Ask an Author: January 2023 Edition

Since Scorching Magik is due to come out a month from today, I thought I'd answer some questions about the book and give you insight into what I think and do.

1. How many books have you written, and which is your favorite?

I've officially published six, though only two of them are currently in circulation. Four more will be released this year, and it will complete the Vespers Chronicles and get us 3/4 of the way to the end of the Black Cauldron Detective Agency's initial series. Regarding which one is my favorite, I'd have to say that it's always the one I just finished writing or publishing. I fall in love with my work, character growth, and dialogue. I love love, love writing dialogue.

2. What part of the book did you have the most challenging time writing?

The middle. It's always the middle. I usually know what happens at the beginning and the end, and connecting those two parts without boring myself and the reader is always tough.

3. What part of the book was the most fun to write?

I adore writing fight scenes. They're complicated and technically challenging. I always say that fight scenes are like sex scenes. You have to know where everyone's limbs are, or else it gets weird real fast.

4. What characters do you relate to the most and why?

Since I write in the first person, I identify most with Ava Ramos, the protagonist of the Black Cauldron Detective Agency series. While I can "hear" most of the characters in my head, her voice comes across as loudest. I also felt closer to Nadia in Scorching Magik since it gets down to her POV for a while.

5. If you’re planning a sequel, can you share a tiny bit about your plans for it?

There are two more books planned for the Black Cauldron Detective Agency, one that deals more closely with the element of water and the last with the wind. I plan to write a spinoff series for two different characters. I'm also plotting a paranormal romance and a YA book (maybe a series). 2023 and 2024 are shaping up to be heavy writing years.

6. What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?

I struggle more with the first books in my series than I do with the others. Unearthly Magik went through at least four complete rewrites with different characters and plots. Scorching Magik,

however, was a much smoother ride. The main plot stayed the same. What changed was some of the

side plots and character development for the main crew.

Next month, we'll talk about Scorching Magik since February 1st is its release date. See you then!