Today we’d like to introduce you to Avalon Griffin.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m Avalon Griffin, and I’m an indie author living in Nashville who writes paranormal fantasy romance. My story starts in the 90’s as an avid romance reader (I had a Fabio-themed sixteenth birthday party), but I drifted away from the genre in my 20s for more “sophisticated” literary tastes. However, I came back to it as a reader in my 30s, when I worked in the field of victim services. After hearing horrific accounts of violence against women every day, I wanted to drown myself in stories where women won. I wanted to see characters overcome obstacles, break free from toxic patterns, and become the best versions of themselves. Not because of a relationship, but at the side of a person who loved them, warts and all.
At that point, writing romance didn’t even cross my mind, because it felt too hard. And scary to put myself out there. But I had a spark of a story idea that just wouldn’t leave me alone about a woman who gets transported to another dimension and falls in love with a demon. When I found that a romance writers’ convention in Atlanta was offering a bootcamp for beginning romance writers, I decided to go for it and enroll. I learned so much at that conference about the basics of the genre, reader expectations, and story structure that I was able to overcome my imposter syndrome and start writing.
Yet even though writing my story was something I desperately wanted to do, I struggled to fully commit to it. I made excuses for not writing, like telling myself I didn’t have the time, or giving up when my first drafts weren’t instantly perfect. That’s when I knew I needed to “up the stakes” as we say in the storytelling world and eliminate all my excuses. I needed to make it so I that didn’t have a choice but to write. So, I quit my full-time job to write. I knew it was a risky move, and not one I would recommend, but for me, it was the right choice. I needed to stop waiting for the perfect circumstances to become a writer and just start writing. And it worked! I learned by doing, and I published my first book, Unbound by Shadows, in 2023. Its sequel, To Dwell in Shadows, came out in 2025. The third novel, Awakened by Shadows, will be released this fall.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I had the unfortunate (or maybe fortunate?) luck of trying to sell my book to publishers right before the fantasy romance craze took off. At the time, publishers were only interested in rom-coms or sweet contemporary romance, neither of which I write. I was told by agents that readers would be “disgusted” by a demon love interest and that interest in paranormal romance died after the release of the Twilight books. Knowing that they were wrong and out of touch with what readers were actually looking for, I decided to take the self-published route (also called being an independent or indie author) to find my readers.
Indie authors have control over all aspects of their author career—from the cover art, the book’s length, the editing process, marketing, distribution, and more—plus they get to keep most of the royalties they earn instead of splitting them with an agent and publisher. However, there are several downsides to this path. The main one is that the author has to pay for all expenses (like the book cover art, editing, marketing, etc.) out of their own pocket. It’s also nearly impossible to get your book into a mainstream bookstore like Barnes and Noble with the support of a publisher. The workload is high, since indie authors can’t just write; they have to handle all the admin, marketing, and social media management themselves. But ultimately, I’m glad I took this path. I love the control I have over my work and being able to manage my own author career without any outside oversight.
A recent highlight of being an indie author was collaborating directly with local actor and narrator Aileen Bishop to record audiobook versions of my work. I was able to share exactly how I wanted each character to sound, their vibe, and how certain parts of the story should be performed. Not only did this expand access to my stories to new readers, but it also created an additional stream of income for me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
My first novel and the story that just wouldn’t leave me alone is Unbound by Shadows. In a nutshell, the pitch is: When a wallflower human and a volatile demon both become trapped in a dimension ruled by legendary creatures, they must journey together to find a stone with the power to send only one of them home. It has all my favorite romance tropes like fated mates, forced proximity, he falls first, and fish out of water.
When I started promoting this book, I thought readers would gravitate toward the brooding demon, so I prioritized him in my marketing efforts. But nothing really took off until I posted a video about how the heroine is a 30-year-old human with eldest-daughter syndrome. That’s the one that went viral! It was an important lesson about how readers crave relatability and a reminder that I need to convey the emotions that drive my stories, not just the kissing parts. Unbound by Shadows can be read as a standalone, but if a reader wants to know what happens next, the follow-up novel is To Dwell in Shadows. The third book, Awakened by Shadows, continues the story in the same world but follows the love story of two different characters.
Recently, I worked with a graphic artist to revamp my author brand and website. As part of our work together, she had me write a mission and vision statement for myself. The mission statement I came up with is: I write romance novels for women to escape into, featuring strong but relatable heroines, and the sensitive, otherworldly men who fall for them. My vision is to build worlds where women’s voices and experiences are valued, inspiring readers to live boldly and claim their own power.
As I continue the journey I started after quitting my job, I wish I could go back in time and show my younger self these statements. It hasn’t been an easy road, but I’m so glad I didn’t let fear and self-doubt hold me back from becoming an author. Although I’m not rich and famous, I made a bold move to choose the life I wanted and have no regrets.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
It’s so exciting that romance is finally getting the attention and praise it deserves right now! I remember when none of the independent bookstores in Nashville carried romance, and now most have a dedicated section. We also have a thriving local community of romance readers and romance-only booksellers. Another trend I’m seeing is that readers and booksellers are skipping billionaire-owned storefronts and buying directly from indie authors. Many of us (including me) offer wholesale bulk orders or have an online shop for signed copies, and love adding special touches like bookmarks and stickers. More readers are exploring indie authors because they have out-of-the-box ideas that don’t always fit the mold of traditional publishing.
I think one reason why romance has taken off so well recently is that our world is so turbulent, and readers are looking for an escape. A happily-ever-after (or happy-for-now) is guaranteed in a romance, and although some critics say that makes romance predictable or cliché, I would argue that it takes more skill to keep readers turning the page when they already know how a book will end. In a world that’s increasingly bleak, romance offers a welcome respite with female empowerment at its core. It’s an industry dominated by women writing for a mostly female audience, and continues to grow more diverse and inclusive. Because in romance, love always wins.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.avalongriffin.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/avalon_griffin/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAvalonGriffin/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Avalon-Griffin/author/B0BT24WCBZ
