Ariel Dominelli | A Disaster Reporter in a Superhero Setting

1--What is the title of your latest release?

STORM CHASER

2--What's the "elevator pitch" for your new book?

Xochitl is a disaster reporter in a superhero setting. During one of her investigations, she uncovers a conspiracy that incriminates one of the strongest men ever to live. Her and her girlfriend try to bring the truth to light and question what makes someone a "hero."

3--How did you decide where your book was going to take place?

I thought it only made sense to be in the city if she was going to live in her brother's food truck.

4--Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life?

I think I would bore her.

5--What are three words that describe your protagonist?

Fearless and obsessive, which makes her sound terrible. Maybe add charming.

6--What's something you learned while writing this book?

It is nearly impossible to get a food truck in NYC. The waitlist is over a decade long, and the regulations are brutal. It makes all the terrible things that happened to the food truck extra awful.

7--Do you edit as you draft or wait until you are totally done?

I use speech-to-text, so I edited it until it was legible the first time through and then did major edits afterward.

8--What's your favorite foodie indulgence?

I was a barista for six years and would go directly into hell voluntarily for a good Latte.

9--Describe your writing space/office!

I write on an old computer at the entrance of my home. I have surrounded it with plants, including a repurposed china cabinet with a Grow light for my seed starters. I aspire for zero distractions when writing, so I tend to write in the wee hours of the morning when even my dogs are asleep.

10--Who is an author you admire?

E. Schwab has written several books I love and has gone out of her way to offer materials to upcoming authors for free online. She is also queer and has a few of the same hobbies as me, so she is aspirational on multiple levels.

11--Is there a book that changed your life?

Terry Pratchett's DiscWorld books were a genuine family member growing up. I always had one of the books on me. No matter what else was going on in my life, there was always Ankh-Morpork with all its chaos and joy.

12--Tell us about when you got "the call." (when you found out your book was going to be published)/Or, for indie authors, when you decided to self-publish.

I had all but given up. I sent my book to every agent who would take it and then some and heard nothing positive back, and then within three days, I got three offers. Something about the way Lisa Green at Owl City talked about my book, I trusted her. It felt like she really loved my book, wanted to know more about my world and my characters, and just understood me. After several months of sending my manuscript to slush piles with no responses, the idea that she loved it that much honestly made me cry. My co-worker thought something terrible had happened. I had to explain that I had written a book and that it would be published. She thought it was a prank because my dyslexia is so bad.

13--What's your favorite genre to read?

Fantasy. When you give authors complete control over the setting, they get to tell more poignant stories.

14--What's your favorite movie?

Everything Everywhere All At Once. This movie felt like someone plugged a projector into my ear and played my thoughts on a screen. I have ADHD, and it was very much a love letter to the neurodivergent?.

15--What is your favorite season?

Winter, I love that color fresh snow gets just before the sun rises, this neon blue that you can't get any other way.

16--How do you like to celebrate your birthday?

Up until recently, I didn't celebrate my birthday, but this last year, I was talked into a party involving sword fighting a pinata with a messer (a big German sword that looks like a butcher knife), and honestly, it was amazing, I will be celebrating my birthdays from now on.

17--What's a recent TV show/movie/book/podcast you highly recommend?

I love "Our Flag Means Death." Give me chaotic bisexual pirates any day.

18--What's your favorite type of cuisine?

I love Mexican food. I strongly considered living in San Diego after my first taco truck experience. Snow won over tacos very slightly when I decided where to put down roots.

19--What do you do when you have free time?

Fence, I participate in HEMA when I get the chance. It recreates old sword fighting techniques from different parts of Europe. I like Destreza, a rapier style of fighting from Spain, and study Thibault's manual, best described by a friend as sword fighting for math nerds.

20--What can readers expect from you next?

My next book is in a late draft. It's called Lost & Found Cafe and is about a small New England city baker who uses magic to unravel a murder mystery in her town. I am optimistic it will be done shortly.