Drifters Realm follows three siblings and their friends with magical abilities who are part of an ancient prophecy and must prevent an impending war. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I love stories with mystery, as well as magical elements set in strange, faraway places in different time periods where the unexpected is possible and adventure lurks around every corner. The idea came to me years ago watching my kids lug around their backpacks, making their way to school, or to a friend’s house. The thought of teenagers living together and having exciting adventures has always fascinated me. Throw in a major conflict that on the surface seems clear but when you dig deeper it’s not, and a map, because no journey is complete without one, and then add a few twists and turns, stirring in characters you can relate to, heroes and villains alike, and voila, the book Drifters Realm was born.

What was the inspiration for the culture of your characters? Is it modeled after any particular society?

Inspiration for the culture in Drifters Realm came from my desire to capture a simpler time, without electronics and technology. The culture is not modeled after any particular society of which I am aware; rather it’s an amalgamation of ideas I wanted to explore.

Adding a culture of magic was essential. It was also important to expand the cultural aspects through the names of places within the story. I had a bit of fun naming everything in Drifters Realm to instill hope—Bliss, Eden and Paradise Farms—as well as drama—Misery Mountains, Impossible Lake, Desolation Mountains—as a backdrop to the story. Although some of the geography in Drifters Realm is similar to places on the West Coast, Drifters Realm and its culture is purely a work of fiction.

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

Drifters Realm is essentially a story of hope, despite the drama and impending threat to the characters’ way of life. The themes of family, friendship, and overcoming adversity are essential to the story. As the plot evolves in the next two books, Drifters Realm will continue to be a story of hope, family, forgiveness, friendship, and triumphing over the impossible.  

Is this the first book in the series? If so, when is the next book coming out and what can your fans expect in the next story?

There are three books planned for the Drifters Realm series. Be on the lookout for the second book in 2024. In the second book, pieces of the prophecy become clear, and at the same time, a mystery unfolds involving the discovery of the Shadow Stone, the Mirror Tree, and the Ghost of Ruin trapped in an underground library. Meanwhile, there is something strange going on with the powers of each character, which defies anything that has ever happened in the history of Drifters Realm. These new happenings are key to understanding why the events in Drifters Realm are taking place, and hold the answers Roe, Theo, Ori, and the others need to restore peace and harmony to Drifters Realm!

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