Ayana Gray’s debut fantasy novel, Beasts of Prey, captured the attention of young-adult readers around the world when it was published last year. It’s since been translated into 10 languages, and it’s even being adapted for a feature film with Netflix. The story follows two Black teenagers as they venture into a magical jungle to hunt down a vicious monster. It’s the first in a trilogy, and her second book, Beasts of Ruin, is out this week. Before becoming a professional writer, Gray worked in higher education, fundraising for the University of Florida and the University of Arkansas. On this episode, Gray shares how her first life as a researcher helped her build the magical world of her series and how she learned to let go and trust her collaborators when the time came to put her pencil down. Plus, she tells the unbelievable story of how she found a whopping 43 agents for her very first book.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Who What Wear Weddings
Morgan DeBaun: Blavity CEO and Founder
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Candice Swanepoel: From Supermodel to Founder of Tropic of C
Sheena Zadeh-Daly: Founder of Kosas Cosmetics
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Gabrielle Union on Sharing Knowledge and Gaining the World
Vivian Tu: Founder and CEO of Your Rich BFF Media
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Who What Wear Travels: The Aeolian Islands
Courtney Storer: Chef and The Bear Culinary Producer
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Liat Baruch Talks Styling Tips, Working With Sofia Richie, and the Investment Pieces That Are Actually Worth It
Emira D'Spain: Content Creator and Model
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Charlotte Palermino on Creating Dieux Skin and How to Layer Products Like a Pro
Pam Weekes and Connie McDonald: Levain Bakery Co-Founders
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Halle Bailey on Starring in The Little Mermaid
Aubrey Gordon: New York Times Best-Selling Author, Activist, and Co-Host of Maintenance Phase
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Red Carpet Recap: The It Celebs, Trends, and Designers Everyone Is Talking About
Heather Vandenberghe: Flexpower Co-Founder and CEO
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: The Jonas Brothers on Teen Stardom, New Music, and Fatherhood
Zarna Garg: Stand-Up Comedian and Screenwriter
Who What Wear with Hillary Kerr: Summer Wedding Dressing Decoded—What to Wear Where
Jessamyn Stanley: Yoga Instructor, Author, and Co-Founder of The Underbelly
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Reaching your Goals
Insights@work
The Wall Street Skinny
With Great Power
The Ken Coleman Show