Hi Everyone!
We are ecstatic to introduce you to the newest Inked Author, Ria Parisi! We have recently acquired her YA fantasy, Of Wolves and Stags.
The novel is a diverse YA fantasy with plus size and LGBTQ+ representation in which a 17 year old Dalia, who has spent her whole life hiding the fact that she is living weapon, saves a half-dead member of the human resistance. In doing so, she is thrust into a shadowy world where she is either feared as a monster or used by elves for her powers to seek out the last magical crystals to save mankind. Sold to Lauren T. Davila at Inked in Gray Press, for a nice deal by Jennie Dunham at Dunham Literary.
We had the opportunity to interview Ria and talk a little bit about herself and the creative process behind Of Wolves and Stags!
What inspired you to write Of Wolves and Stags?
My background is in fandom writing, especially online role playing. OF WOLVES AND STAGS started as an idea for a Reylo AU, but I decided instead to finally take the leap and follow a long-held dream to write my own work. The story still retains a lot of that inspiration, but went through a lot of changes to truly become something that can stand on its own.
Can you tell us a little about your writing process? What do you do when you confront that mischievous minion “writer’s block?”
I am someone who cannot function without a plan, making me a plotter through and through. The first thing I do is come up with a basic theme or plot idea and then come up with some of the big scenes I want to see. In OF WOLVES AND STAGS, I had one of the final scenes planned from the very beginning, so I had to then sit there and say, “Okay, how do we get there?”. From there I wrote a very basic outline that I filled out more and more as I started the actual drafting process.
As for writer’s block, I am someone who relies a lot on music for inspiration. I have playlists for every one of my characters, and I will just step back, immerse myself in those songs and see what pops up. It’s also okay to just skip a scene! When drafting, I will often skip around if a certain scene is not working, and then go back to it later.
Were there any major influences for you as a writer?
So much of my love for writing came from my desire to create things within my favorite fandoms. Star Wars, Marvel, The Hunger Games, there’s so many fandoms that I grew up with and wrote within their sandboxes for fun that absolutely helped to shape me as a writer. I also owe a lot to my writing partners from when I was role playing. One of them being my now life partner!
When it comes to writing style and story structure, Frank Herbert’s Dune had a huge impact on me as a child. But more recently I really look up to and enjoy Holly Black, Maggie Stiefvater and Brandon Sanderson.
Without any spoilers, is there a character who holds a special place in your heart?
Fionn. Fionn is, by far, my favorite character in this story. I originally wrote them as a tribute to my partner who was going through a journey in understanding their gender and came out as non-binary while I was writing this story. I will never forget getting to see my partner read Fionn’s journey and tear up and tell me how much it meant to them.
Even more, I feel like Fionn helped me to better understand my own gender expression as well. And to realize I also did not fit into just one category. I will be forever grateful for them and hope they give others the confidence and calm they have inspired for my partner and me.
If your book had a soundtrack or theme song, what would it be?
Oh my. As mentioned, I have so many playlists! But that said, the song I feel really captures the spirit of this book is The Horror and The Wild by The Amazing Devil.
What is your favorite trope?
It has to be enemies to lovers. When done right, I just adore it with all my heart. Everything I write always has at least a touch of romance, and I am so drawn to relationships that have near insurmountable external obstacles to overcome. I love the angst, the tension, and often the unexpected mutual respect of finding your equal that enemies to lovers can bring.
What was a memorable moment when you learned that language had power?
As I mentioned before, I was a big Dune fan growing up. I was also very frightened of just about everything, especially the dark. So, the ‘Litany of Fear’ from that book is something that really stuck with me, and I have absolutely used it when fears or anxieties get too overwhelming.
So what are you reading now? What’s on your TBR List?
I am currently working my way through the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson! I am on Oathbringer currently. My TBR is mainly fantasy and romantasy. A few I am really looking forward to are: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross and Belladonna by Adalyn Grace. I am also impatiently waiting for next year for when The Honey Witch by Sydney Shields is finally released!
So what are you reading now? What’s on your TBR List?
This is my debut novel and my first time being published! But you can find me on social media. I am mainly on Tik Tok and Instagram and post content about my books as well as cosplay! My handle on both sites is: riathewolfwrites. You can also find me on Twitter (X) at ria_thewolf.
About Ria Parisi
Ria Parisi has always found her joy in telling stories. Now she has finally evolved from writing fanfiction to her own work. She is a debut YA Fantasy author who is eager to write stories with the representation she wished she had in books growing up. When not writing, she can be found having fun in cosplay and posting to Booktok. You can find her across social media @riathewolfwrites.
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