Russell J. Fellows

This interview first appeared on my Substack newsletter on December 15, 2023

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I am excited to bring to you another interview with an amazing author. If you missed the last one, you can read my interview with Angelique Burrell here.

James Riley is one of my (and my kids’) favorite authors. Just look at these amazing book covers:

The Once Upon Another Time Series

The Half Upon A Time Series

The Story Thieves Series

The Revenge of Magic Series

James masterfully blends magic, adventure, humor, and humanity in each of his series. His characters are relatable and endearing. The adventures are thrilling and gripping (and sometimes, they are the kind that you’re happy to read about and not live through).

This is the second time James has graciously agreed to an interview with me. Now, enough chatter from me – here’s the interview:

Let’s begin by putting you on the spot (cue evil laughter) – favorite series you’ve written and why? Do you think your readers would agree?

Oh, I usually answer this question by saying I like all the books I’ve written for different reasons, but since they’re not technically alive and therefore hopefully won’t get offended, I’d say my TWO favorite series are STORY THIEVES (for getting to be as metafictional as I wanted to be) and ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME, for getting another shot at fairy tales in a sequel series to my very first series, HALF UPON A TIME. The latter was especially fun, going back to that world 12 years later, and seeing what happened to everyone, like going to a high school reunion that isn’t horrible. 

As the author of several hit series, do you ever feel pressured to produce the “next big thing?” How do you balance the love of writing (and the amazing worlds you create) with the demands that come from the same writing?

You’re very kind to call them hit series! In all honesty, I’ve had some great luck with some series, and less for others, so at the moment, there’s very little pressure on me at all, good or bad. But no matter what’s been happening with my books, I’ve always gravitated toward big ideas done in a way that tends to appeal to a smaller group of readers, for whatever reason. And that tends to be the kind of books I enjoy too, so maybe that’s just me writing stuff that I’d hopefully enjoy myself!

When I last interviewed you, you briefly mentioned ideas you had for delving into writing YA. Is that still something you are pursuing/will pursue?

It’s always a possibility, though right now, I’m thinking of trying a series for adults, alongside my next middle grade series. We’ll see how it goes!

Because of the COVID lockdown, you had making videos of you reading your books. Is that something you really enjoyed, and will you do so again?

Oh I didn’t enjoy that at ALL, I’m never comfortable on video. I’d much rather just let people enjoy my books with as little input from me as possible, though I do have amazing fans who always have the best questions and comments. So probably not, honestly … that was mostly just for teachers to use if they were struggling with virtual learning. 

Since the return of in-person author events, what was the one event that you had the most fun doing and why? Do you enjoy the in-person events, or the virtual events, better?

My favorite events are always school visits, both because I can introduce my books to kids who probably haven’t heard of them, but also it’s just fun to talk to anyone who has read the books, and enjoyed them. There are also so many more kids who want to write then when I was growing up (either that, or kids in my grade just kept it to themselves), so that’s amazing, and answering their questions is one of my favorite parts. 

Bonus question: Peanut Butter’s true best friend – Jelly (if so, what flavor), Chocolate, or something else that we mere mortals have yet to discover?

Chocolate, always. I’ve loved Reese’s peanut butter cups since I was a kid, so they’ve got my loyalty!

Visit James’s site: https://jamesrileyauthor.com/

Update to the Interview – Since this interview is well over a year old, James has a new book that you need to get your hands on as soon as you can! Coming April 1, 2025!