What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write this book?
For me, it started with the characters. I am an avid Dungeons and Dragons player, and I had so many cool character ideas in mind. But obviously, I would never be able to play them all. But as a writer, I kind of can. I spent the last few years building a world for them to live in, always asking myself the question, ‘How does this work?’ ‘Why did this happen?’, ‘What are the side effects of that in the world?’ When I had the stage built, that is when I started planning out the main story and their own specific storylines. Do all these storylines get resolved in this book? No, because there are quite a few more books planned. So while this book closes its own main story, the overall plot and the personal storylines need a lot more room to grow. If I had wanted to write it all into one book, it would easily be over 3,000 pages.
What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?
I love a good fantasy book, romantasy too. I just want to read books that allow me to forget the real world for a while, but I do want real stakes in the story. If the heroes are fighting a god, not everyone should make it out alive. I don’t mind sci-fi from time to time, but it does make me think more than I would like. I tend to try to apply the systems to real-life science, which makes it harder for me to enjoy it than simply saying “magic”.
What books are on your TBR pile right now?
So many. I still need to dig into The Shepherd King duology and the Empire of the Vampire series, but I haven’t had much time to start on either due to my day job and my writing.
What scene in your book was your favorite to write?
It is hard to pick one without spoiling anything. I personally loved a scene where Envyre, one of the main narrators, runs into a character from the previous book, A Thread of Shadows. It is not an encounter she expects, and things are tense. It is some of my favourite dialogue in the book.
Do you have any quirky writing habits? (lucky mugs, cats on laps, etc.)
I prefer writing when it is dark outside, with a cup of tea and some candles on (often with a cat on my lap if they don’t distract me). It is like a switch flipping in my brain, telling me it is time to write. I do think that has to do with the fact that I tend to write after work. With summer approaching and the days getting longer, I notice I am having a harder time writing, so I will be happy when we are headed towards autumn again.
Do you have a motto, quote or philosophy you live by?
“Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” — Oscar Wilde
If you could choose one thing for readers to remember after reading your book, what would it be?
That sometimes doing what needs to be done can be scary. Because stepping into the unknown is scary. But you can’t move forward toward a better future unless you take that first step.
