A brand-new author with Boroughs Publishing, Isis Chandler is a very accomplished lady! A self-admitted sci-fi geek, she not only writes, but she has her own podcast. I met her recently at a Boroughs writer’s symposium and was impressed by her enormous creativity. She’s also a lot of fun! Her book, ‘Now that I See You’, comes out March 20 and I have my copy already on preorder. Congratulations, Isis!
Here she is in her own words.
What made you sit down and write your first novel? Have you always been a writer? Is it something you’ve done all your life?
I’ve been a story addict my whole life. When I was a kid, I would get OBSESSED with movies, shows, and books. Growing up as a family scapegoat meant navigating an obstacle course of neglect and verbal, physical, emotional, and sexual abuse. Instead of turning to drugs or alcohol to escape my past, I found solace in stories, losing myself in fantasy worlds. My childhood was spent in a galaxy far, far away, and by age six, I was already editing movies in my own way—recording audiobooks of my versions and adding soundtracks from my record collection. After 9/11, I decided I was done with this planet for a while and chose to mentally reside in Middle Earth instead. Fantasy has always been my safe haven, and it continues to inspire my writing today.
My husband has a master’s degree in creative writing and living with him has been like 15 years of free writing classes. My debut novel, Now That I See You, is a YA romance, but my writing journey started long before its publication. I wrote a romantasy novel about past lives and reincarnation, heavily inspired by my toxic childhood. Because the characters also came from abusive homes, the material was considered too heavy and faced universal rejection. Now, I’m working on a romantasy novel with my husband—we’re both fantasy geeks, and collaborating has been an incredible experience. My writing will always focus on Young Adult and New Adult contemporary and fantasy romance. In many ways, I feel like I missed out on that phase of life due to my past, so writing these stories allows me to experience and create the moments I never had.
Why do you write romance novels? Do you read them as well as write them?
When I met my future husband, I was on Cloud 9, but there was a small part of me that was sad because the search for my match was over. I was sad because I’d never have a first kiss again. Writing romance helps me feel like I still get to experience the thrill of the hunt. I love stories about human connections, including family dramas, stories with found families, and deep friendships. Yes, I read romance and romantasy all the time. I am very selective about which books I buy. I once returned so many audiobooks, Audible refused to give me any more refunds.
What makes your stories unique? Is it the setting? The subject matter? The characters? What is going to distinguish your work from everyone else’s?
I wrote main characters who overcome grief, incentives, and trauma to become stronger at the novel’s end. The feedback I’ve gotten from beta readers is that the story is really touching and relatable. My minor characters all have arcs, goals, needs, and desires. I hate it when minor characters in romance novels exist to help the female lead talk about her love interest and get ready for dates.
Where do you get your characters? Are they purely figments of your imagination, or are they based on real individuals?
They are hybrids of me and people I know. I was insecure growing up due to abuse. My childhood best friend was legally blind. My husband saw a blurry world until his first eye exam at age 8. My main character Kira is a hybrid of all of us.
What is your writing process? Are you a ‘plotter’ or a ‘pantser’?
I’m both. I outline, but sometimes the story transforms and goes in an unexpected direction. When that happens, the original outline needs to be modified. As long as the character’s arc remains the same, I’m flexible with changes. My art teacher once told me that if you try and force your drawing or painting to look a certain way, it will always come out disappointing. He said you have to step back and look at your work, see where your work wants to go and then start again. I try to apply the same to my writing.
How do you go about researching your work?
Thank God the internet exists. I can’t imagine having to go to a library to do research. For my book I needed to do a lot of research into eye exams and operations. There are a ton of medical websites online as well as real people who had similar medical problems, who are willing to share their stories. Listening to real stories is really valuable.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Shooting and editing YouTube videos for my two channels. Drawing my characters and worlds.
Do you do any other kind of writing besides romance?
Romantasy. I’m a big fantasy geek. I don’t think I’d ever be able to get excited about a story with no romance in it.
If you could give one piece of advice to a beginning writer, what would it be?
Read a lot for inspiration. Great movies and TV shows can be great inspirations too. Stores we love a great inspiration. Stories that piss us off or disappoint us are great for inspiration too. If you’re thinking how it should have been written differently, you’re inspired.
Find people who can give you honest feedback on your work. Nobody can write a book by themselves. We all need feedback to make it relatable.
Wow. Thank you so much Emily for your support.