Inspired by Anne Bonny and Mary Read, two of her all-time favorite female pirates, E. A. M. Trofimenkoff is the author of the Dark Depths duology as well as their contemporary romance, You and I Collide.
In A Kiss of the Siren’s Song, two women disguised as men board a pirate ship: one set on revenge, the other escaping land and the bounty on her head. The two of them quickly find themselves in the middle of a voyage to find the world’s most dangerous weapon: the Kraken’s Fang.
Even worse, their evil captain has a far more nefarious plot in mind. Can the two unravel the sea of secrets, and save the world? Or will their budding feelings for each other result in their downfall?
Q: What/who were your early literary influences, and how do you think their writing has shaped you as a storyteller today?
A: I think The Hunger Games was the first book to make me truly fall in love with reading. So much so that I still remember exactly where I was when I read it for the first time, and every year when it snows, it reminds me of that trip, and I have to pick up the series and re-read it. To this date, I’ve read the original trilogy over thirty times, and it remains my favourite series of all time. Now that I am writing my own stories, I am inspired to write complex characters who aren’t always loveable, who go through their challenges and come back with scars to show for them, and it’s given me the courage to explore difficult narratives that involve impossible decisions and the consequences that accompany them.
Q: How do you nurture your creativity when life gets busy or overwhelming?
A: Daydreaming! I write fantasy, which means I get to escape into this world that I have built with my characters, go on their daring adventures together, and more importantly, just think about what they might do in their day-to-day lives. Before bed, in the shower, on road trips, etc, I just let myself drift off into this world and explore it. This keeps things fresh in my mind, and every once in a while, something comes up that strengthens the world and the stories taking place in it even more. So even when life is busy, I can still daydream!
Q: What’s the best piece of advice another writer has given you about storytelling?
A: Not exclusive to just storytelling, but the best writing advice I’ve ever been given is: the point of the first draft isn’t to be perfect, it’s to simply exist. Honestly, that has gotten me through many creative blocks! I tend to focus on my mistakes and go back and rework things when I’m feeling stuck, but this advice has given me the freedom to stop picking at what I already have and focus on putting new words on the page.
Q: When do you feel most “in the zone” with your writing—early mornings, late nights, or somewhere in between?
A: Definitely late nights! I do my best day-dreaming in the tub or shower and right before bed time. Which is extremely inconvenient. I’ve tried to take it up with my muse, but she tends to ignore my formal complaints.
Q: Do you find inspiration in other art forms (music, film, visual art)? If so, how does it shape your work?
A: I am consistently inspired by the world around me, but particularly with respect to music. Sometimes I hear a song, and something just clicks in my brain. I can’t count how many times I’ve been listening to music and all of a sudden, I have a story idea, or I’ve found a solution to a plot hole, etc. Music is absolutely a foundational part of my creative process.
Q: Do you have your own circle of writer friends? If so, what other authors are you friends with, and how do they help you become a better writer?
A: Yes! Many of my friends are fellow creators and writers. I love hearing about their stories, supporting them, and watching them grow and succeed. It’s the best motivation
Q: What themes do you find yourself returning to again and again in your work?
A: Everything I write is queer-normative. I want to highlight the importance of queer love and queer joy without the prejudice that is so often followed in the real world. And I want my queer readers to know that they are and deserve to be loved and appreciated for who they are. Queer love and queer joy are acts of resistance, and that is one of the main driving forces of everything I write.
Q: What’s a quirky or unexpected detail about your writing space?
A: I often write in the bathtub on my phone (in my google docs app) . . . and my cat, Simon, likes to sit on my chest while I’m at it. I admit, my best lines and scenes have come from baths with Simon. Who knows, maybe he’s my manifested muse at times!
Q: What’s the most rewarding feedback you’ve ever received from a reader?
A: One of my readers told me that I was able to describe their experience perfectly, with respect to their sexuality. I know my books aren’t for everyone, but every time I get a note from a reader saying that they’ve felt seen and represented, it makes every second of the process worth it.
Q: In your experience, what has been the best way to market your books? Where have you found the greatest return on your investment (whether it be time or money invested?)
A: I primarily use Instagram and Threads for marketing, and I approach each of them differently. For Instagram, I focus on community building, interacting with readers, running giveaways, and posting easily digestible graphics that convey the most important information quickly and efficiently. It took me a long time to figure out how to do that, but Canva has been my best friend in working on these posts! In threads, I keep an eye out for people looking for recommendations. Yes, it’s awkward every time, but I have a pinned post at the top of my threads page that I copy and paste the link to on these recommendation request posts, which makes things a lot more time efficient. I’ve found a lot of new readers this way, and it also lets other people see my work too who happen to be looking for recommendations as well.
