Britney S Lewis is the author of The Undead Truth of Us. She has a B.A. in corporate communications with an emphasis in business and art. She strongly supports We Need Diverse Books, and she’s an avid follower of #DVpit and #BVM. When Britney isn’t daydreaming about new stories, she can be found binge-watching TV shows with her husband and her pup or practicing West Coast Swing. She lives in Kansas City.
THE UNDEAD TRUTH OF US is about Sixteen-year-old Zharie Young who, after her mother's sudden death, starts seeing zombies. But, when she meets an undead boy, he shows her all the ways love can change you--for good or for dead.
My inspiration is always so random, but it usually starts with, "what if?" I also find myself inspired by lack of representation in a genre. If I can't relate to the story, then it's possible someone who looks like me also can't relate to the story, which means I want to write a story that we feel is ours, collectively.
This is such an interesting question. I feel like my culture is like breathing, in that I don't think about how I'm weaving it into stories. It's just who I am, and it will end up in every story I write because it's a product of me.
I really hope that readers find themselves melting in the world I created, so that they're able to feel and experience everything the main character does. I also hope readers find themselves able to take more risks that benefit them, even if it is scary.
Money, Marketing and Publicity. I feel like we're still fighting the stigma of, "who's going to read this?" When there are Black readers everywhere. Not only that, but more than Black people consume our stories, too. It's also telling when your counterpart makes ten times more than you on a greek mythology or a haunted house story, while you're getting paid less and have to put in more time to market yourself so that readers are able to discover your work. It is really hard, and it is exhausting, and I wished these systems weren't set up against us.
Lawd! I know I'd probably go all out with something that shimmers in the light, has mesh, and probably lace. Think something similar to Yara Shahidi's Met Gala look for 2021.
Get the words on paper, and edit it later. Perfect first drafts are a mind game.
Don't be afraid to ask questions! I think some people feel afraid to ask a question that might actually move you forward in the query process, the sub process, and post publication. But these are our lives. This is our dream. Make sure you have the answers you need.