Scribe's Desk: Q&A with Indie Author Gretchen Powell Fox
·
·
Hello Queens, and welcome to our first official Scribe’s Desk post! ✨
This series is all about spotlighting indie authors in our community who deserve all the hype.
Introduction & Smoke and Scar Book Review
I found Gretchen on social media through one of her ARC readers and yes, I totally judged her book by its cover first (no regrets). With a purple-haired FMC on the front, I was instantly intrigued. As someone who used to have purple hair myself, I knew I had to check it out.
I pre-ordered Book 1: Smoke and Scar and read it as soon as it arrived (March 2025). Loved. Every. Page. At first you might think, “Oh, another deadly trials book.” But it’s so much more. The trials focus on character growth and mental health themes, making it stand out in the best way. And the plot twist at the end? Never saw it coming! Now I’m counting down to Book 2: Splintered Kingdom on November 11th that you can pre-order a signed edition HERE.
And let’s talk about Elyria. She’s grumpy, unapologetic, and a total badass who can handle herself. Honestly, a breath of fresh air! I just love her so much!
Gretchen is also known for having one of the prettiest fanart collections ever. She’s always supporting artists in the fandom (and you know we’re here for that too—have you checked out our Artist Collab Section yet?). Check it our some here:
Gretchen Powell Fox Interview
So, without further ado—here’s some fun Q&A so you can get to know Gretchen better. She's a ge! Enjoy! 💖
When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer? Was it a childhood dream or something that came later?
I wanted to write from a very young age for sure. In fact, I did write from a very young age — I have distinct memories of writing down stories about frogs and fairies in my composition notebooks and filling my days with daydreams. I took a bit of a meandering path getting back to it as a grown up, but here I am again, in my late 30s, writing once more about fairies (couldn't be more thrilled about it.)
What books or authors shaped you most as a reader and writer growing up?
Madeleine L'Engle was a huge, huge source of inspiration as a kid, I absolutely devoured her books. As an older "kid," the Hunger Games and John Green's books (especially The Fault in Our Stars) also made an enormous impact on me, particularly helping cement just how deeply books can touch and crush us, emotionally.
What’s something about being an indie author that surprised you in a positive way?
I could never have predicted the incredible support that the bookish community provides indies. I actually published my first book back in 2012, when indie publishing was just starting to become a thing, and to come back now and see the way it's blossomed and the love and championing that bookish creators and readers provide to indie authors is truly something amazing to behold. We just have so many more options for things now—opportunities, abilities, reach—and I'm so grateful.
What first sparked the idea for Shattered Crown series? Was it a character, a scene, a song?
I wish I could say there was a singular crystallizing moment of inspiration that sparked the world of Arcanis and the characters who live there, but, much like the series as a whole, the idea was really a slow burn. I was hardcore in my fantasy and romantasy era, and just couldn't stop the little thoughts that kept popping up as I voraciously consumed book after book: what if SHE was the centuries-old shadow-wielding warrior? What if SHE was constantly coming to HIS rescue? And from there, an idea truly was born.
Which came first: your hair color or Elyria? 😂
Ahahaha, I've been dyeing my hair long since before Elyria Lightbreaker was but a twinkle in my mind's eye—purple and every other color in the rainbow! But I will say that this is probably the longest I've stuck to one color, and that is definitely thanks to our girl!
Splintered Kingdom is on the way (and I’m so excited!), what can fans expect from this sequel compared to Smoke and Scar?
I couldn't be more thrilled and excited for folks to see what happens next! Readers can expect a deeper glimpse into the world of Arcanis, new characters, more time with our favorite side characters (Thraigg! Nox! Tristan!), and a LOT more development of Cedric & Elyria's relationship—including that excruciating slow burn FINALLY igniting in a very significant way, hehe.
Was it easier or harder to write book two now that you already had the world and characters established?
In many ways it was easier since, as you said, the world and characters were already established, and I also am a plotter and already knew largely what was going to happen in this book when I was writing the first. However, one factor I couldn't have really anticipated was the pressure I would feel regarding the sequel, which definitely made it harder. As did the need to balance not only writing the second book, but continuing to market and talk about the first one, which made the process take much longer overall.
Do you have any pre-writing rituals - special drink, snack, or playlist?
I keep a secret stash of sour patch kids in my desk drawer where my kids can't pilfer them, and definitely have a writing playlist that I throw on to help me get in the zone. It's almost exclusively made up of movie scores and video game music—with a few exceptions, I find it quite challenging to write when music has lyrics!
What’s the weirdest piece of research you’ve done for your books?
Check any writer's Google search history and eyes will probably widen in alarm, and I'm sure the number of times I've looked up how much blood a person can lose before they pass out or how far someone can fall from a window without dying have me on some kind of list somewhere.
Which scene in your series makes you feel the most proud, not because it’s flashy, but because it means something deeply personal to you?
Both Elyria and Cedric really struggle with themes of identity and acceptance in Smoke and Scar, and there's a scene where Elyria is forced to confront and accept her inner darkness that I found deeply cathartic to write. Acknowledging and accepting every single part of ourselves, even the ones we might be scared of or have been fighting to otherwise push down and hide is something that I feel is deeply relatable to many folks.
If Smoke and Scar became a movie or series tomorrow, who’s in your dream cast?
Nicholas Galatzine as Cedric, hands down, but to this day I'm actually not sure who my perfect Elyria would be!
If you could step into your own fictional world for a day, what’s the first thing you’d do there?
Oh, go for a cider at The Sweltering Pig and hear Elyria sing, hands down!
Your book’s soundtrack: are we going epic fantasy orchestra or moody indie folk vibes?
If you've read through the trials that occur during the Arcane Crucible, I think it's pretty understandable that we definitely need some epic orchestral pieces to go with it! "Courtyard Apocalypse" by Alexandre Desplat and "One Day" from Hans Zimmer, along with pretty much the entire score from The Lord of the Rings movies are a great fit.
If your book was a candle scent, what would it smell like?
Cherry almond and charred sandalwood. IYKYK.
Can you give us some cryptic emoji hints about what’s coming next after Splintered Kingdom? 👀
👑🏔☀️🔥🫦🗡🪦🥓👀
And finally… if Elyria could give advice to someone with a finished manuscript who’s scared to publish, what would she say?
"Stars a-fucking-bove, just publish the damn thing. You've already done the hard thing. You ARE an author! It's time to let the world see it." <3
How to Support Gretchen
Hope you loved getting to know her as much as I did! If you want to get to know more about her and series please visit her website and Instagram. She is approachable, so loveable and talented!
Let me know if you end up reading the series or if you read it already, and if you have recommendations for next authors to be featured!
Comments