The Relic Revolver follows a man whose hometown is attacked by demonic forces and winds up going through an interdimensional door, landing in a realm between heaven and hell. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

I am in my eleventh year working on the world and storyline for this series that will span eight books. The original inspiration for the story came to me years ago. While watching and reading tons of fantastical adventures in big worlds, I realized that there was a lack of those that were hopeless, dark, and scary. There are so many worlds with bright environments, fun times, bubbly characters, and grand adventures, but I wanted to explore the gray. I wanted to create a world where even the ultimate good turned out to be corrupt. My design for Jack followed that idea. The idea that a man who has killed bounties his entire life had been given the responsibility of the future of the mortal realms was intriguing and really got me excited to explore the human condition and the true way of the world. We are all flawed, and nothing is what it seems. There are so many tiny inspirations that helped me create this epic adventure; from the relationships/conversations of The Guardians of the Galaxy (that inspired me to keep wry humor even in intense situations) to the constant action in the Witcher series that pushes Geralt through unthinkable situations. Another that I have to mention is the incredibly descriptive nature of Tolkein’s environments.

I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?

The original idea for my settings were post-apocalyptic western towns that were unaware of the destruction and loss of technological advances because of the wars between Heaven and Hell. I designed 148 cities brimming with life that each have different types of government, cultures, and recorded histories. I will definitely never make it close to exploring all of those in my writing, but the world actually exists around where I am writing now. Cities bustle even though readers may never experience them, which gives me even more perspective to explore struggles in the world as well as the internal conflicts of the characters. As I planned, my world grew exponentially spanning across realms and even time. It took a lot of work, but I am excited for every reader to get lost in this place that has been alive to me for so long.

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

I felt like creating an array of different personalities that have gone through similar circumstances allowed me to explore loss, love, fear, and courage. Looking at these themes through divergent looking glasses affects readers very differently. A gentler soul may connect instantly with Shadow and experience growth with him, while a more cynical person may be inspired by Jack’s journey. I wanted to tackle those themes through different characters with different struggles that relate to a lot of what we actually go through emotionally in the world around us. Ultimately I wanted to explore the foundational idea that sometimes evil deeds end with good results and vice versa. I feel like there is definitely inspiration for the reader by connecting with my characters. I have spent years on the development and growth and I am so proud of the results so far.

Where does the story go in the next book, and where do you see it going in the future?

The beautiful thing about this question is that I have designed a world with thousands of years of history, that is full of cities, adventure, round characters, and untapped mysteries that are sure to excite. The series is designed to run for eight books, but there is so much more to explore and tell. The second book called, The Cursed Amethyst continues right where The Relic Revolver ends and ramps up the action. I can’t say too much at this point about it, but what I will reveal is that the crew does go to Hell in this one. I am on track to release The Cursed Amethyst this November, and I could not be more excited. The immense size and scope of this universe creates endless possibilities for more adventures that even I cannot wait to explore.

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