Author Interview: Lesley Floyd

Torrential is out now - let's talk about the first book in the series!

May 07, 2025

Today we’ve got an author interview with Lesley Floyd. Her new novel, Torrential, is the third book in the Shadow Dynasty series. We’re going to talk about the first book, Ctrl+Z.

Ctrl+Z has
➢ Strong female lead
➢ Unreliable mentor
➢ Finding self
➢ Magick
➢ Spy/action hero
➢ multi-P.O.V.
➢ mental illness rep

Zoey’s spent her whole life being the best agent DNP has ever produced. Despite her rather rebellious nature, the Director has remained focused on cultivating her skills and molding her into the deadly asset she’s become. But when Zoey is sent on a high-level mission, she is forced to confront a dangerous truth and the existence of magick in a world without hope. With life-altering choices to make, will Zoey stand her ground against the threats to her known way of life? Or will she undo her life’s work in hopes that she’s chosen sides wisely?

Thank you to Lesley for taking the time to do this interview with us!

Ctrl+Z is the first book in a series. Did you always know this would be a series, or was it something that happened during the process?

Once I actually started writing it, I did know it would have to be a series. At first, though, I had a completely different plan. Each book was going to follow a different person specifically, so they would have all been single point-of-view. Once I got into writing CTRL+Z, I realized that including multiple viewpoints added much more depth to the story, and would allow me to tell the Shadow Dynasty series in a more impactful and enjoyable way.

Ooh, so it’s multi-p.o.v. as well? While individual books following different characters is definitely intriguing, I’m glad to hear you figured out what would work best for you and your storytelling.

When did you first come up with the idea for the series?

Actually, I had an idea for a video game. I’d gotten a certification in Game Design: Art and Concepts through California Institute of Arts and started working on a game following a character (who has not yet been introduced in the books) that faces Knight Mares. When COVID hit, that project got shelved and I started focusing on a sequel game narrative for Zoey, which ended up turning into the manuscript for CTRL+Z and the foundation for the Shadow Dynasty Series.

Wow, that’s so cool! Do you think you might still make a game of it one day, or has it been completely surrendered to the book world?

I still plan to make the game eventually. At this point, I want to finish the main series first and give it a solid conclusion. Then I’ll go back and rework a few story points in the game (and maybe even work in some appearances from Zoey and the others)!

Amazing! Looking forward to seeing how this all turns out!

Do you have a favourite line you'd like to share?

Ctrl+Z is basically the instruction manual for the Shadow Dynasty Series. You can read it alone and have a fully contained story, but you can’t read anything else in the series without the foundation of Ctrl+Z. At its core, it sets the stage for the relationship between the protagonist, Zoey, and her mentor/boss, the Director. Given that, I’d say one of my favorite lines is from the Director and details their relationship/interactions (without giving any spoilers here). “Even if I can’t control you, I’ll always be in your mind. You’ll always be able to hear my voice.”

Interestingly, the Director has my favorite line in Arterial (book two) and it addresses his thoughts/feelings toward Zoey as well: “All humans were inherently magickal. Most would never know it. Some would see the occasional spark. Very few would ever know just how powerful they really were.”

Ooh, very ominous!

Who would you recommend Ctrl+Z to?

Ctrl+Z and the rest of the Shadow Dynasty Series are perfect for fans of urban fantasy with an action-packed, fast-paced flow. If you prefer your books to read more like action films, this is the story for you.

Do you know what your next project will be?

I just released Torrential, book three of the series, on March 31. I’m currently writing book four, Inferno, and the fifth and final book in the Shadow Dynasty Series – I’ll be announcing that title soon. I have also started a standalone fantasy novel called Isle of Forgotten Starlight, which I hope to release in Spring 2026.

Sounds like you’re pretty busy with a lot of work lined up!

Have you always wanted to be an author? What inspired you to start?

I’m an attorney by day, and writing is one of my favorite parts of the job. I’ve always liked coming up with stories. In junior high, I wrote a series of mafia-inspired “episodes” that I shared with friends. In high school, friends and I would use notebooks to pass back and forth our own RPG stories. It’s a fun creative outlet for me.

