Interview with Dani H. Trujillo, author of Lizards Hold the Sun
Interview with Dani H. Trujillo, author of Lizards Hold the Sun
& contributor to Never Whistle at Night
Era muy tonto cuando yo te conocí
Quería comerme el mundo y eso te incluía a ti
Era salvaje, pero me quedé en el viaje
Quiero que tú sepas todo, todo, lo que no puedo decir
Pero tú, pesadilla de locos, solitarios como yo
Quiero hacerte respirar
Y yo, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, oh-oh-oh
Sólo quiero verte regresar
Fuera de Lugar, by Little Jesus feat Girl Ultra1
Dani and I became mutuals on bookstagram via Paz and her book club, Hay Libros en la Casa. By the time we discussed her book, Lizards Hold the Sun, I was already such an admirer and had followed her journey to becoming an independent author closely. I took a chance and asked if she’d write the final discussion for Rose Quartz last month. She was very sweet to agree to that as well as this interview.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
I'm Dani! I am a Xicana and Pueblo writer. I primarily write romance and horror but I'm especially drawn to speculative fiction and I hope to explore that genre more in the future. I am a total introvert and I love staying in or doing activities in the great outdoors. I grew up in Vegas but I live outside of Baltimore city now, so its been a huge change in scenery for me. As a huge mountain lover, I miss them deeply.
What inspired you to become a writer, and how did your journey as an author begin?
I've always enjoyed writing and telling stories. As a kid, I wrote tons of little short stories and novellas, and even tried my hand at songs (though I'm not very musically inclined). As a tween, I dreamed of writing a dystopian fantasy novel much like Hunger Games and later standouts like Divergent and Maze Runner. That was quickly abandoned as my academic career continued. In college, I wrote tons of academic papers and while I wasn't honing my creative skills, I think it taught me a lot about structure and compelling arguments. Don't worry, I am still absolute shit at grammar and punctuation. Editors are my lifeline. I randomly had the urge to start writing again during COVID and one of my first stories would turn out to be “Snakes Are Born in the Dark”, which is now published in Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology. After writing “Snakes”, the spark had officially caught fire again and I immediately began writing Lizards Hold the Sun. A few months before Lizards’ publication, I was notified of my story being accepted into Never Whistle at Night. This reinvigorated me and made me feel as though writing was the correct path for me. I decided then to take it seriously and keep going. And I've never been happier and more excited for my future in writing!
Can you tell us about your book, Lizards Hold the Sun?
Lizards Hold the Sun is my debut romance novel. Centered around Xiomara and Calehan, the book follows their workplace romance during an archaeological excavation within an extremely remote and small rural First Nations community. There are themes of grief, family, love and respect. It is truly the book of my heart and soul and I'm so happy that it is being loved by other readers around the world.
Are there specific cultural or personal influences that shaped the narrative in Lizards Hold the Sun?
There are tons! Xiomara has a background in Southwestern Archaeology, which was also my area of specialty. Like me, she is also an Indigenous Mexican. I wanted to be able to draw directly from my own personal experiences with archaeology as a Latina NDN and cultivating that Indigenous lens of excavation and curation through Xiomara's POV. All of the chapter drawings are referenced from SW archaeological materials or Northern Cree materials. This was a total arch nerd touch for me but it's one of my absolute favorite aspects of Lizards. The standalone sequel, When Stars Have Teeth, will not feature archaeological drawings but something else that is equally as cool and ancient.
Can you describe your writing process and how it may have evolved over the course of your career?
My career has been super short so far and I think my process has changed so much already! Both “Snakes” and Lizards were very experimental in the writing process. I had no idea what I was doing or where I was going and the only structure I gave myself were soft deadlines. In the middle of writing Lizards, my husband had a surprise deployment. I finished my zero draft around the time he left and used the next five months for intense editing. I think if he had been home, the process would've gone a lot slower and the May pub deadline might've been a dream. But because he was gone I threw myself into writing (at the time I was working 2 jobs) and spent hours and hours on Lizards. Now that I am on book 2, he has been home for the entire process; drafting, editing, publishing. It is definitely a bit of a distraction so I've had to set harder deadlines for myself. Luckily we do not have kids and I work completely remote and asynchronous now, so I can manage my days with plenty of time for writing and editing. My goals for the future are to get faster with zero drafting. I tend to underwrite and develop during edits, but I get stalled finishing up that first zero draft. I think getting quicker at that will help my process overall. I guess we will see! :)
Can you share some of the challenges you faced in your writing career so far? What moments or achievements in your writing journey are particularly memorable or significant to you?
One of my initial challenges was funding; because I am self published, everything has been paid out of my pocket. This has been pretty daunting because things can add up quickly; ISBNs, website hosting, editors, cover designer, formatting software, photoshop, etc. But so far I have made almost half of my investment back and Lizards has only been out for six months. I consider that to be an achievement and I am super proud. My goal has always been to make a full return within 3 years and so far...I'm feeling on track!
