Author Spotlight: My Interview with Brittany Weisrock

Hey there! Today, I’m delighted to have Brittany Weisrock, author of the upcoming novel Triad! Triad is a fantastic paranormal romance with dynamic characters, an awesome sibling/family relationship, cool world-building, and a swoon-tastic romance!!!

Get ready because Triad releases on April 6, 2021!!

Getting to Know Brittany Weisrock:

Question: When did you first realize that you wanted to be a writer/author?

Brittany Weisrock: Oh, one of my favorite questions! I’ve written stories since I was little. Basically, as soon as I could piece together sentences, I was drawn to creative writing. I loved writing little stories, illustrating my own pictures, and it grew from there. I kind of shelved it for a while, but last year I thought—why not! So, here I am, with a book about to launch.

Even as a young child Brittany Weisrock would conjure up stories with her imagination, sharing them with anyone who would listen. She developed her storytelling and writing quite a bit since then, but the thrill of language and creation she first discovered as a child has never gone away. She’s always had big dreams of writing and running her own company–today those dreams are real life.

She’s been writing professionally since 2020, having a piece published in She. magazine and joining Fyre Syde Publishing. Brittany has no intention of slowing down anytime soon.

In 2021, Brittany established her own independent press with the support of her husband and teammate–Bryan.

Lake Country Press & Reviews is now the home to Brittany’s debut book, Triad, and will publish its sequel Equinox.

Since opening its doors, Lake Country Press & Reviews has gained five amazing authors and Brittany can’t wait to get their books to readers!

Get in touch if you’ve got any comments, questions, suggestions, or just want to say hello. Brittany Weisrock would be more than happy to hear from you.

Specializing in spinning tales of fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal romance, and creating characters you can fall in love with.

Twitter: @brittweisrock
Facebook: brittweisrock
Instagram: brittweisrockauthor
Website: www.brittweisrock.com

Q: Which authors or books influenced your writing?

BW: Let me start by saying authors are my celebrities. I fangirl so hard over them. I absolutely love Diana Gabaldon and her attention to details in the Outlander series. Jennifer Armentrout is blast for me to read. Deborah Harkness is a personal favorite as well because I loved Discovery of Witches. Kevin Kwan is amazing—if you haven’t ready Crazy Rich Asians, you should. I’m obviously into Sarah J Maas. I really enjoy her worlds and characters.

Q: If you were supernatural, what kind of being would you be, and what powers would you want?

BW: No joke! I have never been asked this before. In this case, I have to double down on a fae or witch. Something about having more than one ability is thrilling to me, which is probably why I gave my character, Athena some extra ones! Haha.

About the Book:

Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Publisher: Lake Country Press

Synopsis: Athena Whiteridge, born into a powerful prophecy, along with her brothers, Anders and Atlas, form the Triad. Set to rule as Alpha of her pack, this wolf has a secret—Athena possesses abilities to manifest fire, capable of shifting into more than a mere wolf.
On a mission, Athena is rendered dumbstruck by an unsuspecting human, Kalen Ryan. All her strength and skills can’t save her from falling for him. Except—wolves don’t take humans mates. Without understanding their intense connection, the pair leave club Zephyr.
Forced to face a council of leaders and her family, Athena must explain how Kalen is beyond the Barrier and in the Unseen. In attempts to fend off concerns—Athena uncovers her father, Cyrus’s deceit and treachery that runs deep. The trouble is only beginning. . .
Join the Whiteridges, as they navigate betrayal, love, and battle an ancient evil in a race to save humanity and the Unseen.

LINKS: My Review | Goodreads | Amazon

Q: What is your process for creating such a fresh twist on shifters, vampires, fated mates, and other paranormal elements?

BW: Goodness! Fresh twist. I love the sound of that. I didn’t have a huge process, but I’d read so many paranormal romance books that sounded nearly the same. I thought, hm, I want to create something that’s familiar, but make my own rules. That’s the best part of fantasy and world-building—it’s a writer’s to design. When I decided I wanted to write Triad in the modern world, I knew I needed to abide by some real-life rules or at least configure that into scenarios. Sometimes, that’s challenging. But worth it because people connect with those pop culture style moments or the mundane things we do daily. It’s those little real-world things that tether readers more to the book because it somehow feels possible…like maybe there’s some magical being hiding around the corner.

