Tell us a little about yourself and your background?

I grew up and live in the southern portion of the United States, and I’ve always enjoyed genre fiction such as fantasy and science fiction. From a young age, I consumed tales from The Magic Treehouse series and numerous Star Wars EU books. When The Lord of the Rings trilogy got translated to the silver screen, my obsession only grew. I like to same I’m a geek, though probably not as hardcore as the average self-proclaimed geek. I know enough about the making of The Lord of the Rings movies to impress during trivia games, but certainly can’t speak Klingon. I guess that makes me a casual geek?

What are your ambitions for your writing career?

My ambitions and motivations are simply to create stories that don’t shy away from featuring diverse casts and LGBTQ+ protagonists. The world has changed a lot since I was a teen, and there are so many fantastic books and authors that are now releasing with these types of elements, but I still crave to see more queer characters as leads within the fantasy genre, especially in adult fiction. YA, from what I have witnessed, has progressed much further than Adult fiction in this manner.

Which writers inspire you?

From a writing style perspective, Robert Jordan and Patrick Rothfuss. If I can someday emulate the way they write and create stories, I will feel incredibly fulfilled. From a publishing standpoint, probably Stephen King—I really hope that someday I can pump out as many quality books as he does in such a short amount of time.

So, what have you written?
 (*Include books, novellas, short stories, poems, blogs, awards or anything of interest.)

I released my debut novel this year, titled The Jealousy of Jalice. It is an adult dark fantasy that belongs as the first book in A Disaster of Dokojin, and my current WIP is the sequel and next novel in this series.

I also got to be a part of my first anthology this year, which was part of Volume 1 of Tales from the Year Betweenseries. The anthology is titled Achten Tan: Land of Dust and Bone, and involved over twenty other authors and contributors. I’m glad I got to be a part of the project, and readers looking for a bizarre fantasy anthology will get a kick out of the final product.

Lastly, I have a standalone novella, titled Amethyst, that will release before the end of 2020. It’s an experimental piece for me, as I wanted to challenge myself to write something shorter than TJOJ that could be consumed by a reader much quicker and without the commitment a full series demands. Amethyst fits in the New Weird Fantasy genre, and is not affiliated with the world of TJOJ.

Give us an insight into your main character. What does he/she do that is so special?

So I’ve got two main characters: Jalice and Annilasia. Let’s examine both.

Jalice represents a false, delusional innocence. She perpetuates her naivety by ignoring and even denying her own flaws and mistakes. She chooses to believe the world she lives in is better because of her decisions, when in reality her selfish decisions have hurt a lot of people around her.

Annilasia, on the other hand, is quite the opposite. She’s strong-willed, which actually translates to another form of stubborn denial. Her pride, rather than a true sense of righteousness, is what fuels her to enact schemes against the villain of the story. This misguided motivation gets her into trouble.

What is your favorite positive saying?

Probably not a ‘positive’ saying per say, but a quote from Alan Watts always brings me a bit of hope and joy when I’m down:

I am absolutely amazed to discover myself on this rock ball, rotating around this spherical fire … it’s a very odd situation! And the more I look at things, I cannot get rid of the feeling that existence is quite weird.

What is your favorite book and why?

Probably The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. I haven’t even finished the Wheel of Times series (got half way through the series twice, but never have the momentum to get past that midway point). Yet, I really enjoy Jordan’s style of writing and the world he created.

Do you ever get writer’s Block?

Absolutely. The key is to identify what is causing the block. Lack of inspiration, lack of motivation, a scene I don’t find compelling, a plot hole, stress in my personal life—all of these have been culprits. If I can figure out what is the source of the writer’s block, then I can determine how I can overcome it.

Lack of inspiration or motivation often stem from feeling inadequate or experiencing imposter’s syndrome. An unfulfilling scene or plot hole usually mean I need to re-draft or re-outline the scene that is causing issues. The toughest, to be honest, is stress. When I’m experiencing stress, even if I’m removed from the original source, it can immediately hijack my concentration.

Any tips on how to get through the dreaded writer’s block?

Lack of inspiration or motivation often stem from feeling inadequate or experiencing imposter’s syndrome. An unfulfilling scene or plot hole usually mean I need to re-draft or re-outline the scene that is causing issues. The toughest, to be honest, is stress. When I’m experiencing stress, even if I’m removed from the original source, it can immediately hijack my concentration.

So from my experience, its best to examine what exactly is causing the block. I’m not saying it’s easy to then overcome it, but I think it’s solvable only once you’ve determined the source.

For your own reading, do you prefer ebooks or traditional paper/hard back books?

Paperbacks specifically. Love the look of hardbacks, but they’re clucky to handle when actually reading. Ebooks are super convenient, but I just don’t feel the same connection with them as I do with the physical paper and ink. Maybe it’s the fact I’m staring at a screen, and I already do too much of that outside of reading.

What book/s are you reading at present?

I’ve picked up The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin. I’m also hoping to read a couple indie books in September, such as The Hidden King by E. G. Radcliff and Seraphina’s Lament by Sarah Chorn.

Is there anything else you would like to add that I haven’t included?

First off, thank you for having me in this interview! Always an honor to get featured, and bloggers do so much for us authors in getting the word out about our books.

For my readers: thank you for all the support and reviews you’ve given for my debut novel. Every ounce of praise received inspires me in my ambitions as a writer, and without you, my title as an author would be empty and only half-fulfilled. I look forward to entertaining you with future novels!