Also writing under ‘AJ Church’, Aesyn Cravery is the mastermind behind the urban fantasy series, The Sacrifice. Following the release of her fourth entry in the series, What We Reading sat down with Aesyn to talk about everything from the influence of Norse mythology on the franchise, her love for writing dialogue, to her plans for The Sacrifice going forward!
Thanks for speaking with us, Aesyn! First off, tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the world of writing.
I guess I’ve always been a writer. I can remember as a kid, about eight or nine years old, making up and writing down stories. My father was in the military, so we traveled a lot. I got to see a lot of the world, but I didn’t have the opportunity to make many friends, since I rarely attended the same school two years in a row. Instead, I had a lot of imaginary friends and they populated my stories. And I’ve always gravitated to the fantastical in those stories–ghosts, vampires, werewolves, faeries, and other mythical creatures.
Talk to us about The Sacrifice. You’ve just released the fourth entry in the series, right?
Yes, I have planned and plotted out eight books in the series and am currently writing book 5. This book will mark the end of what I call part one of the series, which is the story of Laec Matthews, who grew up with the voice of a demon in his head and later learns that he is actually descended from an archangel. The series is based on the Norse myth of Baldr and Hodr, which is an alternate version of the Cain and Abel story, the difference being Baldr’s death brings on Ragnorak in the myth. I’m planning my own version in the books.
What is the number one goal you want your work to have with readers?
I want to tell a good yarn, something that will transport readers to the world I created.
What do you think makes you stand out as an author?
I love everything about writing, but I guess my strength would be my dialogue. I love writing dialogue, and I confess I have to rein myself in or it can go on forever. I love the interplay between characters, the subtle nuances of communication.
What would you say has been your biggest success so far?
Well, I’m still a relative unknown, so I can’t claim any real monetary success so far. But I guess the fact that I keep churning out books is my own form of success. I love creating new stories, and the fact that I have been gifted with the ability to do that is my own form of success.
If you could go back in time to one book you read for the first time, what would it be and why?
Well, I could claim a lot of classics here (and I have read a lot of them, some more than once), but the books I’ve recently enjoyed reading over and over again and would love to recapture the wonder of that first reading would be Kate Griffin’s Matthew Swift series. I love the originality of her worldbuilding.
What’s one tip you would give your younger self if you had the opportunity?
I suppose it would be to keep pressing through regardless of setbacks. I’ve had two prolonged periods in my life when I walked away from writing because of disappointment, and I regret the time I lost.
And finally, what do you hope the future holds for you and your writing?
My goal is to have one reader reach out to me and tell me my books were among some of their favorites.
Follow Aesyn and check out all of her work on Amazon, Twitter/X or on her website
Check out our interview with Martin Frowd
Part-time reader, part-time rambler, and full-time Horror enthusiast, James has been writing for What We Reading since 2022. His earliest reading memories involved Historical Fiction, Fantasy and Horror tales, which he has continued to take with him to this day. James’ favourite books include The Last (Hanna Jameson), The Troop (Nick Cutter) and Chasing The Boogeyman (Richard Chizmar).
