Yvonne K. Anderson’s literary journey started in her teens and since then, she has created an impressive body of work that includes the Death Toll series, a book of poetry and her latest novel, Soul’s Soul Thief.
Anderson, who makes her home in Brantford, Ontario, described her journey as an author.
“I’ve loved reading since I was a kid because my mom always read to me. I started writing around age 16, though I actually lost the manuscript for the very first book I ever finished. It was a vampire story, but not a violent one, and definitely not the sparkling vampire type,” she said. “I would then write a paranormal thriller, which launched my published series. Its working title was Na Na Na Na, but I eventually changed it to Death Toll….where the main character is technically a villain too.”
She then explained the genesis of the Death Toll novel series.
“Back in high school, I was sitting in the hallway listening to my MP3 player. I was singing along to Journey’s “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”….specifically the “na-na-na” part at the end….my future husband, who went to school with me, said I looked and sounded like I was going to kill somebody,”” said Anderson. “That sparked the idea! In the book, that’s how the main character kills people, by singing that while visualizing their death, and then it happens in real life. I spent about close to two years writing it. It required some reworking, partly because my ADHD made it challenging to stay focused.”
However, the author, who recently moved from Paris to Brantford, discussed several of her literary influences.
“I discovered J.K. Rowling and the Harry Potter Series in grade one…which was an important and early influence on me. Currently, my favorite author is Christopher Paolini and his Inheritance Cycle, which starts with the novel, Eragon. Another novel that I read was John Saul’s Black Creek Crossing…which I liked. I really enjoy paranormal books, and that’s usually the genre I like to write in,” she noted.
With her latest novel, Soul’s Soul Thief., Anderson would tackle fantasy for the first time.
“Soul Thief is an adventure-driven fantasy where the characters go on a quest to prevent evil mages from taking over their world. At the same time, they’re actively being hunted down because the mages need something specific from several members of the group,” she said. “I’m a bit of a discovery writer, but I also plot key points. I note down core ideas and then let the characters guide the story. Because I have aphantasia, which means I can’t visualize mental images…[so] I have to physically sketch out descriptions of characters and maintain a map of where everyone is traveling.”
While Anderson has thrived as a writer, she has also enjoyed engaging with the community through various events including the Branford Comic Con, Geeky Gifts and a recent book signing event at local bookstore, Coles at Lynden Park mall.
“I enjoy making sales which is exciting…and doing that also gets me connected to people…though quiet moments can be tough. Overall, it’s a lot of fun to get out and connect with readers and other authors. I have found that events like these are crucial because they foster a strong sense of community and bring like-minded people together,” the author noted. “Last year, I reached out to individual Indigo/Coles locations about stocking my fantasy book on consignment. I also reached out to the Coles here in Brantford because I knew they host local authors for signings. I would then schedule a book signing event with them, which happened this past August. It was a great experience [and] I really enjoyed talking to people and seeing readers pick up my work.”
Along with multiple novels and a poetry collection called ‘Creative Ramblings’ under her belt, Anderson still has to overcome some tough aspects of the publishing process.
“Marketing is definitely the hardest part, especially as an independent author. Editing can also be exhausting; when I get fatigued, the words start looking like gibberish [and] having ADHD means I usually have multiple projects on the go which I have to stay on top of. Right now, my main focus is finishing the second book in the Soul series after the first book’s cliffhanger. I’m also working on a twisted fairytale retelling, [as well as] another project which is a new spin-off series set in the Death Toll universe,” Anderson said.
As a published author, Anderson has continued to make her mark in the local scene. She also has aspirations for the future as well as giving some inspiration to other writers.
“I never want to stop writing. My ultimate goal is to be at least one person’s favorite author and to create stories that offer people an escape when life gets stressful. Writing gives me focus and serves as a vital creative outlet for my mental health,” she stated. “I always try to let writers out there know…to not let failures discourage them, [because] it’s those experiences that we often learn the most from. Also, I have learned that writing isn’t easy, but it can be incredibly rewarding; so, I encourage writers out there to keep doing it because it’s worth it. And lastly, and most importantly….don’t let anyone tell you what to do with your books, because they are uniquely yours.”
