Rogues of the Crosslands: Azoria’s Blade follows an eleven girl who is the sole survivor of an attack on her village and vows to hunt down those that caused this destruction. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

Azoria was created as a character for a tabletop role-playing game with my friends. When COVID hit, we quit playing in person, which inspired me to begin writing in lieu of gaming. As her character evolved, however, her meaning became deeper. She’s a child who was raised by an overprotective dad, deep in the safety of the wildwoods. She’s repeatedly told ‘don’t go past the creek’, which kind of becomes a continuous theme in Azoria’s Blade. Then, she’s unexpectedly exposed to the violence of the outside world she was being protected from. It reminds me of the children (and adults) who were enclosed from the world during COVID, but none of us escaped unscathed. Children missed school and social interactions; while adults became generally more angry and entrenched in their ideologies. We all returned to a different world. I feel like no matter how much we protect our little ones, the inevitable violence of real life is waiting for them in some manner.

Azoria Dash was just a child when her village is attacked by Orcs; she has to grow up fast and find a way to not let her hate destroy her. What were some driving ideals behind your character’s development?

One of my favorite fantasy movies is Conan the Barbarian. It’s a great story of revenge and redemption. In that movie, you meet Conan (played by Arnold Schwarzenegger); who is so physically imposing, there’s no doubt he’ll become victorious. In my story, I wanted to create a character that was the opposite, almost to the point of laughter. In fact, she fits as the least capable person anyone would depend on as a heroic protagonist. She’s a young girl who’s unsure of herself, short-tempered, short in stature, scrawny, and immature. Azoria also fails a lot due to her lack of good decision-making. Her failures create a more endearing, relatable, and believable heroine to root for.

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

The title itself, Azoria’s Blade sounds like it’s all about Azoria. However, it’s the character building around her that truly enriches the story’s depth. The supporting cast is chock-full of individual motivation and trauma. I sprinkle many problems throughout the adventure that I believe most readers can relate to. There’s teamwork, family, loss, loneliness, personal growth, racism, PTSD, addiction, and mommy and daddy issues. Besides the primary storyline, there are several other mini-victories to cheer for along the way.

When will book 2 be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?

I can’t wait to release Reign of the Sorceress Queen, which should be in early 2024. There’s a ton of new discoveries, twists, and turns that’ll truly immerse fans of Azoria’s Blade. I’ll provide more details to the follow-up soon, but I’ll just caution readers to buckle up. 

With respect to Azoria’s Blade, we have so much to share! I’m not just releasing a book, I’m creating an interactive experience. First, the Kindle version of Azoria’s Blade will be available September 18, 2023 and the hard prints will be released the same week. I’ve also created an art companion guide which is full of the beautiful character renderings that we’re sharing with fans weekly on instagram and facebook. I’m also creating character trading cards with stats for collectors, book fans and roleplaying enthusiasts alike. 

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