Another challenge with Lizards was finding editors. I used an indie company and they provided tons of good feedback, but being they were not Native or Latine, there were a lot of unnecessary or inaccurate editing comments. I wish they had asked me or spoke with me on the phone to ask clarifying questions because things definitely got lost with their focus pulled to cultural things they didn't understand. With the second edit, I could see the editor's frustration grow throughout my draft, her comments became shorter and more pointed and she fixated on random small things; like the length of a character's hair. I was really disappointed. I felt like a white author wouldn't have been treated the same way. I think if I had been white, they would've called and asked me questions instead of just being angry that Google didn't tell them enough. Because of this, I do think Lizards lacked in the editing department. This time around I am working with Alexis Richoux, an editor and writer of Cherokee heritage. I am feeling significantly more confident with the editing on When Stars Have Teeth. I'm excited to see what the readers think come February.
Something else that has been really exciting is seeing my books in libraries! I love when people post photos of their library copy of Lizards. It makes me so happy to know that not only does that reader get to enjoy the book, they've brought it into their community as well. I hope to get Lizards into some more libraries, via donation, in the coming years.
I also felt really honored to see my book in THREE different book clubs this year. I was invited to participate in the online discussion with Hay Libros en La Casa and had the most amazing time. It was incredible connecting with friends who I've known in the booksta world for years and with new readers. I also saw an in-person club in Davis, CA, feature Lizards, along with Tuma's Books on Instagram! It blows my mind that enough people know about my book to read it with a club!!! I just can't believe it. Truly one of the most exciting achievements.2
Can you tell us about your involvement in the Indigenous anthology Never Whistle at Night? How did that opportunity come about and what inspired you to contribute?
The editors, Shane and Ted, posted an open call in fall of 2021. I decided to submit on a whim and wrote “Snakes Are Born in the Dark” specifically for the open call. I absolutely love horror and had plans to write something in the genre, so the open call was perfect. It wasn't until almost the following fall that they acquired my story. I was halfway through writing Lizards when I was accepted into the anthology and it was definitely a welcome surprise. I feel really honored to be included alongside so many incredible authors. I had no expectations when submitting and figured they passed on my story, so when I got the acceptance it was a true shock and surprise. Our stories were edited with a team from Penguin, which was both terrifying and amazing. Their feedback and comments were valuable and thought provoking, but they also said things like "ew!" and "gross!" which made me smile. The experience of working with traditional publishing editors was not something I could've achieved otherwise so I am very lucky and happy to be in Never Whistle at Night and have access to these opportunities.
“Snakes” is the story of my dreams. Working in Southwestern archaeology, I have seen almost everything terrible you can think of. I could think of a million more ways to punish people who desecrate so it's a good thing Peter has magic and not me.
Did the theme or concept of the anthology resonate with you and your own writing?
Yes!!!! They were looking for stories of social issues addressed through a dark fiction lens; horror, true crime, speculative fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi. If you can't already tell, I enjoy vengeance and thought I could write exactly what they were looking for. Land and artifact desecration is a tremendous issue in the Four Corner region, and I have personally witnessed people steal artifacts or deface monuments and/or petroglyphs. I'm angry about a lot of issues in the world, but this happens to be a particular pain point for me. No matter what I say, scream, cry, or shout, people do not care. With writing this story, I felt like I could send a message while also giving myself some fun catharsis. In a fantasy world, I would totally curse desecrators and looters with boils and live snake births.
What advice would you give to other Indigenous writers who are considering contributing to anthologies in the future?
Manage your expectations. Traditional publishing is so so so incredibly SLOW. They are even slower with BIPOC authors. Don't expect anything outside of your payment. Be on top of that payment. But let everything else go. The publishing house has complete control and will change anything they want at the last minute. Don't get attached to a cover or fonts. Do not expect Indigenous cover designers or art. Go in with a submit & forget mindset, and let everything be a happy surprise instead of a late disappointment.
Are there any upcoming projects or works in progress that you can share with your readers?
When Stars Have Teeth is my second contemporary romance novel in the Yellowbird siblings world. Out February 13th, 2024, it's a perfect Valentine's Day gift or read! We follow Calehan's younger sister, Buffy, to San Francisco, where she meets the suave lawyer Santiago, who turns her world upside down. We are in the final phases of editing so hopefully ARCs will be out in January! It's a bit spicier than Lizards and there is no third-act breakup! Stars is perfect for romance readers who love a black cat woman + golden retriever man.
I am also in the drafting process for an archaeology adventure romance. Think The Mummy set in modern times with Latine and NDN characters. Oh, and no desecration of course. I'm hoping to turn this into an interconnected stand-alone series as well. Bones and Carmen are two spunky Latines who grew up on opposite sides of the world. Bones is tall, buff, British and Mexican. Do I have to say anything more? Expected pub will be 2025.
Is there anything I forgot to ask you?
Haha, I don't think so! What are YOU working on next? When are we getting another tropical spice novella? What is queerthology reading in 2024? We need a writing retreat, I think :D
Oh! Umm. *sputters* Listen, I am asking the questions here! Just kidding. There is something in the works as far as another novella, as well as a Queerthology wrap up and preview. So stay tuned!
Dani, if you’re wondering why this song: this is what I imagined playing in Calehan’s mind when he first met Xiomara.
Pssst. Only Lovers Book Club will be reading one of your books in 2024 👀
I love this! Thank you for putting this together. It’s always so cool to learn from authors, their experiences, and advice. Can’t wait to read this one!
Loved this interview!