About Lizzy Ives

Lizzy Ives grew up in the fog of the San Francisco Bay Area and now burns in the sun of Los Angeles with her husband, her cat, and their massive board game collection. She has a BFA in Film Production and has worked in various creative jobs for Marvel Studios, Lionsgate, and Skybound Entertainment. She has a passion for books, movies, and comics, but above all, for stories well told. FAT WITCH SUMMER is her debut novel.

Tuesday Bassen illustration of author Lizzy Ives

The Nitty Gritty

Interviews & Media Kit

Listen to Lizzy Ives on The To-Read List Podcast

Watch IdeaTV interview with Lizzy Ives at the LA Times Festival of Books 2023

Download the full Media Kit here

10 Questions with Lizzy Ives

What are your pronouns? She/her
Where did you grow up? The peninsula of the San Francisco Bay Area.
How long have you been writing? Ever since I could read and operate a stapler, I made my own “books” out of any paper I could get my hands on and made my fellow elementary schoolers read them. In 10th grade, I finished my first ever manuscript, a magical school YA novel starring all my friends. In college, I heavily revised that book and queried it after graduation. For the past ten years, I have been writing, revising, and submitting manuscripts.
Where did the idea for Fat Witch Summer come from? I wanted to tell a fantasy story with a plus-size lead where her weight wasn’t the focus of the story. I came up with the idea of the Gift of Glamour and the three tiers of magic next, followed by her complicated relationship with her mother. Thrash’s knack was inspired by an idea I had in high school about a girl who could break mirrors with her mind—I think it’s important to always remember what ideas captivated you when you were a teen if you want to write YA, and that always stuck with me. Finally, after years of struggling to get published, I wanted to create a world that was so unique no agents or publishers would have seen anything like it. The Thirteen States were influenced by modern Wicca, not-so-modern Americana, and surrealism—specifically the work of filmmaker Maya Deren and the film It Follows. I am obsessed with the clam phones!
Are you plus-size? Or fat? Can I call you fat?? Yes! Call me whatever you want. Fat people have mixed feelings about the word “fat,” which has been used as a slur and derogatory word for decades. I sometimes use “plus-size” because people of all sizes still find the word hurtful, but it is my hope that we can take “fat” back and return it to being a neutral, or even positive, word. That’s why I made sure it was loud and clear on the cover of my book!
Do you have a favorite character in Fat Witch Summer? Tempest. But obviously I love them all.
Do you have a favorite book? Too hard! My tastes are all over the map! If I had to narrow it down to genres, my faves are Fantasy, Comics & Graphic Novels, Thrillers, Sci-Fi, and Contemporary Literature.
Do you have a favorite movie? Also hard! But movies I could never tire of rewatching include Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, Spirited Away, Parasite, Everything Everywhere All At Once, and How To Train Your Dragon. I also have a soft spot for “so bad it’s good” movies like The Room.
What is your cat’s name? Chiaroscuro, or Chiara for short, because she is black and white. The word comes from art and film history and is essentially Italian for “high contrast.”
Why do you have so many board games? Both because I love tabletop games and because my husband Ben Kepner is a board game designer.