Ah yes, the back-and-forth notebook stories, I remember doing that too.

How long have you been writing?

Again, I started writing as early as junior high, but I’d say I started seriously writing with the intention to publish in 2020.

How much does your own life influence your work?

A lot. The Shadow Dynasty Series as a whole is an allegory for various mental health struggles that I’ve experienced in the past myself, including eating disorders, anxiety, and depression. The goal is not to be in the readers’ faces about it, but I definitely have poured some of myself into the characters.

Heck yeah! Love to see that kind of rep in books!

What made you decide to self-publish?

In addition to being a practising attorney, I’m also a wife and mom. Traditional publishing is a much more time-consuming effort. Also, I like having complete control over my story and being able to set my own direction. If a trad publisher randomly reached out, I’d probably jump on it. But for now, I’m enjoying doing things my way and learning the ins and outs of being an author.

Who was your biggest influence as an author?

When I started writing, I don’t think I had a biggest influence. I always loved reading, but I didn’t follow authors much. Now that I’m involving myself more in the space, I love reading the stories of authors who write the books I like to read – The “Rebeccas”: Rebecca Thorne, Rebecca Yarros, Rebecca Ross. Also, Sarah J. Maas, Naomi Novak, Gina LaManna, Hannah Nicole Maher, Matt Haig, Richard Osman, Stuart Turton, Benjamin Stevenson, Elle Cosimano. I’ve learned a lot from reading all of those authors and others. Gina LaManna really inspires me because of the variety of stories she writes and how big her catalogue is. I’ve read every one of her books and enjoyed them all.

A solid combo of big names and lesser-known authors in there!

If you could recommend one book aside from your own, what would it be?

Only one? That’s so unfair. One of my favorite recent reads was How to Stop Time by Matt Haig. The storytelling is top-notch, and I love the way he explores such a deep relationship.

Yes, just one. We are quite mean like that!
I haven’t heard of that one, but am making a mental note to grab a copy if I spot it in an op shop!!

What advice would you give to other writers? Is there anything you wish someone had told you?

The advice I’d give is to just write your story. You learn as you go – my process for writing Arterial and Torrential was a lot more streamlined that Ctrl+Z because I learned what worked and what was too time-consuming the first time around. Don’t worry about how to get readers. Just write your story and put as much effort into telling the best story you can. You’ll get the readers eventually. I also edit as I go now. I finish a chapter and proofread/edit. When I finish the next chapter, I go back and start from the beginning to proofread/edit again. Once I finish the book, the first half has been polished almost as much as it can be. Still, as I’ve published more books in this series, I’ve found things that needed cleaning up earlier on in the books. Even using an editor, I catch things still. I’ve made those small changes as I’ve noticed them and keep the book as updated as I can. I think once I finish the entire series, I’ll probably resubmit all the books to a singular editor instead of different ones and then do a special-edition re-release with fancy new covers. For now, I’m focused on getting Inferno and book five into readers’ hands by the end of the year.

One thing I do wish someone had told me earlier on was the importance of having my own author website. I didn’t realize how many people would ask for that or how much use I could get out of it. I’m behind the curve on that now – I’ve purchased my website, but I’m still trying to build it out. It would have been helpful to have that earlier, especially since I’ve had so many requests for signed copies of the books. Having the website earlier, even if it was basic, could have helped me process those requests more efficiently.

That is some great advice. And yes!! Author websites are incredibly important and can be very useful! Even a simple one is better than none at all.

Anything else you would like to add?

I appreciate the opportunity to share Ctrl+Z and the Shadow Dynasty Series with you all. I’m proud of the work I’ve done and am grateful for the opportunity to discuss it with readers, especially fans of urban fantasy books.

Aw, thank you for the opportunity to interview you and get some more insight into the series and the author behind the work!

Thanks so much to Lesley for joining us today, and for answering our questions! It’s been great to have you here and learn more about your book!

About the Author

Lesley Floyd, an attorney who has grown bored with only writing in Latin phrases and statutory citations, is an avid reader of all genres. Though she still practices law, she decided to put her years of writing experience into fiction and has created the world of the Shadow Dynasty.

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