Exciting News and Character Interview!

 Book Two is Releasing!

I have a release date for book two, Broken Crown! Not disclosing it just yet, so stay tuned! And, for more regular updates, you can follow me here!

In celebration of the coming release of Broken Crown, I've decided to interview my main cast of characters! Starting, of course, with the main character, King Torrin Slater!

    I sat down at the kitchen table in the Aliki cabin. The door stood open to let in fresh air--and with it, flies and gnats in abundance. 

    Patches, the old house cat, curled around my ankles. I was extremely thankful for wearing long pants, despite the late summer heat. As it was, my skin was already starting to tingle and itch from the cat's close proximity. 

    Why haven't I ever given a character a cat allergy, I mused. 

    Torrin's entrance interrupted my thoughts before I could decide who to inflict with one more troublesome trait. His bum leg dragged slightly, his boot making soft scuffing sounds on the wooden floor. He paused at the sight of me, then bowed clumsily. "You wanted to see me?"

    "Yep! Have a seat." I stretched a leg out to push a chair out for him. 

    He sat down cautiously. "May I ask why I was needed?"

    "An interview." I grinned. "Remember the one you did with Mrs. Jenelle?"

    He nodded after a moment, shoulders relaxing. "Alright. What do you want to know?"

    "Well, first question is, what did you learn in your journey through Fallen King?"

    He glanced down at the table. I knew the answer already, knew it was a sore spot with him. But, well, I do like torturing my characters. He took a deep breath. "Not to let my emotions get the better of me. Whether it's panic or...anything else. Cyprian almost died." His eyes were distant, watery. "I can't have someone else die because of me. I can't risk that again."

    "That's a good lesson to learn. I think we could all use a little more self control as far as emotions go."

    "Yeah, I, I'm still working on it. I don't want to be a burden, I want to be the king my people and friends deserve."

    I almost wished Briley or Raevyn were here to give him a hug. I cleared my throat. "I know you had some fun times, like Raevyn's birthday party. Tell me, how was it different from Elyndian parties?"

    That was actually a very useful question--I was still working on developing the Elyndian culture. It hadn't received half as much attention as the Anatheman or even Achian cultures had. I tended to get distracted and develop cultures for countries I'll probably never write about. 

    (Note to self. Stop doing that.)

    "Well..." Torrin hesitated. "I'm royalty. Er, was, anyways. So parties were usually very formal events. Dances, feasts, adults standing around discussing politics and religion. Ryan and I would usually sneak off to avoid having to dance with anyone. That was always more my brother's thing." He paused at the mention of his late brother, and cleared his throat. "Raevyn's birthday was much more relaxed. Like what I always wanted mine to be like. Friends and family gathered around, games, stories, a bon-fire. Even though everyone dressed up, it was still a more casual, fun time."

    "You mentioned you didn't like dancing, but you danced with Raevyn. What was the difference?"

    "I know her. She's a friend. Plus, we kinda made a deal, so..." He shrugged. "Besides. It's more fun to dance when you have the choice, instead of doing it because everyone expects you to."

    "Yeah, I can understand that. I like dancing, but, not with other people. And certainly not in front of anyone." I laughed. "Next question is, now that you've spent some time with the Anathemans, and seen how other people live, how do you think that will impact your reign, should you regain your throne?"

    "The Anathemans share everything. They have to, for survival. Nothing goes to waste, and the biggest crime there is if someone gets into an argument. Or, you know, one of the wild animals goes rogue. That's how I want my people to operate. We're surviving doing everything the same way for generations, yes. But I want us to thrive. I don't want there to be any poverty. Or crimes, even though we do have a low rate already." He ran a hand through his hair. "And I don't want there to be any superstition. The Anathemans aren't monsters. I just...have to figure out how to stop that rumor."

    "You have a lot of noble goals, Torrin. That's one of the reasons you're one of my favorite characters." I adjusted my glasses. "Alright. Last question before I leave is, what are you looking forward to personally. I know your goal is to regain your throne, but in your own life. What excites you about the future?"

    He hesitated. That was a hard question, for reasons I won't tell because Mild Spoilers. 

    "...I would say...having friends again." He swallowed. "Having a family group. Briley, Raevyn, Roscoe, Alaric, even Cyprian. I love them very much, and I don't know what I would do without them. So, I would say that growing closer and making more memories with them is what excites me the most about my personal future."

    I grinned. "There's another person you're going to grow to love as well."

    He sent me a flat look. "If it's who I think you're referring to, no. There's absolutely no way that's going to happen."

    I laughed. "You say that now, buddy. But I'm already editing book three and writing book four. Trust me when I say you are going to love them more than life itself."

    "You don't know that! You're always complaining how things turn out vastly different than you planned them too!" he protested.

    I only laughed harder. "Alright. I gotta go now. Thank you for coming to this interview, and I will see you in the next round of edits!"

    He crossed his arms with a huff. "I'm going to make writing me very difficult for you."

    "Oh, I know. I'm fully prepared." I got up and walked out the door with a wave.

.

.

If you enjoyed this interview, please share it with friends!

And, if you want to see the other interview mentioned, you can read it here!

You can also find Torrin's book, Fallen King, here!

Thank you for reading, and stay tuned for more!