THE HUXIAN FOX - Interview with Nikki Brooke

Space Opera with Greek Mythology? Sign me up!

A few months ago I was at the Clunes Bookfair, my first ever market stall, plugging my new novel Sunward Sky (to modest success, I might add), when an enthusiastic and bright-faced fellow author came bounding over to have a chat. Her name was Nikki Brooke, and she’s a fellow writer of science fiction and speculative stories. She’s since joined Meridian Australis, the writing group I’m in, and her new book THE HUXIAN FOX releases today.

This year has been a complete whirlwind of meeting new people and coming to understand the different ways people write, and the different things that attract them to writing. I sat down with Nikki to have a quick chat about her new book and how she’s approached becoming an indie author.

Hi Nikki, thanks so much for spending some time with me today. First of all, what can you tell me about your new novel The Huxian Fox?

Thanks so much for inviting me! The Huxian Fox is a sassy fast-paced young adult space opera with loads of adventure plus Chinese and Greek mythology. It’s about two girls who team up—despite their differences—on an Indiana Jones style treasure hunt across space, following clues left by an ancient race. And there might be a touch of romance between the two girls to make it all the more fun. If you want a story that uplifts and is an escape, this is the book to read. You don’t have to be a ‘young adult’ to enjoy it.

What inspired you to start writing?

I don’t think I was ‘inspired’ by something specific, more that it’s always seemed like my calling. The stories are desperate to be written and they won’t shut up in my head! They’re very demanding!

You write YA fiction, which is something I’m not overly familiar with. What are some of the hallmarks of the genre that draw you into writing it, and what about it excites you the most?

Great question. I love YA because it’s easy to consume but still deals with big topics. Books for adults can be dreary or get bogged down in detail, which I can still enjoy, but I like to balance those with something lighter. YA is usually faster paced and often focuses on hope. I also love how YA can push boundaries and is at the forefront of change. For example, you’ll find a large percentage of recently published YA books have queer and gender fluid characters. Whereas, that percentage is much lower in other books. Interestingly, science fiction is similar in that perspective too, and maybe that’s why sci fi is also so appealing to me.

Your first novel, Plagued Lands, was a dystopian story. Were there major changes in tone you made when you started writing The Huxian Fox, which is a more adventure oriented story?

Yeah, they’re completely different vibes. The tone is nothing alike. Plagued Lands is serious, medium-paced (until the climax) and will break your heart. The Huxian Fox is light, fun, and fast-paced from the first page until the end. What’s important to me is to get the voice of the POV characters right and unique. Plagued Lands is told from the POV of Martina, who is a bit sullen and introspective. The Huxian Fox is told from the POV of two characters: Fan, who is impulsive, sassy, and has some great one-liners; and Eshan’ya who is snarky, poised, but more contemplative. So all three characters will sound different when you read from their POV, regardless of the story they’re in.

Your books are being independently published. What is something you’d recommend to a new author who is looking at self-publishing their work?

The thing is that it’s very easy to self-publish and the market is flooded, so you need to find a way to stand out if you want people to read your book. A great book isn’t enough, but is definitely worth striving for. So start with a great book, by getting critiques, edits, and rewriting. Don’t rush it, and put the work in. Then put your business cap on, and set a strategy to make writing books a viable business which will mean marketing, budgets, networking and more. A self-published author needs to wear many hats, so be prepared for that.

Where can people find you online? And what is the best way for people to get their hands on a copy of The Huxian Fox?

You can find me on tiktok, instagram, and facebook under @nikkibrookeauthor or on my website nikkibrooke.com.

Grab a copy of The Huxian Fox here: nikkibrooke.com/books/huxianfox/ And if you order before July 31 you can claim free swag.

Thanks so much to Nikki for taking the time to talk to me, and if you, dear reader, are interested in picking up her book, I can attest that she provides a lovely care package with it, including stickers, character art, and handwritten thank you cards when you order direct from her website.

Also, if you’re interested in being featured in my upcoming anthology THE DISCONNECTED, the expression of interest form is still open here.

Until next time!