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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The First Descent?

I wanted to write a holiday story that was not only fun but exciting! The book is a bit unusual in several ways. First, it falls into the contemporary fantasy genre, which intertwines the “real” world with a fantasy world. Second, the ‘real’ world elements are written as a thriller-adventure, my usual writing genre. Third, the Christmas elements in the story are not of the singing-elves, dancing-candy-cane variety. Rather, the story acts as a major reveal about the origin of many of the Christmas symbols and characters we’ve all come to accept over the years.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of The First Descent, what would they be?

John Williams' Star Wars theme.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Thriller-mystery-adventure.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

David Baldocci's Strangers in Time.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

The Coke Formula Heist.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

Jelly Beans. I have a jar on my desk. I award myself a jelly bean for every two pages I write.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

If you're learning, by definition you're growing, and if you're growing, by definition you're living. So: "Learn to live."

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That an average blue-collar guy or gal can save the world.

Mike Pace is the author of the new book The First Descent

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Curse of Masques and Monarchs?

I just wanted an excuse to put a masquerade mask on a book cover. Kidding! Honestly, I sat on A Curse of Hearts and Hunger for a while before I readied them for publishing, but as soon as I started thinking about it as the start of a series, I knew Book 2 was going to be Callum’s story. So I spent a lot of time thinking about what his story was going to be, and how it would fit into the world of Accursed Kingdoms. And as I was brainstorming, I just knew a Romeo-and-Juliet, star-crossed-lovers-style romance was perfect for Cal. And there needed to be a masquerade, and it all sort of fell into place from there.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of A Curse of Masques and Monarchs, what would they be?

Madaleya's song is Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift. For Callum: King by Lauren Aquilina.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

I love reading fantasy romance and contemporary romance. Fantasy romance is definitely my favorite to write, so that’s the same. I have ideas for contemporary romance books, but haven’t convinced myself to actually write any. Yet!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I'm absolutely dying waiting for Of Pixies and Pekoe by Shari L. Tapscott! I also want to read Of Mischief and Mages by LJ Andrews, but haven't gotten to it yet.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

There’s a scene where Callum and Madaleya are writing letters to each other, and I included two letters for each of them: the letter they wanted to write, and the letter they actually wrote. It was so much fun to dive into the way they’re really feeling, but aren’t quite ready to admit yet. It’s a short scene, but really fun.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I like to put sticky notes and tape index cards with thoughts and ideas everywhere. Mostly on one wall that I’ve designated for writing, but all over my desk, my doors, and anywhere else I can find space. Sometimes it’s to help organize the story’s timeline, but sometimes I’ll just get an idea in my head like “OMG this character is _____!” And I’ll throw that on a sticky note.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

"Keep moving forward." --Walt Disney. I like not to let anything get me down. Just keep moving forward and try not to overthink things. Life happens, and there will be drawbacks, but you just have to pick yourself back up and keep moving.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

I just want my books to be an escape for people. I hope that after reading, they feel like they’ve had a good time and they’ve escaped the stresses of the real world for a short time.

Alex Rose Decker is the author of the new book A Curse of Masques and Monarchs

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write A Raven in the Storm?

I wrote A Raven in the Storm in the months after the worst year of my life as a means of grappling with my PTSD diagnosis, unprocessable climate grief, and the utter exhaustion of new parenthood. The writing journey was deeply healing for me, both in giving me a space to deal with the worst of my everyday experiences and forcing me to rebuild a community—this one made up of fellow writers and readers. I will never regret the time I spent pouring into Lyanna’s story, and I will always appreciate the people who encouraged me to take it.

When I first imagined Lyanna as a character, she was both younger and a kind of Rosa Luxemburg navigating a male-dominated revolution. I’ll never forget how, in China Miéville’s October, these titans of the communist revolution were hurling insults at each other that were better suited to a playground. I just kept thinking, “What would this be like for someone like Rosa?” So, the idea of Lyanna had been with me, but the world she navigated came into being when I found myself reading How to Blow Up a Pipeline by the philosopher Andreas Malm at the same time that I was discovering romantasy as a genre.

