DRAGUM follows a young, ambitious woman who sets out on a journey to find self-love and acceptance when everyone seems against her. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The inspiration for the setup of my story came from my own personal struggle as a free spirited being who felt trapped in the expectations of others. It was Kali’s teetering mental health that built the perfect cliffhanger for the power of DRAGUM to manifest a self-love romance novel. While planning out each chapter, I wanted the reader to feel seen and heard for anytime they have ever felt alone or lost in life because of a specific or blanketed situation. To me, it was important to highlight the silent struggles that can be faced by those who seem to have it all together.

Kali has lost her dragum, and this novel shares her story of finding it again. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

Some driving ideas behind Kali’s character development was that she had to be her own hero. Even if there were characters who supported her mental health journey, Kali had to be the one holding her own hand. This is because she was forced in a position where she needed to fully trust her own intuition to gain her dragum power back. So it was important to have Kali act unpredictable and mirror the characteristics of anyone around her until she was ready to develop heroic qualities to save herself. I also wanted Kali to be flawed, relatable, and likeable. She was living the human experience and absolutely tried to better herself with therapy, leaving a toxic work environment, taking space from her controlling parents, and ending an unhealthy romance. However, she did not go about everything in the best way while hesitation took over her intuition. By the end of the book, she confidently walked away from the New Westminster apartment leaving Ryann behind for good.

What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?

Some themes that were important for me to explore in this book were: toxic masculinity; family dysfunction; external expectations; the severity of untreated mental health; and trusting one’s intuition.

What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?

The next book I’m working on is a sequel to DRAGUM. It will have a subtitle similar to: On The Road or The Open Road. Here, Kali will be managing her dragum again but this time in search of a stronger sense of self and a clearer understanding of where her family’s dragum powers originated from. While choosing to take the road less travelled on an All-American road-trip, she will dive deep into magical daydreams to untangle her childhood traumas. I’m hoping it will be available by 2024 if funding falls into place.

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