Darke Realms: ENRAGED follows a golden-hearted Gorgon healer and a solitary Scorpion telepath who must navigate the treacherous path from strangers to fated mates, discovering that their strength lies in unity. What were some sources that informed this novel’s development?

Source 1 – I’ve always believed in destiny; that the universe has a grander plan in place than any of us can ever conceive. Source 2 – Evil exists, even if you don’t want to acknowledge it. There’s always someone somewhere who’s doing something they know they shouldn’t. Source 3 – You can’t help the way you were born. All we can do is make the best of what we are given. Source 4 – No one was meant to live their lives alone or we would have come out that way to begin with. Humans are social creatures – we quite literally can die from the lack of touch and love.
Source 5 – Every one needs someone to love, even if it is themselves.

What was your primary inspiration for the intriguing characters Xivani Stone and Hathrat Scorch?

A common theme you will see in a lot of my books is my fascination with world mythology. Gorgons come from Greek mythology, which, like most history, is heavily centered on male-orientated actions and views. Medusa – the most famous Gorgon – was raped by a man and punished by a woman for a rape she could not prevent. She was punished by being turned into a monster. I just thought that she deserved better. Why not take a story about destruction and turn it into one about healing.

Hathrat actually came from Akkadian mythology about the aqrabuamelu (scorpion men) in the Middle East. Most mythology covered in books usually pertains to Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Norse gods. I just wanted the mythology I covered to be more inclusive of the world, so – Hathrat was born.

Diversity and representation are evident in your work. How important do you think is the role of inclusivity in modern literature, especially in genres like fantasy and romance?

The universe was made with such variety of animals, people, geography, religion, etc. Why would we not want to see that variety reflected in our literature? Everything can be unique and still remain the same because every living thing on this planet just wants to live, to love, and be happy. We all love, we all fear, and we all deserve to share our inner light with the world.

The shifting perspectives between Xivani and Scorn provide a deeper insight into their thoughts, emotions, and attitudes. How challenging was it for you to alternate between these perspectives and maintain their distinct voices?

I think it’s much easier to keep the different perspectives separate when they are of the opposite sex, but there is also a commonality, too, because everyone – whether they realize it or not – is searching for some place where they belong. There’s always going to be those elements that bring us together.

It also doesn’t hurt that I can hear each character in my head speaking to me. They live there until I let them out onto the pages of a book. There’s nothing more compelling than unleashing one’s thoughts out into an unsuspecting world!

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