Q&A: Rachel Howzell Hall, Author of ‘The Cruel Dawn’

We chat with author Rachel Howzell Hall about The Cruel Dawn, which is the explosive second book in the Vallendor series—a sweeping romantasy where gods bleed, realms fall, and one woman stands between salvation and ruin.

Hi Rachel! Can you tell our readers a bit about yourself?

I’m Rachel Howzell Hall, the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of 16 novels, including the Fog and Fury, The Cruel Dawn and The Last One, which was a Good Morning America book club selection. I am a two-time finalist of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

When did you first discover your love for writing and stories?

I first fell in love with writing as a child. I was a devotee of those classic book club fairs and would write on every single thing, including church bulletins and any kind of paper I could get my hands on. I love stories because they helped me disappear into worlds that had a sense of order and an ending, which explained some of the things that scared me. I read The Diary of Anne Frank in third grade, and after that, I started keeping my own diaries and paying attention to the world around me. I haven’t stopped since.

Quick lightning round! Tell us:

• The first book you ever remember reading: Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary, and I bought that at probably my first Scholastic Book Fair. I still have that copy today.
• The one that made you want to become an author: Realistically: Terry McMillan’s Waiting to Exhale–she showed that you could write contemporary stories about contemporary Black women.
• The one that you can’t stop thinking about: It by Stephen King, because I’m still scared of clowns, and I’m still scared of sewers, and every time I see either, which, shockingly, is too many times, I think about Pennywise hiding in the sewers, his eyes like dimes.

The Cruel Dawn is the second installment in your Vallendor series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

 Revealing, heartbreaking, hopeful, revelatory and kick ass.

For those who haven’t picked up The Last One, what can they expect?

You can expect a story about a woman who doesn’t remember who she is or how she got to a strange forest outside an even stranger town. Yet, she must save the town and the people who hate her, as well as the entire realm of Vallendor. Along the way, she meets a hot blacksmith who may or may not help her. It’s a novel of self-discovery and what it means for one woman to be told she is one thing, while knowing she is something—or someone—way more powerful than she can remember.

And for those who have, what’s to come?

In The Cruel Dawn, Kai will start remembering who she is, why she’s on Vallendor and what led her to have amnesia. She will find herself in a love triangle, which was a major issue in the last one. Because how do you fall in love when you have no idea who you are? What if she was in love with someone else before she met Jadon, before she forgot her identity? That’s a new wrinkle.

Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?

I really liked exploring the reluctant sisterhood between Elyn and Kai, and what happened to their relationship when one woman took the wrong road and the other woman had to watch her friend flail and fail. I also liked her interaction between Kai and the mysterious god, Malik Sindire. He is constantly pumping her up–but to what end?

Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?

I knew I had to answer all the questions I left open in the last book, and not just answer them, but have it be an organic, satisfying answer to why she was the way she was. Some readers were confused or frustrated with how Kai dealt with her failures. So, I just wrote draft after draft and dug deep into who these characters are–into the very foundation of what makes them think and act the way they do. I tapped into my own life to look closer at how I react to failure, and how I react to comments from people who assume they know me but have no idea who I am or what I’ve seen and lived through.

What’s next for you?

More writing, both thrillers and mysteries and contemporary fantasy, specifically, a story about another woman in search of who she is.

Lastly, what books have you enjoyed reading this year? Are there any you’re looking forward to picking up?

Right now, I am reading nonfiction. One book is about the space shuttle Challenger. I recently finished reading a preview of Lisa Unger’s next book, Served Him Right. It was so fun.

I’m looking forward to going back into my Kindle library and maybe try to read some of the 8000 books that I’ve downloaded but have yet to read, including If You Tell by Greg Olson, a true story about family secrets, and I want to read Project Hail Mary before it comes out in theaters.

Will you be picking up The Cruel Dawn? Tell us in the comments below!