In Which a Librarian asks a Talented Author(s) a Small Number of Questions:
A.D. Rhine is the pseudonym for authors Ashlee Cowles and Danielle Stinson. I had the pleasure to spot them both while on their book tour last summer.
Their book: Horses of Fire: a novel of Troy is the fabulous retelling of probably the most famous war in mythology, and follows four misunderstood women. Since March is women's history month, what better way to celebrate than by interviewing two women and their debut joint novel. Books and Brewskis will also be reading Horses of Fire in March see more details HERE
If you were a dewey number, what would you consider yourself to be?
Danielle:
If I were a dewey decimal number, I think I would be 859. I belong firmly in the 800’s because I love nothing more than a good story. That being said, I am heavily influenced by other areas. The Five represents my love of all things science and the Nine is my shout out to history. These are probably the subjects that have most informed my writing.
Instead of Desert Island Discs-I like Desert Island Books. If you were stranded on an island and you could only bring 3 books with you, what would they be, and why?
Ashlee:
Kristin Lavransdatter by Sigrid Undset. An epic of medieval Norway, this family saga follows the dramatic life of one woman. It is a beautiful and powerful story that won the Nobel Prize in 1920.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. I think the LOTR trilogy was originally intended as one giant book and sometimes still comes packaged that way, so in addition to being an incredible story, this would be 3-for-1 reading material while stranded!
The Stand by Stephen King. I read a ton of King as a teen and have recently returned to some of his more recent books, which has reminded me of his powerful storytelling abilities that go well beyond the horror genre. I’ve started his post-apocalyptic dark fantasy The Stand several times but have never finished it…being on a desert island would certainly give me the time! (Are you sensing a theme here with BIG books?)
Danielle:
This is impossible, but I’m going to try. Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta. This book changed my life, and I’ve read it countless times. It is, quite simply, a masterpiece. East of Eden I would choose for the same reasons. And then I’d find a way to pack Ilona Andrews’ entire Kate Daniels series (it’s a lot of books but I’m crafty), because nothing is more fun than a good urban fantasy series.
Do you have another book in the works? If so, can you give us any clues, or is it top secret?
Ashlee:
We are currently co-writing another book together as A.D. Rhine. While we can’t talk about the details just yet, it will be another historical retelling of a well-known classic that focuses on the untold stories of secondary characters from the original work. Hint: For this Dark Age epic, we’re leaving the ancient world of the Mediterranean behind for now and heading north!
Do you have an author that seriously influenced you while you were writing your novel?
We love the intimacy of the first person narration and deeply admire the writing voice of Madeline Miller. At the same time, we are suckers for epic scopes and heart-pounding action along the lines of Joe Abercrombie, Diana Gabaldon, and Bernard Cornwell.
Was it always your dream to be a writer, if not, what was?
Danielle:
I knew early on that I wanted to be a writer, and wrote my first “novel” during my third grade year when I was supposed to be listening in class. That hasn’t changed. Though there was a time when I thought that I needed to go out and get “a real job” before I could pursue writing. It is still a debate I have with myself.
Was there a certain playlist that you listened to while writing?
Ashlee:
Yes! This Spotify playlist for writing Horses of Fire and Daughters of Bronze has a lot of epic film scores with some Dermot Kennedy thrown in for the most emotional moments in the books. :)