I am a complete sucker for badass female main characters, and no one quite does them like Brianna West. I was lucky enough to be able to read Lady of Hell and Fury as an ARC and I’ve since been absolutely obsessed with Brianna’s writing style and the characters she creates so of course, I had to ask to pick her brain for this series! Brianna’s speciality is “Paranormal romance that will consume and ruin you”, and boy is that the truth.
Brianna West is an Amazon Bestselling author. She eats words for breakfast. When not nose-deep in a hot paranormal read, she’s writing about slick, muscly goodness and the bad-ass, sassy heroine goddesses who find them. Her stories drip with sarcasm, supernatural impossibility, and contain enough adventure and suspense to leave you at the edge of your seat all the way through.
Congrats on the upcoming release of "Lady of Hell & Fury"! Can you tell us a bit about what readers can expect from this book?
One of the main things is that Lady is truly the most morally gray heroine I’ve ever written. She makes love taps and comfort bats a thing, and she apologizes to no one. It was meant to be as dark as it is funny, so expect to laugh at inappropriate things that will get you side-eyed by strangers.
The other thing to expect is that this story won’t follow the typical trope rules. Some are having trouble classifying it, and the best I can say is that everything will be “Lady’s Way.” You might be frustrated by the choices I make, but hey, blame Lady.
As my first truly dark paranormal romance, it plays with themes that are entrenched in trauma and improper coping mechanisms–maybe because it was important to me to show the angry, less positive road traveled when it comes to what Lady dealt with as a young child and adolescent girl. So you can expect this book to touch on themes that some of us have unfortunately had to experience in our lives. Then you add weird friendship bonds, tragedy, agony, violence, hilarity, and revenge to the mix with a sprinkling of “Is this love?” and that’s how you get this book that’s quickly become one of my favorites to write.
How did you come up with the concept for "Lady of Hell & Fury"? Any interesting stories behind its inception?
Well, I’m a rape survivor and wanted to showcase as well as channel the rage I personally dealt with over the years. I think we all want a badass champion to punish all men in our name, and this was the one I created. It’s not socially acceptable to rage the way we want to, so I put it in a book–a healthy alternative my therapist argues.
Lady is the dark side that manifested out of my childhood and young adult trauma, and she bears the pain, the agony, the trauma I experienced at the hands of demons. But, of course, she also has that uniquely dark humor I also developed as a result and the devil-may-care apathy I wished I could carry with me everywhere I went.
I’m dying to know – are any of the characters in "Lady of Hell & Fury" secretly inspired by people you know? (Or dare I ask, yourself?)
Well, funny story. Aidan was originally named “Jordy” who was someone I worked with in the cryptocurrency world, back when I wrote blogs for a very well-known Twitch Influencer (who has since admitted to embezzling millions). The crazy part is I was one of the first to speak out against him over Twitter against half a million of his followers after leaving when I realized what kind of person he was. It’s a rather lengthy story, but a woman scorned makes for a great story and that was in part what gave fuel for Lady’s rage. I was berated, ridiculed, targeted, called the “crazy lady” (My handle was Lady B) but later he came out and admitted everything we blew the whistle on the year before.
Unfortunately, turns out, Jordy was spying on me and the others in our group trying to speak out against this influencer, and well, if you read the story, you’ll understand why I made the choice I made. Let’s just say that betrayal against an author never ends well.
"Lady of Hell & Fury" is packed with fierce female energy, as well as your other books. What inspired you to dive into such badass female main characters?
I just never liked meek female types. It made sense in some stories, but I prefer my heroines to be sassy, sparky, and ready to rule the world. Maybe it’s because I’m very much that way myself. I have a pretty strong sense of self, and I’m a very big personality that you’ll either love or wish would take a breath and maybe sit in a corner for a second. But that’s the energy I like to read, so it’s the energy I write.
September's around the corner! What's been the most nail-biting, can't-sit-still part of getting ready for this book release?
I think the biggest one is that this is the first release where I’ve truly put my all into it. I’ve been an author for nearly eight years, but I wasn’t great with marketing. I didn’t see the point when I was only doing it as a hobby. But recently, I decided to be more than that. I want more. I want to reach readers and be inside their homes—inside them forever, bow chicka bow wow. I guess you can blame the groups I joined where I wished I could be the book someone raved about. So, I’m hoping this will be the book that hits the ground running.
What's the one line from "Lady of Hell & Fury" that you just couldn't wait for readers to sink their teeth into?
There’s so many lines I’ve written where I’m like “Yeah, they’re going to quote that one” but one recently was “Go sell your story to Disney because this girl ain’t buying it.” One reader stated that was their favorite, and I’m pretty proud of it.
