January 23, 2023

Interview with Lisa Shearin, author of The Gorgon Agenda

Hi friends! 

I am so excited to share this interview with Lisa Shearin, the author of The SPI Files, the Raine Benares series, and the Aurora Donati series. Her latest book, The Gorgon Agenda, comes out tomorrow! Don't forget to check it out - there's still time to pre-order. 

Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Lisa!


About the Book
A planet-killing weapon, sinister sisters, and immortal monsters.  
All in a day’s work for the agents of SPI.

I’m Makenna Fraser, seer for SPI (Supernatural Protection & Investigations). I knew SPI protected some of the world’s most dangerous relics, but I didn’t know our draconic founder, Vivienne Sagadraco, kept them in a vault deep below Manhattan.   

Until the most lethal relic of all was stolen.

The Aegis is the shield once wielded by Athena, the goddess of wisdom and war. The center of the Aegis contains the head of Medusa, making it the ultimate weapon. All who look on it or its reflection are instantly turned to stone.    
Old enemies and new adversaries have descended on New York—and one of them now has the Aegis:
Tiamat—Babylonian goddess of chaos, and Vivienne Sagadraco’s sister
Stheno and Euryale—Eight-foot-tall, snake-haired gorgons, granddaughters of the Titans, and Medusa’s sisters
The Sisterhood of Medusa—An ancient gorgon military order
The Cabal—A supernatural terrorist organization

Those behind the theft have declared war on humanity, with a hatred that was millennia in the making, and a heist that was centuries in the planning.     

Our mission is simple yet impossible: Retrieve the Aegis and save the world. But we can’t do it alone. We’ll need our friends, family, and some unexpected new allies if we’re to stop this ancient evil once and for all.    

 Q&A with the Author
Two of my favorite parts of your books are the well-developed ensemble cast of characters and the intricate worldbuilding. When you’re writing, how do you keep all the small details straight?
(laughs) It’s not easy. I find it extremely helpful to reread a series before writing a new book and take copious notes. It helps me remember the details, plus jogs my memory on elements for the next book or even future books. Overall, I pretty much remember the big stuff, but my copy editor Martha Trachtenberg is invaluable for the tiny details. I don’t know what I’d do without her.  
 
Reading has always been a big part of my life. My mom was the one who developed my love of books, and she was actually the one who recommended your books to me. How did your love of books develop, and when did you decide you wanted to be a writer?  
I’ve always loved to read. I actually remember the first book I read by myself: Danny and the Dinosaur. https://amzn.to/3iNLgXC
As to writing, I’ve always had a seriously active imagination with stories and characters in my head. I was a freshman in college when I decided I wanted to write books for a living. Of course, I knew I’d need a full-time job to support myself. I worked in corporate marketing and advertising until I was able to write full time.
 
How did switching to self-publishing change your writing process?
I have so much more control over the entire process. Actually, I have TOTAL control over the entire process. And being a self-admitted control freak, I love it. I decide what I want to write (and what my fans would like to read). It doesn’t need to be approved by a publisher’s editorial board. I determine a book’s schedule, the cover art, choose my artists, my editors, everything. It’s perfect for me.  
 
The tea set from Adagio Teas designed in honor of the book is nice and fruity. I’m a fan of the decaffeinated version, and I absolutely love the artwork for the label. If you had a tea flavor designed after your life, what flavors would be included (i.e. vanilla, lavender, orange, etc.)?
I don’t know about a flavor designed after my life, but my all-time favorite teas are genmaicha (green tea with toasted brown rice), jasmine green (green tea with jasmine petals), and Scottish breakfast tea. 

You can get your own stash of The Gorgon Agenda tea (decaf and regular options available) from Adagio Teas here
 
What do you hope readers will take away from your books?
Fun and escapism. The highest compliment I can get from a reader is that they reread my books and that my books are “comfort reading.”     
 
If readers enjoy The Gorgon Agenda, what other books would you recommend they read? The other seven books in the SPI Files series, of course. ; ) I think they’d also enjoy my Aurora Donati thriller series. The first book was The Entity Game https://amzn.to/3GOh2eV I’ve just started working on the second in that series: The Embassy Reprisal which I hope to have out by the end of this year.  
 
Aside from writing, what is one thing you do for fun?
I’m a complete, total, and utter crochet addict. It’s how I relax in the evenings. Crocheting and reruns of The Big Bang Theory. I learned to crochet during lockdown from YouTube videos, and have worked my way up to intermediate and advanced patterns. I can now make sweaters I’m not embarrassed to be seen wearing in public. ; )   
 
What books are on your to-be-read list right now?
I have a ton of books on my TBR list, but the short stack in front of me right now are Mastermind and The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne, Chrysalis by Lincoln Child, and Diablo Mesa by Preston & Child.
 
What projects are you working on next?
As I said above, I’ve started working on (doing the research for) the next book in my paranormal political thriller series (Aurora Donati). The working title is The Embassy Reprisal. After that, the plan is to write a new Raine Benares novel, followed by the 9th SPI Files book. It’s a three-year rotation.   

About the Author

Lisa is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Raine Benares novels and The SPI Files.

Lisa is a voracious collector of fountain pens, teapots & teacups both vintage and modern. She lives on a small farm in North Carolina with her husband, four spoiled-rotten retired racing greyhounds, and enough deer and woodland creatures to fill a Disney movie.

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