I have been a fantasy reader all my life, but like many, many others, I found myself frustrated by the ways that women fantasy writers were sidelined within the genre. With A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing reaching farther and wider, I found myself drawn to a genre geared toward women readers, but also found some of the sociopolitical themes in them to be too black-and-white and steeped in neoliberal political ideology that was less interesting to me.

That’s a long way of saying that I wanted to build a world where climate terrorism was the ultimate solution to the problem of climate change, the Bolshevik revolution happened in a world where real gods walked among us, and our Rosa Luxemburg-esque (very loosely) heroine is caught in the middle of all of it. I still can’t believe I had the courage to write sex scenes into a book about climate terrorism, but here we are.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of A Raven in the Storm, what would they be?

I have a whole playlist that’s open to readers (both existing and prospective): https://open.spotify.com/playlist/63qmOF7dheUrD7IDgkQIkf?si=0e81i8L1Qbmjwjfo81pYxg

In book one, which is the only one that is out, I would say Lyanna’s main theme songs are “Purge the Poison” by MARINA, “Devil’s Resting Place” by Laura Marling, and “Ladies” by Fiona Apple. After book one, her theme song throughout all of the books that follow, including book two, which comes out on February 10, 2026, is “Help, I’m Alive” by Metric. Cassius, at least in book one, is best defined by a mashup of “The Killing Moon” by Echo and the Bunnymen and “Would That I” by Hozier.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Before 2024, I would have said straight fantasy or academic nonfiction. But then I discovered Lily Mayne, C.M. Nascosta, and Kathryn Moon, and now I can’t deny the evidence in my home library. Monster romance is my genre. I don’t write it… yet. We’ll see!

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

I am slowly but surely working my way through Jaymin Eve’s Shadow Beast Shifters series and eagerly awaiting upcoming releases from Lily Mayne (Double Shot), Kathryn Moon (The Alpha of Grave Hills), and C.M. Nascosta (Reunions). Since those are literally all monster and/or shifter romance, I will name that I am actively reading nonfiction, too, including What’s Left by Malcolm Harris and Black Gold: The Rise, Reign, and Fall of American Coal by Bob Wyss. My reading list is eclectic, to say the least. I’m up to 266 books read this year, and I have no intention of slowing down!

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

My favorite scene to write was also the most difficult. At roughly the midpoint in A Raven in the Storm, Lyanna’s curiosity gets the best of her (as it often does), and she ventures into the so-called “Maze of Madness” where she hallucinates her own demons and comes face-to-face with the God of War, also known as the Raven. Though, truly, I loved writing all the scenes when she confronts the gods, whether the Storm God, the Faceless Goddess, or the Earth Mother. In each case, I got to really lean into body horror, which I love writing.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I’m not sure it’s really that quirky, but I do my best writing in bed, surrounded by all of my stuff.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

“The world keeps ending, and the world goes on.” – “The World Keeps Ending, and the World Goes On” by Franny Choi.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

That the second book is on its way, and of the three books in the series I’ve written so far, it’s my absolute favorite. In all seriousness, the big takeaway is to consider what living in a damaged world can look like—not in a “doom and gloom way” but as a different approach to addressing the very real state of our climate. I think Lyanna’s journey is tethered to this idea that the philosopher Donna Haraway surfaced, which is that we need to “stay with the trouble.” What does staying with the trouble look like in your own life?

Alida Miranda-Wolff is the author of the new book A Raven in the Storm

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What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Harbinger's War?

I've always wanted to write a story with mecha pilots, but I needed something to tie it all together. Instead of aliens invading human territory, the humans are the invaders.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of Harbinger's War, what would they be?

“Breath” by Latroit and Charlz for Harbinger, “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel for the Umamo, and “Rise Up” by Thomas Jack and Jasmine Thompson.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

Science fiction. Yes, it’s what inspired me to write.

What books are on your TBR pile right now?

Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny, Lever Action by Ravensdagger.

What scene in your book was your favorite to write?

When Jordan Tatum rescues Franklin Rook, her wingman, it shows her mettle as a fighter pilot.

Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)

I work on as many as three books at the same time, as well as read three books.

Do you have a motto, quote, or philosophy you live by?

Don't Stop.

If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?

Even as things go wrong, the truly great keep on trying.

Ulysses Namon is the author of the new book Harbinger's War

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