Q: How do you define success as an author? Has that definition evolved over time?
A: Honestly, success to me is just finishing the dang book. It is a lot of work to complete a novel, and that in itself is something worth celebrating. Over time, my definition of success has moved to reaching readers who need to hear my stories, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve managed to reach at least a few.
In You and I Collide, L has lived their whole life with a cloud above their head, forever waiting for the next unfortunate event to occur. Happiness? Who is she? L has been dancing around properly experiencing joy for years. Until now. When their therapist convinces them to make a childhood bucket list, L finds that happiness comes in many different shapes and sizes. And it takes great courage to hold onto it.
You and I Collide is a heartwarming, quirky and emotional contemporary romance about finding love and joy in the most unlikely of places.
Q: What’s one question readers ask you the most about your books, and what’s your answer?
A: “How do you keep it all straight in your head?” is the question I get all the time. And the answer is probably easier than you think. My characters feel real to me. They go through life with me, and I often find myself wondering what one of them would do or say in specific circumstances. I live in my imaginary world. I interact with the characters all the time. I think it’s easy for me to keep things straight in my head with respect to the characters, their arcs and the overall storyline because it’s like a movie I’ve seen a hundred times and can quote in my sleep. At the end of the day, even though it’s fiction, it’s still a major part of who I am, and how I see and interact with the world.
Q: What is your favorite genre to read? Do you write in that genre? Has that always been your favorite genre, or has your taste evolved as you have grown as a writer?
A: I’ve always been a fantasy reader. So it’s no surprise that this is what I was immediately drawn to as a writer (although I will say I have done contemporary and dystopian (unpublished) works as well). That being said, I will read anything. I love exploring new genres and learning new things, but I always come back to fantasy. As I’ve stepped more into writing, I have branched out more intentionally, particularly into romance to better understand character dynamics, expectations, arcs, etc., and I’ve been thoroughly enjoying exploring the subgenres as well!
Q: What other books would you recommend to our readers in addition to your own?
A: There are so many. But if you’re looking for more sapphic romantasy, definitely check out The Everlands Cycle by JC Rycroft, The Remnants of Blood series by HF Cunningham, Jasyn and the Astronauts series by Gwenhyver, The Blacksea Odyssey series by JA Vodvarka, The Crane Moon Cycle series by JC Snow, The Seventh Star series by Lily X, The Book of Payne series by RP Dunwater, and The Sea and Stars series by SD Simper.
Q: If you could live in the world of one of your books for a day, which would it be and why?
A: I would absolutely live in Elandia! It’s full of magical people, a diverse range of gods and powers, and the landscape is stunning. I can’t wait for everyone to dive further into this world with me as the series continues.
Q: If your life were a novel, what would the title be?
A: The multidimensional life of a Femme in STEM who won’t stop collecting hobbies
Q: What’s one thing you hope readers take away from your latest book?
A: It’s okay to ask for help and lean on the people you love to get through it, in fact, you absolutely should.
Q: What projects are you working on at the present?
A: I am currently working on putting the finishing touches on A Kiss of the Ocean’s Breath, the sequel to A Kiss of the Siren’s Song, and it’s due to be released on June 7!
Q: What do your plans for future projects include?
A: I will be continuing with the Dark Depths series, and I’ve been dabbling with the idea of going back to the draft that started it all (AKA my dystopian novel I never finished back in 2017). I still have a lot of stories to tell, and a ton of ideas swimming around my brain!
Elizabeth Trofimenkoff grew up in a small town in Southern Alberta where she first fell in love with reading. When they were ten years old, they wrote a short story about a golden dragon egg for their Provincial Achievement Test: a story that they still look back on with whimsy and pride. Three years later, her teacher encouraged her to keep writing after a short story about two children during World War II brought her teacher to tears.
Despite the early encouragement, Elizabeth also fell in love with science and math. During her third year of university as a chemistry student, Elizabeth took an English class that changed her life forever. She began writing again, this time, taking on a full-length novel. Read the rest of the author’s bio.
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While you’re here, don’t forget to check out my latest suspense novel, It Had to Happen, now available in print and on Kindle!
Book Summary
When Jack Utley loses his daughter just as his business is about to soar, it seems he’s traded financial gain for Callie’s life. After an encounter with a mysterious woman on the eve of Callie’s funeral, Jack wakes up to find that time has somehow rewound to the morning of Callie’s accident. Jack gets an opportunity that most grieving parents can only dream of – he saves his daughter’s life.
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