All the Fragile Hearts follows a resilient young woman who bonds with the Kingsguard assigned to protect her and works with him to discover the source of the chaos in their land. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The seed for All the Fragile Hearts began nearly nine years ago when my oldest son was just two years old. He adored the Robin Hood movie, and we watched it constantly. One day my husband wondered what would’ve been different had Robin not wanted to marry Maid Marian. How I went from Robin Hood to All the Fragile Hearts is a creative mystery to me. A few chapters came from that moment, but it took nine years of maturing to develop into the writer who found a story to tell with those starter chapters. The chapters changed dramatically from that first moment, but that is what I consider the official start of Cecelia and Viktor’s story.

Cecelia and Viktor are not looking for love and marriage, and Viktor wants nothing to do with it but marries her anyway at the urging of the king. What was the inspiration for the relationship that developed between the characters?

I was interested in telling a story about two people who didn’t find love instantaneously. I believe love is work. It’s a choice made every day. And it’s not always easy. It’s imperfect, just like the people involved.

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

The title All the Fragile Hearts is inspired by the Dicentra – Bleeding Heart – plant and its fragility. I really wanted to explore the idea of humans and their own fragility. How even the strongest of us carry whispers that echo in our minds, and we’re challenged daily to overcome them or succumb to them.

Can you tell us what the second book will be about, and when it will be available for fans to purchase?

The second book really takes off with the whispers theme, thus its name: Whispers in the Dark. It occurs roughly twenty years later and follows two new POVs that appear in All the Fragile Hearts only momentarily. There is a romance subplot, but it is slow-burn and continues to play with the idea that love is a choice made daily. The main plot follows these two new characters, their differing opinions on the rebellion, and their places amidst it. Cecelia and Viktor are still present and the reader will get the opportunity to see them from a different, perhaps refreshing, lens. Preorders should begin in July 2024.

Author Links: GoodReads | Website | Amazon