About Edith Ryder
After six years abroad, Edith recently returned to her hometown of Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband and daughter. When not writing she loves swimming in the ocean and drinking Aperol spritzes on her balcony. She’s a devoted reader of YA fantasy novels and is always on the hunt for a good historical romance.
To learn more about Edith Ryder, click here.
BOOKS:
Anointed by Blood (2022)
Your biggest literary influences:
Leigh Bardugo, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Naomi Alderman
Last book read:
All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
The book that changed your life:
As an introverted child, I read books as an escape. The first book I remember reading and really connecting with was C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, which will forever hold a special place in my heart. I longed to retreat to Narnia and to share in some of the magic that made life there seem so thrilling when compared to my mundane existence. I believe it is the book that first sparked my dreams of becoming an author.
Your favorite literary character:
Growing up reading YA novels, I was such a fan of Alanna of Trebond from Tamora Pierce’s Song of the Lioness series. I recently re-read the series and although I think Alanna would be a richer character if her flaws were more deeply explored, when I was growing up, it was so wonderful to have a female character take charge of her own existence and to carve out her place in the world in a gender-defying fashion. A bold and powerful female protagonist is a common trope in YA now, but it was ground-breaking when Pierce wrote Alanna.
Currently working on:
The sequel to Anointed by Blood
Advice for aspiring authors:
People can often speak quite mystically about writing — while it is an artform, I see writing as more of a technical pursuit that takes hard-work and perseverance as much as “natural creative ability” (if there is such a thing). Like anything, the more you practice and share your work with other people, the better your work will become.
