting an online movement is getting a job offer from the handsome CEO of Artemis.
Aron Galanis has been on a mission to get his company certified to create gaming content for people with disabilities. When he sees Artemis trending online for all the wrong reasons, he’s determined to right his wrongs and offers the originator a mea culpa, as well as a job offer to overhaul the character options in Legendsfall.
Working together turns Aron and Samara from adversaries into allies, allies into friends, and after that—something more. But once their relationship goes public, will Aron and Samara be able to weather the storm and fight for their happy ending, or is it game over?
You can purchase Game On at the following Retailers:
And now, The Giveaways.
Thank you SERESSIA GLASS for making this giveaway possible.
1 Winner will receive a Copy of Game On by Seressia Glass.
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