L.A. Goff - Dystopic Sci-Fi Thriller With a Texas-Sized Scope

L.A. Goff got her start as a journalist, writing a monthly magazine and weekly newspaper column. She has been interviewed by the Today Show, Prevention Magazine, Huffpost and appeared on the cover of Women's World magazine. Currently, she enjoys writing murder mysteries with her husband for their local equity theatre and teasing the crowd with clues along the way. She published a nonfiction book in 2013 with Siloam Publishing. Freezing Reign is Goff's debut novel. As our Author of the Day, she tells us all about her book, Freezing Reign.

Please give us a short introduction to what Freezing Reign is about:

With humanity on the brink of extinction, one teenage girl could save the species or spark a world war.

Mirari Vega feels death’s chilly breath. A global pathogen has killed every woman in her life and she'll be next. So when her father gives the eighteen-year-old an alternative, she must make an impossible decision—die with a raging fever or climb into the frigid embrace of an experimental cryogenic chamber.

She calls it a suicide machine. Her father calls it a chance for her to live again. Neither can imagine the horrors waiting for Mirari when she opens her eyes 12 years later.

The world is a violent place without women. Beautiful robots give men companionship but can't give them children. Mirari's fertility is the ultimate natural resource—a prize every kingdom wants to own. But to crown her queen, they’ll have to catch her first.

Bringing science fiction to a dystopian Texas, Freezing Reign is the first book in the pulse-pounding Reign series by L.A. Goff.

What inspired you to write this story? Was there anything in particular that made you want to tackle this?

This book was inspired by a conversation at my high school cafeteria table. Over a nutritious meal of cheese puffs and diet soda, we talked about "being the only woman left on the planet." My friends and I got it wrong. We focused on how many guys would want us. All of that attention would be fun, right? By the time the bell rang, we understood how terrifying it would be. The last woman would be hunted as Earth's most valuable resource. Men would fight wars to own her and she'd have no control over her own body.

This is the first of the Reign series. How do the other books in the series tie in with this one?

Freezing Reign in the first book in the Reign series. "Acid Reign" and "Fire & Reign" are coming soon.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I am an early morning writer—like 5 o'clock in the morning early! After lunch, my creativity is begging for a nap.

You used to work as a journalist. How has this influenced your writing?

As a magazine writer, I was taught to "never bury the headline." A successful article gets to the point in the first sentence and I'm still a fan of a quick pace. But if I take this too far, my characters will be strangers...all speed and no depth. For Freezing Reign, I leaned on my copy editors for their guidance. And more than once, I changed a specific scene so readers could understand what my characters were feeling.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I can make a tasty chicken salad. My secret is a bit of dill pickle relish.

Tell us more about Mirari Vega. What makes her tick?

When the story begins, every woman in Mirari's life is dead from a global pathogen. She's in the "acceptance" phase of grieving with a "what do I have to lose?" spirit. That's the only reason she agrees to climb into her father's cryogenic chamber. Mirari isn't suicidal but she doesn't fear death. In a way, it gives her a strange brand of courage.

Did you plot out your entire book before you start writing, or did some of it just "happen" along the way?

I summarized each chapter before I began writing, making me more of a plotter than a pantser. With that being said, the seat of my pants will have a few grass stains by the final chapter. The story I published in 2023 took some turns I didn't outline in 2019.

Readers say the book had them at the edge of their seats. How did you pull this off?

Like most readers, I have my favorite authors. There's nothing wrong with that. But as a writer, it can be a disability if you only pick up books in your genre. Romance authors should read Lee Child. Cozy mystery authors should read Rebecca Yarros. I am a Stephen King fanatic. He is a master at keeping readers on the edge of their seats and I learn something new about the craft every time I read one of his books.

When starting on a new book, what is the first thing you do?

I build new stories like I'm constructing a roller coaster. I identify the moments when I want to ratchet up the tension, plunge the readers into the depths, turn them upside down, and then drop them again. Writing the book is all about connecting those moments with a quality track. Readers need to feel safe while dangling on the edge of their seats. They need to trust the engineer.

What are you working on right now?

I am currently writing the next book "Acid Reign" — the 2nd book in the series. And I appreciate the fans of "Freezing Reign" who drive me crazy asking "When is it coming out?" Keep nagging me!