What's the one message you hope readers take away from "Lady of Hell & Fury" after they've experienced the wild ride you've crafted?
I want Lady to be someone they relate to. Someone who champions their rage. Someone who gives them that “Fuck yeah!” because so many people told them to get over it and move on. I want this story to be their escape, their home, their place of refuge from a shitty world. I know it was—and will continue to be—for me as well.
Critics, reviews, and the mighty unknown. What's your approach to handling the rollercoaster of emotions that come with releasing a new book?
Good ol’ ignorant bliss. I’m so thankful for the readers who do take the time to read and review, even should they not like it. The thing is, those aren’t for me. I take my feedback from a trusted few to help shape my stories, but as with anything art related, someone’s view is subjective to their tastes, their opinions, their likes and dislikes, and I can’t appease the masses. So, I’ll collect the ones who it gave joy to and write for them (and for me).
Each book is an adventure where I learn something new, apply a new learned skill, and try to take something meaningful from what I created in it. This is book eighteen (I think…) for me, so I can at least say I’ve nearly written two dozen stories that someone out there loves.
Could you take us on a brief tour of your creative journey? From inception to completion, how do you build these captivating stories?
I’m a pantser writer, so I go in with maybe a concept in mind, a character to lead, and then let the story lead the way. Typically, the first draft is where I learn about my characters and the story they tell. Then in editing, I fix the problems, the plot holes, the inconsistencies. And as I’ve since learned, I’m really not great at short story or even standalone writing. I like to build over a series. So I give myself the freedom to let the story and characters develop the way they need to, even if it’s over several books.
Spill the beans: what's your secret sauce for balancing the excitement of a book launch with the everyday author hustle?
Lots of coffee, venting to friends about how I’m stressed but did it to myself, and worry about the next book I have to finish while editing and getting the one I’m about to release prepped for its grand debut. The only balance I’ve found is setting goals to reach each day. It’s a lot though, and sometimes I spend all day on social media instead of doing my work. I presently have six stories I’m writing on Kindle Vella as ongoing serial stories which I had to scale back to focus on my release after Lady. I’ve also got four kids at home for summer, so it’s been very difficult to balance everything appropriately.
Imagine we're sitting in your favorite coffee shop right now. What's your go-to writing beverage that's been your trusty sidekick during the making of this book?
I don’t have special tastes. I prefer simple lattes, cappuccinos, and the occasional hot chocolate. All of which I drink at home because double computer screens are life.
Let's rewind a bit: What sparked your journey into the world of writing, and how did you find your unique storytelling voice?
It’s sort of a sad story, my beginning. I was pregnant with my third kid and miscarried at twelve weeks along. I channeled my emotions into writing as a way to deal with it, creating my first of many in the world stories, Awakening. Izzy gave me an incredible freedom to be a ho-ho, skeeve on hot guys, shamelessly abandon sense, and live in a world where I was the main character of an epic, badass tale. It was only with the support of readers and friends who encouraged me to self-publish I got here. I would’ve left it on the site free had they not pushed me. But over the years, I learned so many things. It’s been a crazy eight years.
Beyond the realm of writing, what are some of your favorite pastimes or hobbies that keep your creative juices flowing?
I love to read when I’m struggling because it makes me write. I’m also shamelessly in love with boy love and girl love comics from Korea and Japan. When I can’t do words (after writing nonstop, looking at nothing but paragraphs is hard), then I read those. Otherwise, I enjoy Netflix, going out with friends, and good ol’ video games.
Authors often have diverse influences. Are there any unexpected sources – be it music, art, or experiences – that have shaped your storytelling?
Ironically, most of my influences come from the people around me. I often enjoy traits in them and want to write them. Or I see stories that I wished went a different route so I write it that way. Initially, I wrote because I wasn’t reading the stories I wanted to read. I couldn’t find it the way I liked it, so I decided to write it instead. It was really more for selfish self-interest I did any of this, haha.
Lastly, Team Lady, Team Fable or Team Nova?
I’m team “Why Choose.” But if I had to choose one, it’ll always be Lady. She’s my badass bitch who’ll never fail to make anyone who hurts me pay the price.
Bonus Question – If you could pick any book from your personal library to recommend to readers right now, which one would it be and why?
A long time ago, I fell in love with the Anita Blake series. It was so Buffy-esque and similar to the stories I now write that it’s my go-to reread whenever I get a minute (which I never get).
Lady of Hell & Fury is out on September 8th, 2023.
Click Here to read my full review of Lady of Hell & Fury
*Disclosure: I only recommend products I would or have used myself and all opinions expressed here are my own. This post may contain affiliate links that, at no additional cost to you, allow me to earn a small commission on qualifying purchases.
