The Dark Witch continues the saga of the Grim Knight and the Princess of the Dark, navigating a treacherous world brimming with foes from various factions. What was the initial idea behind this story, and how did that transform as you wrote the novel?

When I first started writing the Ebon Knight, the idea was to present the entire adventure in one book. Ha! I quickly found out that there was no chance of that, so the Dark Witch runs seamlessly off of the Ebon Knight because it was meant to be all in one book. The Arch Mage (the third book in the series) runs directly off my second book for the same reason. In hindsight, I’m glad that I did extend the story out to three different installments, because I was able to present a lot more characters and PoV’s. Turning my original idea into a trilogy has helped to make it more epic and exciting than it otherwise would have been.

What was the inspiration for the culture of your characters?

Is it modeled after any particular society? The backdrop is primarily the western United States, although later the action moves to Europe (in the third book). My characters are drawn from many different cultures, but the world presented is not necessarily our world. I do not get into politics, current events, etc. The book is meant to be an escape, so I didn’t want to mirror reality too closely.

How did you balance magic and its use throughout the story to keep it believable?

Good question. I think my magic system, and the hierarchies of powers I present between the two sides, are well-grounded and believable. All of the gifts my protagonists and antagonists have also have a downside, some more dramatic than others. For example, the Ebon Knight has an uber powerful sword, but if he draws it he will go berserk and kill EVERYBODY – friend and foe alike. The Dark Witch becomes extremely cold and dangerous if she accesses her most inner power, etc. No one has an unlimited supply of power, either, and they all weaken in battle. No one is immune to the downsides of their extraordinary gifts and there are real consequences for their use. I think that makes the characters more relatable and real.

When will book three be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?

The third book is called “The Arch Mage” and is scheduled to go to my editor on 3/16/24. I anticipate it being available for pre-order by 4/01/24 with a publication date of 06/01/24 to 07/01/24. This last book will be longer than either of the first two, and it is an absolutely excellent addition. I HATE loose ends, so there will be NONE when the trilogy concludes. Because it is the end (and because I want it to be a satisfying capstone to the series) it has taken me longer to write book 3 than book 1 & 2 together! It is worth the wait, though, and much of the action shifts to France and the catacombs beneath Paris. I think fans of my first two books will be absolutely floored. There is the possibility of a book 4 and 5 if the trilogy is ultimately well-received and successful, but if the adventure ends as planned no one is going to feel like I left them hanging. Either way, I’ll keep writing, so look me up in the horror section in 2024 if I do not end up writing more in the world of the Grim Knight and his Dark Princess. I have some VERY good ideas for both a collection of short stories and a stand alone book in the horror genre.

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