Interview With ‘Lead Me Astray’ Author Sondi Warner

To Celebrate Black History Month, we will be celebrating Black authors here at Books of Brilliance. And we got the amazing oppurtunity to interview Sondi Warner, the author of the popular LGBTQIA+ paranormal romance Lead Me Astray. You can see the full interview below!

What was the inspiration behind Lead Me Astray?

Warner: Lead Me Astray was born of my desperate need for respite from writing mainstream contemporary romance. As a ghostwriter, I had spent years crafting books that followed specific and often generic criteria. 

Serendipitously, my career as a ghostwriter was stalled by the loss of a major client who unexpectedly pulled out of publishing. I say serendipitously because it was at that point that my daughter urged me to continue writing for fun, without worrying about appealing to the masses. I could finally write the book that appealed to me. 

I had a checklist of rules I wanted to break. Instead of a sassy Black sidekick—the likes of which I love, by the way, but—I wanted an educated Black woman from a privileged background to lead the ensemble. I wanted to push boundaries with a polyamorous relationship involving someone who was nonbinary. I also wanted all of my characters to come from different backgrounds because, in my multicultural family, diversity is the norm.  

In Lead Me Astray, death is only the beginning of a thrilling adventure. Aurie Edison, a ghost with a mission, plunges into the hidden world of Overlay City, where reality is a matter of perspective. She teams up with Mys, a psychic Empath who can feel her emotions, and Zyr, a werewolf detective who can protect her from danger. Together, they hunt down Aurie’s killer and uncover a sinister plot by wealthy vampire Darcy Cyprian, who has his own reasons for wanting to hold onto ghosts from the past. As Aurie, Mys, and Zyr unravel the secrets of Overlay City, they also discover a passion that transcends the grave. But can the trio heal from their wounds and find happiness in this afterlife? Or will Darcy’s wicked schemes ruin their chances at eternity?

Lead Me Astray is available in stores now. Plus, dive into the rest of the Overlay City Series exclusively on Wattpad–unlock Into the Wild Dark today!

What types of books do you read for fun and inspiration?

Warner: I take great pride in my discerning tastes across a wide range of subjects, with one notable exception: my reading habits. When it comes to books, I embrace a diverse literary diet that defies conventional ideas about popularity or critical acclaim. Every story I can get my hands on is food for thought. 

A snapshot of the pile heaped by the bedside at the moment includes The Wisdom of the Shamans by Don Jose Ruiz, The Black Arts by Richard Cavendish, The Outsider by Stephen King, and The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer. 

Reading broadly has greatly enhanced my creativity. Discovering hidden gems and diverse perspectives from various authors inspires a deeper understanding of the intricacies of life, and, as a happy result of cramming so many different stories into my head, I never run out of writing ideas. 

What do you think of representation for queer Black people in books and what the future looks like?

Warner: I love that these days I see books that feature queer Black characters in almost every bookstore I visit. These stories celebrate the voices and experiences of those who often feel marginalized and inspire readers to find self-love and resilience, as well as to embrace differences. 

Still, I understand that having queer Black people in books is only the first step. We also have to make society more fair and supportive. We have to give the writers who tell these stories a chance to succeed. 

Sometimes people ask me how they can help change the landscape. Our great big complex book publishing ecosystem includes support industries like blogs, podcasts, and reviewer lists, that influence book promotion and shape the range of books showcased to readers. 

That is why I’m happy to support diverse voices like Books of Brilliance and to encourage people from all backgrounds to participate in the conversation about books. By doing this, we can help to create a more inclusive and vibrant literary landscape.

The future is whatever we make of it. 

What characters did you gravitate towards growing up either in books, TV shows, or movies?

Well, I have been “growing up” for quite a while! So, this is telling my age. I would say I gravitated toward: 

The detrimentally curious Clarice Starling from Silence of the Lambs. 

The exalted and fallible Neo from the Matrix franchise. 

The stoic, perseverent, and tragic Maximus Decimus Meridius from Gladiator.  

I was a serious, intense child and probably a pompous and over-the-top teenager. I liked complex characters who were trapped by tough situations and crushed by unrealistic demands. That likely reveals something about my childhood, but let’s not interrogate it too much. What can I say? It was the ‘90s.

These days, I’m fascinated by characters who embody unvarnished authenticity. It feels refreshingly real when a writer combines actions, emotions, and dialogues to mirror the less-than-perfect nuances of human nature. Contemporary authors and writers’ rooms are doing a superb job of that.

Do you prefer vampires or werewolves and why?

Warner: I have an affinity for werewolves. To me, they embody the inherent conflict of being civilized animals. The full moon awakens instincts that our modern society struggles to grasp yet still acknowledges. The werewolf discards restraint, unleashes the untamed beast within, and serves as a potent symbol of a deep-seated longing for freedom, an urge to reconnect with the wildness that humans have long suppressed. 

As the werewolf surrenders to its instincts, it becomes a conduit for exploring our darkest impulses that lurk beneath a thin veneer of civility. 

However, the werewolf’s duality also serves as a cautionary tale and reminder of the consequences of surrendering entirely to primal urges. Allowing the shadow to take over entirely only leads to destruction and chaos. The challenge is to find balance on the delicate line between embracing our true nature and maintaining self-control, lest we succumb to the sometimes self-destructive forces that lie within. 

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