Stone & Sky follows an unlikely hero in a realm where darkness and chaos loom, who is determined to save his town and the world from an immediate orc threat. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

To be honest, I had been seeing a lot of darker fantasy books in recent years, and I missed the classic style fantasy where heroes have to work together to overcome unlikely odds. I missed the fun and adventure. I wanted to write something that readers of all ages could enjoy together. I also wanted to tell a story that reminded readers to never lose hope.

Can you share insights into the development of Orin’s character and what aspects of his personality you believe resonate most with readers?

You know, it’s funny. Orin is in a hard spot when the book starts. Having been in the military and knowing what it feels like to be out of the fight while your brothers and sisters are still serving–it’s a tough feeling. The love for his brothers and sisters drives him to get home, but in the midst of that, he comes to find that there are other people who will love him and fight alongside him, even if he faces life without his griffin. It’s been really fun to develop that in books 2 and 3 (both coming soon).

Your book is noted for its rich world-building and character depth. What challenges did you face in creating such a detailed and immersive fantasy world?

Some of the interesting challenges came with the aerial combat and the abilities of the flying mounts that the different people groups ride. For example, I had to set very specific rules about abilities for wyverns and griffins. We also have pegasi that the elves ride, and I made up these really cool panther creatures with bat-like wings (called garvawks) that the dwarves ride. Each group of people had to have ways of interacting with the different flying beasts. How do they husband them? How do they train with them? How would each mount’s aerial abilities be different? It was a fascinating exercise in imagination.

This is book one in the Stone & Sky series. What can readers expect in book two?

So glad you asked. Book two in the Stone & Sky series is called Stone & Tide and is planned for release on 6 FEB 2023. The epilogue of Stone & Sky leaves readers with a bit of a tense cliffhanger, but we absolutely get some resolution on that in Stone & Tide. Book one kept us in the land of Tarrine (one of the lands in the world of Finlestia), but in the second we’re sailing across the sea to the mysterious land of Kelvur (the place from which our villain hailed). Definitely expect more friendship development and epic battles, but Kelvur holds many secrets that our protagonists must uncover.

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