Q&A with Lyla Sage
A very happy Soul Searching day to all who celebrate! Today officially marks the publication of adult romance queen Lyla Sage's fifth book, and the first in her new duology set in Sweetwater Peak. We were lucky enough to have a chat with Lyla and ask her some of our burning questions about Soul Searching. Check out what she had to say below!
We’re so excited about Soul Searching and the two characters at the heart of the story, Brady and Collins. Can you tell us a little bit about them?
They’re the best, aren’t they? Brady and Collins are such a special pair. Usually, when I’m writing in dual POV, there tends to be one character whose voice flows from me a little easier or a head that feels more comfortable for me to be inside of, but that wasn’t the case for these two. I loved spending time with each of them and consistently found myself both content to be in whichever of their heads I was in and excited to jump into the others when it was time. Each of them feels so different than any characters I’ve written before, and I am genuinely so fond of them.
Collins probably falls into the black cat archetype, but like most black cat characters, I think she’s way more dynamic than that. She’s prickly and witty and open-hearted. She can also talk to ghosts, but recently, her abilities — the thing that makes her, her—have faded. Her journey is the heart of this story. When the novel starts, she’s feeling lost and adrift, and the reader gets to tag along as she slowly but surely becomes more and more rooted–with the help of Brady, of course.
Brady is my direct response to the overtly toxic masculinity that we see represented in all sorts of media, including literature. Brady is the antithesis of that. He’s soft, kind, and steady. And for someone like Collins, his steadying nature feels like a balm. Brady loves people deeply and wants the best for himself, but he’s not quite sure how to get after it. Collins makes him braver, and he makes her feel more secure. I love how these two fit together, and I especially loved writing about Brady’s love of Lord of the Rings.
Soul Searching is the first novel set in Sweetwater Peak - what can we look forward to with this new series?
Sweetwater Peak is a duology, so you can expect one more book in this weird little town. Since Collins has a twin sister, Clarke, it made the most sense for me to keep this world at two books. Of course, there’s a ton to explore in a town with this much lore. We get a good jump on that in Soul Searching, and then have the chance to dive deeper into it with Clarke’s book. My twinnie gals couldn’t be more different, and so far, it seems like each of their respective books are going to reflect that.
You can expect realistic but swoony love stories, a loveable cast of characters (both dead and alive), family dynamics, and hopefully, two books that start to feel like home.
We love the supernatural element in Soul Searching. Where did the inspiration for this come from?
The supernatural element of this story actually came quite naturally. I conceptualized the setting of Sweetwater Peak before anything else. I knew I wanted it to be a weird, creepy little town because I wanted it to feel distinct–especially compared to Meadowlark. As I pondered the town's layout and history, I sensed its haunting presence, and I chose to confront this in the story by crafting characters who directly engage with the paranormal elements around them. My favorite part about writing is setting scene and atmosphere, and the supernatural of it all really gave me a chance to flex that skill and dial it up to eleven.
Also, horror is my favorite genre outside of romance. I also don’t generally read romance while I’m writing romance, and I’ve been writing romance pretty much constantly over the last few years. So, as a reader, I’ve been consuming more horror stories and speculative fiction than I have in recent memory, and I think that kind of seeped its way into this world.
What surprised you about writing Soul Searching? Did the story take you to places you weren’t expecting to go?
The thing that surprised me most about Soul Searching was how authentic it feels to me. I love everything about this story. I love that it challenged me and pushed me. I love what it gave me and what I took away from it. My heart is all over this one, and I’m very proud of what I accomplished here.
We always love to know a little bit about the writer behind our favourite stories. What does the perfect writing day look like for you?
Oh, this is a good question. I feel like every day is so different for me that I don’t even know. But, I think the best start to an ideal writing day for me would actually start the day before–like ideally, I’d have reached my word goal the day before and stopped at a scene that was easy for me to pick up writing from. I’d wake up without snoozing my alarm (which never happens because I am a night owl) and write a couple hundred words before getting out of my bed and getting ready for the day. I’d have a nice coffee outside, and then maybe head out for a long walk or a trail run before coming home, sitting down at my desk, and diving back into whatever I’m writing.
I’d keep my office window open, so I could hear the sounds that the mountains make, and at some point in the afternoon, I’d crack open a cold, crisp Diet Coke. There would be no emails for me to answer or social media posts for me to check on. It would just be my story and me for the day–no admin work whatsoever. That would be really lovely. Most of the time, though, my writing days are deeply imperfect, but maybe that’s what makes them perfect (for me) in their own way.