Micki Janae has always loved books, spending her early days in her home of Birmingham, Alabama curled up the the local public library, with book after book, immersed in the magic of reading. After being accepted at the Alabama School of Fine Arts, she realized that she didn’t just want to read books; she dreamed of writing them. Now, with her debut novel, OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING (Three Rooms Press, October 8, 2024), Micki has turned her dream into reality. Now a 20-year-old student at University of Alabama Birmingham, she is definitely ready. We recently spoke with Micki about how she got here, and what her new book is all about.

Three Rooms Press: How does it feel to be publishing your first book at just 20 years old?
Micki Janae: It’s all been a very surreal experience for me. I think, inside, I’m still that little kid who fell in love with reading, so I’m still wrapping my head around the reality of my own book. I couldn’t be more grateful for the experience and opportunity to share my stories with the world.

3RP: When did you first get interested in writing a novel?
MJ: So, I’ve always loved books and writing. Libraries, especially the Homewood library,  were my favorite places to be as a kid. However,  it wasn’t until I started at the Alabama School of Fine Arts that I really started honing in on what I wanted my identity as a writer to be. I’ve always loved books and telling stories, and being surrounded by writers, workshops, and art cemented that passion for me pretty early.

Micki Janae

3RP: Were there any stories that inspired OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING?
MJ: Absolutely! When I think of this book and the influences I’d surrounded myself with during its early days, there’s a lot of fantasy—Tracy Deon’s Legendborn, especially  and of course, Percy Jackson. I’m a fan of comic books and manga, lots of anime—like HunterxHunter and Jujutsu Kaisen— so, OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING is filled with a ton of combat, lots of battle magic. It’s definitely an adventure.

3RP: How would you describe the main character, Ophelia Johnson? 
MJ: Ophelia’s  been through a lot and inherits a pretty heavy title overnight. It’s a story where she has to dig into some very old secrets to really bridge the gap between who she is now and who she needs to become. Ultimately, she’s a deeply stubborn person. Absolutely not the hero type, her resistance to the title is what makes her the best character to drive this story.

3RP: What was your favorite part of writing this book?
MJ: Definitely worldbuilding. I’ve always loved Greek mythology, so it was a very interesting experience to take these old stories and refashion them into something new. It started with the idea of these ancient, powerful deities being stuck in the bodies of teenagers, which presented a ton of questions about how these polar opposites would adapt to each other. Would they get along? Would they understand each other? And that ultimately evolved into the kids themselves being burdened with all this power and responsibility. I think my favorite part has been finding new expressions of these ancient gods and their powers.

3RP: What was the most challenging part of writing this book?
MJ: I’d say Ophelia herself. She’s a very strong person, a very powerful character, but I also wanted to make sure I found the balance between all this power she has and all the grief she’s endured throughout her short life. She’s a teenager. It’s important to me that she acts like one: making mistakes, saying the wrong thing, lacking foresight. I also, ultimately, wanted to present a character that Black girls everywhere can see themselves in.  Adolescence in general can be such a chaotic time. People go through things as teenagers that affect them for the rest of their lives. I wanted to really honor the experience of being an angry Black girl while also communicating to Black girls everywhere that their anger isn’t something that should be hidden or swallowed. It deserves to be seen.

3RP: Who are some of your mentors that helped you turn an idea into a published novel?
MJ: As a writer, it all goes back to the Alabama School of Fine Arts for me. I truly believe that five years in the Creative Writing department gave me both the tools and inspiration to succeed as a writer. And of course, working with my editor, the wonderful Grace Cazzaniga, really pulled this story out of the rough and into what it’s become today. I’m eternally grateful to my publishers, Peter and Kat, for championing this story with me. And to my mother and father as well, for giving me this beautiful gift. Of Blood and Lightning wouldn’t be half of what it is without all these wonderful people.

3RP: What’s next for Ophelia and friends?
MJ: OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING is the first installation in the Godender Saga, the epic story of a holy war between ancient gods.  There are lots of challenges ahead, lots of lessons to be learned and plenty more battles to be fought. The adventure absolutely continues. They have a lot of work to do.

3RP: Are you going to be doing any readings in the Birmingham Area?
MJ: Of course. I’ll be sharing OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING at the Homewood Library on October 13th, and the Birmingham Library on November 2nd at their Local Authors Expo. Lots of books and lots of adventure to come.

Order OF BLOOD AND LIGHTNING directly from Three Rooms Press, or wherever fine books are sold, including: