What can you tell us about your new release, Court of Ruins?
Court of Ruins is the first book in my new romantic epic fantasy series, The Fallen Fae. It’s set in a world where the fae have lost most of their magic, and the six kingdoms have been at war for a hundred years. The main character, Reyna Darragh, would much rather be a warrior, but she sees an opportunity to take down her enemies by playing the game of courtly intrigue. All the while a plague-like dark magic is sweeping across her kingdom. There’s a lot of intrigue, mystery, magic, romance, and betrayal.
What or who inspired you to become an author?
This might sound cliche, but I have honestly been reading for as long as I can remember. I thank my parents for that. So, I have always been interested in writing, and even made some picture books as a kid. But the real shift, when I began to take writing seriously, was after reading Harry Potter. It swept me up in a way that nothing else ever had, and it made me want to write my own fantasy stories.
What's on your top 5 list for the best books you've ever read?
Oh man, that is a hard question. This is going to be so hard to narrow down! I’m actually going to have to do this by series.
1. A Song of Ice and Fire by George R.R. Martin
2. Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling
3. Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
4. His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman
5. The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist
Say you're the host of a literary talk show. Who would be your first guest? What would you want to ask?
Hands down George R.R. Martin. I would ask him when The Winds of Winter is coming out. 😀
What's your favorite thing about writing?
My favorite part is dreaming up worlds and characters. I love doing research, brainstorming, and worldbuilding. It’s an amazing feeling when you make that connection between an idea and a plot, and it feels like magic.
What is a typical day like for you?
I am lucky enough to write full-time, so my day revolves around that. I generally get up at 6am, exercise and/or take the dogs for a walk. By the time I sit down at my desk, it’s about 8:30am, and I have a little shed in the back garden where I have my desk set up. It’s nice and cosy out there, and I like having a separate space away from the house.
At that point, I write for a few hours until lunchtime. After lunch, I’ll keep writing if I haven’t met my daily word goal. If I have met my goal, then I’ll do various admin tasks, answer emails, interact with readers on social media, talk to cover designers, etc. Some days are longer than others, especially the closer I get to a deadline. One thing I like to make sure I don’t miss is my reading time. I find it’s essential to keeping my creative well full.
What scene in Court of Ruins was your favorite to write?
My favorite scene to write, and the one that required the least edits because I was having so much fun with it, was a chapter from the point of view of a side character. She’s an infamous vigilante, and she’s tracking down a murderer. It was fun to write because she is just so fierce and no-nonsense, and she is really good at stabbing things.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
Never give up.
