A.K. Small
Author Interview - A.K. Small
Author of If I Promise You Wings
Alix Leclaire has a plan: graduate high school and land her dream job as a feather artist at Mille et une Plume, where her creations will help define high fashion. Her best friend Jeanne will get a record contract and they’ll take over the Paris art scene together. But — then Jeanne dies.
Alix is lost, until the day she feels Jeanne pushing her to the feather boutique. Soon, Alix is living a life she hardly recognizes—pursuing a passionate affair with an alluring artist, stealing feathers for her own creations, risking everything as Jeanne once did. But then Alix meets Blaise, the dreamy musician who comforts her, centers her, challenges her.
With Alix now torn between two boys and coping with grief, her art takes on a frightening and wild beauty. Living like Jeanne has given her everything she thought she wanted—but she must decide whether to hide in Jeanne’s shadow or soar on her own wings.
Author Interview - A.K. Small
Author I draw inspiration from:
There are a multitude of them but if I had to choose I'd say Maggie O'Farrell, Ann Hood, Kathleen Glascow, Nina Lacour, and V.E. Schwab. I loved HAMNET, GIRL IN PIECES, and THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE.
Author Interview - A.K. Small | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
My deck or my study
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
The father from THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy. Well, the ending would have changed because he would be alive, and I would ask him how his son was, and I would want to make sure he was standing on his feet. I'd offer him shelter, food, and rest. Then I'd ask him what he meant by carrying the fire.
Author Interview - A.K. Small | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
When I was 7 or 8, I wrote my first short story titled Le Monstre dans le Metro, The Monster in the Metro, and as I was drafting it, I knew that something fundamental was happening inside of me. I didn't know then that I wanted to be an author because I wanted to be a dancer first but looking back, it was in that moment that I became a writer.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
Paperback. I love a hard back, kind of like I love a painting. It's a work of art. A paperback I carry in my purse and hold close to my heart. I don't do ebooks. And I only listen to non-fiction audiobooks. I have to see the words if it's fiction.
The last book I read:
THE TOWER by Flora Carr. I was awed by the writing and by the relationship between Mary, Queen of Scotts and her maids. I loved the grit of it, and the way the author highlighted women's power, even when imprisoned.
Author Interview - A.K. Small | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Computer because it's much easier to erase and re-do. Also, it looks like a manuscript.
I'm a morning writer. I sit from 7:30 to 11:30 am every weekday. I'm someone who is inspired first by setting, then by character, last by plot. It takes me several years to figure a book out. The why of it.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
Claudine Henry from BREATHLESS by Jennifer Niven. Claudine is warm and funny and such a deep thinker. Her love for a boy is as devastating and exquisite as mine has been for one too. I feel like we are kindred spirits or that we come from the same cauldron. I feel like we'd instantly nod at each other and say, yes, I get you.
Author Interview - A.K. Small | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
feather artist or a costume designer
Favorite decade in fashion history:
The nineties, flared jeans, cropped tops, chokers! Most nostalgic decade!
Place I’d most like to travel:
I'd love to head to the Seychelles. I'm longing for an incredible beach, for pristine white sand and turquoise waters.
My signature drink:
Both. Though I have been battling long-Covid thus have been sober for over six months. I miss a nice glass of wine.
Favorite artist:
Mary Oliver or Rodin. I'm a huge fan of sculptures and Rodin's work is breathtaking, but Mary Oliver's book DEVOTION is like a bible to me.
Number one on my bucket list:
All I want now is to heal from long-Covid. I hope that someday soon I will have the energy to run again. Or to hike a fantastic trail
Anything else you'd like to add:
Grateful for all my readers and for people who loved IF I PROMISE YOU WINGS!
Find more from the author:
About A.K. Small:
Author Interview - A.K. Small
A.K. Small grew up in Paris near the Sacré Coeur, graduated from the College of William and Mary, and later received an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts.
