Everything that followed was a steep learning curve, from querying agents to submitting to editors. I hadn’t even shown my book to anyone else. I’d never revised, pitched to agents properly, or gone through any kind of editorial process. I quickly realized that I knew nothing about how to write a book. Did you face any difficulties while writing? If so, how did you overcome them?ĭon’t Call the Wolf is the first book I ever finished writing – as you can imagine, there were a lot of challenges! Being an author was my dream, but I’d been too shy to share it with anyone else. After that, I became fascinated with Polish and Slavic monsters, and Don’t Call the Wolf began to take shape. It was almost as if the memory had just been waiting for me to find it again. Early on, I came across a description of the Baba Jaga (pronounced BAH-bah YAH-gah), and it triggered a memory of my grandmother telling me about her as a kid. When she passed away, I found myself learning more about my heritage as a way of remembering her. This book was inspired by grandmother, who was Polish. Where did the inspiration for your novel come from? Together, they form a rocky alliance – mostly because they keep almost killing each other – and journey across haunted forests and enchanted mountains to hunt down the greatest monster of all: the Golden Dragon. She teams up with a once-famous, down-on-his-luck Dragon Slayer. The main character is a shapeshifting forest Queen, fighting to defend her kingdom from encroaching monsters.

Now tell us a little more! What can readers expect?ĭon’t Call the Wolf is a fast-paced fantasy rooted in Polish folklore.

Your debut novel, Don’t Call The Wolf, releases on April 28 th! If you could only use five words to describe your novel, what would they be?īloody, bewitching, monstrous, romantic, and Polish. When I’m not writing, I spend most of my free time with my family and our cat, a thirty-pound black Norwegian Forest Cat named Mr. Hi! Thanks for having me at The Nerd Daily – I’m so excited to chat! My name is Aleksandra, and I’m a Canadian author. She talks about the inspiration behind her novel, along with the challenges she faced and the creation of the stunning cover, as well as her publishing journey and book recommendations! Hi Aleksandra! Can you tell our readers a little about yourself? We chat to debut author Aleksandra Ross about her upcoming release, Don’t Call The Wolf. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Holly Black will devour this deliciously dark Eastern Europeaninspired YA fantasy debut.

Don't Call the Wolf by Aleksandra Ross