This Author Spotlight interview came as a surprise to me, but I’m so happy to reveal it to everyone! A New York Times bestselling author of the infamous “Belladonna” series, Adalyn Grace also authored “All the Stars and Teeth” along with “All the Tides of Fate.” As a favorite trope of mine, I was so happy to have devoured “Belladonna” within a night. It was so intoxicatingly beautiful and eerie. I will definitely be one of the first people to purchase the sequel, “Foxglove,” once it releases!
Prior to becoming an author, Adalyn spent four years working in live theater, acted as the managing editor of a nonprofit newspaper, and studied storytelling as an intern on Nickelodeon Animation’s popular series “The Legend of Korra”. Local to San Diego, Adalyn spends her non-writing days watching anime and playing video games with her two dorky dogs. She invites you to visit her on Instagram @authoradalyngrace or her website, AdalynGraceAuthor.com.
Following orphan nineteen-year-old Signa, “Belladonna ” is a highly romantic novel featuring a gothic-infused world of wealth, desire and betrayal. After being raised by a string of guardians who all died when caring for Signa, she’s forced to go to her remaining relatives, the elusive Hawthornes, who reside at Thorn Grove. When the deceased matriarch’s spirit appears to Signa, claiming she has been poisoned, Signa has no choice but to pair up with Death himself to uncover the murderer who is targeting the family.
Signa’s torn between following society and giving into her own wishes. For readers who struggle with this concept, how do you hope “Belladonna” will inspire them? What else do you wish to comment on this matter?
I think this is a problem for so, so many people, though I think it’s especially prominent in women. We’re taught from a very young age how to behave—don’t be too opinionated, or people will think you’re bossy. Don’t be too honest with your thoughts, because then you’re mean. Always be polite. Be soft. Yadda yadda yadda. There are age old beliefs that are still very much ingrained into society, and they’re so gross to me. I’m a very ambitious person, and I can’t begin to tell you the number of times I’ve been told to calm down, settle for what I have, or other things that no one would ever think to say to a man.
Women in society are expected to behave in very particular ways, and though that’s still very much the truth now, it was far worse in the Victorian Era, where not conforming could literally get you ostracized from family and society. In Belladonna, this is something Signa is dealing with heavily. She wants nothing more than to fit in, and is trying so hard to mold herself into someone she doesn’t truly want to be simply so she can be perceived well by people she doesn’t actually care about. I think it’s a very relatable problem that many readers can connect to, and I hope that Signa’s journey helps them understand that happiness comes by being true to yourself, and the people who are worth surrounding yourself with in life are the ones who want you to be that true self unapologetically.
Death and all things Gothic related seem to be trending nowadays in the YA world. What about these subjects do you think attracts readers? How does your perspective on these topics differ from others?
When I started writing [“]Belladonna[”] there really weren’t many YA Gothic books on the shelves! It’s funny how trends work like that. I sold Belladonna about two years before it came out, so it’s hard to predict what things are going to take off and become popular I’m glad it’s trending though, as I love the genre and it means more readers will be able to find Belladonna!
I never necessarily set out to write a Gothic story; rather, I set out to write what I loved. I wrote the book in 2020 during the pandemic, and was mostly writing it as a distraction from everything happening in the world. From a young age I’ve always been drawn to stories with a darker edge, and to paranormal romance in particular. Part of the reason I find it so appealing is that it’s very much an exploration into the unknown. Since we’re not necessarily dealing with strictly humans either, morals and behaviors all get a bit shifted. The romance tends to tap into more primal parts of the brain, and strips people of human inhibitions. As both a writer and a consumer, I’ve always found these stories so easy to lose myself in.
How did your experience living in a haunted house inspire Signa’s story? How did it compare and/or differ from hers?
Ha! Although I lived in a house that was very clearly haunted (heavy objects would literally fly off my desk the moment I shut my door, shutters would open and shut, etc), the rational part of my brain is very much still like “there’s no way ghosts exist!” But the ghost in my house was very dramatic and I think, ultimately, very lonely. Its shenanigans only began once we started looking to move out, and if I would ask the ghost to behave or scold him a bit, he usually would (I didn’t know you weren’t supposed to talk to the ghosts!)
In the book, the spirits at Thorn Grove could be a lot more volatile at times. They’re much creepier than the one I lived with, and I do not envy Signa’s ability to see them!
What are some of your favorite character inspirations that you’ve included in “Belladonna” that you hope to explore their stories more in the future?
Both Elijah and Blythe were two of my favorite side characters to write. I don’t want to get too spoilery, but Blythe actually gets a lot more page time and is a main character in the sequel. It’s been a lot of fun to have the chance to expand her character!
What are some of your fondest memories you have of reading gothic literature?
I have a lot of fun memories of reading [“]Wuthering Heights[”] in middle school. We did a whole unit on it in Language Arts, where we watched the movie, did presentations and listened to silly music inspired by the novel. As the kid who was obsessed with all things strange and Gothic, I’d been looking forward to it all semester and it didn’t disappoint.
Out of all the 19th century poisonous plants, why did you choose belladonna as the major plant in this book?
To me, it was never a question! I didn’t consider any other plants, as belladonna is known for being as beautiful as it is deadly, and that’s very much what I wanted to embody for the book as a whole. From the setting, to the plot and the world, everything is beautiful while being simultaneously deadly. It really felt like the perfect poison to feature.
“A Lady’s Guide to Beauty and Etiquette” seems to be a book Signa lives by. Had society not been so important to her, what others would you believe act as her personal guides? Do you have any that you live by?
That’s hard to say, because there was never an envisioned world in which that book and its rules was not incredibly influential to her character. Moving forward though, I think Signa’s realized the importance of not binding yourself to any one particular thing, and leaving room and freedom to be who you want to be.
What can we expect or look forward to in the sequel, “Foxglove,” that’s aimed to release next year?
I love this series so, so much and cannot wait to share [“]Foxglove[”] with everyone! I don’t want to spoil too much, but I will say that while [“]Belladonna[”] is only Signa’s story, [“]Foxglove[”] is dual POV with two heroines—Signa and Blythe! The character we meet at the end of the first book features a very heavy antagonistic role in [“]Foxglove,[”] and he’s been so much fun to write. I can’t wait to share more!
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So happy and grateful to Shivani from the Hachette Book Group for agreeing to put me in contact with Adalyn. I’ll never forget how giddy I was when I unboxed “Belladonna” and telling everyone I knew to read the novel. Thank you, Adalyn Grace, for answering my questions; I wish you the best of luck with the release of “Foxglove.” Without them both, this interview wouldn’t be possible. I’d also like to extend my thanks once more to my Her Campus NYU editorial team such as my senior editor, Kasey, and co-presidents Rachel and Zoya. This blog series has brought so much happiness and gratitude to many authors and publicists. I’m happy to be able to get an insight into publishing through this blog series.