One really cool perk about being a writer, is meeting other writers who are working on the books that readers are about to fall in love with. I read an early version of Erica Millard’s debut novel, Alizarin Crimson, and I have been waiting for it to make its way out into the world because I know it’s going to strike a chord with readers like it did with me.

Erica Millard has been patiently working to get her entire Prism Series ready in order to release all three books close together. So even though Alizarin Crimson is the first in a trilogy, don’t hesitate to jump in now. You won’t have to wait long to read the others!

Alizaron Crimson just earned the coveted orange badge from Amazon, earning top spot as a #1 new release. Erica took some time away from climbing Amazon charts to answer a few questions. Enjoy!

Q: Let’s start with the most pressing question we need to know. Favorite Chris and why? And you can’t say you’re married. Your husband totally approves of this question. 

Erica: Oh, definitely Chris Hemsworth. Of course he is incredibly hot and his character Thor falls for the smart girl in his first movie, but the real reason? I love his voice/ accent. I really have a thing for accents, as you can tell, because Liam in Alizarin Crimson has an accent, basically to add to his cuteness.

Q: What are you reading right now?

Erica: I’m typically reading a few books at a time. Right now I am reading the illustrated Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with my kids, 13 Things that Don’t Make Sense, which is a fascinating non-fiction, and I just finished Kiss of a Spindle by Nancy Campbell Allen, which was a super fun steampunk retelling of Cinderella.

Q: Most embarrassing moment. Do tell. 

Erica: You are going to think this is a cop out, but I seldom get embarrassed. I mean of course it happens, but there isn’t a moment in my life where I think, “Yep, this is the most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me!” Probably because when I do embarrassing things, I just count it off as one of my personality quirks and move on.

Q: So you’re at Hogwarts and you’re doing all the magic, right? What is your patronus?

Erica: I adore otters! Sea or river, it doesn’t matter, my patronus is totally an otter.

Q: What’s your favorite underrated book?

Erica: I don’t know if it is underrated, but a book I read lately that I loved that I haven’t seen much about is Geekerella by Ashley Poston. It is a totally a-dorkable modern Cinderella retelling that I adore. Wow, is that the second Cinderella retelling I have mentioned so far? I also adore Persuasion by Jane Austen, which I think is the most underrated Jane Austen book.

Q: You have created a rich magical system in a contemporary setting. What Aolian power would you have and what would you be doing in your everyday life when you discover it?

Erica: I would love to say I would be some rocking and awesome Aolian, but I would probably have something silly, like being able to raise and lower window blinds with my mind. If I could choose, I would of course want to be a writing Aolian.

Q: Art plays such an important role in this story. Do you have an art background?

Erica: Yes, I do! My father is a painter, so I grew up surrounded by art, paint, galleries, and especially books about the great masters. When I went to college, I majored in art, specifically photography, although all those years of working in the dark room aren’t particularly useful now. 

Q: Do you have a favorite artist?

Erica: Van Gogh. Shocker, I know! I also love Monet and J.M.W. Turner. He is the artist I named Aya’s art school, Turner Academy, after. I adore the impressionists because their work portrays so much emotion.

Q: Alizarin Crimson is the first in a trilogy. What can readers expect from the second book? Really what I’m asking is how long until we can get our anxious little hands on the next one? 

Erica: The second book in the trilogy is called Cobalt Blue. It will follow Aya’s story as she continues her quest to find the Aveum while trying to keep the color from controlling her. There are some fun and not so fun new characters that get to travel with Aya further than she imagined! And it will be out hopefully right before Chirstmas!

Thanks for the chat, Erica! Best of luck on your debut release. You can follow Erica on facebook, instagram, twitter, or bookbub. Or sign up for her newsletter and get important news sent straight to your email.