A Conversation with Anna Hill, an inspiring YA Urban Fantasy Author

Anna Hill shares her obsession with wilderness in The Truaillithe Chronicles, her debut YA Urban Fantasy series. When she isn’t writing, she can be found hiking with her children and massive, derpy dog, or climbing one of the many vertical, granite walls around her hometown of Squamish, BC. The full series of The Truaillithe Chronicles, as well as her children’s books, can be found on Amazon.

Let’s get started with a quick rapid fire.

Q1. If you could be transformed into one animal, which one would you choose?

A Dragon. You can breathe fire, fly, and live in the mountains. Sounds amazing!

Q2. What time do you usually go to bed at night?

With two kids, unfortunately, I’m exhausted by 9.

Q3. Are you more of an introvert or an extrovert?

I’m an extroverted introvert. I can function with people if I have to, but prefer my time alone with a book.

Q4. Who is your favorite Disney character?

Baloo – Jungle Book

Q5. Would you rather travel to the past or to the future?

The past. I would love to go to ancient Greece!

Q6. What is your last Google search?

“How to fight with a battle axe.” Main character in an upcoming book fights with a double headed battle axe.

Q7. What object do you misplace or lose the most?

With two kids, does sanity count? hahaha

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Q8. What is the kindest thing someone ever did for you?

I was lost in the bad part of Paris at only 16 without my purse. Probably the most terrified I’ve ever been. A random strange took pity on me and bought me a metro ticket and helped me get back to my hotel. I still think about what he did for me that day.

Q9. Learn by watching or learn by doing?

Learn by doing.

Q10. Expensive presents or homemade presents?

Homemade from my kids, shiny presents from my husband.

Q11. What is one missed opportunity that you wish you could have a second chance at?

I got my university degree in International Relations because I was too afraid to go to school for Creative Writing. While I loved my degree, I wish I had believed in myself enough back then to follow my gut.

Q12. What is not a big deal to most people but is torture to you?

They’re, their, there…ugh so annoying when I see it wrong.

It’s time for a more detailed conversation, Anna.

You’ve answered our rapid fire brilliantly, Anna. Now, it’s time for our readers to know more about the person behind the book.

Q. Tell us something about yourself that’s going to make us wonder more about you.

I’ve lived in eight countries around the world. I speak a little bit of five languages. I’ve traveled to every continent except Antarctica. I’ve studied world history obsessively in both life and school, and I infuse all of these aspects of myself in my writing. (Particularly in my soon to be released first epic fantasy series…)

Q. Well, that will keep you in our thoughts. So, what books did you grow up reading?

The first series that really made me obsessed with reading was the Redwall books by Brian Jacques. I read every single one. I even made my mother host Redwall feasts where we made the food from the books. I still own all of my old books and can’t wait for the day I can hand them down to my kids!

Q. Interesting. What, to you, are the most important elements of good writing?

It’s all about the characters for me, and how they fit into the world you’ve created. You can write the most beautifully prosed book, but if I don’t care about the people in it, then I won’t read it. I want to feel with them. I want to care about their struggles and yearn to see them succeed. I want to finish the book and miss them like I’ve lost a best friend.

Q. Do you hide any secrets in your books that only a few people will find?

In The Truaillithe Chronicles there are a few easter eggs that will pay off in the final book in the series, but they’re hidden well and meant for those who enjoy to read between the lines.

Q. Now comes the most anticipated question that every author must answer. How do you process and deal with negative book reviews?

They hurt. It’s your baby and no one wants to hear that something they poured themselves into was awful. But also everyone has their own opinions. I have plenty of books I don’t like that everyone else loved. It doesn’t mean it was a bad book, it just means it wasn’t my cup of tea.

Q. What comes first for you — the plot or the characters — and why?

I think quite often the world comes to me first. As I said, I’m obsessed with world history and the different civilizations that have existed throughout human history. Each one of my books/series has a base in one of these ancient civilizations. I think using our own history in writing fantasy helps to make the world more complete and believable. After creating the world, you get to create those characters who fit within it!

