Alexandra Fleder
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder
Author of Joan of the Arcane: A Novel
A gripping, genre-blending, darkly humorous exploration of suburban life, conspiracy theories, and spiritual awakening in modern-day L.A.
Joan is a middle-aged punk rocker turned housewife who’s seen too many TikToks to trust the official narrative. The moon landing? Faked. Weather? Controlled. Food? Poisoned. Her suspicions ignite when a strange new neighbor—possibly a dead astronaut with ties to secret ops—arrives on her block.
As Joan spirals deeper into the rabbit hole, she begins to question everything: her marriage, her sanity, and her soul’s purpose. Armed with a mystical book and a fading voice that once shook LA punk clubs, she sets out on a spiritual journey through canyon trails, desert portals, and shadow realms to expose the truth—and reclaim her power.
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder
Author I draw inspiration from:
Chelsea Bieker, the author of Madwoman. Like the protagonist in my novel, Clove, the main character, is a woman who is trying to escape her defective upbringing and keep afloat in her current life. She tries resisting getting sucked under by her memories of childhood and her troubled family members, and life’s many responsibilities, but it’s not easy. I like that Clove is a woman who fights against the status quo, and strives to build a stable life outside of her chaotic familial system.
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder | Author I Draw Inspiration From
Favorite place to read a book:
In bed with a hot cup of chamomile and a purring cat curled up at my feet—or at the beach while seagulls screech above me.
Book character I’d like to be stuck in an elevator with:
Holden Caulfield from Catcher in the Rye. I’d like to ask him a few questions:
“Hey Holden, what’s with all the angst?” I’d ask. “It’s time to put down your people-shooting hat. It’s time to embrace the new age—peace, love and faith.” I’d rifle through my purse, looking for a bag of tulsi tea (stress relieving!) to offer him. Then I’d take an obsidian crystal out of my pocket and hand it to him. He’d hold it in his palm, feeling the cool mass of it, letting out an extended sigh as the crystal cleansed all that stale energy out of his system.
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder | Book Character I’d Like to be Stuck in an Elevator With
The moment I knew I wanted to become an author:
I’ve always known it, even when I wasn’t writing. It was just a feeling I had—a belief that one day I would write a novel even though I had no idea how to do it. Sometimes I would hear snippets of a book running through my head, but I never wrote the words down. Finally, I stopped running from it and started writing. I haven't stopped since.
Hardback, paperback, ebook or audiobook:
A hardback is like a rock—earthy, grounding, weighty—something that offers a sense of security, but also a pain to carry around. I like hardbacks for home, but not to travel with. I learned that the hard way when I lugged around a massive hardback through France on my way to a writing retreat. A smart woman travels lightly.
Paperbacks are my favorite. They feel good in your hand. You can flip around them easily if you need to go back. You can highlight passages in pen. And you can read them anywhere.
Ebooks also have their place, though they’re last on my list. I have an old Kindle that I use from time to time. I like that they feed instant gratification—when you need a new book but can’t get to the library or bookstore, you can download one in seconds. But they can be cumbersome to flip around in.
Audiobooks are a favorite in the car. Or when cleaning! Washing dishes isn’t so bad when you’re listening to a compelling audiobook.
The last book I read:
Playworld by Adam Ross. It’s an excellent coming of age novel. The main character is Griffin, a teenage boy who is a child actor. Griffin is intelligent, sensitive, and complex, but his true character is buried by the personality and beliefs the adults in his life project onto him. The novel follows Griffin as he uncovers his feelings and fears, and finally carves out his true self. The book also has a phenomenal sense of place—NYC in the early 80s, which makes it feel real and gives it depth. Ross also uses a lot of great words that I wished I thought of myself—like “starfished” as a verb. “Dragon-blown” as a way to describe wind.
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder | The Last Book I Read
Pen & paper or computer:
Pen and paper open the flood gates of imagination, so it’s a great place to start. Writing by pen triggers the mind/body connection and spurs creativity. When I first started writing, it was easiest to write with pen and paper. I had a lot of those cheap composition notebooks and a few nice pens. I’d write in them every day; poems, essays, sometimes short stories. But at some point, I guess when I wrote enough, I found that I could easily access my creativity at my laptop as well. So now I mostly use my laptop and only use pen and paper when my laptop isn’t handy.
Book character I think I’d be best friends with:
The no-name protagonist from Rebecca (by Daphne DuMaurier). I admire her innocence, although I’d like help her investigate—show her house to case a joint like Nancy Drew might. I imagine we’d go through all those musty, cavernous rooms at Manderley and rummage through the closets and drawers. We’d snoop around and take notes in a leather-bound notebook. We’d take statements from the locals—even Mrs. Danvers, despite knowing this would irritate her. Then we’d light some candles and incense and cleanse Rebecca’s witchery from the house so Manderley wouldn’t have to burn down.
Author Interview - Alexandra Fleder | Book Character I’d be Best Friends With
If I weren’t an author, I’d be a:
Being an author is my dream career. I can’t imagine anything else I’d rather do. I was a litigation paralegal in a previous life and it was all-consuming. I burned out from it several years ago and it took me years to recover from burnout. I always wanted to do something creative for work and I know this is it. I was born to write. That would be a good slogan for a trucker hat—Born to write!
Favorite decade in fashion history:
I’m a pretty basic dresser. I wear mostly jeans and T-shirts, but I do often wish I lived my adult life in a different decade—anytime from the 60s through the 80s—just for the fashion. Fashion is at its worst now. We live in yoga pants and T-shirts and wear a lot of bland colors. When you look at photos of people from different eras, they’re wearing lots of color and different patterns. Women wore more skirts and dresses and looked more feminine. I often want to dress like that, but somehow, I keep slipping back into what feels comfortable, which is a T-shirt, jeans, and Vans slip-ons. I should wear more velvet, lace, and brocade. I should embroider my wardrobe with flowers.
Place I’d most like to travel:
An island in Greece. I want to swim in that calm, clear, ultra-blue water. I want the sun to bake salt into my skin, turning it rough and sun-mottled. I want to dine seaside, eating fresh-caught seafood while the wind turns my hair into Medusa-like coils. I want to spend all day reading books, and maybe in that unfettered space, I’ll find inspiration for my next novel.
My signature drink:
A margarita made with a premium silver tequila, fresh lime juice, a squeeze of orange (or tangerine!), a bit of agave syrup, a dash of triple sec, and a splash of club soda on top. Garnished with a lime wedge.
Margaritas can be a medicine or a poison (as my protagonist Joan knows!)—so it’s important to use quality ingredients.
Favorite artist:
I love Stevie Nicks—rock’s mystical lady. I love her diaphanous, gauzy ensembles. I love that she writes her own lyrics, how meaningful they are to her, and how committed she is to her craft. I adore her raspy, ethereal voice which is perfect for songs about goddesses and love and living an untamed life. I listen to her music over and over and it never gets old.
Number one on my bucket list:
Owning a house, having a garden, getting married. I yearn for simple, stable things I’ve never had before.
Anything else you'd like to add:
If you read my book, read the spells out loud for extra credit.
Find more from the author:
https://www.alexandrafleder.com/
https://www.instagram.com/alexandrafleder/
About Alexandra Fleder:
Alexandra Fleder
Alexandra Fleder is a poet, herbalist, oracle, and sometimes a fairy teller. She spends her time reading, writing, revising manuscripts, and planting and tending to native plants. She lives with her two blind cats in her native Los Angeles.
