Please tell us a little about yourself and your work.

Writing and storytelling have always been a part of me. I’ve written a variety of short stories and novellas, but Fire & Flight is my debut novel and also the first in my young adult fantasy-adventure trilogy. I’ve always been captivated by stories, particularly ones involving magic and faraway lands, so writing my own novel about a magical world sparked by my own imagination is a dream come true.

Was your storyline something that you envisioned from the beginning, or did you build/change it as you wrote your novel?

Fire & Flight bloomed from a singular idea that completely enthralled me. I was a junior in high school taking a “creative expressions” class, and all I could think of was a girl with silver hair and lilac eyes in a forest with sapphire leaves. The idea immediately captivated me, and the more I turned it over in my head, the more it came to life. And then the girl had a name: Nyla. And she was about to discover something about herself and her family history that would upend her life.

How did you create/acquire the cover art?

I had the amazing opportunity to work with Marcella Thaler, an immensely talented graphic designer, who took my vision and provided me with an amazing concept that—through some revisions—turned into three fantastic covers that I can’t wait to see side by side on bookshelves in the coming year! Our focus was to showcase the symbols of the trilogy while also giving some insight into the Heirs of Tenebris. I think once people see them, they’ll appreciate our vision. I get goosebumps whenever I look at these cover images and how they not only represent Nyla’s character arc throughout each book, but also the progression of the trilogy itself.

How has critical and/or reader response influenced the way you think about your work?

People come up to me at events I’ve done since Fire & Flight’s release and tell me they started reading the book immediately after purchasing their signed copy and that they loved my opening chapters—or that they’re fascinated by the world I’ve created. Reviews such as the one Kirkus gave the novel and reader reviews on other platforms bolstered my confidence and inspired me to create content for people to enjoy as I continue to grow into who I am as an author. The community I’ve found myself in—of fellow writers and readers alike—has been exciting, encouraging, and humbling all at once. When I first set out to publish Fire & Flight, I knew I wanted to create a world, and by extension an “author brand,” that people could escape to. I just didn’t realize that in doing so I would be building a community of people I would come to know personally and that it would extend to something more than just my work. 

What are you working on now?

Currently, I’m working on publishing Fire & Flight’s sequel, Embers of Eternity, which should be released later this summer. My team and I are also working on revising the third and final book in the Heirs of Tenebris trilogy. I’m determined to do everything I can so readers won’t have to wait too long after Embers of Eternity’s release for the trilogy’s conclusion, Winds of War.

Portions of this Q&A were edited for clarity.