Q. How do you develop your plot and characters?

Sometimes it’s a random spark, sometimes it’s studying a certain era of history that helps to develop the plot or world for a book. For characters, however, they tend to come to me as if I already knew them as a person. One of my most favorite characters I’ve ever written is Faolan from The Truaillithe Chronicles. She’s everything I wish I was. She’s calm and methodical, graceful yet powerful. I not only love writing her, but I also really enjoy reading her in the books.

Q. What does literary success look like to you?

Of course everyone wants to have a New York Times bestseller, but honestly I just love being able to create and share my stories with readers. My most favorite moment as an author is when someone gets excited about something I’ve written. And now, being able to create children’s books with my mother as the illustrator is incredible. So many people have been sending us videos of them reading Sounds of The Desert to their children or grandchildren and it is by far the most wonderful feeling in the world.

Q. Let’s talk about your book. Tell us about it. No major spoilers.

My recent release, Sounds of The Desert, is a children’s illustrated book created with my mother as the illustrator. Some of my earliest memories are reading before the fireplace with my mother. Now being able to release this book filled with her original artwork and my prose feels like a beautiful full circle moment. Sounds of The Desert helps children to learn about some of the amazing animals that live in the Sonoran Desert while enjoying vibrant colors and fun poetry. We are hard at work on our next book, Sounds of Pacific Northwest.

Q. What part of the book did you have the hardest time writing?

For some reason, finding a rhyme for the wild horse poem was impossible. I know that sounds ridiculous, but I stared at the poem for so long that I built a mental block. Every other animal flowed but that one made me sweat it out.

Q. Would you and your main character get along? 

For this I have to speak to Rebecca from The Truaillithe Chronicles. I wrote her based on what I believed to be a completely fictional character that I had created. Then, when my friends read the book, every single one said, “So Rebecca is you, right?” I still don’t see it, but not a single friend has repented that view. Honestly, I love writing Rebecca because she’s got so many layers and has been, and is going through so many difficult trials that I enjoy helping her grow and become a better person. But, all that being said, I’m not sure we would be friends. She’s a bit scary.

Q. What are the essential characteristics of a hero you can root for? 

Realism. I don’t want to read a perfect character. I want them to have flaws that they work through in order to accomplish their goals. One of my favorite characters ever written is FitzChivalry from The Farseer series by Robin Hobb. He is so wonderfully flawed and it makes you fall in love with him. A dream would be to write a character that people could fall in love with like Fitz is to me.

Q. Let’s talk about the process of writing. When you’re writing an emotional or difficult scene, how do you set the mood?

Music. Music helps me through every scene I have to write. I usually pick a movie soundtrack that fits the mood of what I’m writing. My obsession right now is the Dune movie soundtrack. It’s incredible and very good at helping to get me in the right mindset for what I’m currently working on.

Q. What was your hardest scene to write?

I don’t want to give spoilers for what happens in The Hunted, the second book in the Truaillithe Chronicles, but a major character dies. I know many readers weren’t a fan of this character but I truly love and feel for them, so it was very hard to write their death. I’m dreading finalizing the series because I know several more characters will have to die and I’ve grown so in love with all of them that it’s going to take a lot from me to write their deaths.

Q. It’s been fun. Now, before we wrap this up, do you have any suggestions to help me become a better writer? If so, what are they?

Write short stories. The best thing I ever did for my writing skills was write a bunch of flash fiction and short stories for submissions. It forces you to write in a new way and create new skills. It’s the best way to learn to build a scene, a world, and characters in the most concise and yet still immersive way. It’s also a great way to build your resume by taking these short stories and actually submitting them to magazines and anthologies!

To follow along with her writing and motherhood journey, you can find her on Instagram @annahill_author or her website annahillauthor.com.

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