Dystopian novels that delve into dark genetic engineering.
Please, introduce yourself. Tell us about your personal life, family, education.
My name is Tanya Ross, and I am a retired middle school teacher. I loved my thirty-two-year career with the kids and looked forward to each day with them, teaching them leadership skills, language arts, and history. I also taught AVID, a program for kids who would be the first-generation college students in their family.
At home, I live with my wonderful husband, a retired banker, my son, who has Fragile X Syndrome, and my beautiful four-year-old golden retriever, Teddy in my home in Escondido, California. I also have a daughter who is a high school teacher who lives nearby in Bonsall. We spend a lot of time together as a family and encourage one another on a daily basis.
I grew up in Escondido and attended public schools. I then received my B.A. from the University of Redlands in Sociology and my teaching credential from the School of Education there.
I am the author of The Tranquility Series, a multi-award-winning dystopian saga featured here.
What do you like doing in your spare time?
I love having spare time, although I admit that I don’t have much of it! I love going to lunch with friends, going for long walks with my dog, reading books of all types of genres, designing graphics on Canva, and going to movies. I love watching TV in the evening with my hubby, and I am somewhat addicted to streaming mini-series, especially the historical dramas, such as Outlander and Poldark, and thrillers, like Dexter and Homeland.
If you are a writer, are you an avid reader?
I’ve been an avid reader since I was a young child. My parents subscribed to a child’s book program, so books came in the mail early on. Books written by Dr. Seuss, as well as classics such as Black Beauty and The Call of the Wild, had me enthralled whenever I could spend time reading. Nancy Drew became an obsession before I branched out to gothic romances as a teen. I still read every single day and credit it for my success as a writer.
The Ultimate Goal
What is your ultimate writing goal as you see it today?
My main, immediate goal is to finish my four-book series! I have three books out and one to complete before I wrap up this collection. I also would like to become a more fluent writer and become able to write more books in a shorter period of time. I work really hard at producing excellent writing—not just the “pump it out and get it on Amazon” type of author. I work to earn awards and have won a number of them.
What inspired you to write your first book?
From the time I was in high school, I always felt I could write well. Later on, I had a story circulating in my head for a few years. Developing that story into a novel became my retirement goal. An important piece of my inspiration was Lois Lowry’s book, The Giver, which was my first dystopian read. I loved teaching that book to seventh grade students and loved discussing the themes in it. The idea of creating a world where people were deprived of a specific human quality was fascinating to me.
Since my son has issues with emotional control due to his disability, it became a subconscious design for the plot of Rising Up and the world in which my characters live—one where the government dictates what is acceptable for emotional control. In the second and third novels, much evolves into genetic engineering, which is something promising on the horizon for people like my son.
How do you decide on the title of a book?
I can address this with my first novel. There are two reasons why I chose “Rising Up.” First of all, in the society in which my characters live, they rise up in society based on how strongly they are able to restrict their negative emotions. They can attain levels based on their points, all determined by a wrist monitor they are required to wear. People in Tranquility can improve their Status that way and move from Level One all the way to Level Eighteen. Each level promises more privileges.
The second reason is because my characters decide they are not going to be complacent with the administrative system and launch a rebellion, hoping to get the population to rise up against the Elite.
The other two titles I derived from one climactic section of the storyline. With Facing Off, my second novel, the two boys must fight each other to the death in an arena, so that became the perfect title. The third book, Bleeding Out, has a scene where the protagonist, Ember, has her blood taken against her will to benefit the schemes of the villain in the book.
Have you developed a specific writing style and why?
I love writing from each character’s point of view to tell the story. I have to get deep into each character’s head to think like they would and view the world from their perspective. It’s not a unique style, but it is something I love to do. So, each chapter of all three books alternates from one to the other to get the inside scoop on the character’s thoughts and feelings, all while narrating the story. It drives people to keep turning pages.
Realistic Experiences
How much of your books is realistic and experiences based on someone you know, or events in your life?
The idea of emotional control does come from our family’s struggle with teaching our son not to rage or complain. Because of his autism, he can go from hot to cold—from happy to mad—in a moment. Since this has been part of my life and his life for thirty-seven years, it is ingrained and hence easy to bring it to life in a novel.
Also, like most dystopian novels, the plot is not too far off from reality. The Elite are in control and have all the best things, while the guys underneath struggle to keep their heads up in an unbalanced world.
Who is your favorite writer, and what is it about their work that really strikes you?
I honestly can’t narrow it down to one. I love Hugh Howey’s dystopian novels because he can make the reader feel as if they are right there in the setting. His Wool series captivated me with its dark situational chaos. Can you imagine living in a silo?! And there the characters cannot go outside. He knows how to grip the reader.
T. Kingfisher is another I admire. Her plots and characters are so unique, and I find every book of hers is a page-turner for me. She uses the supernatural to drive her plots.
Finally, there is Tahereh Mafi, whose Shatter Me series just about made me quit writing because her books generated imposter syndrome in me. She is extraordinarily gifted at storytelling, but also writes from first person, which works very well. One of her books begins with almost an entire page of the protagonist writing something in a tablet, and it shows lines through what she has written until the girl finds what she really wants to say. That’s unique.
Do you remember the first book you read?
I’m pretty sure it was One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish!
When you see new authors struggling, what single piece of advice could you give them on a moment’s notice?
This is always the advice I give: Join a writers’ group! I am indebted to the people who encouraged me eight years ago when I attended the Escondido Writers Group. If not for them, I would not have continued. Writing and publishing is HARD. Their encouragement, critiques, and friendship got me past too many rough places to count. When you’re a writer and you only have you and the computer, it’s not enough. It kind of takes a village.
How do you want others to see you or remember you? Is it important to you?
Yes, this is important to me. First of all, I want to be remembered for my kindness to others. I do live to support other people any way I can. Also, I’d love to be remembered for my work with students. It was always my goal to make a lasting impression, bring them into my classroom with a smile and words of encouragement and send them out of my classroom with enduring skills they could use for a lifetime. Finally, I would like readers to remember my books and that I actually won awards for them!
Do you have a blog or website viewers can visit for updates, events and special events?
I have a website: www.tanyarossauthor.com and I also have a newsletter that goes out monthly to subscribers where I share what’s happening in my personal life, my writing journey, and my upcoming appearances. I also do a give-away every month! Anyone can sign up for that on my website.
I am on social media as well. Facebook: @fictionauthor54
Instagram: @tjross_author
Tanya’s exciting excerpt from Rising Up found here: https://writeanygenre.com/2025/12/29/tanya-ross-2/
