A few things to know about Claudia Gray and Madeleine Roux

By Fiona Patricia S. Escandor

 

TWO young adult fiction writers, both dabbling in the fantasy genre, were in Cebu last Oct. 19 for a book signing event at the National Bookstore in Ayala Center, namely Madeleine Roux, the novelist behind the photo-illustrated trilogy, Asylum, and Claudia Gray of the gothic Evernight series.

The book signing tour kicked off in Manila, through which the two novelists were able to meet their readers as well as share and promote their latest works. Roux for Sanctum, the second in her Asylum trilogy, and Gray for the romantic sci-fi A Thousand Pieces of You.

Sanctum, an addition to today’s rising trend of photo-accompanied novels, follows the story of 16-year-old Dan whose encounters with old, horrifying photographs is far from over. According to Roux, the photos used in the trilogy are actual ones dug up from historical archives, to which she weaves an interesting narrative, leaving readers hooked (and sometimes, terrified!).

On the other hand, Gray’s A Thousand Pieces of You is a fast-paced sci-fi tale brushed with romance, the first in her new Firebird series. It follows the adventure of Marguerite Caine as she jumps across different dimensions and parallel universes in finding the man who murdered her father.

Prior to the book signing event, Roux and Gray sat down for a quick interview, in which they revealed their own life stories—trivia and anecdotes that are just as interesting as their works. (Contributed Photos)

Madeleine Roux

Her writing career started with a zombie apocalypse survival blog she did for fun.

“I was publishing it online for free and it was where an agent found me, and they told me “We should turn this into a book.” That was when I realized not only should I be doing this, but I should be doing what’s fun and what makes me happy.”

An avid gamer and a theater actress, she’s mixed both and has done voice acting for video games.

“In fact, I’ve just finished recording for a project before flying here… I think (acting and writing) is a natural pair. When you read and perform a lot of plays, you get a really good sense of dialog, the pace of how people speak to each other, and how to build on that.”

Photos used in the Asylum series, creep her out too.

“The thing I find scariest is knowing they’re real people—real people who were treated badly and who went through gruesome procedures. Though it lends an air of atmosphere to the books, I hope readers also realize that it’s a part of our history that’s really sad.”

Claudia Gray

Though an avid writer since she was a child, she went through several professions before deciding to become a writer full time.

“It’s still surreal to me that I’m in the Philippines explaining to a reporter how I became a writer. Seriously? I’m not gonna wake up and be in my cubicle again at work? First I was a lawyer but I knew I didn’t want to practice that forever. Then I was a journalist for several years, then I got into marketing. I actually wrote my first three books when I was still in that job.”

Fantasy, whether in literature or in movies, has always fascinated her.

“Whether it’s gothic, paranormal, vampire, sci-fi, or just weird things– if it’s more interesting than everyday life, I’m always up for that. Star Wars came out when I was seven so just imagine the effect of that on a young brain–imprinted for life!”

She got the idea for A Thousand Pieces of You while on a book tour.

“Different climate, different settings every single day. It was something about the idea of being in different worlds but still with same people. Before the tour was even over, before I got home, I already started on the first drafts of it.”