Q: Can you tell the readers a bit more about Triad?

BW: What can I say about Triad without spoilers? I went against some preferred tropes such as enemies to lovers and that was a huge risk because so many readers love it. I, myself, am a fan of it, but I really wanted to try a different route. We shall see how that goes…

If I could tell readers one of my favorite things from Triad—it’s Kalen Ryan. The lead male love interest. He’s so far from most guys we read about right now. He’s this nice guy type with no ulterior motives. I don’t know. Kalen is simply a balanced individual. This supportive, honest person, and a bit of a male feminist. He respects Athena from the beginning and the relationship quickly flourishes in more than one way because of that. I’m hoping readers will enjoy that change of pace.

Q: Which character in the book do you most relate to?

BW: Again, I’m floored by this question as I can’t believe I’ve never thought of it. Oh gosh, don’t call me too cliché, but I guess I have to say—Athena. She’s always trying to run the show and has this attitude, but really, she’s kind-hearted. My family will all tell you—I’m a bold personality, maybe even a touch mouthy. *glances away from computer screen*

Also, like Athena, if I care about you, I’m a fierce and loyal friend.

Q: Do you have a favorite line, scene, or character from Triad?

BW: I definitely have a favorite scene. Kalen and Athena, while fated to be together are still figuring things all out. They’re outside and Kalen kind of explains how he had everything, and it all felt like nothing. He gets really vulnerable and a little raw. Kale goes on to say one of my FAVORITE lines. “You belong among those stars. They were made for you.”

Another all-time favorite is when Athena has this emotional trauma and she’s trying to bury it. Kale talks her through it and really steps up to give her the space and confidence to feel that pain and then move forward. At one point, he climbs in the bath with her fully clothed and just holds her. It’s a crazy touching moment. I think I got a little teary just thinking about it!

Q: I particularly liked the messages about the importance of familial love and acceptance. What other messages do you hope to convey in your writing?

BW: I’m literally glowing that you picked those underlying topics out of Triad. I wrote so many family scenes where the characters took time to understand one another, to really hear what someone was saying.

There are times where Athena tries to gloss past the fact she’s hurting, and with her family’s help, she’s able to understand—it’s okay to feel any emotion you need.

Another chapter, in particular, there’s some scenes and memories between Kale and his brother, Brody. Brody might seem like a minor character, but in my mind he’s not. Once Kale changes, he’s afraid of losing his family. He gets an opportunity to come clean and share his new world with Brody. At first, what Kale reveals seems too unbelievable, but it’s that brotherly love and that willingness to accept someone for who they are that really shines. Brody offers Kale acceptance. An acceptance, Kale didn’t realize he needed, and Brody gets to return this amazing gift because years ago Kale had given Brody a similar acceptance.

In my writing, it’s incredibly important to display these complex family moments because while this is fantasy—those emotions and bonds I’m describing, are real. I feel people should know—you deserve to be loved and accepted as you are.

Another topic I spent time showing: safe, consensual sex.

In New Adult romance there’s usually some amount of physical intimacy. Triad is no different. Athena and Kale have this otherworldly connection and that leads to passion. I’ve read a ton a romance and so many books gloss over those critical moments in a love scene. I didn’t. I wanted my character to talk about protection, to use it, and I wanted clear, verbal communication between them.

Q: What’s the most surprising thing you learned while writing Triad?

BW: The most surprising thing I learned. Gosh, that has to be—you first and last draft will change more than I ever imagined. What starts as rough ideas and plot points gets more fine-tuned each time.

Another big thing I learned, when you receive feedback or editorial comments—read each one and read your story, see if there’s validity and adjust accordingly. Some comments will be tremendously helpful in making a better story and that’s ultimately what you want.

Wrap-Up:

Q: Can you tell us anything about your upcoming books?

BW: Upcoming books. Well now, there’s Triad’s sequels. I wish I could reveal the title, but I can’t quite yet, so stay tuned! Book two is near completion and will be published, and that’s great news!

I do have two other writing projects going. One is a co-author project I’m incredibly excited about and another is a fantasy exploring…the seas.